Family-run Scottish DIY store crowned Britain's Best Small Business
The store's witty Scots name impressed the public and judging panel
A family-run DIY shop in Dunoon has nailed it, quite literally, by being crowned Britain's Best Small Business Name for 2025.
Dae It Yersel, a well-loved fixture in the Argyll town, saw off competition from more than 2,000 other small businesses across the UK to win the coveted title, along with a £2,500 cash prize from small business insurer Simply Business.
The name, a playful Scots take on Do It Yourself, clearly struck a chord with the public and judging panel, which included entrepreneur and The Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur.
From landscaping company Back to the Fuchsia and restaurant Balti Towers to pub The Nobody Inn and food truck Pietanic, the competition was stacked with witty entries that showcased the creativity of Britain's entrepreneurs.
Helena McLay, co-owner of Dae It Yersel, said the win means a great deal to her family. 'Dae It Yersel has been family-owned since my mother, father and then-20-year-old brother took over a tiny wee DIY shop in 1970,' she said.
'I've been around the shop since I was 3, and used to spend my after-school hours and school holidays here.'
Helena, who now runs the business alongside her nephew, added: 'The name is obviously the Glaswegian or Scots version of 'Do It Yourself'. For both myself and my nephew... the shop has always been a part of our lives, it is the heart and soul of the family.
"There have been many tough times, from losing my mum, dad, and brother to COVID, but there are far more rewarding times and lifelong friendships that have arisen from our years in Dae It Yersel. We couldn't be more delighted to have won.'
She also shared a charming anecdote: 'We often get people standing across the road taking photos of the shop name, and the furthest travelled pic was sent to us by someone who had visited Dunoon from New Zealand and sent their photo into a magazine with the heading 'How's this for getting the message over to the locals'.'
The business name contest, now in its latest edition, celebrates the originality and spirit of the UK's small business community.
Simply Business also commissioned research which revealed that 51 percent of shoppers are more likely to support a business if its name makes them smile.
Julie Fisher, UK CEO of Simply Business, praised the result: 'It's clear from the voting that Dae It Yersel are a hugely popular small business in their local community.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
We hope this recognition brings added positive attention for the business, and that our £2,500 cash prize helps them celebrate during what is a challenging period for many SMEs.'
Harpreet Kaur, who helped judge the entries, added: 'It was so heartening to see the character woven into every single small business name we judged, reflecting the passion and dedication of the thousands of entrepreneurs who entered.
"Dae It Yersel should be incredibly proud to have won the public vote; it's a testament to their unique appeal and the genuine connection they've built with their local community.'
Helena has no doubt how the family will mark the occasion: 'I'll have to bake a cake to celebrate! We'll definitely have to have a BBQ with our staff to thank them for being a part of the business.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Alexander Dennis bus firm pulls out of Scotland with manufacturing jobs at risk
Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were informed of potential redundancies as around half the workforce are employed to construct parts for the firm's buses. Up to 90 jobs are at risk at a Scots manufacturing firm after bus company Alexander Dennis revealed plans to pull out of Scotland. Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were informed of potential redundancies as around half the workforce are employed to construct parts for the firm's buses. The building - one of three - is dedicated to the work on the buses, with other sites in Lochgelly and Chatham, England. Graeme Downie, Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, said he has written to First Minister John Swinney about the threat of job losses. He told STV News: 'The management and staff at Greenfold Systems are doing their best in an incredibly difficult situation but the fact these 90 jobs in Dunfermline are at risk just shows the ripple effects of the SNP's economic incompetence and their failure to support Alexander Dennis and bus building in Scotland.' Plans under consultation at Alexander Dennis would close their Falkirk plant and cease production at the nearby Larbert factory, with 400 jobs at risk. Bosses at the bus firm this week said the closure of sites at Scotland is 'not a done deal'. The company told MSPs that orders for up to 100 buses and changes to regulation are needed before the end of the year. The jobs would instead be consolidated at a single site in Scarborough. In evidence to a Holyrood committee, president and managing director Paul Davies said: 'It's absolutely not a done deal, it is a consultation process." Davies told the committee the firm would need to see consistent orders to help stabilise the future of the business in Scotland. He said this would be around 70 to 100 buses by the end of the year and 300 to 400 for next year. Calls have been made for a furlough scheme to be put in place, with the Government being urged to step in and pay workers until building can begin. