Crossing the road

Crossing the road

IAN Adie, boss of Glasgow's Business Incentives Group, has revealed he was once the equivalent of former Old Firm footballer Mo Johnston in the motor breakdown industry.

"I was the sales and marketing director for RAC in Scotland and then I did the Rangers-Celtic thing," he recalled. "I left to become the national sales manager for National Breakdown - that rocked the motoring world, for all of 10 seconds!"

Trip a light fandango

DUNCAN Wilson, boss of Scottish travel business Minoan Group, revealed the company has developed something of a niche customer base.

Mr Wilson said booking trips for groups of dancers has become something of a speciality for the company - and he was not referring to Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts.

Highlighting Minoan's expertise in organising travel for Scottish country dancers, Morris dancers, Zumba and Tango dancers, he declared: "We have a bit of unique expertise in that field."

Mr Wilson said Minoan, owner of Stewart Travel, sometimes had to book travel, including international trips, for groups of 30, 40 or 50 dancers.

Highlighting the need for these dancers to speak to someone to arrange such trips, Mr Wilson said: "Try to book that online - best of luck."

The National debuts

SALES of The National, Scotland's new daily newspaper, have been soaring in its debut week on the newsstands. It certainly met with the approval of one vendor, who remarked in classically understated Glaswegian style that sales have been "no' bad" as The Bottom Line purchased his second last copy.

To boldly go...

COMPANY Mission statements are nothing more than fluff, piffle and jargon.

So say the authors Marc Stigter and Cary Cooper, who have compiled a list of 25 of what they regard as the most clichéd, almost "missionless mission statements" in their book Solving the Strategy Delusion.

It has filed this short-list under a range of categories, ranging from "some internally driven guff about excellence and efficiencies" to "vague but poorly articulated realisation it might have something to do with customers."

The authors say: "Such clichéd statements don't contribute to a compelling story but point out that leadership lacks imagination and perhaps in some cases direction. A good mission is constructed from the outside - in addressing how we add value to whom. It goes beyond merely describing what we offer."

The Bottom Line suspects the writers are not fans of boardroom bingo.