How to help prevent the spread of swine flu: free webinar from Scottish Government

Help to enable Scottish businesses prepare for the impacts of swine flu will be offered through an innovative, free-to-access, online seminar on Thursday 12 November, 2009.

Message from the Scottish Government:

Scotland is now experiencing a second wave of pandemic flu.

While forecasts for the numbers of people likely to become ill have been revised down, businesses may still experience disruption to services and supply chains, as well as potential losses in revenue as a result of higher than average staff absences.

That is why the Scottish Government is working with all the major business organisations to provide guidance on sensible measures to maintain business continuity, to be made available on-line on Thursday, November 12.

To join the seminar log on to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/796534907 from any computer. It will take place between 12.30pm and 1.30pm on 12th November. Please log on around 12.20pm for a prompt start. The seminar will consist of a short presentation and an online Q&A session led by David Hutcheson representing the Institute of Directors (Scotland) and the Business Continuity Institute. The online seminar will be recorded and placed on Scottish Government, Business Gateway and business organisations’ websites, ensuring that the guidance continues to be available to businesses across Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney said:

“While recently published UK-wide planning assumptions for the next 7 months have been revised downwards, the estimates of the proportion of the population who might become ill at any one time are still significant and every business should have plans in place.

“This is not a time to be complacent. Patterns of infection spread could still change, with hot spots resulting in higher than average staff absences in local areas with a knock-on impact on business.

“The online seminar session will communicate key pandemic flu preparedness information which will be of particular benefit to smaller and micro-businesses who may not be getting information through other channels.

“We would encourage firms of all sizes to participate in this event and benefit from free advice to maintain a healthy business. “

We all have a responsibility to limit the spread of disease, reducing the risk within the workplace and perhaps reducing the numbers of staff off at one time. You can do so by encouraging all staff to practice good hygiene measures such as regular hand washing.

St Andrews Skills Academy – New Course Calendar!

In response to employer demand, we have compiled a calendar of popular short courses to run in St Andrews over the next six months.  The flyer detailing this is below; to request a hard copy please contact Beth. All of these are available to book on our website, or you can email/phone us directly for more information.

Can’t load the pdf? Here’s a list of courses we’re running:

October 14th – REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Certificate (9am-5pm, Golf Practice Centre) £80 (ex VAT)

October 27th – Scottish Certificate for the Responsible Sale of Alcohol (10am-1pm, Rufflets Hotel) £62.50 (ex VAT)

November 4th – Scottish Certificate for the Responsible Sale of Alcohol (10am-1pm, Rufflets Hotel) £62.50 (ex VAT)

November 19th – REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Certificate (9am-5pm, Golf Practice Centre) £80 (ex VAT)

December 3rd – Emergency First Aid at Work (9am-5pm, Rufflets Hotel) £84 (ex VAT)

January 14th – St Andrews Standard (full-day, Rufflets Hotel) £tbc

January 15th – Emergency First Aid at Work (9am-5pm, Rufflets Hotel) £84 (ex VAT)

February 9th – Scottish Certificate for the Responsible Sale of Alcohol (10am-1pm, Rufflets Hotel) £62.50 (ex VAT)

February 25th – St Andrews Standard (full-day, Rufflets Hotel) £tbc

March 4th – REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Certificate (9am-5pm, Golf Practice Centre) £80 (ex VAT)

March 9th – St Andrews Standard (full-day, Rufflets Hotel) £tbc

Can’t find a course you’re looking for? Search our website, or contact the Skills Academy, and we will try to source some quality training for you.

Free ‘Food Tourism’ workshops coming to St Andrews – book your place now!

Two free ‘food tourism’ workshops are being brought to St Andrews in the next few months, in preparation for the new season, the Open, and beyond.  The ‘Breakfast Workshop’, run last year, proved highly successful and so another topic is also being offered: ‘Traditional Scottish Dishes with a Modern Twist’.  Further information is below, but for any other enquiries, or to reserve one of these highly valuable free places, email info@foodtourismscotland.com, call Sheena Kitchin on 01475 650718, or leave your details in a comment below and the Skills Academy will get in touch with you directly.

