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Scott Henderson – A bite for success

Local business owner Scott Henderson first discovered his entrepreneurial drive at the age of eleven and has grown a wide business portfolio over the years. Launching his digital brand, Crunchy Carrots five years ago, he has already helped over 350 clients to grow their online presence.

Scott remembers his first job bagging potatoes in his local grocers around the corner from his childhood home. He would also go door-to-door around the Larbert neighbourhood, taking orders for bacon and eggs which was the beginning of his first business. He loved selling things and bringing people what they needed and realised it was much more interesting to him than just being at school.

Scott says that he has always loved to work and alongside, quite literally, bringing home the bacon, he also had a paper round and worked in the petrol station in Larbert for extra pocket money.

Leaving High School at 15 years old, Scott began a full-time career as an apprentice joiner with local company Murdoch Smith; this was, he says, a very important part in his working life.“I loved working extra hours, earning extra money and while in my apprenticeship, I would do many ‘home jobs’ for family and friends”.

The Journey

He recalls that entrepreneurial flair again driving him forward, buying all his own supplies and keeping his own books to work out costs and profit on each job.

At 22 years old, he left joinery and began working at Devro in their manufacturing department for several years, gaining deeper knowledge of process development before advancing to their research and development team.

He enjoyed the job, but still had the entrepreneurial drive burning inside him.

Scott tells us that his own approach to work, both for his business and that of his customers comes from both his parents. “My dad juggled many jobs when I was young and worked extremely hard progressing through the company he worked at for 40 years. My mum, who also worked full-time while simultaneously looking after a busy household, was equally impressive and influential. Thankfully they are now both blissfully enjoying retirement.”

 

The dream really began to come true for Scott in 2004 when, along with his brother, they launched the now ubiquitous Falkirk attraction, Xtreme Karting. They first developed a site in Falkirk becoming 5-star rated by Visit Scotland and later added a second site in Edinburgh in 2009 (also 5-star rated).

Following this, came Xtreme Combat as an add-on product to their already successful business. Scott loved building relations and was also heavily involved in the marketing side of the business.

“I loved working with the team, building their confidence and skills to achieve more and ensuring we always gave our customers the best possible experience and value for money”.

This is where Scott discovered his passion for excellence in customer service as well as the part that his sales and marketing team had to play in delivering that coveted 5-star excellence.

Realising that these skills were likely to be highly sought after by many business associates elsewhere across the region, five years ago Scott took the bold decision to sell his share of Xtreme Karting and started up his own dream digital marketing agency, Crunchy Carrots.

“We began with only a handful of clients with whom I’d built close working relationships”.

Initially, he focused on social media marketing but quickly realised that increasing their entire online presence was vital to his clients’ ongoing business success.

Scott therefore saw the opportunity to add website development to the brand swiftly followed by great photography and promotional video shoots. “Having expanded our range of services on offer, our client-base grew from a handful of small local businesses, to a portfolio ranging from large to small that we’re immensely proud to have worked with”.

The dream really began to come true for Scott in 2004 when, along with his brother, they launched the now ubiquitous Falkirk attraction, Xtreme Karting. They first developed a site in Falkirk becoming 5-star rated by Visit Scotland and later added a second site in Edinburgh in 2009 (also 5-star rated).

Following this, came Xtreme Combat as an add-on product to their already successful business. Scott loved building relations and was also heavily involved in the marketing side of the business.

“I loved working with the team, building their confidence and skills to achieve more and ensuring we always gave our customers the best possible experience and value for money”.

This is where Scott discovered his passion for excellence in customer service as well as the part that his sales and marketing team had to play in delivering that coveted 5-star excellence.

 

Realising that these skills were likely to be highly sought after by many business associates elsewhere across the region, five years ago Scott took the bold decision to sell his share of Xtreme Karting and started up his own dream digital marketing agency, Crunchy Carrots.

“We began with only a handful of clients with whom I’d built close working relationships”.

