Stars need help to sparkle

Apr 2 2008 Alasdair Northrop, Business Insider

THIS year's Rising Stars are pretty blunt with their advice to the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.

The basic message is cut down red tape, do more to help growing businesses, and reduce the time it takes to process grants - which incidentally also need to be publicised more widely.

Elena Torres, managing director of Exec Air Charter, says until she recently read a business news article regarding government grants and loans she had no idea that there was so much financial support available from public funding.

"After reading the article I forwarded it to a few friends one of which fortunately fitted the criteria and is now in the process of receiving a Government grant," she says.

"I do think the government needs to do more to publicise these opportunities. Many people are completely unaware that they exist."

Neil McKay, director of Beautiful Vending, agrees.

"I think many businesses don't realise that they may have access to funding," he says.

"Communicating the criteria more effectively and making the application process seem less daunting would help the funds go to the appropriate business."

Ian Irvine, technical director of renewable energy consultancy SgurrEnergy, says Scottish Enterprise needs to be more responsive when it receives applications for support.

"If we wait until all the paperwork has been completed the opportunities are lost," he says.

"Private business must strike while the iron's hot, not wait until the next model is released."

Alastair Martin, managing director of Martin Energy, urges the Scottish Government to support Scottish Enterprise in its efforts to help small companies.

"Scottish Enterprise needs to have a clear, stable mandate and to know what resources it has at its disposal," he says.

Martin also believes that SE should base its decisions more on personal contact and less on forms. However other Rising Stars were very complimentary about Scottish Enterprise's help.

Martin Dickie, director of BrewDog, says that over the past 12 months Scottish Enterprise has helped his business greatly with non-capital money match grants.

"This support has enabled us to expand quickly and open foreign markets," he says.

"By the end of 2007 and eight months trading we had exported our beer to seven countries and we have a few more to add in 2008."

Fellow director James Watt agrees and says Scottish Enterprise is doing a fantastic job particularly in helping young companies crack export markets.

However he does call on the Scottish Governnent to put an end to the "red tape plague" and "bureaucratic epidemic."

Stewart Little, managing director of infrared thermographic building surveyors IRT Surveys, says his company's experience with Business Gateway and Scottish Enterprise was a really positive one.

However, like others, his only criticism is on speed or - to be accurate - the lack of it.

"Business moves quickly and we sometimes don't have the time to apply for the necessary grant and await a decision," he says.

He also believes it would be helpful if the UK Government waived income tax for the first three years of any small business.

"It really hurt when we were a two man company and the Inland Revenue took home more money than me or my brother every month. If it had been waived we would have hired someone else and grown more quickly."

"In the past decade there have been too many rounds of restructuring and redefining of its role. It wastes everyone's time and taxpayers' money. If this is naive to hope for - just use the restructuring costs to reduce business rates."

Sharon Munro, chief executive of Barrhead Travel Service, says the brakes need to be put on public sector employment and efforts channelled into the private sector.

"The private sector is the main generator of wealth in any society and it's an illusion that we are a rich economy when a disproportionate number of people are employed in the public sector," she says.

Munro says she is fully supportive of the help Scottish Enterprise gives new businesses but more of their resources should be spent helping successful new businesses to grow.

"Scottish Enterprise's success rate - considering the millions it spends - is very poor. Maybe it's the restrictive rules under which they must work which need to be addressed."

Charlie Cornelius, managing director of Wild Tours and Iglu bar and restaurant, suggests Scottish Enterprise should increase the budget for business coaching and introduce a personal development training budget for business owner.

He would also welcome tax rebates to cover the expenses of individuals while carrying out market research.

John Hailstone, managing director of recruitment and HR consultancy First People Solutions Group, says that if the Scottish Government got the power to control taxes it should lower them for businesses and change the way they are taxed.

"For instance, starting more than one business reduces the corporation tax bands when earnings are applied.

"It could take years to return a profit on a new company - meanwhile you pay more tax on your profitable business. This is hardly encouraging entrepreneurialism."

