Deciding who may read your resource, and choosing goods and services to illustrate what's on offer in a place of interest to you and any other readers.
You and your friends and family will read the resource, as will your teacher, because your studies involve your research into particular goods and services on offer in a specific place in Scotland. But your finished resource could also be on display locally – think of who might read it there. Local residents may read the resource in the library or other community centre. Tourists may read the resource where they are staying, perhaps having found it at a local tourist information point. Planners of local events may read the resource in a meeting to make arrangements.
A focus on goods and services offered in a specific place in Scotland
One focus could be on traders who, for example, provide transport-related services in an area of Scotland. The goods and services could range from vehicle hire and maintenance through to running scheduled bus, train and ferry services, to hiring out boats for holiday use.
A visitor centre could be the focus of a project, to illustrate traders who provide goods retailed by that centre. Another option for a project could include traders who supplied goods and services when a specific building was designed and built.
A project might aim to show the services required to maintain a forest or garden centre or a garden open to visitors, or the goods and services required as part of activities to sell to people who visit the forest or garden, or to supply wood to manufacturers and carpenters. Your project could highlight the goods and services which enable plants and flowers to be sold to people for their own gardens - or to businesses which sell services like wedding event planning. It could illustrate the traders who sell holiday lodges or furniture made from wood harvested from a forest to customers at home and abroad.
Some people may have little interest in forests, except perhaps to visit one when on holiday. But the example of wood illustrates how a raw material is grown and used to make something that then is sold to residents of a country or exported to people living abroad. People abroad may wish to buy things specifically because they are distinctive reminders, whether the goods are useful or give pleasure.
The same principle covers other materials such as stone used in buildings or ingredients in things to eat. It applies to any raw material derived from a process to recycle what is otherwise wasted by being dumped in landfill or sent abroad so that other people may make goods which are then imported back into the UK. It also relates to postcards and calendars which have been made in Scotland and hence are genuine souvenirs by not being imported. And it’s the same with films and songs which tell a Scottish story.
Most businesses involved will themselves need to buy goods and services from others, including spare parts, printing and publishing services, accountancy, bookkeeping, and property-related services. In some cases the businesses may also purchase goods and services (for example genuine souvenirs, locally-produced food or catering services) for sale to their customers who are visitors on tour.
There are many things to research that are now sold and bought online. A growing proportion of UK-based traders have websites to promote the goods and services which they offer, a significant number do not, and these are often the traders who serve local areas. A project could examine the reasons for such developments and the use or otherwise of technology by a group of traders.
A focus on goods and services which are offered locally
How easy is it for local residents to contact someone to help maintain their houses, look after their garden or mend burst water pipes? How can younger residents find out about interesting local activities? Are residents generally able to buy locally-grown food?
Can residents with increasing physical needs or their caring friends or family find traded and other services to help them live at home safely and independently? There is a checklist of the services people require in such circumstance in the 'Finding key local information' example resource.
Could your resource improve how the community markets itself to potential visitors by illustrating attractive goods and services on offer, from places to stay through to things to do? It could do this by collating information which is already available in a variety of locations. Your school could ensure that a copy of your finished resource is displayed in local caravan and camp sites and other places which tourist boards may have overlooked.
Finally, could your resource help the place where you live by giving useful information to people who organise local events? It could illustrate goods and services like locally-made products which could be purchased by the event planners to be sold on stalls at such an event for the enjoyment of those attending.
This sort of resource could be a most useful ‘community service’ by your school, because people who organise or license events may not be locally-based so might overlook locally-available goods and services which could enhance an event. Where an event is run in your area, your resource could help local people to feel totally involved.
Your resource will pull together much information for local residents, so a printed copy of your finished resource could usefully be displayed in local service information points including the library and health and community centres. Your school could also aim for media coverage of your project in local newspapers or magazines which may be already delivered free to residents.
Producing your target statement
In one paragraph, write a statement identifying your target readership, the goods and services you seek to illustrate, and the area served by traders you will seek to find. The area is the whole of Scotland, unless you identify a specific place or locality in Scotland. If you wish to focus on Scottish exporters, the area could be an export destination country. The target statement records your decisions about this and notes the reasons for those decisions.
If you are still undecided, ask your friends and family what they have spent money on lately and illustrate some of the traders who supplied those goods or services. Everyone buys food so your resource could be ‘to let residents know how much of their food is sourced locally’. This could be part of your target statement, with the goods you seek to illustrate being food which is sold in a local shop or superstore. You will find the traders from their websites (often shown on the food labels), and the specific area served is where your readers reside.
