Last year Jen Gash came up to Edinburgh from her home in Bristol to be the very first presenter to the Fair Comment initiative from the3rdimagazine. We all loved the idea that Jen described at delighted that she has now launched this fantastic business. “Discovery Party has been developed by Jen Gash from ideas about [...]

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Reviewed by Megan Kelly The Night Circus seems to be one of those novels that slipped under some radars but thankfully not everyone’s. I finally gave into friends and reliable reviews lauding this book and kicked myself for not having read it the week it came out. Morgenstern’s first novel [...]

Each time I log in Facebook the first ad that pops up encourages me to “Become an Entrepreneur”.  Apparently I do this by enrolling for a master’s degree at a top on-line university. My thought is that this is the very worst way of becoming an entrepreneur. I am, by all accounts, and unbeknownst to [...]

FinalFling.com, created by Barbara Chalmers, is the first website dedicated to end of life decisions that celebrates a wealth of choice and control and provides the tools to plan, seek advice and discuss the issues around death. The website is created so we can take those all important first steps to make sure we end [...]

It’s official now. I am now co-founder of 2 charities! I thought I was juggling when we just had one charity to run but the past four months has taken my juggling skills to a whole new level. And all in a good way. Andrew’s sudden and early death in January has reinforced my already [...]

Last year five amazing Scottish businesswomen and me took the comedy challenge and performed a live stand up routine in front of an audience in a Glasgow comedy venue. I have to say that it was a fabulous experience for me, and for everyone who took part .. and we raised £1,000 to support the [...]

‘So are you one of those feminists then Jane?’ This question fills me with dread every time I hear it and it is posed in this way quite often as though a feminist is somehow other and weird. I always take a step back before answering because I know I am about to be judged. [...]

At an inspiring sales seminar I was once asked if I thought sales techniques were taught or if we were born with them? I assumed that the most persuasive selling skills were learned over time so I was surprised to learn that we are all born with them – life just knocks them out of [...]

The book The Start-Up of You – co-authored by Reid Hoffman, the founder of the social networking site LinkedIn, and Ben Casnocha – starts with the claim “You were born to be an entrepreneur” explaining that that is not because we should all start companies but because “ the will to create is embedded in [...]

I was having a coffee and chat with David and the team at O Street a couple of weeks ago. The creative studio is located on Bank Street, Glasgow. I’m going to be using the space for a KILTR research event in early May and during the planning we got chatting about social media. Its [...]

Co-operatives are businesses owned and run by and for their members, whether they are customers, employees or residents. As well as giving members an equal say and share of the profits, co-operatives act together to build a better world through co-operation. There are 5,450 independent co-operative businesses in the UK which between them turnover £33 [...]

Is shyness holding you back in your business? Whether it’s a networking event, a meeting or a public speaking opportunity – all of these can be painful experiences if you are very shy. And if, as a result, you avoid them – then your business could be suffering. Three years ago Alan Donegan lost his [...]

There is a wind of change blowing through employment law landscape. Employers need to think carefully during all stages of the employment relationship before taking any steps. The law recognises six forms of discrimination; namely sex, race, age, religion and sexual orientation. Despite discrimination law having been with us for some time, there has been [...]

International Women’s Day 2012 has already passed with, it seems to me, even less impact than usual. There is still a chronic shortage of women serving as non-executive directors on the boards of major companies, including banks. The Davies Report published at the end of 2011 could shed little light on the true reasons for [...]

Avril Oliver, Founder and Director of Big Heart Horses says women have a unique quality as leaders. “At the risk of generalising, women have a real advantage in leadership that might be a great advantage in the business world. “They can act and lead while staying tuned into their colleagues. They act as emotional thermostats [...]

As executive director of three companies Fiona Ednie knows a thing or two about why women make smart leaders. “It’s hard not to talk in stereotypes men are often focussed on meeting outcomes but women generally have a more flexible mindset and they are more prepared to spend time finding the right solution. They like [...]

Creative Director and Founder, Liz Strange, is a professional actor that brings an entrepreneurial approach to the arts. Liz has appeared in a variety of film and stage productions and over the last 15 years she has worked and volunteered on a variety of community projects and corporate projects with Royal Mail, Shell, First Group [...]

If you run your own business and you are planning to get married, it may be worth thinking about drawing up a pre-nuptial agreement to protect your business in the unhappy event of a divorce. It may sound unromantic, but if you want to be sure that both parties are fully protected then it’s important [...]

I recently attended The Ambition Debate, the second in a series of debates supported by Independent Women, hosted in Edinburgh by Tods Murray. Clare Logie, who introduced the debate, says “It was a really lively and engaging debate, but it is important that it is seen as a step towards doing something practical, as well [...]

A new research project has been launched to find out more about women entrepreneurs in Scotland. A new index will give details of growth patterns in women-led enterprises to help organisations and policy makers encourage new and existing entrepreneurs. The index is supported by RBS and the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. There are 80,000 women [...]