Shining A Spotlight On The Scottish Family Business Sector

Each year, the team at Family Business United undertake a Road Trip in Scotland to highlight the significant contribution made by family firms to the national economy. Spending a week on the road visiting family businesses and seeing first hand what they do and where they do it really does help to focus on the significant contribution of these businesses.

The 2023 #ScottishFamilyBizRoadTrip is taking place from October 2-6 and will see the official Road Trip car take in family firms from Glasgow to Edinburgh, Falkirk to Troon and Stirling to Duns.

Little’s Chauffeur Drive, a family owned business based in Glasgow is providing the vehicle that will be used for the duration of the Scottish Family Business Road Trip which will see the chauffeur driven car support a week long tour of family businesses across Scotland.

From their headquarters in Scotland, Little’s provide a comprehensive chauffeur drive service on a global scale. For over 50 years, their clients have trusted them to deliver award-winning business services and leisure tours with efficiency, professionalism and discretion.

“We are delighted to partner with Family Business United,” said Heather Matthews, Managing Director of Little’s Chauffeur Drive.

“We were involved with this event a couple of years ago and it was a fantastic celebration of the family business community in Scotland, something that resonates closely with us as a family business ourselves. We are delighted to be providing the car to enable Paul and the team at Family Business United visit as many family firms as possible during this week long tour that will take in family firms in and around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and the Borders."

As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United adds: "The Scottish Family Business Road Trip is one of the events in the annual family business calendar that is a real privilege to organise."

"It really does shine the light on family firms across many sectors, sizes and generations and we we get to go behind the scenes of family firms, conduct interviews with family business owners in their own place of work and each year their pride, passion and entrepreneurial spirit comes to the fore."

Events like this are important as they help to dispel some of the myths around the family business sector and reinforce the positive contribution of family firms in terms of employment, income generated and wealth created, not forgetting the immense input family firms make to the areas and communities in which they operate too.

Did you know:

• The oldest family business in Scotland dates back to 1715 – John White & Son Ltd who have been making weighing machines from their home in Auchtermuchty for over 300 years

• There are 280,000 family firms in Scotland

• Family firms in Scotland represent 83% of all private businesses in Scotland

• Family firms in Scotland employ 870,00 people which represents 6.3% of all family business employment across the UK

• The top 100 family firms in Scotland contribute £20 billion in terms of turnover annually and employ over 112,000 people

You can keep up to date with all the latest news and visits from the trip by following the hashtag, #ScottishFamilyBizRoadTrip.

As Paul adds, "There is something truly special about family businesses, many having the family name above the door, an undeniable essence for doing business the right way, looking after their staff and they care."

"They care about their people, their businesses and the communities in which they operate and it is a real pleasure to meet them where the magic happens."

As well as Little’s the Scottish Family Business Road Trip is supported by sponsors Brooks Macdonald, AAB, Turcan Connell and Western Pension Solutions.

"We are delighted to be working with such a great group of sponsors. They understand the very essence of the family business sector, what makes the sector different and work with family business clients all over Scotland too."

"It is great to be working with partners that get it, get what we do, and are helping us to continue to demonstrate the significant contribution that family firms make to the economy each and every day," concludes Paul.