Having won the Scottish regional heat for this award in March Inksters were up against the other 11 regional finalists for the UK title.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who spoke at the ceremony, congratulated the winners and said that “all of us owe you a huge debt of gratitude for all the dedication, effort, ingenuity, creativity and the resilience – particularly over the past two years – that you have shown”.

Andy Aird, FSB Scotland chair, said: “Congratulations to Brian Inkster on winning FSB’s UK Self-Employed / Sole Trader of the Year.

“Brian impressed the judges with the transformation he introduced to his company during the pandemic which transitioned it to a law firm where solicitors are all self-employed/sole traders. Brian himself operates as a sole trader supported by a range of self-employed solicitors in offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Eigg, Forfar, Inverness, Lerwick, Portree, Thurso and Wick, with back office support provided from a base in Glasgow.

“Going it alone in business is no mean feat, so it’s important to recognise and celebrate the tenacity and drive it takes to do so.

“It takes grit and talent to thrive in the face of constant challenges but, despite all the headwind, this is a brilliant example of ingenuity, innovation, creativity - a perfect illustration of how vital small businesses and the self-employed are to the economy and to our communities.”