Taxation and the EOT
2023-09-13 10:00 - 11:00 UTC
Are you considering the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) as an exit strategy for your business? If so, this webinar will provide you with vital information about the tax implications of this move.
Since its introduction in 2014, the EOT has proved to be a feasible exit option for business owners.
It’s a flexible option, and by making the right choices, you can ensure you meet the requirements for the tax incentives and deliver the best results for the seller, the company and the employees.
Aimed at professional advisers, this session gives attendees the opportunity to hear directly from tax experts Richard Jones from ICAEW and Nick Wright from Jerroms Miller. They will cover the following topics:

Legislative requirements for CGT exemption & bonus payments
The HMRC approvals process
Inheritance tax and the EOT sale
Personal tax planning
Taxation on an EOT exit

They’ll also give their views on the current EOT Legislation Consultation and any potential amendments.

How to write and develop your business plan
2023-09-14 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-09-25 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-10-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-11-09 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-11-20 13:30 - 15:30, 2023-12-11 10:00 - 12:00
New and established businesses will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This webinar will teach you what you need to include and how. We will walk you through what should be included within a business plan, how a business plan is used to improve your prospects for a loan or a grant, and how you can develop a business plan to meet your needs.
We will:

Provide a structure for a business plan
Review each section of what should be included within the business plan
Explain when and how to use a business plan
Explore the connections (and importance) between the words and the numbers
Look at how to identify and manage cashflow within the business planning process

Selling your business masterclass
2023-09-14 10:00 - 12:00
Have you considered a succession plan for your business? It’s never too early to start thinking about your options. Employee ownership is fast becoming the preferred exit route for business owners.
Aimed at business owners considering an exit from their company, this session will give attendees the opportunity to hear structural and civil engineering experts Narro Associates and Executive Search Specialists Livingston James explain what they considered in choosing employee ownership and how things have worked.
Ewan Hall from Baxendale will talk through all ownership succession options before focusing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.
Timings:
10:05am Welcome – Glen Dott, Scottish Enterprise
10:10am Ownership succession options – Ewan Hall, Baxendale
10:35am Employee ownership case study – Narro Associates
11:00am Employee ownership case study – Livingston James
11:25am Support available – Glen Dott, Scottish Enterprise
11:30am Q&A11:45am Close
Attend this workshop to learn how employee ownership offers a tax efficient exit route that protects your company’s legacy while providing a competitive price for the business.

How to protect and manage your intellectual property
2023-09-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-10-19 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-11-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-12-14 10:00 - 12:00
You have invested time, energy, and money into your project, however, have you protected the innovation?
Following this webinar, you will understand how to manage your intellectual property (IP) or how to start the process of registering it.
Topics covered include:

What are intellectual assets (IA)?
What is intellectual property (IP)?
How to use IP (in the real world)
Where to get more insight and information

Participants will leave with:

An understanding that all businesses create IA/IP
A framework of knowledge about IP
A little more knowledge about the diverse types of IP
An insight into how to identify, protect and exploit IP/IA
Context of why IP/IA matters
Links to useful learning resources

How to generate and increase sales
2023-09-26 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-10-13 14:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-10 09:30 - 11:30
Sales are the lifeblood of every business. This webinar focuses on a pragmatic approach to sales strategy and delivery and is designed to fit with the needs of small businesses in both B2C and B2B environments.
We will cover:

Why a clear understanding of what an ideal customer looks like, and a good understanding of their problems, needs and wants is key to sales success
How to develop your sales platform using digital tools, platforms, and techniques
The different motivations potential customers may have and how to identify which ‘buttons’ your business needs to press
The key phases in prospecting, qualifying, and converting sales prospects
The value of a ‘sales funnel’ and how it can be used to help plan and achieve sales
Why keeping the customers you already have is the best sales strategy of all
The importance of appropriate customer service in retaining customers

The business benefits of running a sustainable business
2023-09-26 14:00 - 16:00
It’s becoming increasingly important to customers to source their products from companies who have strong green credentials. This webinar will show how by becoming more sustainable you can increase sales and profits.
We will look at:
Understanding the problem
What is sustainability and why it is important
Innovation
Profiting from being a green business
Embracing a purpose beyond profit
The sustainability triple bottom line
Developing your own green charter
Examples of those practicing this way of growth with remarkable success
Top tips for going green

An Introduction to Innovation
2023-10-04 10:00 - 11:00
This webinar provides an introduction to the tools & techniques you need to start or move to the next stage of your innovation journey.
Run by Scottish Enterprise Innovation Specialists, this session will introduce you to top innovation concepts, tools, and the Scottish Enterprise support available to help your business innovate and grow.
Speakers will also provide an overview of the organisation’s flagship innovation programme — Advanced Innovation Roadmap Development — so you can gauge whether it’s right to support your business in its innovation journey, now or in the future.