Hailstone claims that Scottish Enterprise finds it easy to hand out money to inward investment companies but if you are a Scotlandbased service sector business all you get offered is free consultancy and training discounts.

"I've created over 100 jobs and stimulated the country's economy with our services but still not received any financial support."

Read our Rising Stars profiles written by Alasdair Northrop, Alistair McArthur, Andrew Collier and Perry Gourley.

'It really hurt when we were a two man company and the Inland Revenue took home more money than me or my brother every month' Stewart Little, IRT Surveys (opposite)

'I do think the government needs to do more to publicise these opportunities' Elena Torres, ExecAir Charter (above)

Steven Alexander(33)

Managing director Echelon Wealth Management

The Glasgow Caledonian University marketing and communications graduate worked for a variety of companies in both Scotland and England before returning to Glasgow to open Scotland's first dedicated Contracts for Difference (CFD) provider. His main roles include trying to attract new clients and manage the discretionary and advisory sides of the business.

Alexander describes the setting-up of a provincial CFD and financial spread betting provider as the biggest challenge he has faced in his career because it would have to have "enough credibility to attract large private and institutional clients".

The married father of two notes his late grandfather as being his biggest inspiration because "he showed me from day one that, with hard work, you can achieve anything".

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Warren Buffett - he is probably the greatest modern investor."

Lesley Collins (43)

Chief executive Independent Women

After a number of years in the financial services industry, Collins became a financial adviser in 1989, before opening her own company - Edinburgh Investment Consultants - in 1993.

Four years on, she came to realise that financial advice for women was particularly important but absent from the industry. So, in 1997, she opened Independent Women as a second facet to the business.

She says highlights have been varied from the impact of making specific financial advice for women available to clients, and the fulfilment it has brought them as it has helped them to realise their dreams. Their personal happiness has been her biggest sense of satisfaction and helped realise her own aims.

Collins confesses her biggest challenge so far in her career has been trying to be a female voice that is heard among a very traditional and male-dominated industry.

Kate Pepper (30)

Managing director St Andrews ChemTech International

Having achieved a chemistry degree at Bath University and a PhD at Exeter University, Pepper joined St Andrews ChemTech as a research chemist before being promoted to the board. She took on her current role after a management buyout in August 2007, which she says is the highlight of her career so far.

Pepper believes Scottish Enterprise should take a more proactive role in bringing together suppliers and potential customers, not just in Scotland and the UK, but also further afield.

Ninjutsu-practising Pepper names her husband - whom is also a director of the company - as being her biggest inspiration because "he has extremely good business sense and is an excellent chemist".

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Richard Branson. The success he has made of his businesses is an example to all that it can be done and having that business knowledge and experience would be very helpful for building this business."

SharonMunro (34)

Chief executive Barrhead Travel Service

There was never any doubt in Munro's mind that she would work in the travel industry. Having worked in the family business on Saturdays and during the school holidays, it was a natural progression that she should start her working life there - heading for the University of Life rather than following a more academic path.

Munro says the highlight of her career was when she assumed the mantle of major shareholder in a management buyout of the company last November. She fully intends to keep the family ethos of the business, which she believes is so different from that of a plc.

Her ultimate business ambition is to keep the company - which was run by her father for 32 years - as a going concern for the next generation and to take it from the £100m company it is today to a truly national - or perhaps international - company.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Sir Richard Branson. He has had the vision to challenge old and accepted practices in sectors of industry which have never offered customers good service or real value."

James Watt (25), Martin Dickie (25)

Managing director and Director/brewer, BrewDog

Dickie received a BSc in brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University before teaming up with best friend Watt - who has a degree in law and economics from the University of Edinburgh - to set up the brewery in Fraserburgh in 2006. Highlights in a very short career include winning two gold medals at the World Beer Awards and finding two of the company's beers available at the best beer bar in Copenhagen.

By the end of 2007 - after eight months of trading - the company, which has eight staff, had exported its beer to seven countries. The two partners say that could not have been done without the help of Scottish Enterprise, which helped the company expand quickly and open foreign markets. Watt says the best advice he has been given is that - in oversaturated markets - playing it safe is now too risky. "Only by taking substantial risks and staring failure in the face can you open yourself up to the possibility of real success."

