Brewers Louth has found a meaningful way to put unsellable paint to good use—by donating it to a remarkable new community project creating sensory rooms for neurodivergent children. The non-profit initiative, launched by a local husband and wife raising a neurodivergent child, was born from their own search for supportive, calming spaces in Louth and surrounding areas. Recognising a lack of dedicated environments for children with sensory needs, and limited opportunities for parents to find respite, they set out to create safe, soothing, and interactive rooms for families who need them most. The couple has spent months developing sensory spaces filled with engaging features for children, alongside tranquil areas where parents can relax. Branch Manager Alex Furnish said the partnership came together naturally. “We had some paint that we didn’t want to go to waste. I offered it to the couple, and they very gratefully accepted,” he explained. “After months of planning and hard work, they invited me down to see what they had created and to share their gratitude toward Brewers.” Alex added that the project resonates strongly with the team’s values: “These guys really are helping make the world a brighter place, and I thought that tied in beautifully with our ethos. Sometimes it’s just a bit more than a job.”

Succession has long been discussed as one of the most challenging concerns for the family business sector and we wanted to explore the topic and gauge opinion as to how families in business are addressing the challenge in our short succession planning survey. Our short survey looks at the options available and will seek to understand the attitudes of family businesses to the options available to them, as well as to consider the likely outcomes in the future. Will the next leader be a family business member? Will the next leader come from within the family business? What are the drivers and measures of success? Family business leaders are encouraged to complete and submit the short questionnaire below to help us determine the prevailing succession planning landscape and gauge the opinion of the sector. Thank you in advance for everyone taking part. We really do appreciate it.

Amid the myriad of Budget announcements, there are a number of tax measures which will impact family businesses. While some measures are likely to increase the tax burden, there are others which may be of help. Some of the more interesting measures included the following: Dividend Tax Rate Increases The Budget introduced higher dividend tax rates (by an additional 2% rate) which will increase the tax charge for many family shareholders extracting funds by way of dividend. Interestingly, the increase in dividend tax rate will not extend to the top rate of dividend tax. This will continue to apply at a 39.35% rate. The adjustment to dividend tax rates will take effect from 6 April 2026. Savings And Property Tax Rate Increases For those individual family owners who make interest-bearing loans or who let their premises to the family company, there are higher tax rates which will apply to such income. The tax rate charged will increase by an additional 2% and will take effect from 6 April 2027. Transferable £1 Million APR/BPR Allowance Thankfully, the Government announced that it will enable the £1 million 100% Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) allowance to be transferred between spouses. Previously, the unused allowance of a spouse would have been lost on death. Any unused allowance will now be capable of being transferred to the benefit of the surviving spouse effectively ensuring that a £2 million 100% APR and BPR allowance will apply to married couples regardless of how they own the agricultural or business assets as between them. While it may not have been the announcement that many business owners were hoping for, this is a welcome common-sense change and will reduce the level of complexity that would otherwise have arisen. Employee Share Option Expansion The Government has widened access to a tax efficient employee share option scheme known as the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) Scheme. This scheme is now capable of benefitting more established businesses as it can extend to companies with the following: Gross assets: of up to £120 million (up from £30 million) Employees: up to 500 (up from 250) Share option value: up to £6 million (up from £3 million). This could be particularly helpful to family businesses which were previously too large in size to benefit from the scheme and that wish to incentivise key employees who are non-family members to help drive the business forward. Expanded Venture Capital Incentives The Government has doubled investment thresholds for Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCT), widening access to tax relief for external investors. By way of example, EIS qualifying companies are able to raise total EIS qualifying investment of up to £10 million annually (compared to £5 million previously) or up to £20 million for “knowledge intensive companies”. In addition, companies with gross assets of up to £30 million can now potentially qualify for such investment (compared with £15 million previously). For many family businesses, attracting EIS relief qualifying investment is out of reach due to the age of the company. However, in cases where family businesses have diversified their activities and set up businesses in the recent past, these changes will be helpful in facilitating external investment. Other Budget Announcements The Government also published two Budget related documents on “Entrepreneurship in the UK” and “Tax Support for Entrepreneurs: Call for Evidence”. The stated aim of the Call for Evidence is to ensure “that the tax system can help to unlock the UK’s scale-up potential” and to address the problem of too many promising firms feeling “compelled to look abroad for capital and opportunity as they grow”. Based upon these published documents, it seems clear that the Government recognises that it needs to do more to encourage business growth and is looking at ways to support this. However, the abiding feeling is that the Budget represented a missed opportunity and that the Government is moving too slowly in pursuit of encouraging economic growth. About the Author - Gavin Birchall, Partner and Head of Taxes and Trusts at Birketts LLP. Find out more about the work they do for family businesses here

