Invest in Angus

How to protect and manage your intellectual property
2024-01-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-02-22 11:00 - 13:30 UTC
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

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2024-01-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-01-30 18:00 - 20:00
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!

Selling your business masterclass
2024-01-18 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 online session will give attendees the opportunity to hear market-leading IT support and solutions company Microtech Group and building supply merchants Caley Timber & Building Supplies explain what they considered in choosing employee ownership and how things have worked.
Carole Leslie from Ownership Associates will talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.
Timings:
10.05 Welcome – Glen Dott, Scottish Enterprise
10.10 Ownership Succession Options – Carole Leslie, Ownership Associates
10.35 Employee Ownership Case Study – Microtech Group
11.00 Employee Ownership Case Study – Caley Timber & Building Supplies
11.25 Support available – Glen Dott, Scottish Enterprise
11.30 Q&A
11.45 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. Could it be the right succession solution for you?

Build a customer focused business
2024-01-18 14:00 - 16:00
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

Becoming Fearless - The Entrepreneurial Mindset
2024-01-23 09:30 - 12:00
Successful business owners know that their brains drive their business goals and results. But being a business owner can be lonely and that isolation can be demotivating, particularly when there is no one to encourage you when things are tough or to celebrate with you when things go well. Being the driving force behind your own company has the highest highs, and at times, the lowest lows.
Our Fearless workshop delves into this rollercoaster in lots of detail and aims to give you the tools you need, to enjoy the ride!
Agenda:
*Exploring the Entrepreneurial Mindset
*Talking about mental fitness for entrepreneurs
*Exploring the impact of isolation in business
*Building and nurturing your network of support
*Peer support, goals setting for success, communicating your needs, and managing your priorities

Train to become a CPD-certified Green Champion
2024-01-23 10:00 - 12:30
Rising energy costs, the climate emergency and increasing consumer pressure continue to challenge the way that businesses across Scotland manage their environmental performance.
The Green Champions online training course is already helping organisations across Scotland prepare for this challenge by providing knowledge, tried-and-tested techniques, best practice examples, and free tools and templates.
This free webinar, designed for small and medium sized enterprises, will pack the entire Green Champions foundation course into one session. Join and get the skills and knowledge that over 4,500 other professionals have already learnt through the Green Champions training course.
You’ll find out about the changing resource landscape and the growing need to be resource efficient, before learning how to gather valuable data from around your organisation to help you plan improvement projects.
You’ll also learn a range of techniques that can be used to interpret and visualise the information you have collected on your resource use, and how to use that knowledge to set realistic environmental goals for your organisation.

How to write and develop your business plan
2024-01-23 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-02-05 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-02-24 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

Fair Work Workshop
2024-01-24 09:30 - 12:30
Fair Work is an investment in everyone, for everyone. It can improve productivity, innovation, organisational reputation and recruitment. It can also reduce staff turnover and help create inclusive workplaces with a richness of talent and a diversity of ideas.
For staff, Fair Work can increase financial security, physical health and psychological wellbeing. For businesses, it brings more engaged, committed and adaptable workers who spot challenges and opportunities, solve problems, offer insight and ideas for business improvement, and create value.
What’s the event about?
This is a fully funded programme which will help participating companies to:

Understand the benefits of fair work (for both the business and its staff)
Develop an action plan to embed or improve current people practices
Prioritise and take next steps to implementing an action plan

The type of projects and actions that could result from a fair work action plan include:

Improving people and fair work practices
Skills, leadership and management development
Creating a positive culture and values-based approach
Improving employee engagement and supporting performance management practices

Commercialisation with Data and AI
2024-01-24 10:00 - 12:30 | Scottish Enterprise, 99 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD
Join this session, organised by Scottish Enterprise in collaboration with Effini, on data and commercialisation.
This is the second workshop in a series aimed at helping business to understand how data and AI could benefit their business. This session is aimed at SMEs who want to learn, gain an understanding of, and overcome challenges associated with data. This session will bring together the opportunities that data and AI can bring to your business. We’ll consider;

How data and AI can be a revenue source
Common approaches
Building a strong data foundation for scalability
Common blockers (and ways to overcome them)

