Linda Barclay: 33 Years of Keeping People Safe at Work with Evolve Training

Speaker: 00:00:03

Geoff (Host): Welcome to UK Business IQ,

the show where real business stories,

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experience, and insight come together.

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Each episode shines a light on the people,

lessons and ideas shaping the way we

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lead, grow, and create impact in business.

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I'm your host, Geoff Nicholson.

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Now let's get into the conversation.

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there are businesses that have

been quietly doing important work

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for decades long before anyone

thought to put them on a podcast.

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Evolved training in

Aberdeen is one of them.

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They've been helping people come home from

work safely since: 1993

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a North Sea platform in a confined space

or upper height on a construction site.

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My guest today is Linda Barclay.

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She started with the business as a

trainer, step back when family came

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along, came back and is now managing

director, having taken over from her

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parents who founded the whole thing.

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It's what my grandfather would

call a proper business story,

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and I'm delighted she's here.

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Linda, welcome to the show.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Hi.

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Thanks, Geoff,

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Geoff (Host): what we're really

interested to learn more about

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what you do and about Evolve.

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So my first question is,

how did all of this begin?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: back in

: 1993

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made redundant from Schlumberger.

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And, being in the industry for quite a

number of years, he had already gathered

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information to see that there was a

gap in the, country, the health and

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safety, structures that people know how

to write risk assessments, didn't know

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why we had them, or COSH assessments.

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So he started up his own company

called RS Safety Services, which

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is Rod and Susan's Safety Services,

which is my mom's name as well.

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which very quickly be realised that

not only was there a gap for people

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understanding and writing their own risk

assessments and things like that, that

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there was actually not enough people

doing training to understand, what that

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forklift did and the danger points of

forklift and confined spaces as well.

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so from that point, they quickly moved

out of our back bedroom in the farm

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bought our, premises in Invurie, where

my father and my mother and they employed

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somebody to come and help them with sales.

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Got started telling people about why it

was important to do risk assessments,

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COSH assessments, fire risk assessments,

and then started doing the training.

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Geoff (Host): Okay.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: they

bought their first forklift.

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it was an antique old fashioned levers

and all the rest of it, but they managed

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to get the point across to people that

forklift training was important and

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that you shouldn't, under the health

and safety guidelines, you shouldn't

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be driving them without a licence.

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and then confined space, because that

was one of the areas that he worked in.

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When he worked for his previous

employer, he then bought a container.

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So the container was just a standard

container that you see getting

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shipped off to offshore, and he,

added three different levels into it.

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people would go into the confined

space unit, with a BA system on

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the back, and they'd have to work

theirselves way round a confined space.

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How do they get themselves,

underneath these tiny little holes

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with a BA system on their back?

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gradually found out that we grew

out of the little, offices in,

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Invurudie and, rented a place in Dyce.

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and very quickly, even though the

team was growing, we grew out of

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the building in Dyce as well, where

premises that we're in here in

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Wellheads Crescent became available.

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it had huge potential to

make, not only classrooms.

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we've got, forklift areas,

working at height areas, working,

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rigging and lifting banks when

slinging, manual handling areas.

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We've got fire pits for teaching

people to do fire stuff.

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Geoff (Host): Wow.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: and it's

just, we've put on extra classrooms.

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So basically, now Rod at age of 84,

he'll probably kill me for saying that.

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the business has now done 33 years, and,

we've been up for an award this year.

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So it's just

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Geoff (Host): Brilliant.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: what we've

done in the last 33 years is worked.

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and the business has just grown

arms and legs over the years doing

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things.

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Geoff (Host): and you are

now managing director.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yes, that's

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Geoff (Host): Okay.

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and what was, have you always

worked in the family business?

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Did you do something exterior

and then did you join in later?

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or how did that work?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: No.

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So I joined, the family

business, 20 years ago.

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Geoff (Host): Okay.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: my

background being, first aid and

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working with people with, mental

health and, living disabilities

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Sorry.

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I started, Training,

first aid in the business.

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'cause we didn't have

MD training, first Aid.

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had, opportunity to work up in Inverness.

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So I would sometimes be in Inverness.