Cryptocurrency holders warned after Budget 2025 reiterates that crypto platforms will start recording the gains made on these assets on 1st January 2026, ahead of sharing it with HMRC. Anyone who buys or sells cryptocurrency is being urged to get their tax affairs in order, after the Government confirmed in Budget 2025 that HMRC will soon start receiving detailed financial information directly from crypto platforms. From 1st January 2026, major cryptocurrency exchanges will be required to collect full transaction records for their UK customers – including how much they paid, how much they sold for and any profits made. This is part of the government’s wider clampdown on tax avoidance. With these platforms to become responsible for recording and, in time, sharing the financial information of crypto holders with HMRC, the tax office will have visibility of the amount of tax that should be paid. From 2027, these platforms will begin sending this information straight to HMRC, giving the tax authority a clear view of people’s gains for the first time. Experts are warning that anyone trading in digital assets – from Bitcoin and Ethereum to smaller tokens – must make sure they are accurately reporting their profits on their self-assessment tax returns. HMRC will use the new data to crack down on undeclared gains. Seb Maley, CEO of tax insurance provider, Qdos , commented: “This marks a major shift in how crypto trading is monitored from a tax perspective. HMRC will soon know exactly who is making gains – and how much." “Anyone who holds or trades cryptocurrency must ensure they are reporting the gains on their self-assessment tax return. HMRC is set to have more information and data at its fingertips than ever before." “With platforms set to keep a record of this information from 1st January 2026, ahead of sharing it with HMRC the year after, the tax office will be able to cross-check tax returns against the data they’ve received." “And it goes without saying, that HMRC will have no hesitation in launching an investigation if the numbers don’t match.”

For generations, British family businesses have been the backbone of the nation’s commercial identity, quietly innovating, crafting and trading in ways that reflect centuries of heritage. Today, many of these firms find themselves eyeing opportunities far beyond their local high street. Exporting, once viewed as the preserve of corporate giants, is increasingly within reach for family-owned companies determined to grow while staying true to their roots. Yet global expansion requires more than ambition. It demands clarity, planning and a steady grip on the values that make family businesses unique. Here, we explore the key pillars that underpin successful exporting for British family firms ready to take their next bold step. 1. Clear Purpose and Long-Term Vision Unlike many publicly listed firms driven by quarterly reporting cycles, family businesses often excel in long-term thinking. This strategic patience is a natural advantage in exporting, where returns are rarely immediate. Before embarking on overseas expansion, successful family firms: Define why they want to export—pursuing sustainable growth, diversifying revenue streams or building brand resilience. Identify how exporting aligns with family legacy and future succession plans. Ensure that the next generation is part of the conversation, especially if they will inherit or manage the international arm. A clear vision creates unity, stability and a shared sense of purpose—qualities that matter immensely when navigating unfamiliar markets. 2. Deep Understanding of Target Markets Exporting is as much about cultural literacy as it is about logistics. British family businesses succeeding abroad invest considerable effort in understanding the subtleties of each new market. This includes: Researching customer preferences, pricing norms and local competitors. Understanding cultural nuances—what resonates, what offends and what influences purchasing decisions. Familiarising themselves with regulatory frameworks, from food labelling laws to product certification or import duties. Developing relationships with local partners who can provide insights and guidance. Family firms often excel at this because they are used to building relationships based on trust and respect. These same values translate powerfully across borders. 3. Product Integrity and Adaptation Without Compromise Strong exporting strategies balance tradition with flexibility. Successful family businesses protect the core identity of their product while adapting where necessary for the international stage. For instance: A heritage biscuit maker might keep its original recipe but adapt pack sizes for Asian markets. A Yorkshire textile mill may preserve its manufacturing techniques while introducing contemporary designs for European consumers. A family-run distillery could maintain its production ethos while adjusting alcohol content to meet overseas regulations. The key is never to dilute the firm’s defining values. Export success is sustained when the authenticity that draws international buyers is preserved—even as packaging, distribution or presentation evolve. 4. Robust Financial and Operational Capability Exporting requires operational resilience. Family firms that scale successfully overseas ensure they have the financial and logistical infrastructure to support expansion without destabilising the core business. This means: Setting realistic budgets and factoring in currency risks, shipping costs and potential delays. Ensuring production capacity can meet new demand without compromising quality. Strengthening supply chains to avoid disruptions, particularly for perishable or handmade goods. Using export finance tools, such as insurance, government-backed loans or payment protection schemes, to safeguard cash flow. Many family businesses excel operationally because “every pound matters”. This financial prudence becomes a competitive advantage when entering export markets. 