Dickie wants BrewDog to one day be a FTSE 100 company and would like to be referred to as a "perspicacious philanthropist who spread joy and enriched the country".

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? Dickie: "Nobody. BrewDog is James and me. There is not another person as passionate or who cares about the company like us. Sure, we make mistakes and will do so again in the future, but that's all part of the fun of running your own company.

Robin Stenhouse (37), Billy Stenhouse (43)

Directors, Baguette Express

After a career that included working in his father's coal merchant business, a spell in the army and starting his own haulage business, Robin set up Baguette Express with his brother Billy, seeking and developing new franchise opportunities. Highlights so far have included seeing franchisees take the brand and make a success of their individual shops.

They have already had to overcome a number of setbacks at the early stage of the company, the worst of which was the flooding of its outlet in Hawick "at the most difficult time".

The cycling and skiing entrepreneur's ultimate ambition is to develop Baguette Express as a major player in the fast food franchise market and specifically to be able to call it a leader in its sector within the next five years.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Sir Richard Branson - he could only be an asset."

Scott Daly (33)

Director Kildales Marketing

Despite leaving school with virtually no qualifications, Daly set up Kildales - an alcohol distribution and marketing company - after being involved in the hugely-successful launch of Magners Cider for C&C Group.

Daly - who was a professional footballer for Airdrie - wants to not only create a successful marketing company within the licensed trade, but to help the trade through a difficult period by getting more people back out socialising rather than staying at home taking advantage of low priced alcohol.

The most challenging period of his career was after his brother Craig died three years ago. "Coping with my grief whilst setting up our business was the hardest thing I will ever have to go through."

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Sir Tom Hunter. Not only to help develop my business and entrepreneurial skills, but to also help me to develop my hunger for helping people less fortunate than myself."

Grant Keenan (34), Gregor Keenan (32)

Directors Keenan Recycling

Having sold a garage forecourt distribution company in 2000, Grant used the proceeds to set up Keenan Recycling in Aberdeenshire, which now handles all the green waste for six local authorities.

Gregor - who is the finance director and responsible for all regulatory compliance - joined his brother after a spell as a sales manager in London.

The biggest highlight - and challenge - was to obtain planning permission for a food waste composting plant and raising the £3.2m required to build it. The brothers want to open more sites - possibly as many as three - elsewhere in Scotland over the next seven years to build on the success of the existing facility.

Both cite their father Mel as their mentor, playing a significant role in shaping their business acumen and enabling them to think big and have vision.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board?

Grant: "Sir Ian Wood of John Wood Group. He obviously knows what he is doing."

Gregor: "Stuart Rose. His turnaround of Marks & Spencer has been impressive."

NeilMackay (32), Richard Starrett (32)

Directors Beautiful Vending

Having left Strathclyde University, the business partners set up an events promotion company before becoming involved in the spray tanning industry. They finally established their current enterprise in 2005, coming up with a pay-peruse hair straightener machine.

Some 1,000 machines have now been installed in around 14 countries all over the world. Turnover in the second year quadrupled to £600,000 and the company - which has 14 employees - is on target to treble sales this year to £1.8m. The idea is to build it to a turnover of more than £3m.

While both partners want to build up Beautiful Vending to become an internationally-known brand, they also have grand designs in business investment. Mackay wants to specialise in small businesses while Starrett says his ultimate business ambition is to "buy and sell companies", making enough money by his mid-40s so he can dedicate more of his life to charitable causes.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board?

Mackay: "As he is a hugely successful entrepreneur who never lost the ability to have fun while building one of the biggest brands in the world, I would have to say Hugh Hefner - on the condition that we could meet at his place."

Colin Yule (39)

Director Capture Imaging Solutions

Together with colleague Robbie Cheyne, Yule left Concept - the digital documents solutions company where he had been working for 18 years - to form Capture Imaging Solutions in October 2005, securing the rights to supply and service awardwinning Konika Minolta machines.

