How to realign your business goals before Q2 | Lunch and Learn
2026-02-16 12:00 - 12:30 UTC
Most business owners start the year with the right intentions – then life, work and procrastination get in the way.
In this session, Mark Elliott will help you reset your direction before Q2, build the right environment for your goals, choose goals that truly matter to you and create the kind of clear, realistic plan you can actually follow.
Topics covered in this session:

How to build an environment which supports your goals (especially if you are off track already)
How to set goals that genuinely matter to the business (and YOU)
How clarity in planning removes overwhelm

Selling Your Business Masterclass
2026-02-19 10:00 - 12:00
Have you considered a succession plan for your business? Have you considered selling your business to an employee ownership trust? It’s never too early to start thinking about your options.
Employee ownership is fast becoming the preferred exit route for business owners. Attend this free online workshop to learn how employee ownership offers a tax efficient exit route that protects your company’s legacy while ensuring you get a competitive price for the business.
Aimed at business owners considering an exit from their company, this free online session will give you the opportunity to hear from strategic communication experts Aspect and Ayrshire-based bus and coach operator Shuttle Buses. They’ll talk about the factors they considered in choosing employee ownership and how things have worked out.
Innes Chalmers from Covenant will talk through all your ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.

Before you sign that lease: What every retail business must check
2026-02-19 11:00 - 12:00
Signing a retail lease is a major commitment, and the terms you agree to can affect your business long after you move in. Knowing what to check before you sign helps avoid hidden costs and restrictive obligations.
Join our free webinar, Before You Sign That Lease: What Every Retail Business Must Check, with LegalVision’s Paul Loccisano.
Key takeaways:

Understanding lease boundaries and repair obligations
When a break clause can protect your flexibility
How rent reviews and ongoing costs work

Business Structures: What is best suitable to your Agritourism Business?
2026-02-20 12:00 - 13:00
Business structures. What is the best way to structure your agritourism, farm retail and farming businesses? One business or two or more?
Learn about advantages and disadvantages for tax planning, business rates, family succession and other factors with this one hour webinar hosted by Ian Craig and Alan Glen, Azets. There will be the chance to ask questions.

The Race to Security
2026-02-25 14:00 - 15:00
Learn what you need to do to boost your cyber resilience from EY Cyber Security Practice Leader Rick Hemsley.
Understand the global megatrends shaping Scotland’s future economy and hear from industry and Scottish Enterprise experts on the actions you can take to help future proof your business.
It’s never been more important to ensure your cyber security measures are strong enough to protect your organisation. Led by EY Cyber Security Practice Leader, Rick Hemsley, this webinar will focus on what you need to do to boost your cyber resilience.
Global trends can often disrupt markets and destroy business models. But they can also quickly open up new opportunities for adaptive countries and companies.
This webinar series focuses on how businesses can anticipate future change and take action to grasp new opportunities and become more resilient in the face of business risks.
This webinar will focus on the ‘race for security’, where geopolitical tensions, cyber threats and resource scarcity are leading to growing economic nationalism and fundamental shifts in global trade takes place.

How to strengthen online security and protect your business in 2026
2026-02-26 12:00 - 13:00
Small businesses across Scotland are increasingly targeted by cyber criminals, often facing phishing scams, ransomware, data breaches, and online fraud. With limited time, budgets, and in-house expertise, the impact of an attack can be serious – but there are practical steps that can make a real difference.
This panel discussion will explore the most common cyber threats facing small businesses today and share clear, cost-effective actions owners and teams can take away. Our experts will focus on building strong cyber hygiene, helping staff spot and avoid scams, and understanding whether your systems and suppliers are secure enough.
You’ll also hear what to do if the worst happens, learn about affordable tools and trusted resources that can help strengthen your digital defences, and gain practical insight into preparing your business for the years ahead.

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2026-02-27 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-17 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

SMAS Making Change Happen workshop
2026-03-10 08:30 - 10:00
Join us for a focused breakfast briefing to explore one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today: how to make change stick.
Using engaging examples and practical insights drawn from well-known change thinking, this session will look at:

Why change is often resisted
Why so many change programmes fail
What differentiates organisations that achieve sustainable results from those that don’t

We will place particular emphasis on the people side of change – beliefs such as behaviour, leadership, culture – and how these interact with process and performance to deliver real and lasting improvement
The briefing will also introduce our new Lean Competency System (LCS) and accredited Business Improvement Academy (BIA) and explain how the academy can support your organisation to turn change intent into action.
The BIA uniquely combines people, behaviours and practical improvement tools, recognising that sustainable change only happens when all three are addressed together.
You’ll gain an overview of how the academy works, what you can expect from the academy, and how it can help leaders and teams build the capability to improve continuously.
During the briefing, there will be time for questions and discussion, with further details available if you’re interested in attending or sponsoring places on the academy.

