Small Business

Despite its eco credentials and low CO2, the 1.3-litre turbodiesel delivers 170Nm of pulling power and makes easy work of steep motorway hills. It soon becomes apparent that the work of Vauxhall’s engineers to enhance fuel economy has paid off. In addition to the three and five-door models, which emit CO2 emissions of 119g/km, the new Corsa three-door models which emit only 105g/km, are available as Life and Club variants. These three-door Corsa models have been enhanced by lowering the ride height by 20mm and optimising the aerodynamics. The car’s weight has also been reduced by 45kg. Taller gearing, meanwhile, gives a more relaxed and more economical cruising pace.

“A car this economical would be perfect for a start-up business, for you really do have to keep a tight reign on running costs,” muses 20-year-old Edinburgh-based Fraser Doherty (pictured on page 34), or Jam Boy as he’s known to his friends.  Fraser may be fresh-faced but there’s a serious business head on those young shoulders. Fraser’s Super Jam business sells jam in Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys, shifting half a million jars a year. And in order to extend his business even further, Fraser recently printed 25 million money-off vouchers.

“My grandmother taught me how to make jam when I was fourteen. We started to sell it to neighbours and farmer’s markets and soon I was making 1,000 jars a week in my parents kitchen,” recalls Fraser. There was no huge pot of family money to invest in the project, but Fraser did manage to secure a £5,000 loan from the Prince’s Trust.
While jam, like sliced bread, may not be the newest thing under the sun, there is a definite uniqueness to Fraser’s product, as he explains. “I decided to make the jam a healthy jam. It’s made entirely from fruit without adding any sugar or sweetners. That’s why it’s called Super Jam.”