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One beautiful twist on a traditional dish...

Breakfast Workshop – November 2009

Recent research tells us that the meal visitors to Scotland complain most about is breakfast. The breakfast experience is vitally important for individual tourism businesses – it may be the only meal taken by your guests and it will usually be a visitor’s last impression of your business.

This workshop will give you an informal but informative look at how this apparently simple meal can be transformed into a great visitor experience, catering to all dietary needs and providing a true taste of Scotland’s good food.

This practical food workshop will include:

Professional demonstrations and tastings of imaginative breakfast dishes

• Ideas for improving your existing breakfast menu
• Advice on costs and profits
• Details of local Fife food suppliers and an opportunity to meet them

Feedback from the Breakfast Workshop in November 2008 was very positive -

“Thank you for a very informative morning.  I am going away with many new ideas.” – Ann Verner, Hawthorne House B&B

Note: this workshop is a repeat of the popular ‘Food Tourism’ breakfast workshop run in November 2008.  If you attended last year, please give other people a chance to benefit this year.

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Traditional Scottish Dishes with a Modern twist – January/February 2010

Scotland has a world-wide reputation for quality foods, and research shows that visitors want to taste distinctive Scottish cuisine and learn the ‘stories’ behind our traditional dishes.

Our team of chefs have created some quick, tasty and economical dishes based on traditional recipes but with a modern twist. The results are delicious, and do full justice to Scotland’s wonderful natural larder.

This practical food workshop will include:

• Cooking of the dishes
• Ideas for alternative ingredients
• Advice on costs and profits
• Details of local Fife food suppliers and an opportunity to meet them

Making the Homecoming Work for You and your Visitors

Catherine Bowie is one of the St Andrews Skills Academy’s approved training providers (CBTS), and in this article she blogs for us about Homecoming and how to make the most of the opportunities presented. Thank you Catherine!

For the Homecoming to be a success, it is vital that we offer as much information as is possible on our area, and give visitors practical tips so that we can ensure that each of the Homecoming tourists receives a real Scottish welcome and goes home raving about what Scotland has to offer. Rarely are we given this opportunity and the spotlight of the world will be on us – are we prepared?

Firstly, consider the kind of visitors which the Homecoming will attract and their profile – ancestral visitors come to Scotland with different expectations; however it should be noted that they tend to be well informed, expect extremely detailed information and are able to talk a great deal about their family history and their discoveries!

One of the most important aspects of their research is visiting places where they have a connection and this could be as simple as a castle or a visitor attraction but they may require information on the local family history society, graveyards or facts on industrial heritage. Here is the opportunity to make a difference. Many of our visitors will be very value conscious so it’s all about offering information on things that represent added value to their visit.

Learn about cultural differences.  Here are useful links to the Visit Britain site offering insight on some of the prospective homecoming markets:

USA

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

South Africa

Other countries

These are very useful resources, detailing tips on how to offer these visitors the kind of service they expect, and ideas for subtle nuances which can really make you stand out in your service offerings.

Secondly, Homecoming visitors will expect a warm Scottish welcome – many ancestral visitors come to Scotland to seek a connection so it is essential that we bring out warmth and build rapport immediately so that they feel at home. Many visitors do not like to be classified as tourists – they want to feel more as if they are coming home.

Many Homecoming visitors have preconceived ideas about what Scotland has to offer and they appreciate the traditional approaches in tourism & hospitality even if we don’t perceive them to be mainstream. You need to respect these wishes as these are often what create the best memories. Find out where great afternoon tea or authentic fish and chips are being served, and where ceilidhs, Highland Games, golf tournaments, Scottish theatre, local art and crafts exhibitions etc are being held; be pro-active about promoting such events.

Engage with your visitors professionally and ensure that you and your staff are positive about your area and Scotland and all that it can offer. It is easy to allow current affairs to cast a shadow on our mood, however this is not attractive to our visitors; they are seeking to connect with vibrant and dynamic people.

