Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year

The spirit of entrepreneurship abounds in Scottish tourism. As an industry populated predominantly by SME’s, it is the determination and vision of individuals to see an opportunity and create a market that drives innovation forward and maintains Scotland as a world class destination.

This category is open to businesses who have vision and who are driven to innovate, demonstrating consistently that they are prepared to take risks in order to excel.

A dynamic business with a track record in creating new products and services; harnessing an understanding of their customers to develop truly exciting and innovative enterprises.

Entry Information

1. Provide a summary or overview of your business and explain, using specific tangible evidence, the creative ideas that demonstrate that your approach is entrepreneurial. (10 points)
2. Describe in detail your approach to innovation. How do you develop an idea? How do you weigh the risks against benefits? What process of analysis do you use to take an idea from conception into reality? If an idea has been unsuccessful, how do you take on board the results? Please provide data specific to the process including research, budgeting and income forecasting. (10 points)
3. How do you develop training and skills in order to bring your ideas to life? What challenges have you faced in preparing teams to deliver innovations? How does training impact upon the profitability of your enterprise? (10 points)
4. How do you market your ideas to drive the business forward to reach both the target audience and new audiences? Do you do any joint marketing with others? What challenges have you faced in doing this and how were they overcome? (10 points)
5. Describe how your business interacts with your local community and in turn how your local community benefits from your business. How did you take a new idea and make it accessible to groups and businesses in your area? What were the results in doing this? (10 points)
6. Please provide brief details of your business finances, highlighting any growth plans. Focus on the additional impact on growth that innovation and entrepreneurial spirit has had on your business. How do you ensure quality in your service and customer care? Show through customer testimony how successful your ideas have been and indicate your future aspirations. (10 points)