 

Initially, he focused on social media marketing but quickly realised that increasing their entire online presence was vital to his clients’ ongoing business success.

Scott therefore saw the opportunity to add website development to the brand swiftly followed by great photography and promotional video shoots. “Having expanded our range of services on offer, our client-base grew from a handful of small local businesses, to a portfolio ranging from large to small that we’re immensely proud to have worked with”.

“Crunchy Carrots’ clients are from various industry sectors who also actively promote Scott’s company across the business community.”
The Team

Initially, he focused on social media marketing but quickly realised that increasing their entire online presence was vital to his clients’ ongoing business success.

Scott therefore saw the opportunity to add website development to the brand swiftly followed by great photography and promotional video shoots. “Having expanded our range of services on offer, our client-base grew from a handful of small local businesses, to a portfolio ranging from large to small that we’re immensely proud to have worked with”.

Crunchy Carrots’ clients are from many different industries who also actively promote Scott’s company across the business community. “As we helped our customers to grow, they in turn helped us to grow and so the Crunchy Carrots team continues to expand. It’s really a local digital community that we feel very proud to be part of.”

Growing this team progressively, developing their individual skills along with evolving the business itself, team members who started out part-time are now full-time as their customer needs intensified.

Scott feels that the team is the perfect fit for what they want to accomplish, and as their skills set continues to develop they will continually be able to grow within.

“I motivate the team the same way I have always done, by building their confidence and skills to achieve more and ensuring we always give our customers the best possible experience and value for money,” says Scott.

Another integral member of the team is Alfie, the beloved office dog, and the Crunchy Carrot mascot. He absolutely loves meeting all the new clients and they love him right back!

“Scott says he was keen to grow his team progressively; to develop their individual skills along with developing the business itself.”

In the early years of Crunchy Carrots, Scott was also involved in community renewable energy wind turbine projects, as being part of a community effort is important to him. His passions outside work and community include playing golf (“moderately well, most of the time” we were informed), watching football, weekend road trips and spending time with family and friends. He has been a Falkirk Football Club fan since he was a bairn himself, and it was an honour that the club asked Crunchy Carrots to develop their current website.

Working within the local community is what makes Scott’s business worthwhile to him. He says he still gets a kick out of work, and loves the drive for business, selling a service that really will benefit his clients and their business. “I love offering quality products that we truly believe in, and which work on the principle that ‘you are our priority, you are our business, you are our digital community.”

Crunchy Carrots’ clients believe and trust in Scott because he believes and trusts in his team and his service. He loves developing products and seeing the reaction from the client’s face when all is unveiled.

Over the five years Crunchy Carrots has been in business, they have worked with over 350 clients which is a phenomenal number for a local business.

Scott and his highly experienced digital marketing team offer support to you and your business, delivering a personalised service that will be responsive to your individual needs.

The Crunchy Carrots team will work with your business on a made-to-measure basis, developing strong working relationships as part of a business family.

That is the Crunchy Carrots difference that Scott prides himself on.

Scott has a lot planned for the years to come, he has learnt a lot over the past fourteen years and continues to grow himself and Crunchy Carrots.

 

Whether you are looking for social media management, web design and development, marketing strategy or promotional photography and video, Scott and his Crunchy Carrots team have a bite for it all!

CRUNCHY CARROTS
25 Glebe Street,
Falkirk, FK1 1HX

01324 613288
hello@crunchycarrots.co.uk

crunchycarrots.co.uk

 

 

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Life Fit Wellness

Helping people not just bodies.

Life Fit Wellness provides the highest standard of healthcare and exercise services which are delivered within a custom designed clinic in Falkirk Business Hub.  Their integrated approach to healthcare and exercise allows them to better meet the needs of the individual in a tailored and personalised way.

They provide a wide range of treatment and exercise options in a supportive environment whilst working to empower individuals to manage their own health and wellbeing.