In 2007 Capture signed over 80 clients, installed more than 230 machines across the north east and celebrated year-end turnover of £2.4m. Projected turnover for the current year is on track to beat this significantly as the company continues to secure lucrative contracts.

One of Yule's proudest moments was when he took staff and their partners out to celebrate the first year of trading. Looking round at everyone involved in the business and celebrating together gave him a sense of pride that they had really achieved something.

He says growing the business from start-up to the smooth-running machine it is now has been an incredibly enjoyable, fast-paced journey. He is passionate about the future as the company continues to provide document solutions to companies across Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Sir Alex Ferguson as he has built an amazing team through tactical decisions and honest management."

Trent Jennings (31), Tom Marsh (34)

Founding directors Blue Marmalade

The unusual name for the Edinburgh-based design company producing contemporary furniture originates from two of the firmlyheld beliefs of Jennings and Marsh - the excellence of the British design and manufacturing heritage with the desire to support the quality that still exists; and originality, imagination, fun and the ability to create simple things with a unique twist.

Jennings graduated with a degree in furniture design from Edinburgh College of Art and has a firm grounding in fine cabinet-making. He has since gained experience in mechanical, corporate and exhibition. Marsh also gained a grounding in furniture design after giving up science. He has since acquired expertise in executive office and boardroom furniture design.

The pair say their strength is the imaginative use of materials and clever construction techniques to create what they describe as "good looking and clever items".

Leo Warner (27), Mark Grimmer

Managing director and Director Fifty Nine Productions

Fifty Nine Productions is a film and new media production company which specialises in film making and integrating the moving image into live performance. The company's team plays both a creative and technical role in the realisation of film, theatre, opera, ballet and fine art projects.

With offices in Edinburgh and London, the company has been involved in providing video design for a number of shows in the UK, Europe and North America. In London, the firm has collaborated closely with Katie Mitchell on two multimedia productions at the National Theatre.

AndrewMurphy (37)

Managing director (Edinburgh & Aberdeen), John Lewis

Breaking through the £100 million turnover mark is a feat in itself.

Doing it in retail - in a downturn and with a 13 per cent increase in sales to make it happen - puts Murphy into the premier class.

He joined the John Lewis Partnership straight out of Aberdeen University where he graduated with an Honours MA in Politics in 1992. At only 37, he's responsible for 1,600 employees, sets the vision and strategic direction for the branches in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and answers to the board for employee and customer contentment as well as profit growth. He delivered the £30m John Lewis Edinburgh redevelopment project in just 20 months while keeping the store trading and his staff happy. His biggest frustration? The slowness of Scottish planning applications.

Paul Sommerville (24)

Managing director Cradlesafe

Young, ambitious but with his feet firmly on the ground, Paul Sommerville began his business career by working as a car salesman to gather funds for his start-up. With a degree in Product Design Engineering, he has developed an innovative baby monitor and plans to sell three million of them within the next five years. Next, he wants to move on to a range of other monitoring devices for the elderly, those with epilepsy and sleep apnoea.

A one-man operator with big ideas, Sommerville's middle name is perseverance. His mentors - product innovator Gio Benedetti and inventor Bernard Frutin - have helped him break down obstacle and keep pursuing his inspiration: trying to give parents greater peace of mind.

Mhairi Rushforth (23)

Managing director Halo Nurseries

When it comes to achievement, Mhairi Rushforth started early: she won the John Spence Prize for outstanding student of the year at Strathclyde University. Her BA in Hotel and Hospitality Management no doubt provided her with some of the skills required to run her private pre-school nursery group. The others she'll be learning from experience and good mentoring, especially from her parents - her mother is Scotnursing founder Ann Rushforth, and her father is a director of First Engineering.

Mhairi made her first acquisition at the age of 22 and now has a staff of 53 at her two nurseries. From childhood days playing nursing agencies and copying her mother, Mhairi has been determined to live out her ambitions.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Walt Disney - as one man's vision became a household brand."