Stay up to date with what’s going on in your area and create a file with important visitor services information. Find out about events and keep useful information such as local church times, contact details for key people, menus from local restaurants and (of course) an up-to date events listing for what’s on in your area. Find out where the local family history society is and where other documents are held. Ancestral visitors really appreciate access to a computer as so much of their research is conducted this way.
Stick to these tips and not only enhance the visitor experience look professional but also act as a great advertisement for Scotland!

How to grow your business through the recession

Another great post from the experts at American Express’ OPEN Forum, about how to keep your business moving through a recession:

The reports of diving revenues and continued economic downturn have many businesses rethinking any visions of growth projections. The hot phrase these days is, “flat is the new up.”

And that may indeed be your most prudent short-term strategy – focus on ways that allow you to hang on and retain the business you currently enjoy rather than flitter about looking for new markets to save the day.

There are a handful of tactical moves that you should consider in this vein if you have not already.

Focus on customer service

Sure, you should always do this, but now’s the time to revisit this entire category and start looking at everything your business does, with regard to a customer, as customer service.

Map out every current and potential contact with prospects and customers and ask yourself how you could turn each one into a marketing opportunity. Now, I don’t mean a sales opportunity so much as I mean an opportunity to enrich the relationship and enhance the experience.

Then, go about putting your energy into building processes that allow you to take full advantage of the touches created by marketing and sales, as well as finance, delivery, support and service functions.

Add price points

There is a natural tendency to want to cut prices to retain business, heck, maybe your customers are even asking you to do so, but resist. In most cases, lowering your prices simply guts profits and devalues your products and services in the future.

Instead, look for new ways to repackage, reformat and reconfigure offerings to add more value and/or create entirely new price points and offerings.

If you sell a $5,000 service for instance, figure out how to build a $79 and $499 product package that would allow someone to become your customer with low risk and still experience your brand and awesome people.

This is a great business strategy in general, but it really shines when budgets get tight and buyers become more deliberate with spending decisions.

Keep long-term objectives

Those growth projections, innovations and market opportunities you identified last year are still valuable drivers for the long-term health and direction of your business – don’t abandon them.

Think of the current climate as a bit of a detour on the road to your final destination. Sure, it may seem like a hassle, and maybe you’ll arrive a little later at your destination than you planned, but, what if on this new course you also got to glimpse some interesting new scenery, learned much more about how to work together with your trip mates, and came out the other end with a fresh perspective on your industry in general. Maybe this forced side trip is really an unexpected and valuable part of your education.

Don’t over correct, just look for what you are meant to learn on this new path and keep the long-term goals on the white board for all to see.

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In what ways are you learning through the recession? Share your ideas by commenting here.

Scotland features on popular Russian television travel programme

Russian television star Dmitry Krylov has been travelling around Scotland shooting for a popular Russian travel programme, according to Scotland on Sunday.  The show (Neputevye Zametki, or ‘Travel Notes’) will be broadcast to around 20-25 million viewers from around Russia, and could prove to spark a renewed interest in Scottish holidays.

According to VisitScotland spokesman James Lakie, the feedback received from Dmitry and his crew was “fantastic. They were particularly impressed by the friendliness of the people and the warmth of the hospitality that they experienced throughout Scotland.”

VisitScotland has already launched its first Russian-language website and so is well-placed to capitalise on the publicity that this broadcast will bring to Scotland.  What can you do to encourage this expanding market to visit you?

Delivering Service Excellence – what’s it all about?

Last week I had the pleasure of observing one of the famed 100 Thousand Welcomes courses, run by one of our approved training providers, Ian Hunt.   Ian had kindly agreed to let me sit in on his day-long ‘Delivering Service Excellence’ session so that I would be able to pass on first-hand experience of the course.

The day started at 9.15 am, as attendees began to drift into the airy Champions’ Room at the Golf Practice Centre, St Andrews. Tea, coffee, shortbread and Ian all stood by ready to welcome them.  By 9.30 all the participants had assembled and Ian took the floor. From the start the day was very dynamic and participative, but also very objective focussed. After outlining the topics for the day, Ian had each attendee introduce themselves with their name and place of work, but also with the most memorable, positive service experience of which they had been a part.