These workshops are designed to help you understand the basics of data and AI, and how they can benefit your business.
Attendees will learn from experts in the field, who will guide them through practical exercises and real-world examples. The tone and format of the sessions is friendly and informative. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with other SMEs and share experiences and challenges.
The workshops are suitable for SMEs from any sector or industry. They are aimed at businesses that are keen to understand how data and AI could help their business.
The workshops are delivered in person at Scottish Enterprise’s offices in Edinburgh, in a flexible and interactive format.
Ideally, it is recommended that you attend all four of the sessions. This will enable you to leave the final session with actions to take away for implementation within your business.
Following the session, there will be opportunities to discuss any plans on a one-to-one basis with specialists from Scottish Enterprises Digital Transformation team.

Build an effective strategy to grow your business
2024-01-26 09:30 - 11:30, 2024-02-12 14:30 - 16:30
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

Inclusive Business Models – Identifying opportunities for Plural Ownership
2024-01-30 10:00 - 12:30
Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) can support your organisation in the delivery of your Community Wealth Building (CWB) agenda. Learn how inclusive business models can contribute to the 5 pillars of CWB at this online event.
CWB is described by the Scottish Government as a practical approach to economic development focused on five pillars of activity: Spending/Procurement, Workforce, Land and Property, Finance, and Plural Ownership.
CDS on behalf of all Scotland’s enterprise agencies (Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise), contributes to the Plural Ownership pillar by supporting companies and community groups across Scotland that want to adopt an inclusive business model such as employee ownership or a co-operative.
This event is aimed at front line business and community advisors, those with a policy and strategic role and other interested parties from across local authorities, the enterprise agencies and Third Sector Interfaces (TSI).
This workshop aims to help develop an in-depth understanding of inclusive business models, aiming to help business or community advisors identify, develop and signpost appropriate referral opportunities to CDS. By the end of the workshop, you will have:

Developed an in-depth understanding of co-operatives and employee ownership, including legal structures and governance
The knowledge to identify future opportunities for inclusive business models for start-up and existing enterprises, and understand the support available from CDS
An increased awareness of ‘Inclusive Business Models’ and why this is important against Scottish policy landscape

Participants that attend this event will also have access to a subsequent series of webinars to further their knowledge and understanding on a particular pillar of CWB.

People and HR – attraction, recruiting, managing and retaining team member
2024-01-30 13:00 - 15:00
One of the scariest things you can do as a business is take on staff – from hiring, interviewing, payroll, pensions, contracts, remote working and more, it is a minefield for the business owner.
This webinar will allow you to have the key information in your possession to take on staff and manage your team.
Topics covered:

Recruiting, managing, and retaining staff
Attracting and recruiting the best and right people for our business
Our obligations as employers
Managing people to stay with us
Moving on
Dismissal
Restructure/Redundancy

We will also look at:

How in the current climate you can manage staff and teams in a remote environment, considering their productivity, efficiency, and the issues of home working
How you can best manage staff to ensure productivity is kept and mental health is supported
The impact of companies who may be considering restructuring and therefore redundancy for the first time and how that can be managed

Thorntons Webinar - Reducing Workforce Costs, Reorganisation and Redundancy
2024-01-31 09:30 - 10:30
Over the coming months, employers may encounter some challenges as they continue to navigate economic uncertainty inflationary pressures and higher costs. Many businesses are already feeling an increasing financial burden, and accordingly, some may want to undertake a review of their operating costs.
While many employers will want to do all they can to reduce costs in a way which preserves jobs, such as amending employment contracts, regrettably, others may have to look at restructuring and redundancies to manage costs.
Regardless of scale, employers contemplating redundancies must ensure they understand and follow the relevant legal framework. The effective management of any organisational restructure, whether by redundancy or other means, can minimise legal costs and ensure smooth transition. This webinar will cover the thorny issues of potential redundancies and restructures, with a focus on the potential legal pitfalls and how best to navigate these.
Our Employment Law specialists will host a one hour webinar and online Q&A to guide employers as they prepare to address the potential challenges ahead. As well as sharing legal guidance on these processes, we will also share practical tips that you can apply in your own organisation.
This webinar will cover:

Job preservation – ways to reduce workforce costs without resorting to redundancies
The redundancy process – the importance of getting it right!
Particular points to consider arising out of discrimination and the costs of getting it wrong
Tips for employers

Who should attend?