Deepak Poddar (27)

Managing director Little Einstein's Kindergarten & Everest Nursing Home

It seems that from the cradle to the grave must be this man's epitaph. After qualifying in medicine, Deepak Poddar joined his father's care home business - Lambhill Court - in 2001. In 2006 - and at the other end of the demographic spectrum - he acquired his first children's nursery, Little Einstein's.

He's added several more nurseries and become managing director of Everest Nursing Home, of which he is now total owner. The care home was in a crisis and Poddar rescued it from debts of £10,000 a month. It's now in profit.

Aman of no mean ambition, he wants to take his businesses first to flotation and then to a global brand. He is self-driven, a selfbeliever and a confident manager who thinks in big terms.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Mahatma Ghandi as he was an ideas man with a bold vision"

GrahamOgg (41)

Managing director West of Scotland Chauffeur Drive

Juggling a business with part-time football takes a special kind of entrepreneur. Graham Ogg's background in a range of jobs from motor mechanic to player and then coach at Queen's Park FC proves he has an interesting skills portfolio and has a talent for time management. He set up a driving school first - which brought him the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Award - and out of it grew the chauffeur and wedding car company.

Aman without pretension, he's always ready to listen to advice; has found Business Gateway helpful; and knows that reliability is key in his sector. Graham will expand but he'll do it thoughtfully, always with an eye to his ultimate inspiration - his four year old daughter Antonnia. The beautiful game still fires him up too though - amid it all, he makes the time to be a youth coach at Motherwell.

Michael McGonigle (35)

Managing director Ollie Skatewear

An entrepreneur out of the school of hard knocks, Michael left education at 13 to join the retail trade. He's reaping the rewards of his determination and tenacity in the shape of his boyswear brand - Ollie - launched in 1996 and now positioned in Selfridges, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols. Michael now heads up the sourcing, design and development of his company. While he responds to the challenges of ongoing originality on the shop rails, he is simultaneously aware of the importance of keeping Ollie on track as he builds his global empire. "Never let your book debt get more than 60 days credit," he astutely warns. He thinks the Scottish Government needs to do more to introduce policies for sourcing export partners.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Alan Sugar, for his direct, no-messing, attitude"

Fraser Doherty (18)

Managing director Eat Super

At just 18, Fraser Doherty is one of our youngest ever Rising Stars - a teenager with the capacity and foresight to see that it's possible to make preserves a hip, desirable product. Using his grandmother's recipes but packaging in minimalist, trendy jars, he has added 'superfoods' like blueberries, cranberries and ginger.

Ultra-conscious of the passion for healthier food, no sugar is added. He says the money is secondary to following his passion and all profits are ploughed back into the business.

He has much in common with Sir Tom Farmer, who also started in business by selling door-to-door, so perhaps he can build the preserves equivalent of Kwik-Fit. His selling at farmers' markets and then into Waitrose and Tesco, has led to 120,000 jars spinning out the doors in a few months. A definite case of jam today....

Bruce Robertson (30)

Managing director Dakota Hotels Group

With three award-winning hotels in his portfolio and a turnover of £12m a year, Bruce Robertson's stellar rise began when he was a hotel porter at One Devonshire Gardens. Clearly on the horns of a dilemma, he studied engineering and geology at Glasgow University but then went off to Leeds to be an accountant. The lure of hospitality was too much and when One Devonshire founder Ken McCulloch gave him the chance to run his Columbus Hotel in Monaco, Bruce decided immediately where his passion lay. When McCulloch built Dakota Group's first hotel in Nottingham, Bruce became operations director. That hotel was nominated in the Conde Nast Traveller Hot List in 2005, rapidly followed by Dakota Eurocentral being voted Scotland's Most Stylish Hotel in 2006.

Sandra

McClumpha(39)

Director Fake Bake UK

Not a bizarre bakery but a £4.5m turnover professional tanning product distributor. As anxieties about sunbeds deepened faster than tans, Sandra McClumpha spotted the alternative. She researched available products while running her own salon in Stirling and was so impressed by American Fake Bake that she asked them if she could be sole distributor in the UK. They said not until she had proven herself so - with one baby and another on the way - she sold the salon and started selling Fake Bake. She has just completed amulti-million pound takeover of Fake Bake Worldwide, the world's number one self-tanning cream.

