Edinburgh businesswoman opens up on finding success in a 'male-dominated industry'

Published date11 April 2024
AuthorLee Dalgetty
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Kirsty Allan, director of City Access Scaffolding, appeared on an episode of the Edinburgh Business Stories podcast. She discussed coping with the pressure, balancing family and work life, and the difference women can make in male heavy workplaces

She launched the firm back in 2014 with her husband and their friend, and while they've had huge success over the last decade - it hasn't come without struggle. Kirsty admitted "keeping myself sane can be difficult".

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She previously ran an online children's boutique, before launching City Access. She sat down with hosts Alex and Alan on the podcast, and told them: "I had two small children at the time.

"My girls were four and one-year-old at the time. It was very overwhelming to be doing that on my own with two small children and a husband who worked offshore.

"I wanted Johnny home, back from offshore."

Kirsty's husband Johnny and his friend Mark would come home from two weeks, before going back offshore for two weeks. While at home, they would sometimes pick up small jobs in scaffolding.

This soon turned into Kirsty setting up these jobs, with the two men doing the work. She continued: "I reached out to everybody that I knew, I had zero shame.

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"I think there was a bit of thinking 'this has to work now'. I started really small.

"I just sold the guys and their service, and it just worked."

With business picking up, Johnny packed in his offshore job and committed to City Access full time. The business grew from there,

Kirsty added: "I do share things with our staff on a...

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