Name: Craig Mackie.

Age: 45.

What is your business called?

SHINE - Design & Digital.

Where is it based?

Glasgow city centre. We have a great space and we have adapted it to be flexible, as well as actively encouraging clients to come and visit for coffee and biscuits.

What services does it offer?

Design and digital services such as branding and graphic design, website design and development, social media management and digital marketing as well as video and animation work.

To whom does it sell?

Clients range in size from a two-person business up to one with over 1,000 employees. We have worked with clients as far north as Rock Rose Gin in Dunnet Bay in Caithness to Age Exchange Charity in south London.

What is its turnover?

£500,000.

How many employees?

Eight.

When was it formed?

March 1999.

Why did you take the plunge?

I believed I had gone as far as I could in the agency where I worked and thought I was young enough to give self-employment a try and recover from it if I wasn’t successful. My parents were both self-employed and ran their own business, an insurance brokerage in Paisley, for 20 years. They worked hard but eventually the arrival of big competitors like Direct Line and Go Compare, with their huge TV advertising budgets, posed massive challenges for independents. When I told my parents that I planned to start up on my own their first reaction was to tell me to “cool my jets”. While it was advice around being cautious they have always been 100 per cent supportive.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I left Paisley Grammar School without a qualification to my name. I was dismayed by school and wanted to leave as soon as I could. I spotted a job advertisement for a £43 a week Youth Training Scheme role in a design agency. The fancy office and the glamorous vibe and pace of business made it an exciting place for a 16-year-old. I was at that agency for five years then a second agency for two years before launching SHINE.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

I sold my car and then managed to obtain a Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) loan of £4,000 which I paid back early.

What was your biggest break?

We were recommended to the Glasgow-based business, Soapworks, in May 1999. At the time it was owned by The Body Shop. It was the first grown-up business we had ever worked for, and our relationship lasted 16 years.

We were asked initially by the managing director if we could show him how to conduct a PowerPoint presentation. While my knowledge of Power Point was zero, I said, ‘no problem’ and got an overnight crash course before my meeting the next day. The old adage of saying ‘yes’ then working out how to do it. As trust between us grew we took on more and more of the company’s marketing activities, becoming, in effect, its outsourced marketing department.

Another big break was winning the business of The Torridon Hotel in 2010. This was a great account and opened many doors to us in the hospitality sector.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I am a people person, and love working with the team and with our clients. We have helped many get a foothold in the industry either through work experience, placements or us taking a risk on them. So, I love hearing when they have progressed in their career at other agencies.

What are your ambitions for the business?

We have a three to five year plan in place to double in size. I have always wanted to build a business for the long term and have seen agencies appear on the scene, grow too quickly and crash within a few years. I have set a target of looking for international clients too.

What are your top priorities?

Our mantra at the start of the pandemic was that “the entire team returns fit and healthy to a business that is fit and healthy” – so we started our Monday morning team meetings in person again from August 9 in line with government advice. The team all missed each other and the banter but not the commute. The business priorities now are: Grow the Team, Grow the Business and Grow our Client Base.

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

Infrastructure on many levels; lack of high-speed broadband in the city centre is ridiculous. I feel that schools and colleges need to have better relationships and access to businesses so that students come into the business world better prepared. Qualifications are one thing, but part of the curriculum that covers personal skills, social skills, and confidence in presenting and talking proudly of who you are and what your skills are needs more emphasis.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Always have a plan B for every situation. I now try, too, to have a plan C. You need to have a clear vision and to communicate it well to the whole team.

How do you relax?

I am in a band and the current guitar count is at eight, so that is a source of fun, relaxation, and creativity. I do a lot of running too and I use that as a mood changer and as good thinking time.