Case studies: Sheerface

Sheerface
Sheena Morrison

Tel: 0131 666 2965

Email: sheena@sheerface.co.uk

Sheerface Ltd is an innovative consultancy offering services to organisations working towards social and economic development in Scotland. They project manage the launch of high profile events, evaluate projects, carry out research, write business cases, deliver tailored training and implement new strategy.

Background

Sheena Morrison set up Sheerface in July 2003 having come from a background in training, development, and project management. During her working life she has, amongst other things:

• published a paper on achievements of undergraduates with disability (Marks & Spencer’s); Planned;
• staffed and co-ordinated the entertainment programme for the Special Olympics (Cheltenham and Gloucester University);
• event managed National Conference on Racial Equality and Disability (Royal Albert Hall, London for Arberry Pink); and
• launched a Corporate University, developed the education strategy and opened a Head Office Learning Centre (Scottish Widows).

It was her interest in helping people to achieve, maximising their opportunities and reviewing the impact of positive intervention that led her to set up The Outcomes Partnership Ltd in 2000 with her brother Kevin, building software called ‘Employment Pathway’ to help record, monitor and evaluate the achievements of unemployed people with multiple barriers to employment. The software is now being endorsed as a standard and being rolled out to not for profit organisations across Edinburgh.

Sheena is no longer a director of The Outcomes Partnership but her new company Sheerface delivers all the system training and head up presentations and sales meetings.

A natural step

Sheena says of her past experiences:

“I have always been a self-starter, very creative and really into developing new strategies and things that add value. I have been lucky that my past paid employment has provided lots of opportunities for me to learn, be challenged, and use a range of skills, liase with a vast audience of people and lead projects.”

For Sheena starting a business on her own was a natural step to take:

“Running my own business was in my blood. It took me a long time to have the courage, confidence and faith in myself to take the plunge. I had no savings and was massively ignorant with regards to business set up and finance. I went on lots of Scottish Enterprise courses and had lots of half baked ideas and business plans. I guess what really inspired me was that others believed that I could do it and that my creative ideas made business sense!”

Help from Business Gateway & Microcredit

Business Gateway in Craigmillar (Cre8te) headed up by Alisdair Kerr provided the most significant support by enrolling Sheena in the microcredit programme for aspiring women in business.

“They helped me write my business plan and cash flows, linked me to an accountant and helped me to apply and be awarded a loan of £5k. This helped to buy new equipment, get business stationary, pay for an accountant, install broadband, buy our domain name and fund my time to build our company website.”

Sheena has been busy since starting the business. So far Sheerface Ltd has:

• launched a business club (Business Community Connections);
• drafted the business plan to open a traders’ shop at New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Business Community Connections/Lothian University NHS Trust);
• published a feasibility study to introduce a Pre Modern Apprenticeships inPlaywork across Scotland (SkillsActive/Scottish Executive);
• delivered bespoke training to Edinburgh organisations to use the Employment Pathway Software (The Outcomes Partnership/Capital City Partnership);
• conducted consultations across the industry to create the Business Case for Ethnic Diversity within the Food & Drink Industry (Tower Management/Food & Drinks Sector Skills Council);
• conducted training needs analysis and implemented a programme to develop the IT Skills (PDSA) ;and
• supported the mapping of service delivery and gaps in provision across Homelessness Projects in Edinburgh (WiseMove/Communities Scotland/The Outcomes Partnership).

Worthwhile

Starting a business has not all been plain sailing for Sheena though, as she explains:

“Working for myself has been a big culture shock. All the business contacts you thought you could access have suddenly go into hiding, or lose their budget or even change jobs just a the point of signing a contract. It can be hard on your own, you have to learn to do the jobs you hate, become capable in things that were totally terrifying in the past like cash flows, website building, setting up a email accounts and swallow your hurt when you come 2nd for tenders. Now I have to dust myself down when the door is closed and get on with things I used to delegate to others.”

But she is also quick to point out the positive aspects that make it all worthwhile.

“The best element of running my own business is managing my own time. I have already had 3 weeks off this year to go snowboarding, entertain family and friends and next week my boyfriend and I are off to Wales for the football. It is good to apply for things that interest and inspire you and then deliver really good quality that the client is happy with - and it’s great when you also get paid well.”