Passion for history is just perfect for tour business

CAREER: Ian White of Highland Tours Perthshire talks about his journey

Q.

How and why did you start in business?

I always dreamed of working for myself but never got around to it. Commitments in life made giving up a steady income difficult so when I took early retirement a few years back, I decided to go for it and set up a taxi firm, Dunkeld Cars.

I then launched the tour guide business Highland Tours Perthshire.

Q.

How did you get to where you are today?

After leaving school I joined the police cadets and then worked in the police for 17 years.

I retrained and became a primary school teacher and did this for another 17 years, before setting up on my own.

I’ve been lucky to enjoy my work over the years but now I have found something different, a vocation and a passion for my work that I’ve never experienced before. Being a tour guide is perfect, it brings all my interests together – Scotland, history, storytelling and, best of all, meeting new people.

Q.

Who has helped you along the way? My wife, Patti, has been a huge moral support but also she is super-organised and takes care of the administration side of the business, which is a great help. We’ve also been grateful for support from other businesses in the area and community-based enterprise support organisation Growbiz.

Q.

What was your biggest mistake? Thinking that the success of Dunkeld Cars would make starting a tour guide business easy.

Though the businesses are similar, they operate in different markets and I’d forgotten how hard it is to start a business from scratch.

Q.

What is your greatest achievement to date?

Every day I gain a sense of achievement by making a difference to people’s experience, whether on a simple taxi journey or a multi-day tour.

One trip that particularly stands out was when I put family members in touch as part of an ancestry tour I organised for a Canadian family.

While researching the family name, I came across descendants and – with my customer’s permission – I contacted them, which led to a reunion.

Q.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

We hope to build on our early success and grow the business. We’d like to be the area’s go-to company for private tours.

Q.

Do you want to recruit in the future? The seasonality of our business makes recruiting full-time staff difficult but it is something that we’d like to do. At the moment, we’re fortunate to have good relationships with other local businesses, who help us out during the busy times.

Q.

What is the hardest thing about running your own business?

Taking time off. It’s important to take time off but it’s not possible during peak-season.

My whole family have had to make sacrifices but it’s worth it.

Q.

Any advice to wannabe entrepreneurs?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Former police officer and teacher Ian White, who runs Highland Tours Perthshire.