An introduction to business strategy
2026-03-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-29 13:00 - 15:00
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

How to Know What to Charge
2026-03-17 11:00 - 12:00
Pricing is one of the biggest levers for growth, but it’s often set early and rarely revisited. This practical session will help founders and small businesses sense-check their pricing and make more confident commercial decisions as they grow.
Participants will learn simple frameworks to assess whether their prices are right, understand what customers truly value, and approach price changes and promotions with greater clarity and confidence. The focus is on practical insight, not theory, with clear takeaways that can be applied immediately.

Futureproofing Your Business – People, AI and Productivity
2026-03-17 12:00 - 13:00
Part of our megatrends series, learn how you can use emerging technologies to improve performance and support your workforce.
Global Megatrends can disrupt markets and challenge established business models, but they can also create powerful new opportunities for businesses that adapt early.
In support of the Fair Work Festival 2026. This webinar delivered in conjunction with Peer Works, is part of the Scottish Enterprise Megatrends webinar series and explores breakthrough technologies with a focus on people, AI and productivity. It will look at how businesses can use emerging technologies to improve performance while supporting fair work and better outcomes for their workforce.
The session will help businesses understand how to anticipate and respond to rapid technological change.

Future-Proofing Your Business: Next Steps and Practical Tools
2026-03-18 14:00 - 15:00
Final webinar in the megatrends series brings together the key themes from across the programme & focuses on what your business can do next.

This final session will concentrate on practical tools and techniques that you can use to anticipate future change, test strategic options and respond with confidence in an uncertain environment.
It will also feature the ACS Group’s business growth journey, exploring how they have proactively responded to emerging trends and opportunities in their market.
This free session will:

Introduce practical futures tools and techniques used by leading organisations
Help you turn insight into action
Explore real world examples of transformative change
Support longer-term strategic thinking and resilience

The webinar will be introduced by Ewan Mearns of Scottish Enterprise.
The webinar will be led by Alister Wilson of Waverley Management Consultants and author of the UK Government’s Futures toolkit. Alister will discuss practical approaches to futures thinking.
This session is ideal if you’re looking to prepare your organisation for future change, including:

Those responsible for strategy, innovation or long-term planning
Anyone looking for practical ways to prepare their organisation for future change

Market Research Made Simple
2026-03-19 18:00 - 19:30
Are you feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start you’re your market research? Not sure how to stand out in a competitive market?
Market research doesn’t need to be complicated. This workshop will give you the tools, structure and confidence to understand your target market, analyse competitors and spot real opportunities so you can make smarter business decisions and grow with clarity.
You will learn:

What market research is and why it matters
The difference between primary and secondary research
How to clearly profile your target customer
How to analyse competitors meaningfully
How to identify trends, gaps and opportunities
How to turn research into practical business decisions

Book your place now and leave knowing exactly how to gather useful insights and turn them into confident next steps.

Nailing your pitch to investors | Lunch and Learn
2026-03-20 12:00 - 12:30
Most entrepreneurs have a brilliant business but a boring pitch.
If you have 60 seconds to impress an investor, a client or a potential partner, are you ready?
At Articulate Digital Business, we strip away the “corporate-speak”. We help you build a pitch that’s authentic, backed by data and, most importantly, memorable.
This isn’t a lecture – it’s a high-impact builder session where you’ll leave with a ready-to-use deck and the confidence to deliver it.
Topics covered in this session:

The “hook” framework: How to grab attention in the first 10 seconds
The narrative arc: Turning your business data into a compelling story that investors crave
The financial slide: How to present your numbers (even the early ones) with authority
Body language and delivery: Mastering the “soft skills” that project executive presence
The “live fire” round: Real-time feedback in a supportive, high-energy environment

Your Social Value is Your Business Superpower
2026-03-23 10:00 - 11:00
Your Social Value is Your Business Superpower is a practical masterclass designed to help SMEs and CICs recognise, articulate, and leverage the social value they already create, turning purpose, impact, and community connection into a clear competitive advantage for growth, funding, and contracts.