5. Strong Governance and Delegation As exporting demands increase, so too does the need for clear governance. Even the most close-knit family firm benefits from defined roles, transparent decision-making and effective delegation. Key elements include: Establishing an export lead or team with real authority. Using external advisers—export consultants, accountants or legal experts—to provide impartial guidance. Training staff in international sales, compliance and cultural etiquette. Ensuring family members involved in the business understand their responsibilities and boundaries. Governance brings professional discipline to the warmth of a family enterprise—a combination that is particularly powerful in international trade. 6. Relationship Building and The Power of Trust Family firms often thrive on personal relationships, and exporting amplifies this strength. International buyers are frequently drawn to family-run companies precisely because they offer reliability, honesty and heritage. Successful exporters: Attend trade missions, exhibitions and networking events to meet overseas partners face-to-face. Build long-term relationships with distributors, rather than chasing quick wins. Communicate openly, honour commitments and resolve issues quickly—behaviours that build trust across time zones and cultures. In many markets, especially in Asia and the Middle East, relationships precede transactions. Family businesses, with their natural emphasis on personal connection, are therefore uniquely positioned for success. 7. Digital Competence and Global Storytelling The digital revolution has removed many traditional barriers to exporting. Today, even small family companies can reach global customers through e-commerce and digital marketing. But success requires more than simply having a website. Key considerations include: Professional multilingual content to make the brand accessible overseas. Cross-border e-commerce platforms, from Amazon Global to international Shopify stores. Social media storytelling that communicates heritage, craftsmanship and family values. Data analytics to track international demand and emerging opportunities. Family firms have a rich narrative—roots, generations, traditions—and digital storytelling brings these to life for global audiences hungry for authenticity. 8. Resilience, Patience and the Family Ethic Finally, exporting is a long game. It requires persistence through slow starts, regulatory hurdles, unexpected cultural learning curves and occasional missteps. Family businesses, built on resilience, unity and shared purpose, often have exactly the mindset required to push through challenges. Their strength lies in: Collective decision-making during setbacks. Emotional investment in the firm’s reputation. Pride that drives consistency, quality and endurance. Export success rarely arrives overnight, but for family firms, it can become a natural extension of their heritage, turning domestic history into global opportunity. A Future Built on Heritage British family businesses have always been among the nation’s greatest ambassadors: symbols of craftsmanship, reliability and character. When these firms take their products overseas, they carry with them more than goods, they carry stories, values and an ethos customers around the world increasingly crave. By building on these pillars—clear purpose, market insight, product integrity, operational strength, good governance, relationship building, digital capability and unwavering resilience, family businesses can not only enter global markets but thrive within them. Exporting, for them, is not just a commercial venture. It’s a continuation of the legacy their families have shaped, this time on the world stage.

Hopes that the government might soften its controversial changes to inheritance tax reliefs for businesses and farms have been largely dashed, with only a modest adjustment announced in the Autumn Budget 2024. From 6 April 2026, the 100% allowance for business property relief (BPR) and agricultural property relief (APR) will apply only to the first £1 million of qualifying assets. The Treasury has confirmed, however, that any unused portion of this allowance can now be transferred between spouses and civil partners. The cap will remain fixed at £1 million until 5 April 2031. Under the revised rules, a surviving spouse could combine their own £1 million allowance with that of their deceased partner, potentially allowing up to £2 million of assets to pass tax-free on a second death. While this offers some relief for succession planning, the tighter definitions and limits introduced last year remain unchanged, leaving many estates liable for the 40% inheritance tax on any excess value. Paul Andrews, founder and CEO of Family Business United, described the concession as small and insufficient. “It’s good to see the government acknowledges its original proposals needed revision, but the policy will still have a devastating impact on family businesses and farming families, many of whom face stark choices about what they can retain,” he said. He warned that the sector remains preoccupied with survival rather than long-term investment. “Rather than focusing on growth, many businesses are forced to grapple with inheritance tax challenges. This cannot be good for business, the economy, or the communities these businesses support. We need to continue to challenge these proposals and ensure policymakers hear the real-world impact of these decisions.” He added that Family Business United would persist in supporting the call for a full review, stressing the importance of policies that support family businesses as 'the engine room of the national economy' to help them grow and invest sustainably for future generations.

