Jackie Brierton recently appeared on Nevis Radio to talk about GrowBiz services and the value of REDS. As CEO of GrowBiz, Jackie as always had some fascinating insights to share on the importance of supporting micro-businesses in rural areas.
Jackie points out that, as you drive through rural Scotland, it can seem there’s not a lot happening, but actually there’s all sorts of diverse businesses going on up farm lanes and in small villages and towns. REDS is set up to demonstrate that.
Small businesses are really the backbone of the rural economy, says Jackie. If one business is supported, it can go onto to provide support for others, taking on employees and working with local producers and suppliers.
REDS is not only about free promotion, although that of course is always welcome and it’s important for people who want to buy and support local to have a way to discover what’s out there. But the REDS map is also about helping policy and decision makers to visualise the whole range of small businesses dotted all over Scotland.
Many of these small businesses are struggling to get back on their feet after a tough year, so it’s vital to show that funding made available to such businesses would be well spent, and that there are many great and innovative ideas out there, as well as new businesses who want to get going.
Businesses listed on REDS can also benefit from the support GrowBiz provides, with Jackie particularly mentioning business networking events. It turns out that chickpeas are related to this discussion…
Listen to the full interview here.
REDS is currently nearing 200 business listings and is pushing to get to 500, and the 250th and 500th business will a REDS rural gift card. So get your business on the map!
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