MD, Spectrum Properties (Scotland)
www.spectrumproperties.co.uk
What does the company do?
Property development and investment
Where is it based?
East End of Glasgow.
Turnover
Circa £5m
Briefly outline your working day
7am-7pm plus weekends and holidays if required.
The first two hours are spent speaking to site and development managers on each project, what obstacles do we have and how do we deal with it? Next couple of hours doing business emails and calls. After lunch go onsite or look for new business opportunities. I’m a big fan of my ‘do it now list’ which allows me to prioritise and get things done. It also allows my brain to move on and do other things.
What are the biggest challenges facing your business right now?
Currently dealing with recruitment, contractors, sourcing materials (e.g. we buy timber from Sweden where businesses still take 6 weeks off for summer), Brexit, Covid and Ukraine war, are all contributing to rising costs.
What should be done to overcome these challenges?
There’s no quick fix but I think it needs to be governments-led. Start with the biggest challenges and work from there.
Has the Scottish Government called it right on taxes?
No, it should be reducing taxes. Smaller businesses should be getting tax incentives.
Commercial property business rates are ridiculous. Retail rates are expensive and out of touch with current conditions.
Has Brexit impacted on your business?
Yes, supply chain impact means paying more and increased paperwork. There is also lots of profiteering going on in my opinion.
Do you support plans for a workplace parking levy?
No. It’s just another cost that no one needs.
Do you use public transport?
Rarely, as it’s so unreliable.
Do you think this is the right time to call an independence referendum?
No, it should be parked till the country is in a steadier position and the Scottish Government should focus on the tasks in hand.
What do you drive? Is it petrol, diesel or electric? What would make you switch?
I drive both. I enjoy my electric car and it’s ideal for city driving but not reliable for longer trips.
Electric van trialled and great for door to door but hard in practical terms to keep it charged each night.
Want to have more EV in the fleet in the future but will only be more mainstream once the range hits 500 miles rather than <200.
What are your short and long-term goals?
Concentrating on my own business. Every day is a school day.
Recession will be interesting. We will see what impact it has on prices; from experience, there can be opportunity in adversity.
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