Imposter syndrome, the persistent belief that one’s success is undeserved and likely to be exposed, has moved from the realm of psychological curiosity to a strategic concern for family businesses. In businesses where identity, inheritance, and performance converge, feelings of fraudulence are not merely individual burdens; they can distort decision-making, succession, governance, and culture. Understanding the Family Business Context Family firms embed work within lineage. A surname carries reputation; ownership is both privilege and responsibility. Such interplay amplifies internal and external scrutiny, making successors, especially those entering senior roles, susceptible to self-doubt. The comparison effect is relentless: founders’ origin stories become yardsticks; high-performing cousins, siblings, or parents serve as immediate benchmarks. When economic volatility, rapid technological change, and public transparency intensify, even capable leaders may interpret normal learning curves as evidence of inadequacy. In this environment, perfectionism compounds the problem. The desire to 'honour the name' can morph into risk aversion, micro-management, or overwork, each masking underlying fears and eroding organisational agility. How Imposter Syndrome Manifests in Family Firms The phenomenon rarely announces itself; it is inferred from patterns. One common manifestation is chronic over-preparation, the executive who delays decisions until there is no residual uncertainty, sacrificing speed and opportunity. Another is over-identification with the role, where leaders avoid delegation to prevent mistakes that they believe would confirm unworthiness. A subtler version appears as credential chasing, degrees, certificates, and endless courses pursued to 'legitimise' authority without addressing the core confidence deficit. Some successors retreat into operational minutiae to avoid strategic visibility, while others over-index on consensus, unwilling to contradict senior family members even when evidence demands it. In extreme cases, imposter feelings drive withdrawal from formal leadership, creating succession vacuums, or push premature exits that destabilise ownership and governance. Gender, Generation, and Diversity Dimensions While imposter syndrome affects all demographics, its contours differ. Women in male-dominated sectors may encounter implicit biases and legacy assumptions about leadership style, compounding self-doubt and elevating the bar for perceived legitimacy. Next-generation leaders educated abroad or entering through non-traditional routes can face scepticism from employees whose loyalty was built with prior generations, intensifying the 'prove it' dynamic. Family members from underrepresented backgrounds, by ethnicity, neurodiversity, or disability, may experience layered scrutiny, heightening the risk of burnout or disengagement if culture and governance do not actively support inclusion. The result is lost potential and constrained strategic diversity, precisely when market complexity demands broader perspectives. Organisational Implications: Strategy, Governance, and Culture At the strategic level, imposter dynamics can skew risk appetite. Firms may miss adjacent growth opportunities, delay digital transformation, or avoid exit decisions in declining segments because leaders seek safety in legacy practices. Conversely, some overcompensate with impulsive pivots to signal boldness, creating volatility without improved performance. Governance suffers when boards enable deference rather than challenge; non-executive directors who mistake politeness for cohesion may overlook evidence of decision paralysis, while family councils can become forums for reassurance rather than accountability. Culture absorbs these signals. Employees learn that perfection trumps learning, that dissent is risky, and that proximity to the family matters more than merit. Over time, this erodes innovation, talent retention, and the credibility of performance systems. Succession and Transition: Capability over Lineage Imposter syndrome is most acute during leadership transitions, particularly when successors inherit roles earlier than planned or amid external shocks. Capability-based succession, anchored in clear criteria, structured rotations, and performance milestones, reduces ambiguity that fuels self-doubt. External experience is valuable not only for skill acquisition but for independent identity formation; leaders who have delivered outside the family ecosystem bring a tested confidence less reliant on internal validation. Mentoring by seasoned non-family executives can be decisive, providing practical feedback in psychologically safe settings. Crucially, the narrative around succession must move from entitlement to readiness. Transparent communication about selection processes, and honest acknowledgment that leadership evolves with development, reframes the role as a journey rather than an exam to be passed on day one. Owner and Employee Dynamics: Fairness, Transparency, and Trust Imposter feelings thrive in opaque systems. When remuneration, promotion, and board appointments lack clear criteria, perceptions of favouritism intensify self-doubt among conscientious leaders while demotivating high performers without family ties. Separating pay for work from returns on ownership reinforces fairness and reduces role confusion. Transparent performance management, goals, feedback cycles, and consequence frameworks, aligns expectations and lowers the emotional noise around legitimacy. For non-family employees, visible meritocracy and equitable access to development signal that contribution is valued over origins. For owners, regular briefings and education about stewardship responsibilities help shift identity from 'right to rule' to 'responsibility to serve' which both reduces pressure on successors and clarifies governance boundaries. Psychology Meets Practice: Evidence-Based Interventions Addressing imposter syndrome requires integrating psychological support with organisational design. Coaching and counselling provide tools to challenge cognitive distortions ('I only succeeded because I was lucky') and build realistic competence narratives. Peer forums, confidential groups of family