Already Business Woman of the Year, Sandra's inspiration is her children and her mentor is her mother. She has business intuition as well as grit and determination.

Tom Kitchin (30), Michaela Kitchin

Directors The Kitchin

Husband and wife chefs Tom and Michaela managed to get a Michelin star for their Leith restaurant after seven months - unprecedented recognition. Tom and his Swedish wife have had top quality help, especially from Pierre Koffmann at his three Michelinstarred La Tante Claire restaurant.

Tom's CV is an impressive round: Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris; Louis XV in Monte Carlo; executive chef to Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford. Michaela's background includes training at the Savoy in London and the luxury Burj Al Arab in Dubai so their joint venture into Leith is well founded.

The Kitchin has three AA rosettes as well as its Michelin star; is Restaurant of the Year in The List and Tom Kitchin was awarded Scottish Chef of the Year 2007 by both the Scottish Chef Awards and Catering in Scotland Awards.

Louise McDonald (26)

Manager Curves Scotland

Irish-born but business-educated in Motherwell, Louise McDonald reveals an extraordinary ability to make ideas materialise rapidly, even in a new environment. When she came to Scotland, she had no business experience at all yet she became an overnight success when she took on a franchise for the Curves women's fitness organisation. In three years, she has expanded that franchise into Airdrie and Kirkintilloch alongside a joint venture in Glasgow. The women-only fitness centres offer a complete 30-minute fitness and weight loss programme in 10,000 clubs worldwide. Louise now has around 1,500 members of her own and a turnover of £350,000 but you can be certain she won't stop there.

CharlieCornelius (33)

Managing director Wild Tours/Iglu bar & restaurant

After studying business administration at Napier University, Cornelius bought Black Sabbath's old tour bus and starting running tourist trips around the Highlands.

Wild Tours now takes visitors as far afield as the Orkneys and Outer Hebrides. Cornelius's other business - Edinburgh-based Iglu - recently adding a listing in the latest Michelin guide to a clutch of food and drink awards.

Although he now focuses more on marketing and business development than day-to-day involvement in both ventures he admits to washing up occasionally.

Cornelius names coach Ralph Quinlan Forde - who helped him recover from work and personal stress - as his mentor.

He believes more should be done in Scotland to celebrate entrepreneurialism and argues for tax rebates for people carrying out market research with a view to setting up in business.

John Hailstone (40)

Managing director First People Solutions Group

The dramatic growth of First People Solutions to a £70m turnover business has made the Londoner the talk of the Scottish recruitment industry.

Former marine insurance broker Hailstone moved to Scotland from London 21 years ago and already had one recruitment consultancy start-up under his belt when he set up First People in 1998.

With offices in seven locations, Hailstone admits he works "too many but not enough!" hours. Hailstone - who recently became a father for the first time - believes Scottish Enterprise should help Scottish companies before using money to attract inward investors.

"If you are a service sector business in Scotland all you get offered is free consultancy and training discounts," he complains.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Gordon Brown - but only so I could have the pleasure of firing him."

Stewart Little (35)

Managing director IRT Surveys

Being made redundant at 21 taught Little the important lesson that jobs aren't for life.

Although - by his own admission - Little is not a born salesman, he switched from a career in architecture to selling everything from roofing felt to stainless steel equipment before setting up his own business.

Dundee-based IRT - which specialises in infrared building surveys - now employs 21 people and has some impressive backing. Sigma Capital and the Michelin Development Fund are among the company's investors and Little's lifelong friend Dave Jones of computer gaming group Real Time World sits on the board.

"If I could achieve 1/10th of his success I would be a happy man," comments Little, who advocates a three year income tax holiday for those starting small businesses.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board?

"Bill Clinton would be good if that's not too ambitious! He has an excellent foundation and is trying hard to get people behind saving energy."

AndrewCrook (31)

Sales director The Vintage Malt Whisky Company

Crook gave up a promising career in insurance to join the family whisky company six years ago.

