THE Scottish Borders is amongst the most entrepreneurial regions in Scotland.

Figures show that all Borders towns and villages where data was collected are above the national average when it comes to self-employment.

And communities such as West Linton with 14.1 per cent, Lauder with 13.4 and Melrose with 11.9 are among the highest in Scotland.

The data provided by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows the proportion of people who work for themselves in 479 Scottish towns, cities and suburbs.

They found the most entrepreneurial town in the country is Ullapool with a self-employment figure of 17.9 per cent.

But all 18 settlements in the Borders are above the 6.4 per cent average.

Earlston has 10.8 per cent of its population working for themselves, while there are 10.6 per cent in Innerleithen and 10.5 per cent in St Boswells.

A total of 10 per cent of Peebles residents are self employed while it is 9.2 per cent in Selkirk, 8.9 per cent in Newtown, 7.4 per cent in Hawick and 7.1 per cent in Galashiels.

Gordon Henderson, FSB’s senior development manager, told us: “The Borders is a small business economy and these figures on self-employment support that view.

"While it is pleasing that all of the local towns included here are above the national average for entrepreneurship, the 7 per cent gap between West Linton and Galashiels shows where our business support agencies can focus their attention to boost local economies through self-employment.

"Scottish Borders Council’s economic development team have conducted some innovative work recently looking at local town centres and where investment is required.

"Their action plan has adopted a geographic approach to business support in the Borders rather than the previous sectoral one and this will allow them to target the towns where most support is needed."

Other towns which were included in the data are Chirnside on 9.4 per cent, Jedburgh with 9.2 per cent, Duns with 8.8 per cent, Eyemouth on 8.5 per cent and Kelso with 8.3 per cent.

The FSB figures show towns with the highest figures tend to be wealthy, rural, have high home and car ownership, and high educational attainment levels.

And the towns with the lowest figures nationally tend to be in Scotland’s post-industrial heartlands where large employers no longer exist, in these areas there tends to be low home and car ownership and lower levels of educational attainment.

Mr Henderson added: "The industrial histories of Hawick and Galashiels are well known locally. Their major employer textile mills are no longer operating but the industry continues to thrive in the Borders with a growing number of self-employed textiles designers and manufacturers located here.

"The reported investment in a textiles innovation centre at Heriot-Watt University’s Galashiels campus as part of the Edinburgh City Region Deal would play an important part in this revival if it comes to fruition.

"Recent figures on the economic impact of the Borders Railway have been very encouraging so I’m confident the number of self-employed people in Galashiels will move up into double digit figures next time we look at them.

"Just imagine what could be done for entrepreneurship in Hawick if the railway was extended to there!"

On the back of the figures the FSB has produced a five point plan to boost entrepreneurship.

As well as social security and income protection, which would see the Scottish government use their new social security powers to provide extra maternity, paternity and adoption support for the self-employed, the FSB wants enterprise education for every child to learn about running a business.

They are also calling on all 32 local authorities to utilise empty property by offering long-term vacant buildings for free to local business start-ups.

They are also pushing for the Scottish Funding Council to allocate extra funding to universities and colleges who successfully help graduates to establish businesses.

And the last point is for getting enterprise support working properly with the Scottish government’s enterprise and skills review.