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I'd be in Glasgow, I'd be in

Invirurie, Aberdeen, whatever else.

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but after having children,

I couldn't do that.

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so I've just kind of done lots of

different parts of the business

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from sales administration, lots

of other instructors courses.

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I love working with people.

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I'm a people person.

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Geoff (Host): what does it mean, where

are you wanting to take the business?

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what is the plan for the future?

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Before we get into the nitty grit about

the practicalities of the training side.

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what is the vision you

have for the future?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: with obviously,

just winning the awards that we've just

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had just at the start of the year, it

was a great honour for me to go back to

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my parents and say, this was for you.

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This is all your hard work paying off.

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my dad started it off with safety support,

my vision is to get the word out again

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about safety support and why it's,

important to companies have the correct

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policies and procedures in place, and

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'em by doing it, then fantastic.

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Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: not, we can

train the companies to do their own

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risk assessments and COSH assessments

with fire risk assessments, and

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then train them if need be so

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we share our knowledge through training

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Geoff (Host): I wanna find

out more as well about this.

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So the first question I have for you

is, what are the biggest mistakes

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businesses are making when it comes

to not having that information?

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The risk assessment information or

the appropriate training that they

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need that obviously you can fulfil.

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what are some of the

biggest mistakes you see?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: accidents.

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Geoff (Host): Okay.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yeah.

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So if people are not properly trained

by having the correct training

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in place, then notice that the

accident statistics rate going up.

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are maybe not wanting to go to work.

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So you find that, the productivity

time that're in businesses is less

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so having people understanding why

they're doing what they're doing.

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and it's proven by the feedback we

get from our customers that people

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go, oh, I never realised that if I

did that, this happened and I now

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know how to drive things safer.

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Or I now know what that little red thing

on the walls for and how do I work it.

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Geoff (Host): Yes.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: so

yeah, that's the biggest thing.

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It is people not knowing why.

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Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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and I remember when, way, way, way back

in the early days before I started my

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own business, I did forklift training.

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And some of the things that they show

you in the training was it puts a

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reality check on what happens when you

can be a little bit careless or clumsy

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Definitely.

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Geoff (Host): with what you do.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Definitely.

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it's obviously even, over the years,

people's knowledge and experience is

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obviously key when you're training people.

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So my team have got industry knowledge,

then comes across when they're training

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people that, they understand the

sort of implications people could

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have in the different industries.

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So it's key with my businesses that,

that the team know and understand why

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we have to do things the way they do it.

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When companies will say, oh, but

we didn't have the time to do that

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and we couldn't do that because I

didn't have the right equipment.

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Well, this is why if you don't

have the right equipment in

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place, then accidents happen.

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Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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People often think just, it'll only

take a couple of minutes, so I'll

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just do X, Y, and Z And then the

next thing you know, they're driving

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something that they're not supposed to.

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Just to solve a quick need.

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Yeah, exactly.

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Forklifts aren't supposed to go like that.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: No.

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Geoff (Host): are there specific

industry sectors that you focus on?

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Or are you very broad in what you do?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: over the years,

oil and gas probably was the main

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sector for most, training providers.

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but over the years Evolved,

been very lucky that we've just

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not concentrated on oil gas.

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We'll look after, the police, the

prison services, we've also done

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a lot of work for the councils.

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we'll also look after the smaller

oil and gas companies that the

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big guys don't want to look after.

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'cause there's, they think

there's not the money there.

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Geoff (Host): Yeah,

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: but the smaller

oil companies are the one man bands

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that, or people who should I say, who

don't have a job, but they're looking

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to get trained in a, forklift course.

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come to us, to get their training

rather than going to the big boys

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where sometimes it costs a little bit

more just because of who they are.

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Geoff (Host): yeah.

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And there I'm assuming, are the proactive

individuals that go, if I get this

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certificate or I get this qualification,

it means I'm gonna increase the likelihood

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of getting hired for a specific role.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yes,

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Geoff (Host): when you do the

training, is it all face-to-face?

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Is it a mixture of face-to-face online?

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why do you think face-to-face matters?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Evolve

prides themself in the 33 years that

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we've been in business, that all

our training has been face-to-face,

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hands-on, lots of practical, training.

