IAIN Scott set up publishing company Visual Arousal after running enterprise and start-up programmes on behalf of enterprise agencies and local authorities since 2001.
Name: Iain Scott
Age: 60
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
VISUAL Arousal. It’s a spin-off of my existing business, which is called Enterprise Iain and is all about inspiring entrepreneurship.
WHERE IS IT BASED?
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I STARTED writing a guide for people who wanted to change their life through starting a business and, as part of this process, researched business books. I was pretty turned off by most of them and thought they were scary and dull. Most importantly, they looked horrible. I then started to talk to people about how and why they had started a business and what it was like running it. You get the most amazing life stories, so I wondered: why do all these business books just focus on the business, and not the people? That’s what enterprise and business is all about, really – people and stories. In my 30-year career as an enterprise coach and business owner, I’ve worked with more than 1600 people as they started their enterprise journey and have seen entrepreneurship transform many peoples’ lives. After graduating in history from Glasgow University, I taught history for five years before running the university’s high-growth start-up programme, one of the first of its kind. In the 1980s I ran Scots Kitchen, one of the UK’s first wholefood, vegetarian and vegan food companies. And in the 1990s, I worked with a group of tomato growers in the Clyde Valley to co-found Scotland’s Tomatoes.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
THE publishing company idea evolved when I was preparing my first Enterprise Iain guide, Have Fun, Make Money, Live A Better Life. I was always inspired by the pictorial car and garden guides and wondered if you could apply that to enterprise and the world of business. We started with text and some pictures but the designers kept asking: “Are you sure about this?” I wasn’t, so I went out and interviewed more than 100 people and asked them what business books they read. It was revealing. Business books are read by people who don’t actually run their own business. Also, many entrepreneurs are dyslexic and people learn in different ways. I then worked with some great designers and married their expertise with my teaching.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
PEOPLE who want to change their lives by starting their own business. Also, people running their own business who want a better life from it. Anyone who wants to have fun, make money and live a better life – but lacks time or has a short attention span.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE are miles away from the classic business book and guide market. We don’t do long, worthy, text-heavy business tomes. We create something that’s funny, punchy and helps you learn.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
ABSOLUTELY. Scotland is a great place to start a business, because the business support network we have here and the Scots’ spirit of invention is really world-class. The talent of the Scottish designers and artists I work with was a big motivating factor in starting the business.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
LEARNING. I am perpetually curious. I love hearing other people’s stories and seeing enterprise change their lives for the better.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
AMAZON. It’s a big asset to my business but also a pain as well, because you’re beholden to another company’s rules and terms, and also costs.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
ENTERTAINING people globally. I think, more than anything else I’ve done, this has given me the most pleasure. It combines teaching with performance, people and learning. We already have a children’s series ready for launch called How To Be Enterprising, combining animations with stories. A set of puppets will appear soon as well!
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here