The Edinburgh Reporter June 2020

10
BUSINESS
Perfect Clean Ltd has bought
£10,000 of new equipment to
ensure that the buildings they are
responsible for will be safe when
workers return at the end of the
coronavirus lockdown.
The new machinery will include
special foggers to disinfect and
decontaminate high risk touch
surfaces like door handles, rubbish
bins, handrails, kitchen surfaces,
kettles and toilet flush handles.
The company also has steam
vacuum cleaners which disinfect
and clean hard floors without the
use of chemicals.
As part of its investment
programme, the company will
also now deploy ATP Sanitation
Monitoring Systems.
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
is the energy molecule found in all
living (and once-living) cells and
the systems enables Perfect Clean
to swab test surfaces for ATP. This
allows the company to quickly
assess their cleanliness, ensuring
surfaces are kept hygienic and free
from germs or potential infection.
Emilia Ferenc, who began the
business when she moved here
from Poland 14 years ago, said:
“The Scottish Government has
made it clear it wants to have
businesses operating again as
quickly as possible as long as it is
The Edinburgh Reporter
Investment means a perfectly
clean sweep for Emilia
Covid-19 has given us time to
reflect. For some, it might be to
get fitter, spend less time at work
or take up a new hobby. Others
may have taken the opportunity to
consider a new career or get back
into the world of work outside of
the home.
At Edinburgh-based independent
Montessori teacher training
organisation, Montessori
Partnership, there has been a
significant rise in enquiries from
furloughed professionals, recent
graduates and women returners
looking to enrol on their Level
8 course to become a qualified
Montessori teacher.
The flexible online distance
learning programme offers those
currently working or juggling
childcare the chance to train
over a period of up to three years,
although some do it in less time.
Helen Prochazka, Director, of
Montessori Partnership said:
“I would say that in the current
safe to do so.
“The arrangements in these
workplaces must be safe for them
to do so.
“We understand that Edinburgh’s
public buildings, facilities and
workplaces need enhanced and
specialist cleaning measures to
support their operations - and in
some cases, their reopening - in
the coming weeks and months.
“We are here, primed to play our
part.
"As an established Edinburgh
cleaning specialist, we want
to help protect the people of
Edinburgh and help them get back
to work safely whenever that may
be.
Perfect solution for Edinburgh businesses
Montessori in a class of its own
circumstances, remote learning
projects should be embraced,
especially if you’ve really enjoyed
being at home and being involved
in your children’s learning.
“The benefits of becoming a
qualified Montessori teacher are
many - not only can you embark on
a very rewarding career, but it can
also benefit your own children and
“To support our local public
services across Edinburgh and
the Lothians we are now providing
specialist Covid-19 disinfectant
cleaning services, using a range
of specialist cleaning equipment
to keep employees and the public
safe.”
Emilia established her business
after being the general manager
for a facilities company.
She now employs 50 people from
her Hill Street headquarters in the
city.
She counts the Hitachi –
Craigentinny Rail Maintenance
Depot, Heriot-Watt University and
Edinburgh University among her
clients.
indeed yourself where you embark
on a journey of self-discovery
which can be hugely rewarding
and enriching.”
Montessori School of Arts, Liberton, teachers session
PHOTO Phil Wilkinson
The course can be started at any
time and costs £5,500 - there are
options to pay upfront and receive
a discount or spread the cost out
over monthly instalments.
Property
demand rises
With the publication of the
Scottish Government’s Covid-19
route map on their phased
approach to easing lockdown
and some general estate agency
activity resuming in England,
many are wondering when and
how types of activity such as
in-person property viewings
and house moves will resume in
Scotland.
In recent weeks, ESPC and its
agents have noticed increases
in key buyer interest metrics,
such as web traffic, Home
Report downloads and viewing
requests. This uplift in activity
suggests demand to move home
after lockdown is on the rise,
particularly after the news of the
English market activity resuming.
Robert Carroll, Managing Director
of MOV8 Real Estate, said: “We
have seen a huge increase in the
number of online buyer enquiries
since the announcement of the
relaxation of the lockdown in
England. It will be interesting
to see how the Scottish
Government’s announcement
of its own Route Map affects
the level of enquiries. Based
on the example of the English
announcement, I would expect
that we will see a further increase
in buyer enquiries in anticipation
of buyers once again being able to
view properties. Of course, at this
stage, we do not know exactly
Edinburgh company, GTS
Solutions CIC, has again been
named among the top 100 UK
social enterprises in the NatWest
SE100 Index.
Operations Director Tracey Smith
said: “We are very pleased to be
recognised again in the Index
as one of the top 100 social
enterprises operating in the UK
today.
"It’s an honour to receive such an
accolade and reflects the hard
work a lot of people have been
putting in. Our business continues
to evolve and our focus remains
as strong as ever on delivering our
social aims and objectives.”
Applicants to the NatWest
SE100 were asked to complete a
comprehensive survey exploring
key aspects of their business
performance: from turnover,
growth, profit and how effectively
Cantlay stays
Environment Secretary Rosanna
Cunningham has appointed Dr
Mike Cantlay, OBE, as the chair of
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
for a further two years.
Dr Cantlay said: ”This is a
challenging period for us all, and a
crucial time for Scotland’s nature.
I’m passionately committed
to steering SNH through the
pandemic and then to contributing
to Scotland’s green recovery.
"This crisis has reinforced how
important nature is to each of us
personally, we need nature for our
own well-being, both mentally and
physically. But nature can also
help us build a healthier, stronger
environment and low carbon
economy, and a more inclusive
society in Scotland.
"We can only foster the resilience
we need by making sure our nature
thrives, to ease flooding, clean
our water, pollinate our crops and
flowers and much more. I look
forward to working in partnership
with the Scottish Government
and other stakeholders to foster
smart, nature-based solutions
for a sustainable recovery. In
the long term, as we re-brand as
NatureScot, the board and I will
continue to make sure we are a
dynamic, resilient organisation,
able to respond effectively to
an ever-changing world.” Dr
Cantlay has been SNH chair since
May 2017 and held a number
of prominent board positions
including chair of VisitScotland.
GTS Solutions is one
in a hundred
they manage their impact,
to leadership, resilience and
storytelling.
Megan Peat, CEO of NatWest
Social & Community Capital, said:
“Congratulations to all the social
enterprises who have made it onto
this year's lists.In such incredibly
tough times, when we know
many of you will be facing
some significant challenges,
it's important to recognise the
incredible dedication and effort
that the UK's social enterprises
have shown in building business
solutions to deliver a positive
future for some of our most
vulnerable and disadvantaged
communities.”
The NatWest SE100 celebrates
the growth, impact and resilience
of UK social ventures by naming
the most impressive 100 social
enterprises of the year in the Index
from those that apply.