Business owners
HR Professionals
Finance Directors
Senior Managers and those with people management responsibilities

How to generate and increase sales
2024-02-07 10:30 - 12:30
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

Community Wealth Building - Finance
2024-02-13 10:00 - 11:00
This webinar by Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) is second in a series of four topics in the Community Wealth Building (CWB) event programme. This event will help participants explore how, practically, inclusive business models can contribute to the other 4 pillars of CWB: Spending and Procurement, Workforce, Land and Property and Finance. This series of webinars will be presented by delivery support partners, to explore the potential role the featured CWB pillar and inclusive business models can play in your local approach.
To attend this webinar, you must have already attended the first CDS workshop “Inclusive Business Models – Identifying the opportunities for Plural Ownership”.
This particular webinar will focus on the Finance Pillar of CWB – exploring how investment and financial institutions work for local people, communities and businesses through the adoption of inclusive business models.
Hosted by CDS, partners (Community Shares Scotland, Social Investment Scotland, Future Economy Scotland, Scottish Communities Finance and Co-operative and Community Finance) will present and outline their support offer(s), links to CWB principles/opportunities and then sit as an expert panel to respond to Q&A from attendees.

Using Chat GPT in your Business
2024-02-13 18:00 - 20:00
Janine Marriott explains practical business uses for the AI that everyone is talking about – Chat GPT
We will cover the following topics and more, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions at the end on how it can help your particular business/industry.

What is ChatGPT and how does it work?
How can ChatGPT help my small business?
How much does ChatGPT cost?
How can ChatGPT help me reach more customers?
Can ChatGPT integrate with other marketing tools I’m already using?
How do I know if ChatGPT is right for my small business?
Are there any resources or support available to help me get started with ChatGPT?

Community Wealth Building - Workforce
2024-02-20 10:00 - 11:00
This webinar is 1 in a series of 4 topics and forms the second part of Co-operative Development Scotland’s (CDS) CWB event programme aimed to help participants explore how, practically, inclusive business models can contribute to the other 4 pillars of CWB: Spending and Procurement, Workforce, Land and Property and Finance. This series of webinars is hosted by CDS and will be presented by delivery support partners, to explore the potential role the featured CWB pillar and inclusive business models can play in your local approach to CWB.
To attend this webinar, you must have already attended the CDS workshop “Inclusive Business Models – Identifying the opportunities for Plural Ownership”.
This particular webinar will focus on the Workforce Pillar of CWB – exploring how investment and financial institutions work for local people, communities and businesses through the adoption of Inclusive Business models.
Hosted by CDS, partners (Fair Work Convention, Scottish Enterprise Workplace Innovation Team and Skills Development Scotland) will present and outline their support offer(s), links to CWB principles/opportunities and then sit as an expert panel to respond to Q&A from attendees.

Closing the Gender Pay Divide: Strategies for Success
2024-02-20 10:00 - 11:00
Our online session is for employers who want to understand the root causes of the gender pay gap and how they can relate to their business.
The webinar will include:

A presentation on gender inequality in the workplace including key considerations for SMEs
How to identify inequalities in your business, and
How to use this information to take targeted action.
A showcase of self-assessment tools available for SMEs.
Q&A

The webinar will support employers’ capacity to take action to tackle key gender inequalities that may occur in their organisation, enabling them to harness the business benefits of improved employment practice.
The content of the webinar will include references to current research and best practice, with reference to reports from recognised industry specialists, along with illustrative examples of what successful companies are doing in this space.

How to start a business: The basics
2024-02-21 14:00 - 16:00
Whatever your reasons may be for considering being your own boss, Business Gateway is here to support you and help you decide if this is the right path for you. Helping you consider your plans from exploring your potential customers to looking at the key activities and costs involved.
We will cover:

Personal finance planning – how much do you need to earn?
Researching your market – who your customers are, understanding your competition and what the trends are within your chosen field
Business structure – what are the core business structures? How to decide which is right for you and how to register as a business
Creating your start-up action plan – an outline
Marketing
Pricing
Naming the business
Basic bookkeeping
Forecasting
Financing, banking, insurance, and VAT
Tax

