Michelle McAnally of Imagine Alba, Collaboration Story

Find out how this business collaborated with fellow rural business The Strategy Collective, and how REDS has been supporting them.

Tell us about your rural business?

We provide content creation and tourism services.

Where in rural Scotland are you based and what do you love about living and working there?

We are based near Oban and we love this beautiful part of the world with so many outdoor activities available right outside our doorstep.

When did you set up your rural business, and what inspired you to start it?

We created Imagine Alba around 2018 in order to combine my writing and social media skills with my husband, Rab's, design and photography, drone and videography skills. We have now expanded into the tourism trade, and offer guided tours and itineraries.

What is the biggest challenge you face or have faced running your business in rural Scotland?

Our biggest challenges have been connectivity, both in the digital sense and being able to connect with other businesses around Argyll and other rural parts of Scotland. Everyone is so far flung that we often don't know what others are doing or where to look for specific types of services or clients.

What’s been your biggest achievement so far?

We recently signed a contract with a large American travel company for tours scheduled through 2026.

Who did you collaborate with and how?

Through REDS, I connected with Sacha Woolham at The Strategy Collective, a marketing consultancy based out of Orkney. Sacha needed help reaching the North American audience for a company called Aurora for their Outlander themed jewellery, among other ranges.

Helping UK based businesses market to my home region is one of my specialties, so I have been working with Sacha and others on her team to develop and execute strategy, web copy, blogs and social media for Aurora over the past year. Aurora's share of sales from the international market has increased from 9% to 20% in this time, and I look forward to working with Sacha and her fantastic team on this and other projects in the future.

How did REDS help you facilitate collaborations and connections? 

I have met other lovely rural small business owners through REDS that I might not have otherwise met, and gained a very important client directly through both of us being in REDS.

How else have REDS and GrowBiz been able to help you?

REDS and GrowBiz makes being a small business owner in such a rural part of the world feel a bit less lonely. I enjoy their networking zoom events, which bring together those of us who normally would never be able to get in one place together, even in the pre pandemic era.

Find out more about Imagine Alba at www.imaginealba.com

Are you a rural micro businesses interested in what REDS can do for you? Find out how to get your own free listing here.