He now spends much of his time travelling the world to promote the company's malt whiskies sourced from Scottish distilleries but - as a small business-he also pitches in to help with everything from sourcing to product design.

In a market where margins are tight, keen golfer Crook cites the best advice he has been given in business as not chasing turnover over profit.

Although there are no plans afoot, he dreams of setting up a distillery - and the day the Scottish Government reduces corporation tax.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board?

"Paul Walsh, CEO of Diageo - the most powerful player in Scotch whisky."

AllanMcLaughlin (30)

Managing director PureLogicol I

McLaughlin originally pursued a singing career under the stage name Kalvin. Although he enjoyed some success - once performing at a televised Miss Universe contest - it is his healthcare company which he is now best known for.

He founded Purilogicol in 2002 after "self studying" the effects of collagen on the human body, partly to find a way to alleviating pain he suffered from a childhood accident. The Glasgow company has recently secured a deal to launch a range of products in Harrods.

McLaughlin admits his lack of business training when he first started was the biggest challenge he has had to overcome.

"But if you believe in something and remain focused you can achieve many things."

Louise Macdonald (39)

Chief executive Young Scot

Macdonald had a brief stint as a tabloid journalist before an "attack of conscience" saw her change career paths to work with the voluntary sector.

Now as head of the national youth information charity for Scotland, she is working to empower young people and also challenge the 'ned' stereotype portrayed by the media.

Launching the Sunday Mail/Lloyds TSB Young Scot awards was one of the highlights of her recent wprk.

Macdonald - who says the best business advice she has received is "choose your battles wisely" - would like to see the Scottish Government build on work to date to encourage an enterprising approach to life among the young.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Nelson Mandela - he would remind us at every meeting that you really can change the world."

Alastair Martin (37)

Managing director Martin Energy (Flexitricity)

Martin's ambitions for his Flexitricity energy business to become established in electricity markets across the world are not without sacrificies.

When asked what he gets up to in his spare time the father-of-two admits he doesn't understand the question.

Following a PhD in oceanography Martin worked in engineering before leaving his job at Scottish Water to found his own company which focuses on more efficient use of the electricity system. It works with partners to pool generation from small players such as owners of standby generators.

One of Martin's biggest inspirations is David Attenborough. "He's passionate about his work and a good communicator. He also proves that it is okay to turn up to work in the same clothes every day."

Steve Mitchell (25)

Director Puddledub Buffalo

A television credit from Gordon Ramsay has put Mitchell - from a fourth generation Fife farming family - firmly on the culinary map.

Since leaving agricultural college he has developed a fast growing business based around the largest herd of water buffalo in Scotland, along with more traditional Aberdeen Angus. Since founding Puddledub Buffalo in 2004, he has doubled turnover every year and has plans to move into production of mozzarella and ice cream.

Mitchell's achievements to date have seen him win an NFU Scotland Young Achiever Award.

With many of the other Rising Stars spending their working lives in the office or networking, farmer Mitchell admits a life on the land is not for everyone.

"You've got to have the right personality, farming is quite a solitary life."

Chris Oliver (47)

Managing director Red Spider Tecnology

With their 40th birthdays looming, Oliver and three friends working in the offshore oil industry decided it was a 'now or never' time to set up their own business.

Five years later and Aberdeenbased Red Spider Technology - which specialises in tools which reduce costs, improve safety and help exploit untapped oil reserves - was named as the fastest growing venture-backed business in the UK.

Late last year Bank of Scotland became the latest big backer to see the potential of the business and bought a 13 per cent stake.

The £4m turnover company's achievements to date saw Oliver win the Institute of Directors Scotland Emerging Director of the Year award in 2007.

Rapid growth and increasing global market penetration suggest a flotation at some point in the next few years is likely.

Ian Irvine (43), SteveMcDonald (43)

Technical director and Implementation director SgurrEnergy

Irvine and McDonald left their careers at ScottishPower Technology - which was later to become Ingenico - to found the renewable energy technical consultancy five years ago. Initially based in Irvine's attic and self funded, the pair have overseen dramatic growth since.