business leaders, normalise challenges and provide practical benchmarking. Leadership development should emphasise reflective practice: post-mortems that separate decision quality from outcome variance, and 360-degree feedback that is structured, anonymised, and facilitated to ensure safety. Rituals help too: formalising 'learning reviews' where leaders present failures and lessons without penalty builds collective resilience. Importantly, interventions must be modelled by senior figures; when chairs or founders discuss their own early doubts and mistakes, they legitimise growth and reduce the stigma attached to imperfection. Communication and Storytelling: Rewriting the Narrative Family stories often elevate heroism and flawless execution, inadvertently producing impossible standards. Rebalancing the narrative to include struggle, iteration, and responsible risk-taking humanises success. Internal communications should highlight process integrity, how decisions were made, not only outcomes. Externally, brand messaging can embrace authenticity without undermining confidence: acknowledging craft evolution, sustainability trade-offs, or digital adoption journeys demonstrates credibility and maturity. These narratives serve as cultural cues that competence is earned, developed, and shared, not bestowed by birthright alone. Technology, Data, and Modern Leadership Confidence The contemporary enterprise has tools that can help convert doubt into disciplined assurance. Decision dashboards, scenario models, and clear key performance indicators offer objective anchors for leaders prone to self-critique. When success is defined by agreed metrics and reviewed regularly, leaders learn to trust evidence over anxiety. However, data must be accompanied by interpretive capability; boards should ensure successors have access to training in analytics, risk, and capital allocation so confidence is tied to skill, not bravado. Technology can also democratise insight, frontline feedback, customer sentiment, and supplier risk scans, reducing the isolation that often exacerbates imposter feelings at the top. Legal and Ethical Considerations: Duty of Care and Performance Integrity In the UK, directors have statutory duties, including exercising reasonable care, skill, and diligence. Imposter-driven behaviour, avoiding challenge, deferring critical decisions, or overstepping competence without disclosure, can elevate governance risk. Establishing formal mechanisms for advice and escalation ensures leaders can seek help without reputational damage. Ethically, firms should protect employee wellbeing; unmanaged perfectionism and overwork are correlated with burnout and retention loss. Integrating mental health support, flexible work design, and reasonable workloads is both humane and commercially prudent. Towards a Mature Confidence: Competence, Humility, and Stewardship The ultimate objective is not bravado, but grounded confidence built on competence, humility, and stewardship. Competence is cultivated through experience and evidence; humility recognises limits and seeks input; stewardship prioritises the enterprise over ego. Family businesses that embed these principles create environments where leaders can grow without the shadow of fraudulence. They also protect the organisation from the twin hazards of hesitation and haste, enabling disciplined risk-taking and sustained value creation. Imposter syndrome is not a private defect to be endured; it is a systemic risk that warrants board-level attention and integrated remedies. By aligning succession with capability, professionalising governance, clarifying reward structures, investing in psychological and leadership development, and evolving the family narrative, enterprises can convert anxiety into adaptive strength. In an era that prizes authenticity and accountability, the family firm that acknowledges human complexity while institutionalising robust practice will preserve legacy, attract talent, and compete with confidence.

Family Business United has welcomed the Government’s decision to drop plans that would have allowed workers to claim unfair dismissal from their first day in a job, marking a retreat from one of Labour’s headline manifesto pledges. Ministers confirmed that the right will instead apply only after six months in post, following sustained pressure from business groups who warned that day-one protection could make employers more cautious about hiring. The Government has also faced resistance in the House of Lords, prompting concerns that its flagship Employment Rights Bill could be delayed. While the climbdown represents a significant shift in the legislation, other promised day-one rights — including statutory sick pay and paternity leave — are still expected to come into force in April 2026. Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United, said the move would be welcomed by firms struggling to balance recruitment with rising costs. “We welcome the Government’s decision to move away from day-one rights for unfair dismissal and introduce a six-month probationary period,” he said. “This is a positive step that gives businesses the flexibility they need to recruit and retain the right people. For family businesses across the country, a fair probationary period provides the chance to ensure new hires are genuinely the right fit for the role and the business.” Commenting on the announcement that the Government has agreed to a six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal in the Employment Rights Bill, Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO at Make UK said: “Manufacturers will applaud the Government for its decision to amend the Bill to include a six month qualifying period for unfair dismissal. It will give employers the confidence to continue to recruit employees, who remain the lifeblood of manufacturing businesses, who offer high quality high paid jobs up and down the country." “We are grateful to the Government for their ongoing, and constructive dialogue on the Bill. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government, unions and fellow business groups to ensure the successful implementation of the Bill that offers protection and flexibility for employers and employees alike."

