There are loads of brilliant companies out there doing all sorts of great things. Here are some of our favourite ones
Who else we think are awesome.
With being in business for nearly a decade now, we have met some incredible other business (and a few stinkers!) along the way. We would like to share them with you, and hopefully within there, you will be able to find someone who can help, if we can’t.
Want a shed?
Scotia do not do sheds. We like sheds, Craig has many of them, but we do not sell them. If you are looking fora shed, or a summerhouse (which is different to a garden room, will talk about that another time) then the place we recommend is Gilles and Mackay across the River Tay from us in Errol. We give each other a wee wave every morning. Gilliesand Mackay have been in business for 33 years and are going from strength to strength. Their sheds are the best in the world and will deliver and assemble throughout Scotland too. Tell Cara I said hello!
Need something painted?
Our favourite decorator local to us is Pankhurst Decorators. Martin has been in this trade for over 40 years and is an absolute master craftsman. He is training his team to be like this and passing on his values of honesty and sitting down and having a coffee to iron out any issues. Pankhursts have gone above and beyond for us over the years, both working in our home and also as an outside contractor for Scotia Cabins too. They have done some really beautiful works over the years in some very interesting places!
Looking for a better deal for phones/electric/broadband (business)?
Douglas, Annette and their team at Here’s The Plan based on Tay Street in Perth are epic at sorting out these bills and negotiating some incredible rates. Even with the horrors that have been over the last year with electric bills, they have been able to help many businesses keep this under control and keep them still operating. They are exceedingly approachable, helpful,and more importantly in this day and age, contactable. Give them a shout to see if they can save your business money (tell them where you got the tip too).
We’re all going on a Summer (any) Holiday
Farmers and Cabin Suppliers tend not to be able to go on holiday a huge amount, but when we have, we have used Dave Pryde, Travel Counsellor based up in St Fillans. Dave has planned two wonderful trips for us, which panned out seamlessly. When travelling with 2 small children at the time, this was such a relief. Dave also planned our trips for my parents, including their all-time favourite one to South Africa, which had been a dream of my Dad’s for years. Dave will sit down and discuss with you the reasons you want to go to this place, and what you are hoping to achieve from it. As he is very well travelled himself, it is highly likely he will have been and be able to give you a lot of great ideas to make your trip even more incredible.
Lunch anyone? (Or breakfast)
Now, we have loads of places we like to eat when we get out for a while, but our two favourite ones near to us are Donna’s at the Harbour Café in Perth, and The Earn Coffee Shop just outside Bridge ofEarn. Both are very different from each other, and both brilliant. Donna’s is our absolute go to if we are in Perth, for either eating in or take away. We are big fans of her soup and BLTs! The Earn Coffee Shop is our treat on a Saturday morning that we go to with friends. If you are in the area, we highly recommend either and know you will come away happy and well fed.
Marketing is a dark art, help!
You can sink a heck of a lot of money into this, and it is just swallowed up by some sort of gremlin that feeds off business owners of all sizes who are just doing their best to get quality business through the door. We have wasted so much money on different things over the years, and had been tearing our hair out until a friend of ours from back in our Glasgow University days, started his company up. A vet of the industry for many years, Adrian and his business partner Ben set up Cernago and have been absolute legends over the last few years. Supportive, considerate, they listen (which seems to be a skill sadly lacking in many nowadays) and hear you.
Card payments costs – urgh
Another area we have been through this mill with over the years, argued and battered our heads against walls, and also had the real fun battle with a certain light blue bank, who just randomly decided to change our agreed terms. Many words were said, none of them can be printed here. Anyway, around 18 months ago after a small strop by me of ‘we are never taking card payments again!’ in swooped Swipen. Linkon and this SCOTTISH based company, have been incredible. Payments are made within 48hrs, without any fuss. The teenie tiny fee is taken off at source, so not surprise bill at the end of the month, and the system to take payments, and get payments, just works. Definitely get in touch with these chaps if you want to save yourselves money (and again, there is a human to talk to, all the time. There is a theme happening here)
A day oot!