You are now ready to start step 2.
Producing a resource
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A focus on goods and services offered in a specific place in Scotland
One focus could be on traders who, for example, provide transport-related services in an area of Scotland. The goods and services could range from vehicle hire and maintenance through to running scheduled bus, train and ferry services, to hiring out boats for holiday use.
A visitor centre could be the focus of a project, to illustrate traders who provide goods retailed by that centre. Another option for a project could include traders who supplied goods and services when a specific building was designed and built.
A project might aim to show the services required to maintain a forest or garden centre or a garden open to visitors, or the goods and services required as part of activities to sell to people who visit the forest or garden, or to supply wood to manufacturers and carpenters. Your project could highlight the goods and services which enable plants and flowers to be sold to people for their own gardens - or to businesses which sell services like wedding event planning. It could illustrate the traders who sell holiday lodges or furniture made from wood harvested from a forest to customers at home and abroad.
Some people may have little interest in forests, except perhaps to visit one when on holiday. But the example of wood illustrates how a raw material is grown and used to make something that then is sold to residents of a country or exported to people living abroad. People abroad may wish to buy things specifically because they are distinctive reminders, whether the goods are useful or give pleasure.
The same principle covers other materials such as stone used in buildings or ingredients in things to eat. It applies to any raw material derived from a process to recycle what is otherwise wasted by being dumped in landfill or sent abroad so that other people may make goods which are then imported back into the UK. It also relates to postcards and calendars which have been made in Scotland and hence are genuine souvenirs by not being imported. And it’s the same with films and songs which tell a Scottish story.
Most businesses involved will themselves need to buy goods and services from others, including spare parts, printing and publishing services, accountancy, bookkeeping, and property-related services. In some cases the businesses may also purchase goods and services (for example genuine souvenirs, locally-produced food or catering services) for sale to their customers who are visitors on tour.
There are many things to research that are now sold and bought online. A growing proportion of UK-based traders have websites to promote the goods and services which they offer, a significant number do not, and these are often the traders who serve local areas. A project could examine the reasons for such developments and the use or otherwise of technology by a group of traders.
A focus on goods and services which are offered locally
How easy is it for local residents to contact someone to help maintain their houses, look after their garden or mend burst water pipes? How can younger residents find out about interesting local activities? Are residents generally able to buy locally-grown food?
Can residents with increasing physical needs or their caring friends or family find traded and other services to help them live at home safely and independently? There is a checklist of the services people require in such circumstance in the 'Finding key local information' example resource.
Could your resource improve how the community markets itself to potential visitors by illustrating attractive goods and services on offer, from places to stay through to things to do? It could do this by collating information which is already available in a variety of locations. Your school could ensure that a copy of your finished resource is displayed in local caravan and camp sites and other places which tourist boards may have overlooked.
Finally, could your resource help the place where you live by giving useful information to people who organise local events? It could illustrate goods and services like locally-made products which could be purchased by the event planners to be sold on stalls at such an event for the enjoyment of those attending.
This sort of resource could be a most useful ‘community service’ by your school, because people who organise or license events may not be locally-based so might overlook locally-available goods and services which could enhance an event. Where an event is run in your area, your resource could help local people to feel totally involved.
Your resource will pull together much information for local residents, so a printed copy of your finished resource could usefully be displayed in local service information points including the library and health and community centres. Your school could also aim for media coverage of your project in local newspapers or magazines which may be already delivered free to residents.
Producing your target statement
In one paragraph, write a statement identifying your target readership, the goods and services you seek to illustrate, and the area served by traders you will seek to find. The area is the whole of Scotland, unless you identify a specific place or locality in Scotland. If you wish to focus on Scottish exporters, the area could be an export destination country. The target statement records your decisions about this and notes the reasons for those decisions.
If you are still undecided, ask your friends and family what they have spent money on lately and illustrate some of the traders who supplied those goods or services. Everyone buys food so your resource could be ‘to let residents know how much of their food is sourced locally’. This could be part of your target statement, with the goods you seek to illustrate being food which is sold in a local shop or superstore. You will find the traders from their websites (often shown on the food labels), and the specific area served is where your readers reside.
You are now ready to start step 2.
Producing a resource
Back to Home