December 2011
 What do you want from Santa?
 Lorraine Watson, Hatstand Nelly - Hair, Juice, Body.
I know Mr Claus must be a very busy man so I have been pondering for a long time over what I’d like for Christmas. Since I have heard he’s a miracle worker I am sure he won’t mind me posing him a challenge.
First of all I would like him to stop the Government from trying to control businesses. It is bad enough that we pay daft amounts of VAT, National Insurance Contributions, PAYE and Corporation Tax etc etc but do they want us to go out of business? The compulsory pension may push some of us over the edge.
I would also like him to spread the word about hairdressing – it is a career and not just something folk do when there are no other options.
Finally I would like to gather all the IT gremlins and all the machines which stop you getting through to a human on the telephone and wrap them up in the red tape businesses have to deal with before throwing them all down an ice hole near the North Pole.
If Santa could do that it would be a happy Christmas.
 Lilli Hunter, Lilli Hunter Consulting Ltd
I would like Santa to get in touch with me a bit earlier this year because after Christmas last year he had to let some elves go following a bit of a downturn. There wasn’t time to consult properly which might have allowed for the successful redeployment of all the elves. I know Christmas, although a time of good cheer, is also a time when people may need to down man for a fresh start in the New Year. Santa’s plans to replace elves with machinery didn’t really work out last year but if he is planning to ‘let go’ some more elves he does need to prepare properly. He can’t just tell them they are redundant – consultation will be needed – but let’s hope that there is plenty of work for them over the next 12 months.
 Karen Barlow, Director of Fundraising & Communications, VSA
This Christmas I would love Santa to leave a great big box of corporate supporters under my tree. An organisation like VSA, which has to raise over £17million annually to provide services to the most vulnerable people in our community, relies greatly on the support of local businesses, whether through their fundraising efforts or employee volunteering schemes.
In 2012 I would love to see more companies encouraging their staff to become involved in corporate social responsibility; which studies have shown can lead to increased happiness and wellbeing, passion, enthusiasm, and productivity amongst employees.
And Santa, if it’s not too much to ask, I would also love to find Gary Barlow, a Broon’s annual and a Terry’s Chocolate Orange under my tree! Merry Christmas everyone and all the very best for a prosperous 2012.
 Stuart McLeod, Managing Director of oil and gas commissioning and technology specialist qedi
Colossal investment in the development of people and innovative technology to ensure the next generation of game-changing ‘people technology’ which is vital to further internationalising Aberdeen City and Shire’s world class expertise for the future prosperity of the region and the energy industry.
I also want to see qedi realise its bold ambition of becoming the global leader in commissioning and technology for the energy industry, and to score a hat-trick of industry awards this year after winning the Northern Star Overall Global Business accolade and SCDI’s BP Award for Outstanding International Achievement in the Oil and Gas Industry.
Finally, I would love to wake up on Christmas Day and find that the desperately-needed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route had magically been built – and I’d try it out with the McLaren F1 that I’m expecting from Santa!
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