New Hands ...listen again

We are receiving lots of encouraging emails about the current series of 'New Hands' - a Feisty Production. You can listen again to these programmes on the BBC Radio Scotland site, at the Feisty download site or even subscribe at iTunes. Just go the New Hands website to get all these facilities at the click of a mouse button. Enjoy and please feel free to comment - your feedback is important.

Comments

[Jamie Renton]

I applaud any programme that helps/advises Scottish entrepreneur to take their ideas to the next level. 11:05 New Hands Sunday 16th March, Alastair Knox has a great idea and no one will invest, as I listened to supposed entrepreneur Angela Patterson help Alastair to look at his business model from a different angle, I was horrified as Angela slowly surely and concisely rip apart Alastair’s enthusiasm for his ideas and products.

As a Scottish entrepreneur of many years, I know how difficult it is to gain recognition raise funds and tread the weary path of trying to raise finance. It took me 4 years to get one business off the ground and only managed it through sheer determination and bloody mindedness. I eventually attracted private investors who put £500k into the company and I then raised £5.1million through the 3i group.

When I started out, I won two financial awards from the Scottish executive, the SCIS award for 25k, awarded for innovation and also the SMART award £45k, for innovation. Once my business was established I was given the Foresight Award for building company with the most potential globally, based in Scotland, this award was also given by the Scottish Executive.

There are many mechanisms open to entrepreneurs such as the Small Firms Guarantee Loan Scheme; most banks run this award where, Limited companies can receive up to £250,000 to kick start a company. It took me several years to download this scheme, the banks putting every stumbling block in my way to stop me using this scheme to progress my company. After writing to the Head of the Bank of Scotland and accusing him of ‘stopping entrepreneuralism in Scotland’, ‘stopping me from growing the Scottish economy by employing thirty members of staff’, did I get a five minute meeting in Uberior House in the Grassmrket and given the first £100,000 of the scheme.

I feel that Angela Patterson did a very bad hatchet job on Alastair Knox’s idea, I felt she was short sighted, short on ideas and did not sound well connected for someone who is acting as a mentor to other entrepreneurs.

Over the years I have become ashamed to be Scottish. I was at a Red Herring meeting in New York several years ago and much to my surprise that Scottish People are the 2nd most entrepreneurial race of people next to the Russians (1st). Anyone with a good idea in Scotland is put down, deterred from taking any ideas forwards, stopped from accessing funds by banks. I am currently sitting on a business plan where I need £25k to start a e-commerce website with conservative potential returns within the first year of £2.5m and a sale of the company easily within three years. I wouldn’t even consider asking for such a small amount in Scotland as very few people have the drive, vision or ideas. I will be going straight to the City in London to raise finance.

A great show, but as long as people such as Angela Patterson advise, Scottish entrepreneurs will always haveto leave Scotland to gain support and raise funds for innovative ideas.