menu_open Columnists
Colin Borland

Colin Borland

Herald Scotland

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Can the Spring Forecast bring fresh hope for Scottish businesses?

Colin Borland of the Federation of Small Businesses takes a look ahead to next month's Spring Forecast from the UK Government as the cost of...

23.02.2026 20

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Saving Scotland's high streets requires more than retail, restaurants and pubs

Whether it’s Dry January (day 26, a resentful glance at the calendar reveals) or its radicalised cousin Veganuary, we’re always looking for new...

27.01.2026 5

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Which vision of Christmas yet to come will Scotland's leaders opt for?

About this time last year, I remember talking about the extent to which many small businesses – notably in the retail, leisure and hospitality...

23.12.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Crunch time looms as firms brace for Budget decisions

I wasn’t, I confess, particularly looking forward to last Tuesday’s game at Hampden. According to the chat in the run-up, “cautious” Steve...

25.11.2025 9

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

The inconvenient truth about economic siren songs from above

When a man’s investing $100 billion in the future of AI, it’s worth listening to his thoughts on the future of the economy and jobs market. ...

28.10.2025 8

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Enough drama in today's politics for a whole Netflix series

If you like drama in your politics, or politics in your drama, the last few weeks have thrown up enough to commission a whole Netflix series. It was...

23.09.2025 8

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Let's make a binding commitment to 'love local'

My phone’s just beeped to tell me how many steps I’ve taken since breakfast and how that compares with trends over the last month. Next to that...

29.07.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

The time is now to set the stage for economic growth We can wait for a movie premiere, but we can’t hang on much longer without the economy bouncing back

I’m looking out my office window, watching at least several thousand skilled workers turning an otherwise normal Glasgow city centre street into a...

24.06.2025 7

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Reality for most is ‘much less showbiz’

It’s not, the adage goes, a lack of profitability that kills businesses, but a lack of cash. The critical nature of cashflow is why most business...

27.05.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Sobering trade war reality fails to extinguish Scottish flair

Watching Donald Trump’s trade war unfold has been a sobering experience – and not just for our Scotch whisky industry. In Scotland, much of the...

29.04.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

We dismiss the self-employed at our own peril

What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor, teacher, footballer? Chief beach tester for the Caribbean Tourist Board? Perhaps predictably,...

25.03.2025 8

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

Scotland's cosmetic regulation requires more than a superficial facelift

What, you might reasonably ask, are Scottish Government officials doing discussing Brazilian Butt Lifts? And what connects that chat with a mobile...

25.02.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

The real needs of real Scottish businesses, right now

We’re all “data-driven” these days, and not just in our business lives. We use apps to count our daily steps and calculate the best route for...

28.01.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland

After the festivities, Scotland needs to focus on a truly pro-growth agenda

With Christmas so very nearly upon us, are you settling down for a leisurely read of the paper, in front of a roaring fire, festive drink in hand,...

24.12.2024 20

Herald Scotland

Colin Borland