Engaging in Lean
2024-07-24 09:30 - 12:30 UTC | Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ
The Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) is pleased to invite you to this exercise-based workshop.
Through the workshop, you’ll discover the easiest way to engage with your people to start to make improvements to the way work is done, and how these fits within the wider philosophy of lean.
With simulation, we’ll detail the tools and techniques of Lean, as well as taking you through the change process and emphasise how best to achieve sustainable change in your business.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to find out how you and your workforce can work together in the best interests of the business.

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2024-07-25 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-08-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-11 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!

An introduction to business strategy
2024-07-26 11:30 - 13:30, 2024-08-06 09:00 - 11:00
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

Managing the growth of your small business
2024-07-26 14:00 - 15:00
Starting a venture is one thing, growing it is another. Scaling effectively can be one of the most challenging aspects, with mis-managed growth often leading to downfall after so much time, effort and money has been invested. So if you are a business owner that has started to see growth, this webinar will help you to gain more creative, time and financial freedom as your venture transitions to offer greater reach and impact.
This session will look at the principles of growth and:

the distinction between self-employment and business ownership
identifying and implementing optimal systems for record-keeping, decision-making, monitoring and evaluation
devising a range of risk-management processes to better manage business functions and the people involved
how to hire to enable and enhance expansion
improving workflow and project management
licensing, franchising, acquiring another venture

Delivering profit to drive growth
2024-07-30 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

Cyber security for your small business
2024-07-30 13:00 - 14:00
Around 83% of small and medium-sized businesses are not financially prepared to recover from a cyber attack – which could mean going out of business.
This event aims to introduce start-ups and new businesses to the risks they face and provide top tips on how to avoid some common threats, protect their organisation and enable them to win new business and gain stakeholder support.
Your host Jim Wright will introduce security, how it can benefit businesses and allow them to seize opportunities while minimising risk. Jim will also discuss common frameworks and fundamental principles that business leaders should know from the start of their business venture.
By the end of this webinar, attendees will:

understand security risks
understand the benefits of security
have an awareness of threat actors
have an awareness of threat vectors
have an awareness of the services that can be offered to support start-ups
understand the regulatory environment in which they work
understand the common frameworks relating to security

Jim Wright is the founder and principal consultant of Principle Defence, a Hertfordshire-based security and data protection consultancy and training provider. Jim has over 17 years of experience in security having served in the British Army before moving into the private sector.
He has worked with both private and public sector clients as a consultant, working on multi-billion pound projects providing information security and data privacy advice and services. He holds a number of certifications including Fellow of Information Privacy from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and the Lead Security and Information Risk Advisor (L-SIRA) from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Principle Defence is a Trusted Partner of the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (a policing-led initiative) and is a Cyber Essentials Certification Body.
Please note, the webinar may be recorded, however, having your Camera and microphone on is optional.

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2024-08-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-22 14:00 - 16:00
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

Implementing and Sustaining Workplace Organisation
2024-08-14 09:00 - 12:00 | ETZ Ltd, 53 Blenheim Place, Aberdeen, AB25 2DY
Join our Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) on 14 August 2024, from 9:30am to 12:00 noon, for a free Lean Breakfast Workshop at W-Zero-1 collaboration space at ETZ, Aberdeen, which will provide you with the tools to support you through the Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme’s Process Excellence requirements.
The series is designed to help you develop your own continuous improvement strategies, to apply process improvements, improve workplace organisation and much more. Each workshop will also begin and end with a 30-minute networking opportunity.
Workshop four – Implementing and Sustaining Workplace Organisation
Our fourth session of the series will focus on supporting your business with workplace organisation methods. You will learn:

A structured approach to implementing and sustaining workplace organisation
Solutions to potential challenges when implementing workplace organisation techniques
Practical tips and tools to organise your office or shopfloor

Our event is open to all manufacturers and producers – large, small and sector wide – who wish to improve business efficiency and begin their F4OR accreditation. It’s aimed at business leaders and managers who are looking to introduce a culture of change within the business and who wish to engage the workforce to look for opportunities to do things better and deliver process improvements that can benefit your business.