Build It Right From the Start: The MOTION Framework for Sustainable Business Growth
2026-03-23 16:00 - 17:00
The first few years of running a business can feel like you’re making it up as you go … and most people are. In this practical, straight-talking Masterclass, Tracy will share the framework she wishes she’d had when she started out.
The MOTION Framework gives business owners a clear, simple roadmap across six key areas — Mindset, Objectives, Trust, Influence, Operations, and Nurture, so you can build solid foundations now instead of firefighting them later.
Getting these six things right early means you spend less time working in chaos and more time building something that actually grows. If you’re in the first couple of years of your business and you want to set yourself up for profit, sustainability, and eventual freedom, without burning out to get there, this session will give you a clear picture of what to focus on and why.

Protecting your ideas, content and brand in the digital age
2026-03-24 11:00 - 12:00
Protecting intellectual property is essential for digital businesses creating content, software or online platforms.
In this session, LegalVision’s Sahil Verma, Practice Leader, will explain how to safeguard creative and brand assets, avoid common IP mistakes and manage ownership risks.
The webinar will also explore emerging challenges such as AI-generated content and how to protect your ideas in the digital age.
Key takeaways from this session:

The key IP rights relevant to digital businesses
Practical ways to protect content, software and brand assets
How to manage ownership and risk with AI-generated content

Supply Connect: Demonstrating social value
2026-03-24 13:00 - 14:00
Discover how to unlock your business’s potential for positive change.
This introductory webinar led by Jill Poet will help you understand what social value really means, set out some practical strategies you can apply to boost your own social impact and how to demonstrate it in tender applications.
It doesn’t matter if you’re only beginning to explore social responsibility or looking to strengthen your existing efforts. This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a meaningful difference while benefiting your bottom line.
Topics covered in this session:

What social impact is and why it matters for your business
Practical approaches to building and strengthening your social value
How enhanced social value can open up new business opportunities and drive growth

How to make your business neurodivergent-friendly
2026-03-25 08:00 - 10:00 | Arbroath Football Club, Gayfield Park, Arbroath, DD11 1QJ
Creating an inclusive business isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart, forward-thinking strategy.
This workshop introduces the steps businesses can take to become more neurodivergent-friendly, both for their team and their customers. You’ll gain a clear understanding of neurodivergence, why inclusion matters commercially as well as ethically, and how simple, realistic adjustments can make a powerful difference.
The session is presented by James Cleves, founder of CleverVA, a virtual assistant agency supporting neurodivergent and disabled professionals. Drawing on lived experience and real-world business insight, James combines personal story with practical advice.
What we’ll cover:
• What neurodivergence really means and why it matters
• Why being ND‑inclusive benefits your business
• How accessible your business is today
• Ways to improve accessibility for your customers
• Effective accommodations and support options for your team
Book your place now and learn how to build an inclusive culture that strengthens your team and makes your business more accessible for every customer.

Five essential contracts every business owner needs | Lunch and Learn
2026-03-25 12:00 - 12:30
Contracts are the backbone of any successful business, but most founders don’t know which ones they actually need, or when.
In this session, Patricia Wing cuts through the complexity and walks you through the five essential contracts every business owner should have in place, from day one to scaling up.
Whether you’re just starting out or growing fast, this practical session will help you protect your business, your people, and your future – without the legal jargon.
Topics covered in this session:

Knowing which contracts matter most: The five contracts that form the legal foundation of your business and why missing even one could leave you exposed.
Getting protected from day one: Which contracts to prioritise when you’re just starting out – before problems arise and before they become expensive to fix.
Growing with confidence: How your contract needs evolve as your business scales, so you’re always one step ahead legally at every stage of growth.

Validate Your Business Idea in 30 Minutes Using the Business Model Canvas
2026-04-20 10:00 - 11:00
Many entrepreneurs start with a product idea, but successful businesses start with a strong business model.
In this interactive masterclass, we will use the Business Model Canvas to explore the key questions every founder must answer:
* Who is your customer?
* What problem are you solving?
* How will you reach your market?
* How will your business make money?
*What will it cost to run?
Using a real-world example, we’ll demonstrate how founders can quickly test and improve their ideas before launching.
This session is ideal for early-stage entrepreneurs, startups, and anyone exploring a new business idea.

How to generate and increase sales
2026-04-23 13:00 - 15:00
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