The company now has a 50-strong team of consultants providing advice to project funders and public sector bodies in over 20 countries.

Investment in a new office in Beijing has already paid dividends with the Glasgow-based company recently appointed to head up a £20m project to look at harnessing offshore wind on the coast off China. The company is also building a presence in India with the US and Eastern Europe next on the horizon.

Irvine would like to see Scottish Enterprise be more responsive to the needs of business.

"If we wait until all the paperwork has been completed the opportunities are lost."

Elena Torres (26)

Managing director Exec Air Charter

One of the youngest Rising Stars, Torres' first job after graduating in economics from Stirling University was in handling at Edinburgh Airport. There she saw first hand the frustrations of long queues at security and flight delays and believed there was a growing appetite for private flights.

With backing from the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust she set up her own air charter brokerage in a traditionally maledominated sector.

Although up until recently Torres has been heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business, a new joint venture deal will see her able to focus more on business development.

Torres thinks Scottish Enterprise is doing a "super" job but would like to see more concessions for small companies attending its events.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Sir Tom Hunter for his business and charity achievements and his knowledge of private aviation."

Andrew Watson (24)

Head of press and parliamentary affairs, Federation of Small Businesses Scotland

Watson became the principal spokesman for FSB Scotland when his predecessor left to join the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and is almost certainly the youngest person to have worked at such a level.

The Press and Parliamentary Office deals with press queries on any issues relating to the devolved institutions such as the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government, or on UK issues which affect Scotland's small business community. He is the main point of contact for Scottish Government Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers, MSPs, MPs and civil servants.

Watson considers himself ambitious and wants to put in a decent spell at FSB headquarters in Glasgow. He would also like to get into some sort of senior position of influence.

Neil Lovatt (36)

Sales & marketing director, Scottish Friendly Group

Lovatt has spent 15 years in the financial services industry, including six running marketing development for Scottish Life International and two for Scottish Life before taking up his current position in 2006.

He says the highlights of his career so far have been developing new products "that contradict conventional wisdom".

Lovatt's ultimate business ambition is to help the team at Scottish Friendly to fully realise the potential of the brand. He wants to cultivate the expertise of the people and systems at the firm "to ensure that simple, accessible and low-cost savings and investment plans are available to everyone".

When it comes to mentors, Lovatt believes his dad - who also spent his entire working life in financial services - passed on many of his qualities, such as not suffering fools gladly or letting poor excuses getting in the way of getting a job done, "without either of us noticing".

Who would you ideally like to have on your board?

"Steve Jobs of Apple. He has shown the world that style and attention to detail are not simple aesthetic niceties but that they lie at the heart of creating products that delight customers."

Suzanne George (43)

Managing director Denvir Marketing

You could call her a cereal entrepreneur: Suzanne George was brand manager at Nabisco, then marketing and media controller at Kellogg UK.

In 2003, she founded Denvir in Stirling, a brand management agency with bolt-ons for PR, design, marketing and research.

Relishing challenges, she has managed to secure contracts with Tesco in Scotland, Unique Foods and Macdonald Hotels this year, alongside Scottish & Newcastle, Grampian Country Foods and Rannoch Smokery.

With turnover now at £2.5m, her determination to create a new business model that doesn't depend upon traditional labels is clearly working.

By blending creative and commercial skills, Denvir is developing an innovative approach to brand building. She says her mentors - both corporate and personal - have taught her a lot about the importance of a strong value set alongside creative inspiration.

Grant Niven (31)

Client director & head of sales (Scotland), Morse

Niven had something of a baptism of fire at Morse, joining just before the dotcom bubble burst.

Since then the geography graduate from Strathclyde University - who grew up in Qatar and the North East - has rapidly moved up the ranks of the IT firm which employs 200 people working with Scottish clients.

The keen mountain biker is now playing a key role in the company's shift from being a technology reseller to a business and IT consultancy.

His next big career move would be to become a partner in the business.

Who would you ideally like to have on your board? "Yoda - his Jedi powers would help us all out during challenging times, whatever they may be..."