Is it too soon to talk about the C word?
2024-08-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Pathhead Farm, Forfar Road, Kirriemuir, DD8 5BY
Join us for an exciting joint networking event with Appetite for Angus at the Pathhead Farm Shop and Café. This event is your chance to connect with like-minded individuals and businesses in your community and to kickstart your business’s Christmas plans.
Learn about upcoming events hosted by both Business Gateway and Appetite for Angus, and explore the various support options available to you in the lead-up to the festive season.
In addition to networking, you will have the chance to hear from Ally, the owner of Pathhead Farm. Ally will share his vision for the farm shop and café while discussing his search for local suppliers to feature in his business. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore potential collaborations and gain insights into local market opportunities.
Don’t miss this opportunity to network with local businesses and discover how you can benefit from the resources and support provided by Business Gateway and Appetite for Angus.

Register Your Interest - Amazon Accelerator Programme
2024-08-20 10:00 - 16:00
Please note this is just to register your interest in the programme. A member of the team will be in touch to discuss whether the programme is right for you.
Amazon Accelerator commences on 20th Aug and runs with weekly involvement until 29 Nov , with regular content and 1-2-1’s.
Our team of experienced Amazon sellers will provide 1-2-1 support to address your company-specific issues and offer expert advice for successful sales growth. By the end of the programme you will have developed your:

Amazon profile.
launched your Amazon site.
established a significant and consistent revenue stream.

Delivery

Online learning platform.
bi-weekly online group sessions on Friday mornings.
ongoing 1-2-1 support.

Managing People for Growth - Hybrid
2024-08-21 09:00 - 16:00 | Scottish Enterprise, 99 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD
Our workshops cover several key areas that can help you develop the skills of your people managers. You’ll learn how to:

Identify the skills and approaches managers require to perform their roles successfully both now and in the future
Implement fair and progressive work practices through an understanding of key drivers that can develop new ways of working (for example, the fair work framework, productivity and benefits of employee engagement)
Understand the importance of effectively maximising and improving existing staff skills, while identifying the style and attributes of an effective manager

Areas our workshops will focus on:
1. The role of a manager
2. Empowering teams and individuals
3. Communication, influencing and collaboration
4. Coaching and delegation
5. Managing individual performance
6. Creating a culture of innovation

From side-hustle to start-up
2024-08-21 12:30 - 13:30
Whether you’re running a small online shop, offering freelance services, or pursuing a passion project, the session aims to help give you the confidence you need to take the next step and transform your side gig into a full-time business.
Join us for an engaging, practical session where you’ll learn the essential steps to building out your side hustle and navigate the challenges of starting-up. Our expert speakers will share actionable insights on:

Strategies to build confidence
How to overcome a fear of failure
First steps to launching your start-up
Challenges in transitioning from side-hustle to start-up
Time management tips to balance your side hustle with other commitments

Who Should Attend:

Side hustlers ready to scale their projects into full-fledged businesses
Aspiring entrepreneurs looking for guidance on starting their journey
Anyone interested in monetising their skills or hobbies

Managing People for Growth - Hybrid
2024-08-22 09:00 - 16:00 | Connect Three, 4 Rogart Street, Bridgeton, G40 2AA

SMAS Business Improvement Academy
2024-08-28 09:30 - 16:00 | Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ
The Business Improvement Academy is an innovative new approach that combines business improvement with behavioural change. A mix of five workshop based learning days combined with best practice, and on-site project work will support companies wishing to engage in the concept of sustainable continuous improvement by combining improvement tools and techniques with cultural and behavioural change.
Benefit to companies
Participants of the academy will become cultural enablers for their business, capable of delivering sustainable improvement through developing employee engagement and embedding supporting behaviours.
The guiding principles of the academy are:

Continuous improvement combined with behavioural change – tailored to the participant’s own business improvement project
Use of active learning techniques – supported by experienced practitioners
Focus on sustainable change – embedding learning to deliver future business benefits
Leadership excellence – practical improvement and embedding of leadership skills
Business excellence – improving the competitiveness of business
Engagement – encouraging continuous improvement by engaging with others

Why should you attend?
You have the ambition to drive significant improvements forward (process and behavioural) within your business. However, the rate of change is slower than anticipated. The appetite for change isn’t quite what it should be and any process changes achieved may have been short lived. There is also an expectation that any changes won’t be fully supported, with a consequential migration back to previous practices.
Who should participate?