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if you go and look online, they'll

say, oh yeah, you can do a advancement

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slinger course and it's online.

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Yeah.

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But anybody could watch that.

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Online anybody could answer the

multiple questions that are online.

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But, to physically, hands-on training,

we get a lot of candidates who maybe

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have learning disabilities and really

struggle with the theory part of a

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course, but put them out there on a

forklift or get 'em to sling something.

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and they're just like,

wow, they're amazing.

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They know what they're talking about,

but put a bit of paper in front of 'em.

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They go, oh, I can't do this.

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And they crumble.

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So by doing face-to-face training,

we can ask them the right questions

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and support them through the

training to get them through it.

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so that they don't feel that they're

failing just because not very good at

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the sort of handwritten stuff, or they

maybe have a language barrier or they

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just don't understand the questions.

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So by being face-to-face, we can

support each and every candidate.

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we very rarely fail somebody unless

they've done something wrong.

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We will go above and beyond to

support each individual that comes

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through the business to ensure they

understand, they enjoy it, and they

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go away thinking, yep, I can do this.

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Geoff (Host): And obviously you've

got, you spend that time, you have that

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attention to detail in helping those

people, what do you feel is the difference

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between someone who's completed training

and someone who is generally understanding

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what it is that the training has done?

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So you've got someone who's

going, okay, I'll do it.

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You know, like we said before, they've

just watched the video, they haven't

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really had the hands-on type of

training that you are implementing.

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And then when someone's doing the

training that you are implementing,

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they generally understand it because

they've had tactile interaction with it.

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What do you feel is the difference

between those two people?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: at the end of

the day, it comes down to the confidence

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and the candidates will write it in

their feedback that they now understand

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why they tied a knot, when they're

doing bounce and sling the right way

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to make sure that it doesn't move.

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it holds the loads, stable

and stuff like that.

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Being able to experience it and

watch other people and maybe

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pick the instructor's brains to

go, look, how would you do this?

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And how would you do that?

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they've got somebody that's actually

in front of them who's got 40, 50

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years experience and they know exactly

what they're doing, how they do it,

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and they can then maybe they say,

suggest to the candidates that this is

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how, they've done it over the years.

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a lot of people we do say, you

know, some courses they can have

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or practical courses, they can

have three to six people on them.

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by watching other people's mistakes, they

learn, okay, I'm not gonna do it that way.

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And the instructor will talk them through

it, why you do it in a different way to

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stop this thing, stop this happening.

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it's key to most people's development

that you learn more from watching

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than you do, by PowerPoint.

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Not all nobody's cup of tea.

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why we say, come and join

the practical side of it.

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'cause we'll then everything we've

talked about, we'll put it into

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practise so that everything makes sense.

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I think it's really important that

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Geoff (Host): yeah,

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: banks when

slinging and forklift and confined

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space, experience it and understand

'cause they're all very dangerous.

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things that could hurt people

practical training's so important

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to make sure we keeping people safe

and understand why we do what we do.

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Geoff (Host): yeah.

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And learning it from several modalities

increases the chances of them

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learning quicker as well, doesn't it?

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Because they're, some people are

auditory, some people are kinesthetic.

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I'm dyslexic, so I completely take

on board what you say about the, sit

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me in front of a computer screen to

answer questions and my brain starts

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leaking out my ears, but give me a

forklift to go on and learn and use,

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and then it's completely different,

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yep.

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Geoff (Host): You mentioned before

about, the biggest mistakes are the

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unfortunate accidents are occurring.

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Do you think that some businesses

treat training as almost more like a

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compliance exercise than a reality of

the benefit to improve their staff.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yes, I do.

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Geoff (Host): and do you think that's just

because that's how they've been taught

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Or do you think there's something, you

know, ultimately what we're doing here

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is educating businesses to go, actually,

there's a proactive way to do this.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_:

Yeah, no, definitely.

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obviously when people are taking their

staff out of work to do training,

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sometimes people will say, oh, well,

it means we're then behind with

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whatever products they're working with.