From their inception at their previous, smaller location in Grangemouth, they have evolved to fill their current facility in the centre of Falkirk, and they continue to develop their approach and services. They pride themselves on providing exceptional customer service in a friendly atmosphere; aiming to help people, not just bodies.

Their approach and experience

Life Fit Wellness provide an honest and person-centred approach to physiotherapy which is based on current best evidence and many years of experience throughout the team. David Bowmaker says, “We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of care to each individual client.

Our Chartered Physiotherapists follow a ‘bio-psycho-social’ approach which essentially looks at the person as a whole, meaning you come first. This approach not only addresses the physical components of injury, but consideration is given to your environment and psychological factors that contribute to your health. There is good evidence to suggest that addressing all three factors improves how likely a person is to recover.”

The Physiotherapy Team have expertise in the musculoskeletal system enabling them to assess, diagnose and treat an extensive range of issues by utilising a wide array of clinical skills. David Bowmaker says, “Our skilled team are able to provide exercise prescription and rehabilitation, manual therapy to assist with pain relief, acupuncture or dry needling and work and lifestyle management advice.”.

17 Degrees Magazine’s Sophie Robertson has been getting to know the team at Life Fit Wellness over the last few months. After a conversation with the welcoming reception team about her ongoing sciatica, she scheduled a physiotherapy session with Stewart Kerr, one of the Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Team. Following a thorough assessment, a treatment plan was agreed which involved a tailored exercise program, advice on daily management and some ‘hands-on’ treatment which provided some welcome pain-relief.

Following this session, she received her personalised exercise program by email which included photos, videos and written description of the exercises. Part of the management program discussed was to facilitate a smooth transition to Pilates. A 1-1 Intro to Pilates was arranged with Chartered Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor, Carolyn Kent. This set Sophie up nicely with confidence to transition into a Pilates Class. This week she will be attending a Pilates Circuit Class at Life Fit Wellness, which utilises specialised large equipment such as the ‘Reformer’. Having both services in the same place was ideal and made the transition from physiotherapy to exercise achievable.

Furthermore, the benefit of having a dual trained Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor meant that her sciatica was accommodated, and therefore the exercise was not only achievable, but enjoyable and beneficial. She has since followed up for a review physiotherapy session with Stewart and the improvements were clear to see.

The physiotherapy team work alongside their other Healthcare and Exercise services which can optimise the care they provide by ensuring a seamless package of care and referral as required. These services include an Ultrasound Scan and Injection Clinic.

This innovative clinic is designed to simplify the patient journey. It is for people affected by conditions of the upper and lower limbs. This includes joint, tendon, ligament and conditions of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot. This clinic is run by Stewart Kerr who, in addition to being a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist is also a Musculoskeletal Sonographer enabling him to provide ultrasound-guided injections to ensure maximal accuracy of these treatments.  They also offer a Pelvic Health Care service which is run by clinical specialist Kate Leishman.

This is a highly specialised physiotherapy service for issues related to pelvic dysfunction. Therapists working in this field are highly trained to access and manage problems relating to pelvic floor muscles such as prolapse, urinary or faecal incontinence.

Dr Terrina Dickson

Private GP | Dermatology Specialist | Mole Screening | Minor Surgery Specialist

The Medical Services at Life Fit Wellness are provided by Dr Terrina Dickson and offer clients the opportunity to have flexible appointment lengths to suit their specific needs.  The services range from private GP consultations to specialist skin assessments and treatment.  Also on offer are a wide range of health assessment packages which offer clients the opportunity to look proactively at their health and well-being.

The specialist skin and mole screening services allow clients quick access to an expert opinion for their peace of mind.  The clinic offers specialist assessment equipment allowing Dr Dickson to accurately evaluate your presentation.

The clinic has quick access to laboratories for rapid analysis of blood and other specialist testing.