With this interactive slant, the delegates soon warmed up, as they worked in different groups to complete the various tasks that Ian had set (from a quiz about St Andrews and Scotland – including ‘Why is the thistle Scotland’s national emblem?’ and ‘How many top-class golf courses are within a ten-mile drive from St Andrews?’ – to creating a poster and presentation of the key factors of service excellence).

The day was broken up into five training sessions:

Session 1 – Fife and Scottish tourism

Session 2 – Meeting and exceeding customer and guest expectations

Break – tea, coffee, and homemade scones

Session 3 – How to demonstrate a Positive Attitude

Lunch – soup and sandwiches at the Eden Clubhouse

Session 4 – Dealing with feedback (taking appropriate action and recording)

Break – more tea, coffee and shortbread

Session 5 – Improving in the future

Before lunch, participants were asked to reflect on their current work practices, rating themselves and looking for ways in which they could further strive for service excellence. Before leaving, the delegates filled out an action plan to take back into their workplaces and work on with their employers. Only if they send the completed forms back to Ian would participants receive their ‘Delivering Service Excellence’ certification.

A big thank you to all the employers who supported the St Andrews Skills Academy by sending along delegates, to Dorothy Murphy and the lovely staff at the Golf Practice Centre for accommodating us so seamlessly again, and of course to Ian for providing a fantastic training experience for attendees and observers alike!

If you would be interested in sending your staff on a 100k Welcomes course, or in attending yourself, please visit the St Andrews Skills Academy website or leave comments below.

St Andrews Skills Academy website is now live!

The day you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived: the St Andrews Skills Academy website is now launched and ready for your visits!

On our one-stop-shop, you can search for and book training courses, check out quality training providers, and browse advice and tourism resources.

If you have any trouble using the site, please just ask for help, by commenting below, or by using the website’s contact form.

We look forward to seeing you at the virtual Skills Academy!

Rare Opportunity: Practical Training Certificate – 3-day course coming to St Andrews

The St Andrews Skills Academy is hoping to run a Practical Training Certificate course in St Andrews from the 1-3 September 2009. There are still four places available for this excellent, nationally-recognised and accredited course, which teaches attendees to deliver practical workplace training to an exceptionally high standard, and is ideal for experienced chefs and waiting staff .  Trainer Jenny Lambie (considered to be one of the top hospitality trainers in Scotland) calls this course the ‘Rolls Royce of trainer training courses’; this opportunity should not be missed!

Visit the Stonebow website for more course information.

The training investment will be just £450 plus £50 accreditation fee.

To book, head to the Skills Academy website and click on ‘Practical Training Certificate’ under ‘Featured Courses’.

For more information, please leave a comment below, or contact the Skills Academy.

What makes your visitors’ experiences special?

I came across this interesting, and rather terse, blog entry the other day, and thought that I would share it here.  The author seems to have become rather worked up about his subject matter, but I think he has an interesting point.

Do they hunt haggis up north?

To summarise the entry briefly, this writer believes that Scotland is beginning to miss out on a lot of its tourism opportunities by continuing to market to peoples’ stereotypes of ‘The Land of the Brave’. He argues that the Loch Ness, tartan, bagpipes, haggis and ‘heylan coos’ do not represent a full picture of what Scotland has to offer:

“With all this fanatically ‘twee’ presentation of my beloved country, Joe Bloggs tourist could easily be forgiven for leaving Scotland after a fortnight’s holiday not even having a clue about the roots of the Enlightenment that stemmed from these cold lands, the historical inventions and discoveries that our forefathers brought to modern development, the wealth of art contained in our abundant galleries, or the vibrancy and impact being made by the Scottish music scene.”

He goes on to accept that while we shouldn’t turn our backs on the traditions, castles, distilleries, etc, we should also emphasize the more dynamic and contemporary Scottish offerings in order to keep attracting tourists.

So, what can you do to show tourists more variety on their visits to Scotland? What experiences can you offer that have intrinsic value, as well as (or instead of) just being authentically ‘Scottish’?

Please do leave comments if you have ideas to share!