The Glasgow Times is featuring the six candidates hoping to be voted Glasgow's Favourite Business for 2023.
The award, sponsored by this paper, is part of the Glasgow Business Awards organised by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce with Royal Bank of Scotland as the main sponsor.
When the pandemic landed Jacquie McGeoch back in Glasgow, it reinvigorated her love for the city.
She bought the events website What's On In Glasgow last October and never imagined it would be recognised as one of Glasgow's Favourite Businesses one year later.
Sharing her disbelief, she said: "Sometimes you do a lot of work and you don’t realise that other people are noticing it. I'm totally in shock.
Before taking on the challenge of running an online platform, the 58-year-old spent years helping members of the armed forces as a consultant and magazine editor, travelling up and down the UK from Elgin to Plymouth.
Her experience working with veterans shaped her drive to help Glasgow businesses.
Jacquie said: “I had a lot of people with PTSD that I was helping. I’m an empath and there were days when it was hard going.
“But I loved it, I’d absolutely loved what I’d done. I did change a lot of lives which I’m really proud of.
"During the pandemic, Glasgow was hit really hard and a lot of businesses disappeared. And not everybody can afford to advertise.
“I don’t see What's On In Glasgow as just somewhere to buy an advert, I want to help local businesses and charities.”
As a civvy, Jacquie made close friends with veterans who had lost limbs during service, some of whom have gone on to compete in the Invictus Games.
She told the Glasgow Times: "A few of my friends are triple amputees.
"I asked one of my friends once, how do you go on and do what you do?
"They told me, there were some people left behind who never came home, so we have to carry on for them.
"It's taught me to be more resilient and more understanding of people.
"To listen and be a better kind of human."
She added: "The fact that I've been nominated is like - wow.
"I can't believe people are noticing me because it's so hard to start something new."
The winner of The Glasgow Times Award for Glasgow's Favourite Business will be revealed at the annual Glasgow Business Awards ceremony, taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on Thursday 5 October 2023. Voting closes at midnight on September []2023.
Place your vote for The Glasgow Times Award for Glasgow's Favourite Business here.
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