The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has launched Behind Every Business is a Person, a month-long campaign putting the mental health and wellbeing of the people behind Scotland’s self-catering businesses firmly in the spotlight.
Self-catering businesses do more than provide a place to stay. Behind the warm welcomes, memorable stays and contribution these businesses make to Scotland’s visitor economy and communities are people managing the everyday realities of running a small business – often alongside significant and sustained external pressures.
The latest ASSC Barometer survey provides a clear reason for starting this conversation: more than two-thirds of operators said running their business had negatively affected their mental health or wellbeing, against a backdrop of rising costs, cumulative regulation, concerns about profitability and continued uncertainty.
Running throughout September, the campaign brings together ASSC evidence and member experiences with practical advice and support from specialist groups Hospitality Health and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
Hospitality Health has contributed guidance specifically relevant to self-catering operators – from setting a communications cut-off and switching off business notifications, to scheduling proper time away and talking to someone when pressure begins to build. The campaign will also signpost members and the wider sector to trusted mental health and wellbeing resources available through SAMH.
At the heart of the campaign are ASSC members themselves. Over the coming weeks, the Association will share some of the faces and voices behind Scotland’s self-catering businesses, alongside practical wellbeing advice, information about where to find support, and simple ways operators can look out for themselves and one another.
The campaign has two aims. First, the ASSC wants members and the wider self-catering community to know they are not simply statistics – that their wellbeing matters. The Association will continue to listen, build connections across its community, and work with trusted specialist organisations to help members access appropriate support.
Second, the campaign will support the ASSC’s ongoing advocacy by ensuring the human impact of the pressures facing the sector is recognised, with the Association continuing to gather evidence and use members’ experiences in its conversations with government and policymakers.
Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “Our members are at the heart of everything we do, and our evidence is telling us very clearly that the cumulative pressures facing the self-catering sector are having an impact on the people behind these businesses.
“Behind every licence, booking, regulation and statistic is a person – someone running a business, supporting their family, welcoming visitors and contributing to their local community.
“We have a responsibility both to support those people and to make sure their experiences are heard. This campaign is about saying to our members: we see you, we are listening and we have your back.
“This is not something we intend to talk about for four weeks and then move on from. We want this campaign to be the beginning of a longer-term commitment to wellbeing within our sector.”
Gordon McIntyre MBE, Founder and Chairman of Hospitality Health, said: “Running a hospitality business can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be demanding. For self-catering operators in particular, the boundaries between work and home can easily disappear, making it difficult to properly switch off.
“As another busy summer season draws to a close, this is an important opportunity to remind people that looking after their own wellbeing matters too.
“Small changes, honest conversations and knowing where to turn for support can all make a difference.
“Hospitality Health is delighted to work alongside ASSC on Behind Every Business is a Person, helping to bring practical wellbeing advice and support to the people who work so hard to look after Scotland’s visitors.”