Denholm Good Logistics, an award-winning logistics provider, is pleased to be appointed by DP World as the UK liner agent, for their new Atlas service linking Morocco to the UK and North Europe. Denholm Good Logistics will be responsible for all UK commercial, operational and port agency activities. The Atlas service will link the ports of Casablanca and Agadir with London Gateway and Antwerp on a weekly fixed-day schedule, offering fast and reliable transit times. For example, the transit time from Agadir to London Gateway is just five days. A mere four port rotation ensures service integrity with guaranteed berthing at London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway. The service will have a strong focus on reefer cargoes including fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and citrus. This will ensure harvest-to-shelf arrivals aligned to retail peaks whilst offering up to 70% CO2 reductions compared with road, without sacrificing speed of transit. This reduction in CO2 per ton-km and associated reduction in food waste will heavily support retailer ESG targets with auditable reporting. Besides its fleet of 1250 brand-new 40’HC reefer containers, the Atlas service is also able to accommodate a wide variety of other cargoes due to a brand-new fleet of 750 x 20’dc and 1000 x 40’HC dry containers, covering both northbound and southbound requirements, such as electrical goods, automotive, textiles, GDSM, generators and raw materials. Alan Platt, Managing Director of the Denholm Logistics Group, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to represent the DP World Atlas service in the UK. We have a long history of liner agency representation which continues to play a big part in our business today." "The Atlas service is innovative and new with a dedicated fleet of vessels and containers to ensure a superior customer experience. We can’t wait to get started and play our part in helping to make the service a huge success.” Claus Larner, Vice President DP World Atlas also commented: “We are delighted to be working with Denholm Good Logistics. This customer-driven bespoke solution will allow us to offer end-to-end solutions from Morocco to the UK and North Europe and back through a unique value proposition consisting of the fast transit times, unmatched reliability, unique IT capabilities and a brand-new container fleet." "It combines our marine expertise, our port and terminal capabilities in the UK and Belgium, and our freight forwarding expertise – guaranteeing peak freshness.” About Denholm Good Logistics Limited – Powered by People, Knowledge & Digital Innovation Denholm Good Logistics is a global logistics company that provides a comprehensive range of services including, supply chain management, CO₂ tracking, digital solutions, freight forwarding, customs clearance, customs consultancy, projects, port and liner agency, UK Haulage and warehouse and distribution to customers of all sizes across diverse industries. Denholm Good Logistics has earned a reputation as the preferred trusted partner for businesses seeking a supply chain partner, by offering forward-thinking value-added solutions and becoming an integral part of customers' internal logistics teams. The parent company, J. & J. Denholm Limited, is a fifth-generation diversified family company that operates in shipping, logistics, seafoods and industrial services.

Farmlay welcomed North East MSPs and councillors to Cockmuir Farm outside Strichen recently as part of Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) ‘Meating Our Potential’ campaign, which encourages Scotland’s beef farmers to add just two more cows to their herd each year to help ensure the supply of beef meets the ongoing buoyant consumer demand. The visit offered the attendees – many of whom were visiting a working farm for the first time – insight into how Scotland’s integrated arable, beef and poultry systems contribute to the nation’s health, economy and environment, while highlighting both the opportunities and challenges facing Scotland’s farming sector. Host Iain Chapman, Managing Director of Farmlay Eggs, opened with an overview of the family’s growing beef operation. “Chapman Farm, our arable and beef enterprise, comprises 3,000 acres – 2,200 of arable land with the remainder being grassland, for our cattle, and woodland for the free-range hens to roam. We recently increased our beef suckler herd by 20 cows, bringing the total to 250. All the progenies are fattened on the farm,” says Iain, who explained the farm’s integrated and circular production system. “Both the cattle and poultry manure goes back on to the land to provide nitrogen for our grass and arable crops and much of our wheat and barley is used as feed for the hens.” Iain went on to describe Farmlay’s egg production, “Seven million eggs are packed on site at Cockmuir each week and we now have 27 contract egg producers stretching from Nairn to Kinross. The business has grown an average of 13% year-on-year to meet demand and continues to supply major retailers, including Aldi and Lidl.” The discussion encompassed wide-ranging topics including workforce challenges, with one MSP raising the challenges Aberdeenshire businesses have with recruitment. Iain explained, “We currently employ 90 staff locally, with strong retention rates and pay above the national minimum wage. We struggled with recruitment until about a year