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They also need to remember that,

having a well-trained, staff member

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means that they work more efficiently.

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their understanding of the role is better.

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it also keeps people happier because

they're safe and what they're

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doing, and hopefully by, doing

proper training that it reduces

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the time that they're maybe off.

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the productivity should be better

'cause they'll understand why

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they're doing what they're doing.

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Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: instant with a

forklift, we teach them the ins and outs

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of the way they should drive a forklift.

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if they decide that they're not

going to put their seatbelt on

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and the forklift truck tips over

because they're on a uneven ground,

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it's key just to get drum these

kind of things into, personnel.

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But the biggest issue you'll find

with a lot of companies is it's the

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people who book the training don't

understand what they're booking.

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So we need to educate.

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It's not just the candidates.

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We need to educate the,

supervisors as well

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Geoff (Host): Okay.

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: that

people are being kept safe while

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they're doing the work that they're

doing after they've been trained.

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Geoff (Host): Okay, I guess one of

the other questions is what should a

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business look for in a training provider?

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What are the key things that, when

someone's looking for a training provider,

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what do they keep their eye out for?

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What are the, warning

signs, so to speak, or not?

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Linda Barclay (Guest)_: In the 33

years that we've been in business,

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we've seen a lot of highs and lows.

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We've seen a lot of big training

providers come in not lasting.

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We've seen a lot of one-man bands who

come in and, can cut costs and things

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like that just to keep the cost for people

doing their training down to minimal.

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but key with Evolve is that it's our

reputation, it's our, customer feedback.

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It's the service that our staff

give to customers prior to, booking

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the course, when they come on site.

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: 00:16:11

yes, it is important that people have

accreditations because everybody needs

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: 00:16:17

to know that people are compliant, that

they're speaking, off the same hymn sheet.

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: 00:16:21

they're understand health and safety.

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: 00:16:24

we have itar, which is two

forklift, accreditations.

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: 00:16:29

We have Iosh, which is again, a health

and safety recognition, course that we do.

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: 00:16:35

And then we have Nebosh, which

is a higher level course.

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: 00:16:38

So accreditations for companies

are important, but I do think

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credibility, and services.

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Some of the key things that feed

the feedback we get from our

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customers is, why do you use Evolve?

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: 00:16:50

they I could email you and within

five minutes you'll have emailed

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: 00:16:53

me back and said, not a problem.

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: 00:16:54

We can help you.

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: 00:16:55

like I said, accreditations is important,

but just from feedback, it's people

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: 00:17:02

know what they get when they come to

Evolve, so it's returning business.

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: 00:17:06

It's, we're like one big family

here and our candidates and our

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: 00:17:09

customers become part of the

family when they come in the door.

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: 00:17:12

I think that makes a big

impact on how we Evolve is

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: 00:17:15

Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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: 00:17:15

It's like what you said before as well

is the, when you were talking about

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: 00:17:19

sometimes the bigger companies don't want

to work with, the one man bad type things.

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: 00:17:24

And yet, as soon as you become

a commodity rather than an

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: 00:17:29

individual, something changes.

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: 00:17:31

But as you've just said, Evolve,

bring you in as almost like the family

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: 00:17:36

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yeah.

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: 00:17:36

Geoff (Host): So the, the fact that you

are on the end of a phone and you're not

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: 00:17:40

going onto a call centre stream and all

of those sort of things, it means that

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: 00:17:45

at least they have the confidence to go,

okay, I'm actually speaking to someone.

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: 00:17:49

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yeah, definitely.

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: 00:17:50

And we'll regularly get questions from

customers going, I know you don't do this,

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: 00:17:55

but do you know who does do this course?

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: 00:17:57

Geoff (Host): Yeah.

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: 00:17:57

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: we've got the

credibility as well as the trust from our

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: 00:18:00

customers that they come back and say, I

know you don't do it, but they know that

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: 00:18:05

we'll support them above and beyond with

any training requirements, whatever it is.

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: 00:18:10

Geoff (Host): And obviously the

market must constantly shift, all

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: 00:18:15

of a sudden they bring out new

legislations and everything else.