Those who have responsibility for enabling change in the business and are keen to secure a higher level of ownership and engagement from their colleagues
Those who wish to clearly understand and better appreciate their own respective roles in the change process

Please note that sponsoring business leaders will be required to attend. These include:

Half-day sponsors session in order to fully understand their role in supporting their delegates back in the workplace as they implement change – 28 August 2024
The final delegate presentation day – 27 November 2024

Course Dates

Sponsor Day 28/08/2024.
Delegate Day 1 03/09/2024.
Delegate Day 2 11/09/2024.
Delegate Day 3 18/09/2024.
Delegate Day 4 25/09/2024.
Delegate Day 5 02/10/2024.
Best Practice Visit 09/10/2024 – This will be on site at a company/innovation centre.
On site Coaching – 3 half day session – dates to be agreed.
Feedback Day 27/11/2024.

Please Note that the sponsoring business leaders will be required to attend:

Half-day Sponsors Session on the (28th of August 2024) in order to fully understand their role in supporting their delegates back in the workplace as they implement change;
The final delegate presentation day (27th November 2024).

Eligibility
The academy is open to applications from businesses with aspirations for growth. An initial review will ensure the academy is the best option to meet current business needs. The cost is £1000 (excluding VAT) for an SME and £1250 (excluding VAT) for a non-SME per delegate paid in advance by credit card. It will be held at Scottish Enterprise Collaboration Suite, Floor 4, Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo St, Glasgow G2 6HQ.

Learning Journey to IKM Testing UK Ltd, Aberdeen – Lean Transformation
2024-08-29 13:00 - 16:30 | IKM Testing UK, Peregrine Road, Westhill, AB32 6JL
This informal half day session will paint a picture of how IKM Testing UK Ltd has transformed its business by adopting lean thinking across everything it does.
Although still a work in progress, the adoption of lean thinking has been the springboard for cultural change across the business, has made it more profitable and enabled expansion plans to go ahead through the ongoing development of its people.

Cyber Security for your small business
2024-08-29 14:00 - 15:00
To attend this webinar, there are no prerequisites or prior experience needed. It is aimed at start-up businesses and those who are interested in creating a start-up.
It would also be beneficial for more established businesses who are looking at security as a business differentiator and learn how it can be used to win new business.
Your host Jim Wright will introduce security, how it can benefit businesses and allow you to seize opportunities while minimising risk. Jim will also discuss common frameworks and fundamental principles that business leaders should be aware of from the start of their business venture.
By the end of this webinar, attendees will:
1) Understand security risks
2) Understand the benefits of security
3) Have an awareness of threat actors
4) Have an awareness of threat vectors
5) Have an awareness of the services that can be offered to support start-ups
6) Understand the regulatory environment in which they work
7) Understand the common frameworks relating to security

Maximising Trade Show Success
2024-08-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Strathmore Rugby Club, Inchmacoble Park, Forfar, DD8 1RL
Are you looking to exhibit at trade shows in the UK or overseas? This workshop will teach you proven strategies to maximise your participation through pre-event, on-site, and post-event tactics. These tips will help you capitalise on your participation, meet your target audience, and stand out from competitors.
With over 25 years of experience in PR and marketing, our expert speaker Mandy Queen has created successful campaigns for more than 40 trade shows, including top events like Cosmoprof, Paperworld, and Seafood Expo.
In this workshop, Mandy will explain how to attract the right people, engage with them effectively at the event, and maintain momentum afterwards.
Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your trade show success. Book your place now.

From Vision to Reality: Understanding the Business Model Canvas
2024-08-29 18:00 - 20:00
In the session, you will be guided through each segment of the canvas, from identifying your key partners and resources to understanding who your customers are and the value your business will bring to them. You’ll also gain practical insights into what will cost and make money.
The Business Model Canvas is an effective tool at all stages of business development. It can be used as a pre-stage to writing a formal business plan, essential for any funding applications. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your existing business model, this webinar will provide the strategies you need for success. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your business idea into a viable, scalable venture.