ago, particularly for the livestock roles, which are physically demanding and need cover seven days a week. We've been able to fill these difficult-to-recruit positions by bringing in 20 skilled workers from the Philippines, who have integrated well into our team.” Robert Chapman, father and founder of Farmlay and Chapman Farms added, “The days of a brush and a wheelbarrow are almost gone. This is a high-tech industry now and one full of opportunity - especially within poultry where technology is advancing as rapidly as it is.” Conversations continued into how education and training pathways could be improved, ensuring long-term supply contracts to support and encourage farmer investment, and providing producers with the right support to grow their herds and wider businesses. QMS Chair Kate Rowell highlighted the long-term risk if Scotland doesn’t grow the national herd, “Livestock numbers are falling due to lack of confidence in recent years and fewer people entering the industry – the average age of a Scottish farmer is said to be 60 years old. Red meat demand looks set to remain high, but supply could fall, which is when imports fill the gap." “In the UK, people are eating more meat, not less, and this is largely because the UK population is increasing and protein is in high demand, so it’s really important that we look at how we can help producers to maintain and increase herd numbers.” Also in attendance were Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group Partners - the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland. Iain and Robert Chapman concluded by detailing the benefits of an integrated farming system and shared their plans for growth in the next 12 months. “As we look ahead, five of our existing contract egg producers are currently expanding – providing an additional 176,000 laying hens and we have plans to introduce a new feed mill which will process up to 800-tonnes per week, giving us more control over diets and the quality of finished feed. “We will continue to invest to ensure we’re as efficient and productive as we can be in the future - playing our part in meeting Scotland's growing demand for quality, locally produced food.” Photo Credit - Jane Craigie Marketing

Family businesses across the UK, and indeed around the world, are approaching a critical juncture. As the first generation of post-war founders reaches retirement age, a vast number of privately held firms are preparing for ownership transitions on a scale not seen before. Succession planning is top of the agenda in this regard. The result is a looming “succession cliff” that is quietly reshaping the landscape of family enterprise. For many firms, succession is no longer a distant strategic consideration but an immediate and complex reality. Next-generation family members are increasingly weighing up whether they want to take on the responsibility of running the business at all, let alone in the same way as their parents or grandparents. Their hesitancy stems from a mix of factors: shifting career ambitions, the lure of entrepreneurship beyond the family firm, or simply a desire for a different work–life balance. At the heart of this challenge lies a need for families to address the succession conversation earlier, more openly and with far greater rigour. Too many firms postpone these discussions until a health scare or unexpected event forces the issue, by which point options are limited and tensions heightened. A well-structured succession plan, covering leadership roles, ownership transfers and governance frameworks, can help families avoid unnecessary conflict and ensure continuity. This planning is becoming all the more important as the UK sees ongoing adjustments to legislation around inheritance, business property relief and tax treatment for intergenerational transfers. Families that fail to keep pace with these changes risk exposing the business to avoidable tax burdens or legal complications at precisely the moment stability is most needed. Meanwhile, families who do wish to keep leadership in the bloodline are grappling with a host of issues: how to formalise governance structures, when to bring in external managers, how to navigate sibling rivalries or cousin dynamics, and how to modernise operations without losing sight of the company’s founding values. These questions have become more pressing as private equity firms, sensing opportunity, circle long-established businesses whose owners may be nearing the point of exit. Yet the implications extend beyond boardrooms and kitchen-table discussions. Family businesses account for a significant proportion of employment and economic activity, particularly in regional communities where they often serve as anchor institutions. A poorly managed succession can threaten not only a firm’s future but also local jobs, supply chains and community stability. At the same time, there are compelling examples of families turning succession into a moment of reinvention. A growing number of daughters are stepping confidently into leadership roles; digital-native successors are driving long-overdue modernisation; and multi-generational governance structures are helping to preserve both harmony and profitability. As the great generational handover accelerates, the question for family businesses is not whether they will confront the succession cliff, but how prepared they will be when they reach its edge.