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: 00:18:18

So how do you, manage that and

how do you keep your current

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: 00:18:23

clients and then prospects possibly

coming in to work with you?

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: 00:18:27

How do you keep them informed of that?

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: 00:18:31

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: So,

generally health and safety,

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: 00:18:33

requirements don't really change.

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: 00:18:36

Geoff (Host): Okay.

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: 00:18:36

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: the joke I have

in the office at the moment is we've

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: 00:18:39

got a manual handling video, which

has got Jet from Gladiators in it,

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: 00:18:44

Geoff (Host): Wow.

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: 00:18:45

Linda Barclay (Guest)_:

that's how old the videos are.

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: 00:18:47

Geoff (Host): That was, I was at school.

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: 00:18:49

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: it

tells you what you need to know,

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: 00:18:50

but Jets jet looks amazing.

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: 00:18:53

Geoff (Host): yeah, yeah,

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: 00:18:54

Even she would like that video.

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: 00:18:56

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: we're doing,

regular newsletters, so if there's

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: 00:19:00

any changes within courses, we'll

make companies available of it.

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: 00:19:05

we're doing a lot of bespoke we've decided

that if there is changes or the companies

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: 00:19:10

have their own health and safety stuff,

that needs to be added into courses

361

: 00:19:14

that we can adapt our training to suit

each customer and client's requirements.

362

: 00:19:20

Geoff (Host): Wow.

363

: 00:19:21

Okay.

364

: 00:19:22

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: which

is seems to be coming and it's

365

: 00:19:24

quite popular at the moment.

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: 00:19:25

and we're actively selling it,

that we're doing, bespoke training.

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: 00:19:29

Geoff (Host): And that's gotta be

quite rare as well because a lot of

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: 00:19:31

companies will just go, this is the

box you've gotta fit in the box.

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: 00:19:36

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: there was

recently changes with First Aid.

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: 00:19:40

we rolled them out very quickly

and we kind of contacted customers

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: 00:19:43

to make them aware of it.

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: 00:19:46

we did offer to do updates for First Aid.

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: 00:19:49

it's not big changes, but we've made

customers aware of it just by sending

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: 00:19:52

out, genetic email of these are the

changes if you wish to come on a course

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: 00:19:56

to see them practically, hands-on,

Then we are giving them a complimentary

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: 00:20:00

course to give them the updates.

377

: 00:20:03

first aid, we do scenarios with

it, so we can also get the word

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: 00:20:06

across from a scenario training,

379

: 00:20:08

harder with things like

forklift and stuff like that.

380

: 00:20:11

But things don't often

change with forklift.

381

: 00:20:13

Geoff (Host): Just the technology

of the forklift, I assume.

382

: 00:20:16

Yeah.

383

: 00:20:16

Okay.

384

: 00:20:17

when you are looking at that,

there's a couple of other questions.

385

: 00:20:20

'cause my be, before doing the

podcasting, I used to do stress awareness

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: 00:20:25

training and all of that sort of stuff.

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: 00:20:27

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Okay.

388

: 00:20:28

Geoff (Host): One of the

things that always came up was

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: 00:20:32

cheapest is not always the best.

390

: 00:20:35

and how do you combat that?

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: 00:20:38

Because, you obviously have

extremely high standards.

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: 00:20:41

you are willing to shape

bespoke programmes for needs,

393

: 00:20:46

and it's a competitive market.

394

: 00:20:49

So how do you compete against those

people that come in and they do it through

395

: 00:20:52

all industries, about, oh, well, we're

just looking at cost, because I know

396

: 00:20:58

that when you're looking at training,

there's way, way more to look at than

397

: 00:21:01

just how many pound signs there are.

398

: 00:21:04

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yeah.

399

: 00:21:04

Geoff (Host): what sort of things

do you do you experience, and how

400

: 00:21:08

do you sort of, I'll argue against

that when you get someone to do that.

401

: 00:21:14

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: So yeah, we

regularly come up against that, scenario.

402

: 00:21:19

what I've been suggesting to

the sales team at the moment is

403

: 00:21:21

that, we are very well priced

compared along our competitors.

