How to generate and increase sales
2025-05-07 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-23 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
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

VisitScotland bitesize webinars: choose a tourism experience booking system
2025-05-08 14:00 - 14:30
Discover how an online booking system can transform your operations from streamlining processes to maximising bookings – make sure it’s one of the most important tools in your marketing arsenal.
This webinar is aimed at tourism experiences (tours, visitor attractions and activity providers) only.

An introduction to business strategy
2025-05-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-10 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-05 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

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2025-05-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-30 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-07 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

VisitScotland bitesize webinars: start working with online travel agents
2025-05-22 14:00 - 14:30
Discover how an online travel agent (OTA) can increase bookings and profitability without detracting from direct bookings. Get practical tips on how to create an OTA listing and how to manage your relationship with an OTA.
For tourism experiences (tours, visitor attractions and activity providers) that want to use OTAs for the first time.

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2025-06-03 10:00 - 12:00
You’ve heard of Artificial Intelligence, but do you know how it can help you as you run your business? This practical webinar will explore how AI can help improve 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 cover:

What is Artificial Intelligence
Current AI tools and systems to use right now (including ChatGPT and MidJourney)
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.

The AI-Powered Business: How Businesses Can 10x Their Productivity
2025-06-04 10:00 - 11:30 | Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ
AI tools are revolutionizing how businesses operate. Using them effectively is enabling companies to scale faster, streamline operations, and optimize efficiency.
If you want to learn how to use them to increase productivity in your business, this event is for you.
Delivered by Ali Shariat, co-founder of ThisWayUp, it will discuss the best AI tools for automating key business processes, from marketing and customer service to supply chain management and data analysis.
Ali transformed Coconut Merchant from a startup to a £7 million eCommerce powerhouse that rivalled top brands on Amazon. Capitalizing on this triumph, he secured listings in major UK retailers expanding to more than 15 countries.
By the end of the session, you’ll have gained:

A base understanding of mainstream AI tools and the language used around them.
A knowledge of AI tools that can enhance productivity for often time-consuming tasks.
Understanding of how AI-powered solutions can optimize customer engagement, marketing, and operations.
Understanding of how AI can support international expansion through smarter data insights and decision-making.
Real-world examples of eCommerce businesses successfully leveraging AI to scale globally.

Unleash the Power of ChatGPT & AI to Drive International Business Growth
2025-06-06 10:00 - 13:30
AI chatbots like ChatGPT have been filling up headlines for the last couple of years. In more recent times, those headlines have been about how these tools are supporting day-to-day operations in businesses across industries.
ChatGPT and other similar AI applications use natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue. The language model can respond to questions and compose various written content, including articles, social media posts, essays, code and emails.
If you’re looking to learn more about the potential applications for these tools in your business this interactive event is for you.
It covers a wide range of topics and will help you get the most out of your chosen AI tools, including how to effectively prompt to create quality written content, image generation and video production.
This event will be delivered by Stephen Whitelaw, Business Owner, Writer, Speaker and Digital Guru. Stephen has started and grown several successful businesses and has been the recipient of a Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 Award in recognition of establishing one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses.

Implementing a four day work week
2025-06-12 15:30 - 16:30
As more organisations across Scotland explore new ways of working, the four day working week is gaining traction as a practical solution for improving productivity and wellbeing.
Join Peer Works online to hear from James Reeves of the 4 Day Week Foundation and Neil Sullivan of Boxfish about the opportunities and challenges of implementing a four day working week.
What you’ll learn:

The goals and business case behind the 4 Day Week Campaign
How Boxfish implemented a four-day working week and what they learned
Common challenges and how to overcome them
Tangible benefits for employees and organisations
Practical steps to begin your own transition

Delivering profit to drive growth
2025-06-19 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-03 10:00 - 12:00
The course covers financial analysis, strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and the role of innovation and scalability in leveraging profit for long-term success.
We will cover:

Getting to know your financials
Controlling growth
Improving decision making
Opportunities
Cash is king
Controlling change
Pricing strategies for maximum profit
Measuring profit

Faire: Setting your brand up for success on the marketplace
2025-06-24 10:00 - 11:00
Faire is the world’s largest wholesale marketplace. It helps independent retailers discover bestsellers and supports brands to connect with those retailers, while simplifying wholesale operations.
Faire already works with hundreds of independent retailers and brands across Scotland. It’s partnering with Scottish Enterprise to ensure both retailers and brands feel supported on the platform.
You’ll learn:

Why retailers buy on Faire – and how your brand can reach them
How to optimise your profile and presence
How to use Faire’s order-taking tools
How to boost your ranking
How to improve conversion, retention, and sales
How to make the most of the algorithm

This webinar is for brands new to Faire – and those already using it – who want to grow their wholesale presence.

Why Great Ideas Fail Without Great Teams - And How to Fix It
2025-06-24 10:00 - 11:00
Why do great ideas fail? Because innovation lives or dies with the team behind it.
Join this webinar to learn what sets high-performing innovation teams apart. You’ll leave with practical, research-backed insights on how to:

Unlock the power of diverse teams
Lead with emotional intelligence
Avoid hidden traps that undermine collaboration

Led by Professor Anna Brattström from the University of St Andrews Business School, the session draws on the latest research and real-world examples to explore the unique challenges innovation teams face. You’ll get clear, actionable strategies to help your team work more effectively.

