While some people insist entrepreneurs are born rather than made, this week’s SME Focus highlights the value of the efforts of one of Scotland’s leading businessmen to support the development of young hopefuls.

Name:

Collette Norval.

Age:

27.

What is your business called?

Social Stuff, creators of SQUAD scarves.

Where is it based?

Aberdeen.

What does it produce?

We are a social business manufacturing custom designed snood scarves from our base in Aberdeen.

We give 100 per cent of our profit to charity and aim to support young, unemployed people by providing career opportunities and training.

To whom does it sell?

We offer our customers a new way to support their favourite sporting team by branding our SQUAD snoods with their teams’ official logos and colours. We currently manufacture custom designs on behalf of The Scottish Football Association and seven out of 12 Scottish Premiership Clubs, after signing a deal with Celtic last month. We recently secured a license agreement with the Scottish Rugby Union and produce designs for Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors. We’ve also produced bespoke scarves for companies, small sports clubs, charities and fundraisers alongside individuals.

What is its turnover?

Our estimated year one turnover is £100,000.

How many employees?

Three plus a super supportive chairman, former oil executive turned social entrepreneur, Duncan Skinner.

When was it formed?

From March 2015 I began researching the feasibility of SQUAD while trying to get my head around textiles and machinery, and got help from Business Gateway Aberdeen City & Shire regarding our business plan etc. In February last year our chairman and I moved into what is now known as SQUAD HQ in Aberdeen’s Altens area. The following month we hired our first employee and after a few months of trial and error in the production process we officially began manufacturing in July 2016.

All of our scarves are individually hand made to order in Aberdeen. We have a custom built knitting machine which produces our tubes of fabric and we use a dye sublimation heat process to print the scarves.

Why did you take the plunge?

Upon finishing school in 2007 I was offered the chance to take part in the inaugural Hunter Leadership Programme, a one-year intensive leadership programme funded and facilitated by Sir Tom Hunter and the Hunter Foundation. I volunteered at the annual Clinton Global Initiative in New York, travelled to Malawi to work on a number of community projects, and gained invaluable experience on several business and charity secondments throughout the 12 month programme. Five years later, while at university, I was accepted onto the Saltire Foundation Undergraduate Internship Programme. This involved an internship in Houston with the Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) oil services business, which subsequently lead to my graduate programme offer in Aberdeen. Through my experiences I gained a real passion for entrepreneurship and began to understand the importance of giving something back so when the idea of SQUAD was pitched to me by Duncan I jumped at the chance.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I graduated from the University of St Andrews with a degree in Spanish and Italian and secured a commercial graduate placement at WGPSN. As part of the programme I was offered the opportunity to undertake a one year secondment at Glencraft, a social enterprise in Aberdeen that manufactures beds and mattresses and offers employment opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people. I loved being part of a small business and getting involved in the various day to day commercial activities. It was at Glencraft that I discovered a real passion for social enterprise. On returning to WGPSN I gained experience in a number of roles before being made redundant due to the recent industry downturn. I was then approached by Duncan, who I had worked with previously at Glencraft, about the SQUAD idea. It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down!

In order to make the idea for SQUAD scarves a reality, I completed a feasibility study over around 12 months, all the while “hot desking” at Glencraft. Through Duncan’s role as Director at Aberdeen FC we opened the doors to a number of football clubs in Scotland. Our meetings with these left us sure we had found a gap in the market for a feasible social business.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

The business is currently funded by way of a loan through the Skinner Charitable Trust.

What was your biggest break?

When the first Scottish premiership football team, Aberdeen, took a chance on us and agreed to stock our product.

What was your worst moment?

Having to go through a pretty epic rebrand a week before we launched. We had come up with a brand that we were excited about but we were advised we needed to change it following our Business Gateway Aberdeen City & Shire supported IP Audit. Looking back, we believe it was fate as SQUAD suits us better as a business, brand and team. Since launching Business Gateway has been an invaluable source of support.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I love that the business is essentially a vehicle that generates a sustainable source of charitable giving. Being involved in the football/sports industry on a daily basis is really exciting for me.

What do you least enjoy?

Admin!

What are your ambitions for the firm?

This year our aim is to expand our client base, continuing to develop our football and rugby club portfolios. In particular we are seeking to build relationships south of the border where the fan base potential is massive. We are also keen to explore opportunities with large scale organised events such a charity walks and runs.

What are your top priorities?

To continue to maintain a high level of product quality; to build our client base further; to create more employment opportunities within the business; to develop strategic marketing campaigns that will allow our brand to grow; to become one of the most recognised brands in the snood world!

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

We have benefitted from start-up support from Scottish Enterprise, Business Gateway, and Elevator and gaining advice from the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, which was particularly beneficial. Further support for small Scottish manufacturing businesses like ours would be gratefully received as would more awareness around the impact that social businesses can have on society.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

That perseverance is often key to completing a deal. We’ve had a number of contracts that have taken what seems like a lifetime to complete, but have ultimately resulted in some fantastic, large scale orders.

How do you relax?

I enjoy going to the gym after a busy day at work and then going home to my husband and new puppy.