In the 1930s, Goebbels and Hitler bent the technology available to them for their own purposes. Radio sets were distributed to the public, ensuring German households could tune in to carefully crafted programming. Today, we're not dealing with state-sponsored radio broadcasts; we're contending with algorithms that know our fears, our biases, our weaknesses, and deliver precisely calibrated messages designed to trigger specific emotional responses. And unlike the 1930s, today's information warfare can be waged by anyone with a laptop and a basic understanding of social media dynamics. The Inequality Engine Concerns about technology isn't just about robots taking jobs, although that's part of it. It's about a fundamental breaking of the social contract. Markers that played a huge part in bringing about the Second World War—mass unemployment, wealth concentration, class resentment, young people without prospects—are appearing again. And now we have technology that accelerates wealth accumulation in ways that would have been impossible in the 1930s. Meanwhile, technology is also eliminating the entry-level positions that previous generations relied upon to get a foothold in the economy. The baton of skills development isn't being passed on. When you combine technological unemployment with sophisticated propaganda tools, you get a powder keg. Angry young people without economic prospects, targeted by algorithms designed to amplify their grievances and direct their rage? The Real AI Threat While we worry about ChatGPT becoming sentient, we're potentially overlooking the more immediate threat of a teenager in a garage accidentally (or deliberately) creating the next pandemic. Imagine someone using AI and a home CRISPR DNA editing kit (available online for as little as $59) deliberately engineering a pathogen that combines the contagiousness of COVID with the lethality of Ebola. The technology to do this exists today, and it's becoming cheaper and more accessible every year. The real danger isn't about artificial intelligence taking jobs. Technology has always replaced jobs in the short-term, and we’ve always found new jobs. It always follows a period of adjustment and instability. What we’re facing is what happens when technological progress outpaces our social and institutional capacity to manage it. Reasons for Hope Despite all the hype about automation, there are things robots simply cannot do. Try getting a robot to fold a fitted sheet or arrange flowers in a vase. These tasks require a kind of tactile intelligence and adaptive problem-solving that humans possess in spades, but machines struggle with enormously. The much-predicted robot apocalypse has been just around the corner since the 1960s, yet human workers remain remarkably difficult to replace. Another thing to consider is that AI might actually be put to good use. Climate change, medical research, and infrastructure development are all problems where machine learning could help us make breakthroughs we're currently struggling to achieve. In some parts of the world, new technology might allow developing nations to leapfrog Western development entirely. Why build expensive copper telephone networks when you can go straight to mobile? Why construct coal power plants when solar panels are becoming cheaper every year? Perhaps most importantly, we're still here. Humanity has survived and adapted to every previous technological revolution. The printing press was supposed to destroy social order. The telegraph was going to make the postal service obsolete. Television killed the radio star. Each time, we learned to live with the technology, to adapt our institutions, to create new norms and regulations that mitigated the worst effects whilst preserving the benefits. There's an old economic concept called "the tragedy of the commons" – the idea that when resources are shared, people will selfishly exploit them until they're depleted. But there's also what some call "the comedy of the commons" – the peer-to-peer revolution. This is when people spontaneously organise to create and maintain shared resources. Wikipedia is a classic example. Nobody owned it. Nobody profited from it. Yet millions of people contributed to creating the most comprehensive encyclopaedia in human history, simply because they wanted to share knowledge. The technology that enables exploitation can also enable cooperation. The same social media platforms that spread propaganda can be used to organise protests and social movements. The algorithms that concentrate wealth can be reprogrammed or regulated. We have choices. The future isn't written in code. It's written in policy, in voting booths, in boardrooms, and in the countless small decisions we make about how to use the tools we've been given. T he Users Determine the Future The leitmotif running through the entire history of technology is that tools get used in ways their inventors never imagined. The telephone was supposed to be a business tool; it became a social one. The internet was designed for military communications; it became a global platform for everything from cat videos to scientific collaboration. Twitter was meant to be a status update service; it became a political force that helped topple governments. At Container Solutions, I've spent years watching how people actually use technology in ways that surprise and delight me. Developers take tools designed for one purpose and bend them to entirely different ends. Communities form around shared interests that nobody planned for. The peer-to-peer revolution is already happening – it's just not evenly distributed yet. So, here's my challenge to you: keep using technology in ways they don't intend. Keep connecting with other human beings. Keep organising. Keep pushing back against systems that treat you as data points rather than people. We have the benefit of history. We know that humans adapt, that we create institutions to manage new tools, that we eventually figure out how to preserve the benefits whilst mitigating the harms. It won't be quick, and it won't be easy, but it's possible. Rapid change can be scary. But it can also be full of possibility. Yes, the unintended consequences of technology can be catastrophic, but they can also be miraculous. And which way it goes depends far less on the technology itself than on what we choose to do with it. About the Author - Jamie Dobson is the founder of Container Solutions , and has been helping companies, across industries, move to cloud native ways of working for over ten years. Container Solutions develops a strategy, a clear plan and step by step implementation helping companies achieve a smooth digital transformation. Jamie is also author of ‘The Cloud Native Attitude’ and the recently published ‘Visionaries, Rebels and Machines: The story of humanity’s extraordinary journey from electrification to cloudification’. Both are available from Amazon and good bookstores.