44 . Glasgow Business August 2014


James Withers Chief Executive, Scottish Food and Drink


J


ames is on a mission – to promote the food and drink that Scotland has to offer and, crucially, boost exports. As you’d expect, as Chief Executive


of the body Scotish Food and Drink, he has to travel a lot to smooth the path for everything from whisky to beef to reach markets stretching from Toronto to Tokyo.


Plan to make the most of your time “Companies can spend thousands on a business trip and it’s not an exact science – you never know if all the time and effort and cost will translate into future business,” James said. “But there are things you can do to stack the odds in your favour.” A big part of this is doing plenty of


preparatory work before you reach your destination, including scheduling meetings and looking into the business you are aiming to visit – what it provides and the personalities in the organisation. “If you only have an hour for a meeting and


spend half of that time finding out things you could have established in advance, then that’s wasting time and the opportunity,” James said. Improving relationships with partner


companies is also a positive side effect of travel. James explained: “When I started


travelling, I didn’t expect the strength of camaraderie that builds up with the people you travel with, in my case, people from food and drink companies. You are living in their pockets 24/7 and are sharing experiences. Tat’s incomparable for deepening relationships.” He also advises not to be sucked in to the


day-to-day job when you get back until you’ve done follow-ups on the contacts you’ve made while away, so all that effort in travelling isn’t squandered.


Consider the local etiquette James advises doing your homework on the business etiquete of your destination country, lest a wrong footing sends your carefully planned, and expensive, plans off track. He explained: “For example, in Japan, when


you receive a business card, don’t just put it in your pocket, you have to take it with both hands and study it briefly before puting it on the table in front of you to show respect. Also, the depth of bow reflects the relationship with the person. “In India, you don’t mention beef – as the


cow is a sacred animal, and in the Middle East, offering alcohol as a giſt, given it’s forbidden in Islam, could be a big problem.” However, giſts for your host are a great


idea, and in some cases necessary, providing it doesn’t cause offence. Outside of Islamic countries, whisky is ideal, James advised. He advises geting as much information


as possible from people on the ground in the country. “Scotish Development International (www.sdi.co.uk) is a great source of


There’s an app for all your travel challenges


It’s worth picking up a few apps for your smartphone or tablet before you head off. While planning your


journey, a good weather app will let you know in advance what to pack. Will you need waterproofs or lighter clothes? One weather app that


Joris Brams of C&C Group finds invaluable is AeroWeather (available for iOS and Android), which gives you the same precise weather conditions at airports that pilots use. This can help you


anticipate whether a flight is going to be delayed (due to head-on winds), early (due to tail winds), or whether it may be diverted due to extreme weather, helping you to plan ahead. For when you arrive at your


destination, publishers such as Time Out or Lonely Planet are likely to have digital guides for your destination city. And if you don’t happen to be multilingual, then it’s


also worth investing in a language app.


James Withers of Scottish


Food and Drink recommends Dropbox, which allows you to access files on your computer back in the office from your mobile or tablet. Also be aware of data


roaming. You could get stung


information. It has people in most countries you are likely to travel to, who can give vital local knowledge, particularly on etiquete,” James said.


Flight strategies When James is travelling long haul, for longer than eight hours and needs to hit the ground running, he will usually fly business class, which means he will more likely be able to rest and work in the air, otherwise he will fly economy. “You need a good case to justify the extra


cost for business class, but if you do, then flying economy class could turn out to actually be a false economy,” he explained. When in flight, he will drink plenty of


water, as the air in the cabin can dehydrate you. Also, he will use the in-flight movie as a motivational tool – as a treat aſter he has done a certain amount of work.


Travelling light James very rarely travels with a laptop. He explained: “Everything I usually need to do, including checking and responding to emails,


for expensive data charging while away. Many apps will need to draw data from the net for updating every time you use them. Either turn off your data roaming and use Wi-Fi or talk to your network about what they can offer while you’re away, such as a pre-bought block of data.


can be handled with my iPhone and iPad mini. Te only time I’ll take a laptop is for creating presentations. I’ve yet to find an app that will do a good job. Even then, I can usually take a USB stick with a presentation on it, if it can be done in advance.” James also only takes hand luggage if


he can, but the further afield he goes – such as Asia, means he will be away for longer, and will require a check-in suitcase. And given he oſten has to pack a bulky kilt for evening engagements, there isn’t normally enough room in his carry-on to accommodate it. “With just a carry-on you don’t need to wait for your bag so you beat the security queue, the customs queue and the taxi or bus queue,” James said. “Tat could save


you as much as 90 minutes or more. Plus, there has been times my bag has gone the wrong way around the world. “If you do need to


check in a bag, then at least pack a fresh shirt in your carry-on bag.”


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