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes pledged earlier this month to 'leave no stone unturned' to secure a future for the workers at risk. Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said: 'This will be an extremely difficult time for the workforce at Greenfold Systems, and my thoughts are with them today. 'The SNP's failure to support bus building and buying in Scotland is inflicting a chain reaction of misery for workers and local communities across the country. 'If the SNP government are serious about delivering for our economy, they should be sitting down with the firm to thrash out a solution and finally get behind Scottish manufacturing.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Minister for Business and Employment Richard Lochhead said: 'I am very disappointed to learn that Greenfold Systems Ltd has entered into consultation with a view to making redundancies at its Dunfermline site. 'This will be a difficult time for the employees at risk of losing their jobs, their families and for the local area. Scottish Enterprise will engage with the company to better understand the reasons for this decision and whether it can offer any assistance. 'The people affected by this announcement are our immediate priority and the Scottish Government will do everything in its power to help those affected through our initiative for responding to potential redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment.'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
easyJet launches new flights from Scotland to stunning European summer getaway
The new twice-weekly services are perfect for a long weekend to the heart of France's fantastic wine country FRENCH FANCY easyJet launches new flights from Scotland to stunning European summer getaway Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EASYJET has launched its first flights and package holidays from Scotland to a stunning European summer getaway. The country's largest airline is now offering holidaymakers the chance to head to Bordeaux in France. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Holidaymakers can now make their way to Bordeaux with easyJet Credit: Getty 4 The city is best known for its wine and vineyards Credit: Alamy 4 easyJet now offers new twice-weekly services to the French city from Edinburgh Credit: Alamy Scots can make their way to the French city from Edinburgh Airport. The first flight took off on June 26 and will operate every Thursday and Sunday throughout the summer. The new twice-weekly services are perfect for a long weekend to the heart of France's fantastic wine country. Travellers to Bordeaux can explore the historic city, famous for its beautiful stone façades and fine wines. The city also attracts visitors with its delicious food and lively cultural scene. Culture vultures can visit the Cité du Vin to learn about the history and production of wine, and experience the Bassins de Lumières, a unique art museum that uses light and sound to create immersive experiences. After exploring the city's museums, travellers can head to the city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and sample Bordeaux's many culinary delights and its world-class wines. Passengers can get their hands on seats available at and via the app from £35.99. Package holidays are now on offer to the new route, with a range of four and five star hotels available. Packages start from just £187 per person. Shopper urges others to nab £8 Morrisons case perfect for EasyJet flights and a breeze to take through the airport All city breaks to Bordeaux from Edinburgh include flights and hotel, covered by the tour operator's Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee. Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK Country Manager, said: "It's great to be launching our latest route from Edinburgh to Bordeaux, the ideal destination for those seeking the ultimate culinary break in France's wine country, or convenient access to the city centre for business. "easyJet is always looking to add more great value connectivity for our customers in Scotland and we look forward to welcoming even more customers onboard from Edinburgh this summer." Jonny Macneal, Head of Aviation at Edinburgh Airport said: "We're raising a glass of France's finest to easyJet's new route to Bordeaux, adding yet another connection to mainland Europe for both our leisure and business travellers. "Making sure we have direct flights to and from destinations we know are in demand is important for any airport, and we're delighted to be adding some French flair to our departure board."
