Balancing social justice with economic goals will be Sturgeon's biggest test

This is understandable given that Scotland's first minister faces a difficult balancing act and must manage particular pressures that her predecessor did not have to.

Alex Salmond sat at the helm of a much smaller party. The SNP Ms Sturgeon heads is triple the size, its membership energised by the referendum campaign.

The expectation is that these new members will wish to see policies pursued which meet aspirations for a more redistributive, socially just Scotland, regardless of independence.

And while Mr Salmond frequently fell back on blaming Westminster for his inability to do more, post Smith Commission Ms Sturgeon is likely to have many more powers at her disposal.

This will have to be balanced against the need to reassure the business community, already expressing fears about possible changes to income tax and other elements of Ms Sturgeon's programme.

The private sector has nothing to fear from her, Ms Sturgeon says. She knows Mr Salmond was seen as more business-friendly and also as an insider, having worked in banking. She doesn't have that background and is also seen as instinctively to the left of her party.

So she insists that while she believes in greater equality and social justice a strong economy is essential to achieving it. "You can't do that unless you have got a vibrant business base earning the wealth," she says.,

Is encouraging social equality compatible with policies promoting wealth? Ms Sturgeon also wants to compete with London, while also recognising the benefits it brings to Scotland, she says. She has proposed radical land reforms but insists these do not amount to 'class war'.

She has invited former chief Medical officer Harry Burns to join her team of economic advisers. But can his views about tackling inequality through public spending be reconciled with an economic programme that won't frighten the horses, especially with further cuts predicted?

There may well be more sabre-rattling of the kind that saw businesses threatening to move south in the event of a Yes vote. Already Leading Scottish businessman Tom Hunter has warned against using income tax to boost the economy.

Much of this will be tricky to reconcile. It is true that without economic success Scotland's new first minister will struggle to achieve much of what she aims to. There is a job to be done in persuading business leaders that we can all gain from a fairer society.

Many observers have been bemused and somewhat envious of the smooth ride the SNP has had in government. This has come in part because Mr Salmond's administration has been able to claim credit for successes while blaming problems on London. When the greater powers set out by the Smith Commission are ultimately delivered Ms Sturgeon will have much less scope to do so.

Responsibly balancing Scotland's economic interests with her own and her party's aspirations for change will be one of her first, and biggest, challenges.