Liz McCutcheon: firms need a personal touch (pic: Terry Murden)
The business adviser says many small firms are feeling ‘battle-weary’, writes TERRY MURDEN
In her 30-plus years steering small enterprises on to the next stage of their journey, Liz McCutcheon has helped firms seeking everything from new finance to how to understand their own balance sheet. Just now, she says, there are some needing an extra bit of care.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and while I don’t like to talk things down there is no getting away from the fact that things are difficult,” she says. “Some feel a bit battle-weary; having to find additional costs just to maintain their equilibrium.”
Remembering each business is run by a person, probably with a family, is important to the DNA of Inspirent, the business advisory operation where she has been chief executive since 2019.
“We are dealing with businesses and their finances, but it is the people that really matter,” she says, highlighting a programme to support female entrepreneurs, which scored very highly on feedback, particularly for the level of personal care. In some cases, it had been profound.
“Almost all who took part said the experience had been life-changing,” says McCutcheon. “One said I was the first person to tell her that she was valued.” It chimed with the organisation’s strapline: Thriving businesses, thriving lives.
“We start with the individual and recognise that it can be intimidating for some people to meet an adviser and we try to take that fear away.
“It’s important that we don’t just jump in and look at the business. We want to know what it is that is keeping them awake at night. It can be lonely [to run a business] and we can encourage them by explaining how their peers are going through the same thing.”
Inspirent is a not-for-profit social enterprise based in a former Victorian primary school in Hamilton. It has been government funded over the years but was forced to find ways of making up for the loss of a Business Gateway contract by distributing government grants. It still does government work, but is working increasingly with the private sector.
Launched as Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Ltd (LESL), McCutcheon had it rebranded as “it did not mean anything to people outside Lanarkshire” and she wanted to expand beyond its core area. It now serves businesses elsewhere in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
It has supported more than 20,000 mainly startups through to sustainability from all sectors and ranging in turnover from less than £100,000 to about £10 million.
“That’s the Scottish economy. Small firms. We’re there to dig into the business, provide workshops and guidance,” says McCutcheon.
“With over three decades of expertise in supporting organisations, it became clear that our knowledge and approach could benefit a wider audience, particularly SMEs.
“These businesses often don’t want a large consultancy firm; they need an approachable, experienced partner who understands the unique challenges they face. That’s what we’ve become.”
She adds that the initial meetings and workshops can evolve into a long-term relationship with the client.
“We become their confidante and offer the opportunity to stick with them through their development. These are often busy people and they can sometimes write a plan and put it in a drawer and not implement it. So we can help help them do that.”
She says she has “a passion for the world of business, or more accurately, the people who run those businesses”.
She joined LESL in 2014 as a business start-up team leader and took up the top job six months before Covid erupted.
“Lockdown was a baptism of fire,” she says. “Businesses needed a lot of support and we were working crazy hours delivering a lot of grants.”
In the past few years new programmes have been launched, including the £700,000 Ecosystem Fund and Pathways that helps women. Inspirent delivers them for the government but they run only to the end of March. There has been no word on whether they will continue.
When she was offered her current role she had doubts about whether she was up to the job, but she was given encouragement by her predecessor Ronnie Smith.
As a born-again Christian, she also drew on her faith and believes it has helped her deal better with people, especially those facing personal as well business difficulties.
“I am naturally optimistic,” she says, “But I don’t leave the house without praying.”
PERSONAL CHECKLIST
Age: 62
Education: Cumbernauld College, University of Highlands and Islands
Career highlights: Castlecroft Securities (operations manager), Recap (operations manager), Co-operative Development Scotland (adviser), Inspirent (CEO)
What is a key qualitiy of a leader?
Lead from the front and take your staff with you
What makes you angry?
It takes a lot to get me hot under the collar. My faith has mellowed me.
What are your interests out of work?
I attend church every week. Circuit training three times a week. I also sew.
Which three people, real or fictional, would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?
Jesus Christ, my father (also a man of faith) and Oprah Winfrey
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