Mastering prompt engineering with ChatGPT for global business success
2025-06-25 10:00 - 13:30 | Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ
This comprehensive masterclass will immerse you in the world of AI and prompt engineering.
Prompt engineering is the term used for the way you craft your questions or tasks – the ‘prompts’ – for AI models to get the best results. If you’re looking to save time, improve communication, and stay ahead of the competition in a global marketplace, effective prompt engineering can transform the way you work.
This session will help you master interactions with ChatGPT, OpenAI’s advanced generative AI model. It offers a deep dive into the nuances of AI communication, focusing on the intricacies of crafting effective prompts that lead to meaningful and insightful AI-generated content.
After the workshop, you’ll be able to use AI models to work smarter. You’ll learn to craft prompts that help you improve productivity, streamline tasks, spark fresh ideas, and save you time and money.
This masterclass is perfect for Scottish business owners, managers, and professionals who want to unlock the full potential of AI to drive innovation and efficiency. Whether you’re using ChatGPT already or just getting started, this session will give you the skills to craft smarter prompts and get more accurate, useful responses.
This event will be delivered by business owner, writer, speaker, and digital guru Stephen Whitelaw. Stephen has started and grown several successful businesses and has received a Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 Award for establishing one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses.

Land & Rural Business Webinar - Protecting Your Farm's Future
2025-06-26 12:30 - 13:30
The Scottish agricultural sector is facing one of the biggest shifts in legislative and budgetary frameworks in a generation. From proposed changes to the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs from Inheritance Tax, to the ongoing Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, there are big challenges on the horizon.
Join experts from Thorntons’ Land and Rural Business team as they discuss these and other significant challenges to help you navigate what may lie ahead. Topics covered will include:

The Autumn Budget – Opportunities to consider
Land Reform and Agricultural Tenancies – What will it mean for farmers
Voluntary Registration and RCI – What you need to know
Preparing for the next generation – succession planning and relationship breakdowns

How to build your brand
2025-06-30 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-25 10:00 - 12:00
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

Launching a Wedding Venue: Lessons Learned & Planning Ahead
2025-07-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Kinclune Estate, Kirkton of Kingoldrum, Forfar, DD8 5HX
Kinclune Estate has recently opened its new wedding venue – hear from Aylwin Pillai as she shares insights from the journey so far, lessons learned along the way, and plans for the future.

2025 Outlook – Key business trends at the halfway mark
2025-07-30 12:00 - 13:00
As we’ve reached the midpoint of 2025, the business landscape for SMEs is evolving faster than ever.
From shifting consumer behaviours to rapid tech innovation and regulatory changes, staying ahead requires insight, agility, and smart strategy.
Join Hugh Lightbody for a dynamic panel webinar where our panellists unpack the key trends shaping the SME landscape in the second half of 2025. Whether you’re already running a small business or thinking of starting up, this session will equip you with the information you need.
This session will cover:

What trends are defining the SME space right now—and what’s coming next?
How can small businesses stay agile amid tech and market disruption?
What practical strategies are helping SMEs stay resilient and competitive?
How to navigate evolving regulations without getting overwhelmed
The changing face of social media in 2025—what to focus on, and what to leave behind
What digital transformation really means for small businesses today
Unlocking growth through partnerships and collaborations

Our panellists are:

Colin Borland, Director of Devolved Nations, Federation of Small Businesses
Sarah Johnson, Director, IndigoLeap
Jordan Kay, Head of Innovation & Growth, Connect Three

Lunch and Learn: What makes a good (or bad) small business strategy
2025-08-04 12:00 - 12:30
Strategy tends to confuse businesses not because it’s complicated, but because it’s often misunderstood, misapplied or miscommunicated.
This session, led by Melissa Wusaty, clarifies what strategy is (and what it isn’t), explores the difference between good and bad strategies and introduces the essential components every business, regardless of size, needs to begin building one with confidence.
Key takeaways from this session:

What strategy is (and isn’t)
What makes a good strategy
How to start building a strategy for your business

Over the past two decades, Melissa has navigated change for businesses and organisations, sought or imposed. Whether building on strengths or forging a new direction, she is often tasked to explore and evaluate possibilities to transform a challenge into an opportunity.

Growth bites: Get started with CRM
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00
Are you looking to better manage your relationships, boost productivity and drive more effective outreach for your business or charity?
Join us for an insightful and practical webinar that will introduce you to the power of customer relationship management (CRM) systems!
This webinar is perfect for anyone looking to move beyond spreadsheets and into a more organised and efficient way of managing their contacts and interactions.
We’ll show you how a CRM can transform the way you operate, helping you build stronger relationships and achieve your goals.

Lunch and Learn: Understanding the purpose and benefits of a business plan
2025-08-11 12:00 - 12:30
Do you regularly think to yourself, “I must sit down and write a business plan?” Or have you started to write plans in the past but never seemed to have the time to finish them?
If you fall into one or more of these categories, you’re in very good company. Most businesses (other than those that are “forced” to produce a plan to apply for bank finance), don’t have the motivation, resources, time or knowledge to write a really effective plan.
This session led by Mark Painter of plana will help you understand the purpose and benefits of a business plan and help you to start writing a practical and effective plan today.
Topics covered in this session:

The benefits of a practical business plan
How to approach effective business planning
The format of the plana “4 Step Business Plan”
