Every Monday, we ask small businesses key questions. Here we speak to Catherine Bunn, founder and managing director of Highland Campervans in Dalcross, near Inverness.
How and why did you start in business?
I started Highland Campervans back in 2007. I was leaving the RAF on maternity after spending several years as a flight operations officer, and I wanted to have a career as well as a family.
My husband, Stephen, is an equal parent, so it meant I could focus on getting Highland Campervans established on the A96, just outside Inverness.
At the time, we considered various business options but noticed there was a market opportunity in an industry I love – tourism. My job is all about helping people create amazing memories, whether it’s in their own motorhome or one they’ve hired.
How did you get to where you are today?
Over the past 17 years we’ve grown substantially, becoming a major motorhome dealership selling and servicing motorhomes and campervans. Specialising in smaller, compact motorhomes, we are official dealers for Auto-Sleepers, Wildax, Globecar, Swift and Malibu.
We also stock a wide range of used motorhomes from VW campers to luxury A-class motorhomes, as well as being the UK’s most northerly approved National Caravan Council fixed workshop.
We’ve achieved this thanks to a combination of hard work, having a great team around us and sometimes by just winging it. We also had a good business plan to get started, and we’ve continually reassessed our goals and growth strategy as opportunities arose.
Finding the right team members has been key, and then just having the guts to try new things. Nothing ever stands still and it’s better to go forwards than backwards – so we crunched the numbers, sounded out ideas and gave it a go.
Who helped you?
I joined the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) when I was planning the business.
I had so much help from other business owners who chatted to me during its events, and over the years we’ve also won some great FSB Scotland small business awards.
I’ve also used online resources from public organisations like Business Gateway Highland for digital upskilling.
My family has always been right behind me, whether it be for emergency childcare or random requests such as for hiring a lorry to collect and hand wash a huge amount of shop racking from an auction.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
Work hard and play harder. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the volume of work a small business owner has to do, but take time for “you” and the business will benefit.
What is your biggest mistake?
Using a kitchen scourer to remove dead bugs from the front of a campervan. It did a very effective job but, unfortunately, left circles of scratched paint all over the bonnet.
My husband had a painstaking job sorting it out.
What is your greatest achievement?
Getting the juggling act right, balancing time for family and business.
I love travelling and active holidays, so still getting to go on adventures, while knowing my team are very capable of running everything in my absence, makes me very happy.
How is your business managing rapidly rising costs and what should government do to help?
Tax breaks or rates relief for businesses that invest in their premises to help create modern, energy efficient working environments would help enormously.
What do you still hope to achieve?
So much. We have recently appointed architects to help us develop our workshop.
This is a huge project for us, and a serious investment.
What do you do to relax?
I’ve discovered ultra-running. My secret skill is that I can eat and run, and when out running my mind switches off and I relax. I need a t-shirt that says “#willrunforchips”.
What are you currently reading, listening to or glued to on TV?
I love light-hearted books and easy TV, so Bridgerton and anything that’s a romantic comedy gets my vote.
What do you waste your money on?
A weekly Lotto ticket but, on the other hand, it’s money I don’t spend on chocolate.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
If it’s a 5.30am alarm, then it’s to go to the gym. If it’s a 7am alarm, it’s to make a pint of tea.
What do you drive and dream of driving?
I have an electric car for daily driving, which I really like, but for bigger trips I love taking my motorhome out on adventures. I would love to get an electric bike too, to take with the camper and go overseas.
Highland Campervans‘ customers keep telling me about these amazing trips they are having, travelling around Europe and the world. It makes me want to get out there too.
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