IN this week's SME Focus we hear from a veteran of the international hair and beauty business who decided to move from London to a village in Scotland after tasting a chocolate truffle made in Perthshire.

Name:

Julie Collier.

Age:

59.

What is your business called?

Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier.

I am the commercial director.

Where is it based?

On the banks of the River Tay at Grandtully near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

A range that includes handmade Velvet Truffles, spiced pralines, chocolate bars and Florentines. We have shops in Grandtully and St Andrews. We also have a gift showroom, The Scottish Chocolate Centre and the award winning coffee & chocolate house known as Legends of Grandtully.

Whom does it sell to?

We sell to the general public through our stores and offer a mail order service through our website. We also supply chocolate to a range of clients that includes Michelin starred chefs, hotels, oil companies and distilleries.

What is its turnover?

Just under 1 million.

How many employees?

30.

When was it formed?

In October 2006, by the Burnett family. Iain Burnett (our master chocolatier) had spent three years creating the perfect truffle. He’d tasted something like it in Japan and took years exploring techniques and testing 120 ingredient combinations before arriving at his renowned Velvet Truffle. This doesn’t include the fat, oils or sugar additives that are often added to make a truffle soft or to give it a longer shelf life; simply fresh dairy and chocolate.

Why did you take the plunge?

I had been working in London for Alberto Culver (a Chicago-based company that manufactures hairdressing products) and was looking for a change of life and a better quality of life. When I first visited Grandtully and tasted Iain’s Velvet Truffles, I knew this was a product I could really do something with and there was a chance to really make a difference to the business.

I joined the business approximately a year after it opened and swapped the cut and thrust of London for rural Perthshire. I’ve never looked back!

I initially came in to set a good structure in place in the coffee and chocolate house but from the beginning realized that the food service and corporate areas (supplying restaurants and making products such as company branded chocolates) would be my focus for the next part of the challenge. I was impressed by the massive potential the site and the product had and excited by the prospect of potentially building a global brand from the setting of the tiny village.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I came from the hair and beauty industry having worked with companies like Synergy Salon Supplies and Alberto Culver and offered 34 years experience in sales, marketing and PR. These skills are transferrable and I don’t think it matters what the product is you are promoting as long as you totally believe in its quality and value.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

Family money, self financed.

What was your biggest break?

There have been so many opportunities for me to grasp but I think, the first big hit and a major motivator was when we won Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards Food Service Product of the Year in 2009. It was just a couple of years after we opened and gave the whole team a boost. Last year we won The World’s Best Dark Chocolate Truffle at the International Chocolate Awards, which had entries from more than 40 countries.

What was your worst moment?

When the recession hit the restaurant industry in 2008 and chefs stopped placing orders, that part of the business started to drop away. It takes something like this to make you realise that you need to rethink your strategy and identify the strengths and weaknesses in your business.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

Two days are never the same and the prospect of so much opportunity out there inspires me. We have a great team in the business.

What do you least enjoy?

Administration but who doesn’t?

What are your ambitions for the firm?

Immediately, to produce a million Velvet Truffles in this our 10th year of trading; in the longer term, to create more awareness of the business, to expand our product portfolio and to create opportunities to buy from more outlets.

What are your top priorities?

Brand strategy, developing and expanding our team, creating more products, marketing the website and building on our success with pairings such as chocolate and cashew nuts.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

This country is made up of a huge amount of SME’s and support for them from the Governments would be best provided by looking at how to get the entrepreneurial spirit developed and transferred into successful business practice whilst alleviating some of the high costs involved in setting up firms until they are reasonably established.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Never undervalue the people around you, whether in business or life in general; be true to yourself and treat others how you expect to be treated back.

How do you relax?

I live life to the full; I always have and put as much into my business life as I do my personal life. I work long hours due to the nature of the role I have and use my business time and mix it with personal. That way I achieve almost all I want. I have always included my friends and family in what I do.