While lobbyists say many small firms have reasons to be cautious about the outlook as the holiday season looms large, entrepreneurial types prefer to remind people that tough times can create opportunities.

Given the recent plunge in the value of the pound and the emergence of a newfound thriftiness among some consumers, those with ambitions in the leisure market could find there is more business to be won in the UK.

This week's SME Focus highlights a business that is benefiting from that trend and the feel-good effect generated by British sporting success. Stewart Matthews even sings the praises of his bank, but says the government could be doing a lot more to help his business.

Name: Stewart Matthews.

Age: I'm 47.

What is your business called? Scotkart - we wanted a strong name with a national identity to reflect who we are.

Where is it based? Our two karting tracks are in Cambuslang and Clydebank. They are the two largest indoor tracks in Scotland. We also run Lazer Planet, a laser tag arena, at Clydebank.

What does it produce, what services does it offer? We offer children and adults the chance to experience karting in a controlled environment.

The adult karts are to a full racing standard. They have a 200cc engine and are capable of around 40mph. It can feel a lot faster when you are only a couple of inches from the track.

All of our services receive a boost when Formula 1 gains popularity. It happened when David Coulthard was in the headlines and it is happening now because of the success of Lewis Hamilton.

To whom does it sell? Our customers are extremely varied; corporate groups, hen and stag nights, right through to serious racing enthusiasts and birthday parties.

Last year, we bought a fleet of junior karts to expand the age range of potential customers.

Recently we have seen an upturn in corporate bookings and stag and hen parties.

People still need to organise team days away from the office or entertain clients but resources are shrinking.

A good pattern is emerging with stag and hen nights. The number of pre-wedding parties dipped in recent years due to the availability of cheap flights to Europe. Over the last few months, we have been taking an extra pre-wedding party a week compared to last year and enquiries for spring and summer 2009 hen nights and stag dos are up by around 15%. I think consumers are being a little bit more careful with their money and are staying in the UK or having a local party instead.

What is its turnover? Well over £1m a year.

How many employees? We employ 30 people.

When was it formed? Scotkart was founded at Cambuslang in 1991. Clydebank opened in 2000 and Laser Planet followed in 2006.

Why did you take the plunge? Scotkart offered me a way of combining a passion for motorsport with business. I saw a gap in the market for indoor racing in Scotland and I felt it would be an interesting and varied industry.

What were you doing before you took the plunge? I was running a wholesale stationer. It was a family business run in partnership with my father and brother. The com pany supplied stationery to independent retailers such as bookshops and card shops.

We sold the business around 20 years ago for a six-figure sum. At the time, we had a multi-million pound turnover and it was the largest stationery wholesaler in the UK.

Opportunities for further growth were becoming limited due to the increasing dominance of the multiple retailers and supermarkets. Coupled with changing family circumstances, it felt like the right time to sell and try something new.

How did you raise the start-up funding? In addition to our own funds, the Allied Irish Bank have been very supportive over the years and provided a loan for the rest of the required capital to get the business off the ground.

What was your biggest break? There have been many along the way but the biggest was the first: finding the site for our first track. It was a long search to find a commercial property with enough space and flexibility to operate a karting track. We chose Cambuslang because of the building and it is in the right position to draw people from across the central belt.

What was your worst moment? Disqualifying David Coulthard for being over-aggressive on the track was a difficult moment. The others happen when good members of staff leave. When you have grown the business together it can be hard to see people go, even if you understand their reasons.

What do you most enjoy about running the business? Being trackside and dealing with customers is still the most enjoyable part of the job. I feel a little envious of the racing staff when I am sitting in the back office looking at the accounts.

What do you least enjoy? Dealing with IT systems can be a chore.

What is your biggest bugbear? Being asked to pay the full amount for petrol; and that was before the government decided once again to raise the duty in the pre-Budget report.

The karting associations and Scotkart have been making a case for years and will continue to do so to reduce or remove fuel duty for motorsport companies, but the government still feels it should be fully payable for use in karts.

It seems strange to me that a vehicle that will never be on the road, is used only for leisure purposes and in a controlled business environment has to pay the full amount.

Every Budget, emergency or otherwise, we wait to see what they add to what is already an unjust tax. It penalises many businesses at a time when we are all trying to avoid passing costs onto customers.

What are your ambitions for the firm? We are redeveloping spare ground at Cambuslang into a paintball arena. It will be the first of its type in the UK.

What are your top priorities? The first priority for any karting company has to be its safety record. A single karting accident can affect the whole industry's reputation.

Christmas is one of our busiest times of the year and a key period towards a healthy financial year.

Once the festive period is out of the way, we are going to concentrate on the new paintball arena. This will require staff development, marketing and careful integration into the rest of the business. I would also like to discover the next Lewis Hamilton.

What single thing would most help? It has already happened. A British F1 champion encourages participation across all aspects of motor sport. Lewis Hamilton, like most of the other F1 drivers, started his career at a young age in the karting circuit. For children and adults, the heightened interest has been great for the industry.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help? Apart from sorting out the fuel tax issue, lowering business rates would be extremely beneficial. By basing rates on the size of your property rather than size of your business, like in Europe, they penalise small businesses like ourselves who need large properties.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned? It would be to offer customers great service and good value for money and to develop and invest in your product to stay ahead of competitors.

How do you relax? I like to spend time with my two boys, Harry and Guy, and my wife Carol. As well as watching motorsport, I listen to a lot of music and go to concerts regularly. I have just booked tickets for Glastonbury 2009. I am also a member of a badminton club and ski whenever possible.