THEY never used to lack an entrepreneurial spark in the Gorbals.
It was the southside neighbourhood, after all, that gave the world Sir Thomas Lipton, the son of local grocers who did more than most to invent modern retailing.
In fact much of the Gorbals was created in the early 19th Century as a daring commercial venture by one James Laurie – hence neighbouring Laurieston.
So where better than the Gorbals to provide a home for Entrepreneurial Spark and its "hatchery" for start-up businesses.
As we report today, this venture – supported by another Gorbals lad-done-well, Willie Haughey – is booming.
And so it should. Small and medium enterprises are already one of the cornerstones of the Glasgow economy.
Big firms, big banks, are all struggling in the continuing credit crunch.
In the years to come, small businesses are going to have to do the heavy lifting of Glasgow's economic growth.
It will be the small firms – and not the giants – who create the jobs we so desperately need in this city.
Of course, not everybody's business idea is going to work out.
But it only takes one of those start-ups being reared in the Gorbals to turn in to a Lipton for the effort to be worthwhile.