Build an effective strategy to grow your business
2023-10-12 14:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-02 09:30 - 11:30, 2023-11-30 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar is practical, outcome driven, and designed to fit with the needs of small businesses in both B2C and B2B environments. It will help you develop a strategically led approach that can turbo charge business growth, identify the core growth strategy(ies) that are right for your business, and develop an action plan.
We will look at:

Your business today – identifying your strengths and areas for development
The key pillars of a business and why balancing all areas is essential for success
Personal and business ambitions and using these to guide strategy development
Ansoff’s Matrix as a tool for identifying core growth strategies
The core components of your business delivery
How to develop a methodical, strategic approach to developing your business for future success

After the webinar, you will understand:

How to undertake a balanced review of where your business is that helps identify areas for development
Ansoff’s Matrix and how to use it as a core strategic planning tool
How to create a strategic plan for growing your business

Build a customer focused business
2023-10-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-11-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-12-06 10:00 - 12:00
Did you know that a returning customer will typically spend more than two thirds more with your business than a brand new one?
Did you know that retaining just 5% of your customer base can give an increase of over 20% in profits for your business?
Having an effective strategy in place for your business to deliver great customer service is critical for your business.
We will cover:

Why good customer service is critical for business growth
What are the essentials of delivering great customer service and how should this be delivered?
How to effectively manage different types of customers and their expectations
How, why, and when you should measure the service a business delivers
How to use the service provided to promote a business and enable growth

Build your brand and promotional graphics
2023-10-17 12:00 - 14:00
This webinar will define what a brand is (and is not) and explain how it is more than just creating a logo. We will explore how a business can use their brand to show its identity, purpose, personality, message, and values in order to stand out from competitors, build a loyal customer base and make more sales.
This session will:

Provide you with a clear understanding of the difference between brands and branding
Help you understand what a brand is
Show you why branding is important
Look at your brand strategy, brand identity and action
Help you learn how to develop your brand’s positioning, character, and purpose to differentiate your business from its competitors
Demonstrate how to set up a brand kit and style guide to ensure consistency across websites, social media, business cards, posters etc.
Teach you how to create simple promotional graphics using a variety of tools including Canva
Highlight a variety of free tools including Google Drive, Hubspot and Mailchimp that can save time and simplify marketing tasks

Deep dive into the EOT
2023-10-25 10:00 - 11:00
How does the EOT work in practice? Attend this webinar for an overview of the tax implications of the EOT.
Since its introduction in 2014, the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) has proved to be a feasible exit option for many business owners. It’s a flexible option, and by making the right choices, you can meet the requirements for tax incentives and achieve the best results for the seller, company and employees.
Aimed at professional advisers, this session will let you hear directly from legal experts Douglas Roberts and Nimarta Cheema of TLT Ltd. They’ll cover the following topics:

benefits and drawbacks of the EOT
financial aspects
legal conditions
protections
warranties and controls

How Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help your business marketing
2023-11-13 14:00 - 16:00
You’ve heard of Artificial Intelligence, but do you know how it can help you as you run your business? This brand new practical webinar will explore how AI can help revolutionise your business marketing to be more efficient and cost-effective, through the automatic creation of content for all your digital platforms; as well as helping you better understand your customers and business opportunities.
This webinar will include:

What is Artificial Intelligence
Current AI tools and systems to use right now (including ChatGPT and Dall-E 2)
Automating Digital Content for Blogs and Social Media
Using AI for business strategy and customer profiling
The pros and cons of AI for small businesses

This webinar will help you understand how you can integrate AI into your existing marketing, looking at the potential consequences (good and bad) of Artificial Intelligence, and its impact on small businesses and their customers.

Recognition & Reward – Share Schemes within the EOT Business
2023-11-22 10:00 - 11:00
Since its introduction in 2014, the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) has proved to be a feasible exit option for many business owners. It’s a flexible option, and by making the right choices, you can meet the requirements for tax incentives and achieve the best results for the seller, the company and the employees.
Aimed at professional advisers, this session allows you to hear directly from share scheme experts Rodger Cairns and Gavin Charlton at Shepherd & Wedderburn. They will cover the following topics:

overview of incentives
share incentives vs bonuses
choosing a share plan
share plan admin
communication

Keep your business safe online
2023-11-24 10:00 - 12:00
Join us to find out how criminals are targeting small businesses online, the risks you face, and what you can do to minimise your exposure to online crime.
This webinar includes a number of live demos, covering the following areas:

What are the main online threats to your business?
The 5 pillars of prevention (Backup, Malware prevention, Securing your hardware, Passwords & Phishing attacks)
Simple and practical measures you can implement to protect yourself and your business
Best practice recovery steps for your business if the worst should happen

As a result of attending this webinar, you will gain a deeper understanding of the digital threats facing your business and what you need to do to secure your website, social media and company data from cyber criminals.

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2023-12-06 16:00 - 18:00
Ready to accelerate your business growth but unsure where to begin?
Look no further than our Ready Steady Grow workshop focused on accelerating business growth. Led by experienced business advisers, this session is designed to help you identify your growth potential and create a roadmap for success.
Through collaborative discussions with like-minded businesses, you’ll gain new insights, tools and knowledge to help support your growth plans. You’ll also walk away with a network of fellow business owners to connect with for ongoing support.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take your business to new heights!

The Basics of Starting a Business
2023-12-07 16:00 - 18:00
This webinar will give you the information needed to build a start up action plan. The plan will enable you to consider which actions are relevant to your plan, start building a set of SMART Goals, give thought to business skills development and provide a clear path for steps to launch your business.
You will also learn about the key considerations when starting a business and what steps you will need to take from legal, financial and strategic standpoints.
By the end of the webinar, you will have the information required to start building an action plan and be confident about understanding the next steps.