Tayside Transform Business Festival
2024-02-22 08:00 - 16:30 | Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ
The Transform Business Festival is an event which connects entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses of all shapes and sizes over the course of a day.
After the success of its launch in 2023 at the Science Centre Dundee, this year’s event continues its tour of Tayside at Perth Concert Hall on 22 February 2024, focused on informing and inspiring businesses and individuals to transform their futures.
Attendees will benefit from:

engaging, motivating guest speaker sessions
bitesize sessions and fireside chats to stimulate and educate
building connections through fun networking sessions
an ecosystem village featuring key support partners in the Tayside region
a client showcase market, one-to-one advisory sessions and much more

Selling your business masterclass
2024-02-22 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 bus and coach company Shuttle Buses and complete security systems supplier and installer Alternative Systems Protection explain what they considered in choosing employee ownership and how things have worked.
Ralph Leishman from 4-consulting will talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.

Community Wealth Building - Land and Property
2024-02-27 10:00 - 11:00
Ready to continue your learning with Co-operative Development Scotland’s (CDS) Community Wealth Building programme?
This is the third of four webinars that explore how inclusive business models can contribute to the four key pillars of CWB: spending and procurement, workforce, land and property and finance.
Delivered by support partners of CDS (including the Scottish Land Commission, Development Trusts Association for Scotland, The Plunkett Foundation and the Community Energy Foundation) this webinar will focus on Land and Property. It will explore how communities can grow their social, ecological, financial and economic value using inclusive business models as a democratic model of land and property ownership. There will also be a chance to ask your questions to the expert panel.
Please note, to attend this webinar you must have already attended the CDS workshop Inclusive Business Models – Identifying the Opportunities for Plural Ownership.

GlobalScot Briefing Session: Capital Investment to Drive Productivity (Timeslot 1)
2024-02-29 08:00 - 09:00
Following the announcement of Scottish Enterprise’s new strategy for economic transformation, our mission leads are keen to share this approach directly with the GlobalScot network. Join this session to hear from mission lead Elaine Morrison on Driving Capital Investment for Productivity.
Driving up levels of capital investment is critical to driving up productivity, leading to higher value jobs and improved standards of living. If Scottish productivity matched the OECD top quartile today, the Scottish economy would be £35 billion better off, with annual average wages growing by between £2,000 and £5,500 annually. We want to do more to attract new capital investment into Scotland and to work with our partners to support more companies to invest in their future growth potential.
GlobalScots and the network will play a key role in helping to deliver this strategy and this session will provide more detail about this mission, give you an opportunity to ask questions, comment and consider how you can help.
Please note there will be two briefing sessions for each of the three missions to accommodate different world time zones.

Thorntons Employment Law Academy - Disability & Reasonable Adjustments
2024-02-29 09:00 - 12:00
Employers are legally obliged to take steps to minimise difficulties or disadvantages which may arise in the workplace for those with a disability. These steps are known as reasonable adjustments. It is crucial that employers are aware of their responsibilities towards employees and job applicants who require reasonable adjustments.
This workshop aims to provide attendees with the necessary knowledge to manage reasonable adjustment requests and ensure that employees with disabilities are treated fairly. Not only will this help all employees to feel supported and well-equipped to do their jobs, it will also reduce the risk of discrimination and other tribunal claims.
In this half day workshop, Employment Law specialist Noele McClelland will look at issues such as:
The duty of care as an employer.
Examples of reasonable adjustments.
Responding to a request for reasonable adjustments during recruitment and employment.
The risks of failing to make reasonable adjustments.
Best practice and creating a disability positive environment.
Who should attend?
HR professionals
Business owners
Managers and those with people management responsibilities
This is a half day workshop. Qualifies as 3 hours CIPD.
The costs of each workshop is £125+VAT per person, which includes all papers.

Social media strategy
2024-02-29 14:30 - 15:30
Join this session to learn how you can build a social media strategy into your business plan.
In this session you will learn:

how social media can help you reach new customers online
the building blocks of a simple social media strategy
tools that can help you save time when creating social posts

This session is run using YouTube and is 60 minutes long.
The course assumes no prior knowledge or experience so there is no pre-reading necessary.
There will be opportunity to ask questions during the session.
