Building a business in Shetland

Watch the 'Life in Shetland with Kate Humble' films produced by Promote Shetland and you'll notice something. Behind every business and community enterprise featured, there are other people.

Neighbours who turned up, committees who fundraised and communities who decided that their corner of Shetland should have a café, a marina, a visitor centre, and then made it happen.

That's the thing about starting a business or community enterprise in Shetland. You're never really doing it alone. Behind the neighbours and the committees, there's a network of practical support too, much of it from Shetland Islands Council, helping ideas find their feet so businesses can grow.

It starts with people around you, says Sita Goudie of Shetland Islands Council's Economic Development service.

“While the council supports a wide range of business and community enterprises, we very often find the community support in the isles is what makes the biggest difference; whether this is businesses helping each other out, communities establishing a social enterprise or helping individuals establish a business in their area.

"The community spirit and can-do attitude you find in the isles is what sets it apart.”

She'd know. The Economic Development team sits behind a remarkable number of Shetland ventures. When the team watched those Kate Humble films, it struck them that nearly every organisation featured had come through their doors at some point, whether for a start-up grant, help with a funding application, or simply a conversation.

Say you've got an idea. A croft diversification, a crafting hobby that's outgrown the kitchen table, a gap in the market you keep noticing. What help is out there?

“We get a really wide range of enquiries, from individuals who have an idea they would like to develop to established international companies, and everything in between,” says Sita.

“We may be helping an individual turn their crafting hobby into a business one day and dealing with a company looking to secure a multimillion-pound contract the next. We are here to support everyone, as they all support our economy and communities and make Shetland the place it is.”

One of the most practical sources of business support delivered by the Council is the local Business Gateway service. It provides impartial and confidential one-to-one advice through advisers who live here and know the isles, access to market reports and research data, a library of online tutorials and seminars, in-person training and business start-up grants, all available locally and free of charge.

We may be helping an individual turn their crafting hobby into a business one day and dealing with a company looking to secure a multimillion-pound contract the next. We are here to support everyone, as they all support our economy and communities and make Shetland the place it is.

The Council can also provide access to business innovation, development, growth and sustainability grant funding, as well as commercial finance for businesses with commercially viable proposals who are finding it hard to access mainstream support.

The team also holds regular drop-in sessions in halls across the isles, so a chat about your idea might be closer to home than you think.

And if all the talk of “getting funder ready” sounds daunting, it isn't.

“Getting businesses or projects ‘funder ready’ is really just helping them to think about their business idea and ambitions,” Sita explains. “Creating a business plan, cash projections, pitches and other things they may need to access grant or loan funding. It is about equipping them with the skills, information and knowledge they need to take their business to the next stage.”

A dog owner with a big idea is one of those who has followed that path.

“I had an idea to open a dog park and never for one minute thought of business plans and risk assessments or financial forecasts, until I met my local Business Gateway adviser,” says Paula Johnson of Peerie Paws Dog Park.

“They were such a guiding force in the whole process of putting my plans together. Yes, they assisted me in getting funding, but most of all I ended up with the most comprehensive business plan and financial plan, which makes me feel so confident going forward.

"They encouraged me when I wanted to give up, and their patience, kindness and compassion led me to achieve a great wish, not only for myself but for a community.”

Some of the best support here doesn't come from an office at all. It comes from other business owners.

Realise, Business Gateway Shetland's development programme for women in business, started life at the end of 2020 as an online pilot, at a time when many women were juggling more than their fair share.

It has since grown into a fully in-person programme, run in small groups so everyone gets heard. Participants talk about confidence, clearer thinking, and something harder to measure: a circle of peers who understand exactly what it's like.

That very first cohort completed the whole programme online, pandemic restrictions meaning they never once met in person. They still meet regularly.

And there's a lovely full-circle story. The most recent cohort held their meetings at Blyde Welcome, run by Celia Smith, who was herself a participant in the original pilot.

Find out more about setting up or growing a business in Shetland and be inspired by those who have already enjoyed success.

Watch the Life in Shetland with Kate Humble films.