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Scotsman
How ‘single stupidest thing any country has ever done' is behind benefit cuts and high taxes
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Over the next few days, the Labour party may well continue to tie itself in knots over cuts to welfare and efforts to balance the books. Keir Starmer's original proposals would have saved the Treasury an estimated £5 billion but also meant about 300,000 disabled and sick Scots would have lost hundreds of pounds needed simply to make ends meet. After the plan was condemned by more than 100 charities, which warned it could push some of the most vulnerable people into 'destitution', cross-party social justice committees in the Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast legislatures raised 'significant concerns', and a rebellion by some 120 Labour MPs, changes by the government will see people who currently receive personal independence payments continue to do so but the cuts will still affect future claimants. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The devolved administrations are right to be worried. Here's the rub, there may often be a focus in the media on the Scottish Government's spending, but it is Westminster that has an outsized impact on our day-to-day lives. Decisions made in London are the overwhelming factor in how much money the Scottish Parliament can spend, and are keenly felt by Scottish citizens. People who supported Brexit celebrate on the day the UK formally left the European Union. Few seem quite so enthusiastic today (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images Eye-watering Westminster waste These welfare cuts might be aimed at saving the UK Government cash but they will affect Holyrood's ability to tackle poverty, potentially costing the Scottish Government more. The UK remains a heavily centralised state compared to many of our neighbours and it shows. When these issues arise in the Scottish Parliament there is often, rightly, a focus on any waste and where the money could be found or saved. That is appropriate and all governments should be scrutinised for their expenditure. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, if you are really looking for savings, expensive policy decisions and want to get into the really big bucks, you could do worse than cast your eye over Westminster waste. Given the UK is seeking to save billions with a highly damaging hit to the poorest in society, causing quite the political headache, it is worth reflecting on why Westminster could do with being more careful with our taxes. Let's run through a few of them, starting with the recently scrapped Rwanda scheme, that never delivered anything, and yet cost £715 million between 2022 and 2025. That's small beer when you compare it with the costs of PPE procured during the pandemic, with an estimated £4bn of equipment being unusable and £9bn being written off by the UK Department for Health. High speed, high expense Even that pales in comparison with the costs of the High-Speed Rail link. At 2019 prices, it has cost £33bn, so far, and is set to rise to £67bn (in 2024 prices) with no train due to go anywhere until 2033. That will simply connect London and Birmingham, with phase two having been scrapped, but not before it had swallowed up £2.5bn. All that money and effort to shave about half an hour off the Birmingham to London journey. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It should also tell us something of the parlous state of the UK's infrastructure planning when the country remains one of the few in western Europe without high-speed rail. It could have been transformative for this island. When Alex Salmond was First Minister, he gave the line planning permission from Edinburgh and Glasgow to the Border, since the business case was stronger if it included Scotland, yet that was rejected. It says something of an overly centralised UK that it was decided to start building from London, despite that being the hardest part of the line. If you want to look at the even bigger levels of cash, the Truss budget was said to have cost UK homeowners £300bn and the government billions more due to higher borrowing costs and other costs to the Treasury. This matters with UK Government borrowing now at the second highest level since records began, and the UK's net debt to GDP ratio sitting at 96.4 per cent. Brexit calamity Let's not forget the Brexit calamity. US politician and businessman Michael Bloomberg told an audience in Dublin this week that leaving the EU is 'the single stupidest thing any country has ever done'. And boy has it cost us all. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As we marked (no one celebrated) the ninth anniversary of the EU referendum earlier this week, it is estimated it has led to a £40bn hole in public finances, a 4 per cent drop in UK productivity, and a 15 per cent drop in trade, along with £100bn's worth of tax rises – not helped by the UK Government's decision to pursue the hardest of hard Brexit. Why Labour continue to pursue this disastrous policy is beyond me. Government is hard, and no government gets it all wrong or all right. That said, there is an unwillingness to tackle some of the structural issues with governance in the UK. Instead of taking bold steps, Labour has decided that the simplest course of action is to cut benefits – that will cost us all in the long term. This Labour government is seeking to save money on the backs of those who can afford it the least whilst failing to tackle deeper problems that the UK faces because of bad choices, poor governance and unnecessary waste. The UK isn't working, and its spending choices deserve more scrutiny. I would argue – and I would – that we should be showing Westminster and its wasteful ways the door. Mind you, the newest door that was put into the House of Parliament cost £10m (60 per cent over the original estimate) and guess what, it isn't working either.