We are big rugby fans here at Scotia, and have been very lucky to get a couple of experiences of being at Murrayfield for hospitality and have had incredible days out. When have gone directly through Murrayfield to book this, which has been excellent, and we have also used Corinthian Sports also. Zak particularly has been brilliant at getting us fantastic deals to be able to treat key partners, and also ourselves. They do other events beyond rugby, such as F1, Horse racing, cricket and football, and not all in the UK either, so you could get yourself a rare treat. Give him a call and see what he can do for you.
Need help and support with your business?
It is funny how people come into your world when you really need them, isn’t it? And Rupert Hine most certainly did for us back at the end of 2018. I am sure he arrived with wings on his back and a halo above his head. His support, along with the backup of ActionCOACH globally has been incredible to our business over a very trying period in history. What started as a business relationship changed into being a close and trusted friendship, in addition to the business help! Rupert will push, and ask questions, and hold you accountable so that your business continues to grow, and flourish. It also stops you being all by yourself, as being ‘the boss’ can often be very lonely!
Eat your carrots!
We are fortunate to have on our doorstep, Bellfield Organic Fruit and Veg and their lovely range of homegrown produce. Derek and his team cover a large chunk of Scotland with their organic wares, and are often seen at local Farmers Markets. Veg works really well in the bbq cabins, so let us see your creations!
IT is doing my heed in!
If there is one part of our world now that will send us grey in minutes, it is IT! I might just be me, but nothing frustrates me more then when it doesn’t work. At whatever stage. If I have to use it, it has to work, all the time. These two gentlemen and their businesses have been hugely instrumental in achieving that, and, if/should/when it goes a bit wonky, they are both on it right away to sort it out. Steve Snow of Control IT makes sure all the infrastructure and security and John Ross of JR Smart Living has sorted out our broadband so we can keep in touch, and someone’s Xbox can also keep going!
Accountants rule!
Ours does anyway. Ryan Diplexcito is the absolute bomb, and with his team have been immense with us on the farm and with the Cabins. Help, support, guidance, helping with queries, and yet again, being contactable! Johnston Carmichael are Scotland wide now and have a huge depth of expertise to pull on to support any kind of business imaginable. If you need one, for whatever reason, give your local office a call, and they will change your world.
Cheers!
We love supporting local businesses, and are looking forward to working with Laura and Steven at La Siciliana in Scone much more regularly. They have an extensive range of Sicilian wines which can be bought through mail order, along with other yummy Italian goodies. They also have a Bistro, which is due open again soon!
Sparks
Local to us, we have two electricians who we are happy to recommend to you all. Andrew Clark works by himself and covers most of Perthshire. He’s done some really great work for us, with a number of different clients. L W Haddows Plumbing and Electrical are a much larger firm, yet still manage that skill of being contactable. They have done work for us in our home, and within the business, and all of it has been fantastic. Both are very different to each other; both do a brilliant job. It will just be whichever is the better fit for your situation.
Feed me…...or our animals anyway.
A little off base herewith our love of these two companies – Harbro and Carrs Billington. They may be our favourite shops. Both are dens of all sorts of fab things to buy for all the animals in your life. Cats, Dogs, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pygmy Goats and Chickens for example. I do wonder about myself when I get all excited about going to either of these, in the same way I used to be excited about going to Next. There will be a local branch to you of one of them, or maybe another independent feed supplier, so take a look and see what you might find.
Wood, wood, glorious wood (and other stuff)
We are surrounded by the stuff, and over the years, have worked with the big 3 in Scotland, Jewson, MKM and MGM. Sometimes this is dictated by material availability, sometimes by geography. Either way, we have been happy with all of them. All have that magical thing of a human being on the end of a phone, or you can go in and speak to one. And all do a lot more than just wood!
The End!
And thus, endeth this list of some of our favourite suppliers to our businesses. There are more, and I will do another one in the future, maybe with more of a theme approach rather than just what fell out of our heads today. We hope you have found this useful and that you are maybe able to solve an issue you have been having with one of these companies. Let us know how you get on!
The Scotia Team
P.S. If any of these links or websites don’t work, just give them a search on Google, they will come up in other ways.
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