Managing People for Growth - Hybrid
2024-09-03 09:00 - 16:00 | Stirling University Innovation Park, Scion House, Stirling, FK9 4LA

The Basics of Starting a Business
2024-09-03 18:00 - 20:00
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.

Business Support – Drop In Sessions
2024-09-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Brechin Library, 10 St. Ninians Square, Brechin, DD9 7AD
The Business Gateway team will be at Brechin Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

Developing Standard Work Methods
2024-09-11 09:00 - 12:00 | ETZ Ltd, 53 Blenheim Place, Aberdeen, AB25 2DY
Join our Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) on 11 September 2024, from 9:30am to 12:00 noon, for a free Lean Breakfast Workshop at W-Zero-1 collaboration space at ETZ, Aberdeen, which will provide you with the tools to support you through the Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme’s Process Excellence requirements.
The series is designed to help you develop your own continuous improvement strategies, to apply process improvements, improve workplace organisation and much more. Each workshop will also begin and end with a 30-minute networking opportunity.
Workshop five – Developing Standard Work Methods
Our fifth session of the series will focus on supporting your business with standard operating procedures. You will learn:

How to develop a standard working approach
Solutions to potential challenges when implementing standard working practices
Practical tips and tools to rollout Standard Work

Our event is open to all manufacturers and producers – large, small and sector wide – who wish to improve business efficiency and begin their F4OR accreditation. It’s aimed at business leaders and managers who are looking to introduce a culture of change within the business and who wish to engage the workforce to look for opportunities to do things better and deliver process improvements that can benefit your business.

Managing People for Growth
2024-09-11 09:00 - 16:00
Our workshops cover several key areas that can help you develop the skills of your people managers.
You’ll learn how to:
Identify the skills and approaches managers require to perform their roles successfully both now and in the future.
Implement fair and progressive work practices through an understanding of key drivers that can develop new ways of working (for example, the fair work framework, productivity and benefits of employee engagement).
Understand the importance of effectively maximising and improving existing staff skills, while identifying the style and attributes of an effective manager.

Positioning Your Business to Win
2024-09-11 13:30 - 17:30 | Montrose Port, South Quay, Montrose, DD10 9SL
The exclusive “Positioning Your Business to Win” workshop series continues on 11th September at Montrose Port Authority in collaboration with Angus Council.
This 1/2 day workshop is aimed at helping businesses position themselves in the market to increase their visibility and to make them feel more comfortable when engaging with customers.
During the 1/2 day workshop you will discover strategies to:
▪️Identify and target your ideal customers
▪️Analyse why your customers buy from you
▪️Understand what it is your customers want
Plus over lunch, network with fellow business owners to expand your network.
Workshop Details:
Location: Montrose Port
Cost: £50 per person (includes lunch)
Time: 1:30 pm
Limited spaces available. Reserve your spot now!
For enquiries and reservations, please contact peterwaggott@verticalmotives.com

Climate springboard
2024-09-12 09:30 - 11:30
Climate Springboard is a free online workshop programme available to any Scottish small and medium enterprise. Learn about the net zero landscape for Scottish businesses including upcoming regulation and supply chain requirements. Hear insights into business support and funding opportunities and learn simple low-cost actions to reduce your carbon emissions easily.
The three fortnightly workshops consist of:

an overview of the Scottish net zero landscape
the tools to calculate a carbon footprint and develop a strategy in-house
simple step guidance to take action
the opportunity to meet and learn from like-minded businesses

Focused on simplifying an overwhelming challenge, Climate Springboard was created from a unique partnership between the Royal Bank of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh. It is delivered online by The Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.
This is the first of three workshops. The second and third sessions will take place on 26 September and 10 October 2024.

Selling Your Business Masterclass
2024-09-12 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 quickly becoming the preferred exit route for business owners.
Aimed at business owners who are considering an exit from their company, this session will give attendees the opportunity to hear from school, dancewear and club uniform suppliers, Smiths of Greenock. Speakers from the company will explain considerations they undertook when choosing employee ownership and how things have worked out as a result.
Ralph Leishman from 4-consulting will also talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.