404

: 00:21:28

and what we've started doing recently is

if somebody has 10 people to go through

405

: 00:21:33

a course that, we'll look to give them

a discount on the number of candidates,

406

: 00:21:39

or they'll get one fee place on it.

407

: 00:21:41

so that we can, if they give them

value for money, but I thank you

408

: 00:21:46

for bringing the business to us.

409

: 00:21:48

Geoff (Host): Okay.

410

: 00:21:50

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: on the

same note, we wouldn't cut a

411

: 00:21:52

course just to be the cheapest.

412

: 00:21:55

Geoff (Host): No, so you maintain

that high level of standard

413

: 00:21:57

to go, this is what we do.

414

: 00:21:59

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: yeah, because I

415

: 00:22:00

it's key.

416

: 00:22:00

'cause have used us for 33 years

and they know what they get.

417

: 00:22:05

They know the standard they get.

418

: 00:22:07

I would rather say to do, what,

for your business, here's a

419

: 00:22:11

free place on a course, just

as a gratitude to our and some

420

: 00:22:13

people take it, some people don't.

421

: 00:22:15

Geoff (Host): Yeah.

422

: 00:22:16

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: I think over

the years, a lot of people have said

423

: 00:22:19

that, they don't need a discount.

424

: 00:22:23

they're just happy with

the service that Evolve is,

425

: 00:22:25

that's why they use us.

426

: 00:22:26

So you'd think when people say, give you

a discount, it doesn't work like that.

427

: 00:22:30

Geoff (Host): no, it doesn't.

428

: 00:22:32

I think that's the

interesting thing, isn't it?

429

: 00:22:33

Is because like you say, you've

got the pedigree of 33 years,

430

: 00:22:38

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yeah,

431

: 00:22:39

Geoff (Host): it's not just a,

I've been doing it for a year.

432

: 00:22:42

You have the awards, you've got all of

those sort of things to say, okay, this

433

: 00:22:47

is what we do and this is how we do it.

434

: 00:22:49

And 33 years in the making

has given us this result.

435

: 00:22:53

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Geoff.

436

: 00:22:54

Yeah, exactly.

437

: 00:22:54

and that's why I think Evol stands

out from the rest of us because of the

438

: 00:22:58

knowledge and experience that Susan and

Rod bought to the business, that they've

439

: 00:23:03

passed it down to myself and my team.

440

: 00:23:06

And because of that, we've now been

recognised we're, we've now been given

441

: 00:23:10

an award to say, do you know what?

442

: 00:23:12

You're actually really

good at what you do.

443

: 00:23:16

Geoff (Host): Brilliant.

444

: 00:23:16

Linda Barclay (Guest)_:

for me it's just yep.

445

: 00:23:19

Geoff (Host): Yeah.

446

: 00:23:19

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: a thank

you to my parents, for starting

447

: 00:23:21

Evolve off all those years ago.

448

: 00:23:23

Geoff (Host): It's a legacy, isn't it?

449

: 00:23:25

Linda Barclay (Guest)_:

Yeah, well, legacy.

450

: 00:23:26

And the team have supported myself

and my parents over the years

451

: 00:23:29

to make Evolve what it is today.

452

: 00:23:32

we can't thank the team

enough, for what they do.

453

: 00:23:34

So, yeah.

454

: 00:23:35

Geoff (Host): So one of the things

we talked about earlier on was, the

455

: 00:23:38

one thing that happens when people

don't do the training is accidents.

456

: 00:23:42

but is there anything else that

you feel is misunderstood about

457

: 00:23:46

the workplace training side?

458

: 00:23:49

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: no,

I just think it's compliant.

459

: 00:23:51

You have to do

460

: 00:23:51

it's not like we are going around

companies and saying, oh, go on,

461

: 00:23:54

just give us a couple hundred pound

and we'll give you a certificate.

462

: 00:23:57

it's a legal compliance.

463

: 00:23:58

They have to do it.

464

: 00:23:59

So, to make sure that the companies

get the business, everybody's got to be

465

: 00:24:05

compliant to say that they train their

staff, that they've got a certificate in

466

: 00:24:08

place to say they can drive a forklift.