They also offer corporate medical packages to suit the particular requirements of employers from small to large companies. Competitive rates and bespoke, flexible packages can be provided. Their website is a great resource for all the healthcare and exercise services on offer, plus the patient resources section has lots of useful health and injury advice freely available. The friendly team at Life Fit Wellness are always happy to discuss their services and the most appropriate options to suite your needs.

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Colessio – a magnificently transformed victorian manor

Stirling’s Hotel Colessio is in the perfect location to explore Stirling’s historic old town and the wider central Scotland area. Our Editor-in-Chef, Sophie, had the pleasure of dining at Colessio with an overnight stay at the hotel in March, along with her partner. Here’s what she thought of her stay:

Arriving at Colessio, you can’t help but notice the beauty of the building, with its huge pillared entrance. We parked around the back of the hotel in the car park and were greeted by the staff and offered a refreshment as we entered the building. We enjoyed the drink in their chic, contemporary cocktail bar which had plush seats and a great atmosphere, with an extensive cocktail menu which also includes some light bites. Although it was a Thursday evening, the hotel was fully booked so there was a buzz about the place.

We finished our drinks and headed up to our room on the second floor. it was a suite, which was spacious and modern with a large bathroom with both a bath and shower – you couldn’t ask for much more! There was also a plasma television, in-room tea and coffee facilities, iron/ironing board, a lounge area and hotel robes.

Our evening meal was booked for half past six in the grill restaurant, which has great big, comfortable chairs and booths and a relaxing ambience. We were seated at our table and presented with à la carte menus and a drink offering and decided to start off with one of the many gins. The server told us about their state-of-the- art kitchen which is equipped with a Josper grill, one of the newest and most sought- after kitchen innovations which has taken the culinary world by storm. Hotel Colessio is proud to be one of the few venues in the UK with this type of grill.

The menu has a huge variety of traditional Scottish dishes with a modern twist, prepared by Head Chef Stephen Donnelly.

For starters, you can choose from a selection of salads, Isle of Skye king scallops with black pudding, and Perthshire wood pigeon. Mains include Ayrshire Pork Belly, short rib of Angus beef, potato gnocchi, North Sea cod or a selection of steak cuts from the grill. The steak cuts include Sirloin, Ribeye and Fillet which are served cooked to your liking with full steak garnish.

The food was nothing short of excellent. From presentation to taste it was world- class, and another great example of being able to get the best of the best, locally in Forth Valley.

After clearing our plates for starters and mains, we really struggled to finish our desserts; even though there were delicious! Once the table was cleared the chef came out and asked if everything had been okay as we hadn’t cleared the dessert plates like the last two courses.

We assured him everything was perfect – we had just over indulged! It was nice to see the chef taking so much pride in his food, and the rest of the staff also took great pride in their customer service.

After dinner, we enjoyed a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the bar.

“From presentation to taste it was world- class, and another great example of being able to get the best of the best, locally in Forth Valley”.

OUR MENU CHOICES:

STARTERS: Isle of Skye king scallops with black pudding, celeriac, apple, frisée and unoaked Chardonnay Terra.

SOUP OF THE DAY: Served with freshly baked bread and sea salted butter.

MAINS: Ayrshire pork belly with Savoy cabbage, carrot, cumin and orange.

Potato Gnocchi (vegetarian) with wild mushrooms, butternut squash, sage and lemon.

DESSERTS: Sticky Toffee Pudding served with vanilla ice cream. Apple Tart Tatin.

In the morning we headed down to breakfast, which is served until 10 am in the grill room and is a buffet-style breakfast with a hot and cold section.

The hot section has a full Scottish breakfast on offer and a member of staff makes up your plate for you – an added touch I’ve never experienced before!

The cold buffet has a selection of pastries, yoghurts and fruit, and the servers bring toast and tea or coffee to your table.

The breakfast was delicious, and a great way to finish off an excellent overnight stay; even better that we were only a 15-minute drive from home!

We will definitely be back.

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