One of the greatest privileges I have in my role as a director with The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust, is spending lots of time engaging with young and potential entrepreneurs.

I learn about the challenges that they face and the realities of the communities in which they operate.

A recent trip to Kirkwall in Orkney was a visit that raised a lot of questions in my mind, particularly about the crucial role of community in business success.

I have been a regular visitor to this beautiful island over the last four years and on each occasion make time to meet up with the ever growing band of young businessmen and women who are playing an increasing role in the developing business landscape.

One of the businesses that caught my attention in particular was Just Dance Orkney.

Joanna Davies, who runs the company, has converted former garage premises on an industrial estate into a very modern and welcoming dance studio.  She explained that she had tested the market and built a client base through the use of village halls and local facilities before making the step up, supported by an RBS loan, a PSYBT (Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust) loan and her own capital, built up during the mobile trading period.

What struck me during our chat was the warmth with which she spoke about her support from the local business community, which seemed to include a variety of people such as her accountant, her RBS Business Manager Adrian Bird, Gavin Cullen, her PSYBT Adviser and various others, as well as friends and family.

Later, I was fortunate to join an informal networking event attended by around 20 of the local business community including 12 young entrepreneurs supported by PSYBT.  I was fascinated to see these young business people listen intently as Graham Bichan, from the growing local businesses, Orkney Ice Cream, told the story of his company and its plans for the future.

There is something about the businesses in this remote community that really stands out, and I think it has to do with that word, community, which I looked up in the dictionary on my return home.

Community: the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.

Orkney businesses seem to have collectively found a recipe for success. I’m not sure about all the ingredients, but community is definitely key.

The role the business community take in collective ownership of the economic well-being of the region is important, as it the fact that the elder business statesmen feel a responsibility to help nurture others for the future. Perhaps this community element is something that is more pronounced in rural locations, though we could certainly learn from it in cities if that is the case.

Whatever the secret may be, I - and I hope others - will continue to look to Orkney’s business community, as well as its scenery, for inspiration.