467

: 00:24:10

So if they go onto customer

premises, they can do it

468

: 00:24:12

the first aid, you know.

469

: 00:24:14

a lot of companies I know, train

their staff to do First Aid and

470

: 00:24:18

they get a bonus for doing it.

471

: 00:24:21

all my staff have said to me over the

years that they want to do the first aid

472

: 00:24:24

because it's like, it's a nice to have.

473

: 00:24:26

Geoff (Host): Okay.

474

: 00:24:27

brilliant.

475

: 00:24:28

So where can listeners connect with you?

476

: 00:24:31

What is the best way that the people

who are listening to this can find out

477

: 00:24:36

more about Evolve than what you do?

478

: 00:24:39

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: the worldwide

webs the best place Evolve training.com.

479

: 00:24:43

I've spent a lot of time getting our

search engines, the little spiders out,

480

: 00:24:48

getting our website up to speed and

getting people, learning about Evolve

481

: 00:24:52

and, remembering the brand that, Evolve

is sharing knowledge through training, we

482

: 00:24:59

still use telephones, believe it or not.

483

: 00:25:02

Geoff (Host): Land.

484

: 00:25:03

Linda Barclay (Guest)_: Yes.

485

: 00:25:06

I think we're probably one of

the only companies that misses

486

: 00:25:08

people not using their telephones.

487

: 00:25:10

Geoff (Host): we'll make sure that

all of those contact, informations

488

: 00:25:13

are in the, show notes as well.

489

: 00:25:16

and just finally, just to say, thank

you so much, Linda, for taking the time,

490

: 00:25:19

telling us about Evolve and, explaining

the importance of the training as well.

491

: 00:25:24

Linda Barclay (Guest)_:

No, thank you, Geoff.

492

: 00:25:25

I really appreciate it.

493

: 00:25:29

Geoff (Host): So that was Linda Barclay,

managing Director of Evolve Training in

494

: 00:25:32

Aberdeen, A Business Now in its fourth

decade, built on a simple but serious

495

: 00:25:37

premise that people deserve to come home

from work the same way they arrived.

496

: 00:25:43

What struck me most about this

conversation was the depth of

497

: 00:25:46

care behind what could easily be

described as a compliance business

498

: 00:25:50

from Rod and Susan starting out in

the back bedroom of a farm to Linda.

499

: 00:25:54

Now leading a team that goes

above and beyond for every single

500

: 00:25:59

candidate who walks through the door.

501

: 00:26:01

This is a business that has never

lost sight of why it exists.

502

: 00:26:07

The work Evolve does isn't

glamorous, but it matters enormously.

503

: 00:26:11

And the fact that they have been

trusted by clients for over 33 years,

504

: 00:26:15

some of whom won't even take the

discount because the relationship

505

: 00:26:19

means more than the saving tells you

everything you need to know about

506

: 00:26:24

the standard they hold themselves to.

507

: 00:26:27

If you are a business owner in any

sector where your people work with

508

: 00:26:31

equipment, work at height, work in

confined spaces, or simply need to

509

: 00:26:35

know what to do in an emergency, I'd

encourage you to visit evolvetraining.com

510

: 00:26:43

Or pick up the phone because as Linda

would remind you, they still answer it.

511

: 00:26:50

Geoff (Host): Thank you for

listening to UK Business IQ.

512

: 00:26:53

If today's conversation sparked an

idea, challenged your thinking, or

513

: 00:26:56

introduced you to someone worth knowing,

then the episode's done its job.

514

: 00:27:01

To make sure you never miss an

episode, subscribe to UK Business IQ

515

: 00:27:05

on your favourite podcast platform.

516

: 00:27:08

And if you are a business owner, leader,

or expert with insight, experience,

517

: 00:27:12

or a story that could help others, you

can apply to be featured on the show

518

: 00:27:17

at www.geoffnicholson.co.uk/getfeatured

519

: 00:27:20

You can also connect with me

on LinkedIn and Instagram.

520

: 00:27:23

All the links are in the show notes.

521

: 00:27:25

I'm Geoff Nicholson, and

this has been UK Business IQ.

522

: 00:27:29

See you on the next episode.