Meet the Moray businesswoman who used to be a fairy

Every Monday, we ask small businesses key questions. Here we speak to Ailsa Stinson, owner of branding specialist B is for Brand, based near Forres in Moray.

How and why did you start in business?

B is for Brand didn’t come about in the usual way.

I was an RAF wife for 25 years and we moved around a lot, so it was really quite difficult to hold down a career, especially with small children.

My first business was a cleaning company, which I started in partnership with another RAF wife. We were both bored at home with our small children and wanted to feel like we had something that was “for us”.

The business was called Lossiemouth Cleaning Fairies and at one point we employed 16 staff.

How did you get to where you are today?

I loved being a small business owner but I wasn’t a professional cleaner by any means. To be honest, the cleaning was the bit I had to learn.

I had worked as a corporate branding consultant for a London agency, along with various other managerial jobs in branding and marketing. I’ve always been really passionate about branding, so I guess I talked about it a lot.

Eventually, a few local businesspeople got to know that about me, as well as the cleaning. I was able to them offer them advice about brand building.

The cleaning company was actually quite a good way to build my network because people who have their own business often don’t have time to do their own cleaning.

I might be the world’s only cleaning lady-branding consultant.

Who helped you?

When I started B is for Brand I got help and advice from Business Gateway Moray.

And my friend encouraged me to join Moray Business Women.

This was the first time I started to think of myself as an actual businesswoman, despite already being the founder of a business with a six-figure turnover. I had a serious case of “imposter syndrome“.

I’ve found networks enormously helpful and am now a member of several, including Moray Chamber of Commerce, Circle Networks and of course, the Federation of Small Businesses.

I think small business owners should join as many networks as they can.

They’re a great way to learn, connect and grow – and each one has something different to offer.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?

Sir Richard Branson said something along the lines of “the only difference between successful entrepreneurs and ones who fail is the point at which they give up”. This has really stuck with me.

Everyone faces challenges in business. But every challenge has a solution. Your job as the business owner is to work out what that is.

What is your biggest mistake?

I used to say “yes” to everything but became overwhelmed. It led to a feeling of disappointment when I couldn’t deliver and let people down. I’m still working on changing this mindset.

Branding expert Ailsa Stinson advises other business owners to get networking. Image: Ailsa Stinson

What is your greatest achievement?

Last year I was president of Moray Business Women. I’m really proud of the role I played, not only in helping the organisation develop but also of the money we raised together for the charity we were supporting, SurfABLE Scotland.

How are you managing rapidly rising costs and how could government help?

Like everyone else, I’ve had to raise my prices in line with rising costs. I’ve had to do this in order to pay my staff well and have enough budget for training and development, which is very important to me.

If the (UK) government raised the employment allowance, it would help businesses have the confidence to create more jobs which would, in turn, fuel growth.

What do you still hope to achieve?

My goal is to get organisations across Scotland talking about the ABCs of branding. I don’t think brand building is very highly prioritised on business growth courses just yet.

Organisations like Business Gateway are starting to include brand development in their programmes. I’d like to play a key role in ensuring a module on building a brand is core to any small business course in the future.

What do you do to relax?

I have many pets, including two horses, so when I’m not at my desk I can usually be found with an animal of some sort at my side.

What are you currently reading, listening to or glued to on TV?

One of my horses is quite young and I’m learning how to school her, so I’m reading a book called Perfect Partners (Kelly Marks), which is about the bond between you and your horse.