50 Reasons Why More People Aren't Using Your Website

Hmm, so if that's why they aren't using a website, why are they not using e-learning?

Looking After Our Water Resource

The Scottish Executive have made a couple of announcements today which should help to give more environmental protection to some water bodies across Scotland.

A marine national park would certainly be a statement of intent, whilst more rigorous controls on sewerage discharges will have a more practical impact.

Creating Passionate Users ... of school

Good article that reflects my own views on schools and the disengagement of kids within them.

NewStartScotland

I have to admit, I am not that well organised when I go to business exhibitions. My approach is very much a case of wait and see what strikes me as interesting.

If I was more structured, I should probably be pretty clear about my goals for going to these events. I would be certain about what companies I would be visiting, and who I wanted to talk to. But I don't. I go and hope for the best, looking for new ideas and a little inspiration.

And so it was with my trip to the NewStartScotland exhibition at the weekend. Billed as an event for people who have the dream of setting up their own business, or expanding what they are doing already, I thought this would be a great place to get ideas for the future. It was also being run by the BusinessGateway, so it should be pretty focused on the needs of the small business.

So how disappointed was I when after an initial wander around the Hall I see nothing of note. Sure if you are in the market for a web design company, or a printer or a car hire company then you are laughing. Or if you were wondering which of the numerous public sector organisations can help then you would probably have got on well with BusinessGateway, Careers Scotland, Campanies House, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Revenue & Customs, etc., etc. all represented.

But where are the ideas, the motivation the inspiration?

Give them their due, they did have an array of speakers for their half hour seminars, and if you were looking to spend the whole day at the event then you could have attended six of them covering all manner of topics. But the way my time fell, the first I found were part way through a lunch time seminar, and at the end of that it was three quarters of an hour till the next ones (none of which rocked my boat).

And now a couple of days after the event I still find myself scratching my head about the purpose of this event. Who was it aimed at – certainly not small businesses like my own, or those people looking to start a new business, for I don't know what you will have learned that you couldn't get from the BusinessGateway anyway. It is almost as though the BusinessGateway had committed to running some sort of event and this is the box ticker that arrived.

If this is the quality of their output, then there is perhaps little wonder that Scottish Enterprise is having to radically restructure and refocus on actually delivering their key objectives.

Change Due to Feedback

Following some feedback, I have made some changes to the Just Learn site.

Any comments?

Comfortable Win

Cumbernauld will be pretty satisfied with the result from the weekend, however a number of injuries sustained while playing an over-zealous Clydebank team may not bode well for the final few games of the season.

Clydebank set their stall out early on, and immediately had an impact with Cumbernauld being forced to make a change in only three minutes after scrum half Gilmore sustained a broken foot after he was landed on when he was already on the ground.

Clydebank continued to play in your face brutal rugby, and suffered their own loss when one of their 2nd row received a straight red in fifteen minutes.

But for all the intimidation, Cumbernauld were comfortable winner scoring five tries by playing some good quality.

With Strathendrick being beaten by GHK, Cumbernauld strengthen their third place position in the league and will now be believing that a better position will be possible next season.

Just Learn Newsletter

The March 2006 edition of the Just Learn newsletter is now available.

Why Do Students Drop-Out?

Well according to this research, it is because they are bored.

Couple of Close Results

The 1st XV had acracking game at the weekend with top of the table Marr. But after taking an early lead, Marr game back to win a closely fought match, 17 points to 8.

Also on Saturday, Scotland made the trip to Lansdowne Road for a disappointing game against Ireland. It was a game with little invention, and was decided with the boot, with Ireland scoring 5 penalties to Scotland 3.

There was a bit more excitement in the England v France game though. But in saying that, for two teams who are supposed to represent the best of world rugby, this was a pretty poor display, with numerous errors and mistakes. France were comfortable winners at 31 points to 6, and are now favourites to win the Six Nations Championship.

Do Politicians Believe Their Own Spin?

So who is to blame? The politicians who issue this rot, or the consumers who accept what they are being told?

Tourism Minister, Patricia Ferguson, has today launched a radical ten year plan that will see Scottish tourism raise its' standards, encourage development networks and carry out research so they can achieve 50% growth.

Sorry, did you say radical and 50% growth over ten years in the same sentence there Paul.

For an industry which we are regularly told suffers from poor standards and is dominated by a large number of small independant players, why does a radical plan only hope to achieve an average of 4% a year.

And another thing, if you are working closely with industry, then why on earth is the majority of your strategy group made up of public sector funded employees - do they really understand the grassroot issues facing the people who deliver "tourism"?

You can read the spin here, or tune in to the BBC for your re-gurgitated version of the spin with zero questioning of the facts.

SRU Takes Another Step Forward

From an outsiders point of view, Scottish Rugby looks as though it is controlled by an old boys network, but this weekend it took another step forward in opening the control of the game up to grass roots teams.

The past few years have been characterised by in-fighting, self-interest and power struggles, and whilst there is no guarantee that this won't continue into the future, it does look as though there is more emphasis on sound governance and sensible business thinking being adopted at the top table.

A couple of huge results in the six nations championship has already put a happy glow back into game, but the long term success of the sport in Scotland will require gaining controlling of the debt, stemming the losses and encouraging the development of the sport at all levels (schools, Clubs and the professional game).

We are only a small part of the chain, but at Cumbernauld we have already recognised that we have a part to play in this development process, and are putting in place various plans to develop rugby both within the Club and the community.

Further reading available here and here.