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Chopping wood kindled business idea for north-east entrepreneur

Nick Underhill, of Aberdeenshire Logs
Nick Underhill, of Aberdeenshire Logs

Every Monday, we ask small businesses key questions. Here we speak to Nick Underhill, owner of Insch-based Aberdeenshire Logs.

How and why did you start in business?

I was in the garage one day, chopping my own kindling from local softwood logs. It’s a long story but it went from there; from hand-chopping kindling to supplying quality kiln-dried firewood on a much larger scale. I’d been looking at starting a business where I could use my customer service skills. For this reason and various others, I decided this business, Aberdeenshire Logs, would be ideal.

How did you get to where you are today?

A number of factors have brought success to the business. Probably the number one reason is great customer service; I was determined to give the service I’d want myself.

That paired with a quality product has seen our reputation for excellence grow quickly.

Who helped you?

Starting a business can be very daunting. There is so much to think about.

Contacting the Federation of Small Businesses was one of the best moves I’ve made. It can guide you around the maze of red tape and simplify the whole process with the services it offers.

Support from my wife, Leah, has been a huge help too. Starting and running a business can sometimes seem like 25 hours a day, eight days a week.

Aberdeenshire Logs was launched in 2017 to provide quality kiln-dried firewood throughout the area.

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

I’ve not received any words of wisdom regarding business, but something that has helped me with Aberdeenshire Logs – and I would advise others to do the same – is to stay focused and determined; it helps to overcome any hurdles and achieve my goals.

What is your biggest mistake?

It would be not contacting professionals earlier to help with the start-up of my business. Rapid growth can see you snowed under very quickly, and employing the services of those who specialise and are qualified in the various fields associated with business cannot be done too early.

What is your greatest achievement?

Simply, not throwing the towel in. Staying focused and determined has served me well through tough periods of starting and running the business.

Firewood is supplied in bags, nets or crates.

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

It’s been a case of re-investing back into the business as much as I can afford. This has kept cashflow under control. I’d like to see loans available from the government that are easy to get. It would buy businesses time – at least enough to get through the harder times.

What do you still hope to achieve?

A better work-life balance. Running your own business can quickly become all-consuming and, while that’s a reasonable sacrifice to make in the early days, it’s important to remember why you have it. High earnings have very little value without quality of life.

What do you do to relax?

Spending time with my family is what I look forward to the most. Weekends are often spent walking along one of the many beaches that we are blessed with along the Aberdeenshire and Moray coasts.

Mr Underhill with more bags filled with firewood.

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

The third season of The Boys on Netflix is our current indulgence on TV. Otherwise, any science or nature documentaries are always a winner. My music taste goes right across the board, from rock to classical and everything in between.

The only books you’ll see me read are non-fiction; science-nature, health and well-being, among others. I don’t read novels.

What do you waste your money on?

I only buy things that bring value to my life.

What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

Juice a lemon, top up with warm water and drink, then make a cup of tea.

What do you drive and dream of driving?

Choice of car brings too much judgement. My current car is not as low-key as I’d like it to be, but ticks a lot of boxes and works for us as a family. There’s no particular car I dream of driving but I’d like to own a 1970s Rolls Royce Silver Shadow one day. An electric or hydrogen conversion would be good – and kept for sunny Sundays only.

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