Invest in Angus

Living Circular – minimising the impact of disposal
2022-08-04 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
There are two complementary consultations: proposals for a Circular Economy Bill and a Route Map to 2025 and beyond.

Both consultations outline key activities to move Scotland towards a more circular economy. The Circular Economy Bill will establish the legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. The Route Map is specifically aimed at maximising progress towards our waste and recycling targets.

By modernising waste and recycling services across Scotland, we will make it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet. In this fourth session of the series, we will be specifically talking about minimising the impact of disposal, focusing on this particular package of the Route Map.

Joining us on the panel:

Jane Beasley – Policy Lead, Route Map, Zero Waste Scotland
Ray Georgeson – Head of Resource Management, Waste and Recycling, Zero Waste Scotland
Other guest speakers will be announced in due course.

How to generate and increase sales
2022-08-05 14:00 - 16:00
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

The low-cost guide to marketing your business
2022-08-08 10:00 - 12:00
When budgets are tight, it can be difficult to find the funds for marketing. This webinar will offer marketing tips and advice that you can then use across your business – without bursting the bank!
We will look at:

How marketing extends way beyond what most businesses consider it to be and how it provides opportunities for businesses to make transformational change with little or minimal extra spend
Identifying marketing priorities and using these to reshape your business.
The marketing mix as a tool for reviewing how your business plans and delivers its marketing activity
How your marketing activity is delivered successfully and effectively in your business
A series of top tips including the importance of understanding your customers, the core components of a brand, the value of strong and consistent branding, the value of a clear focus and the power of creativity
The many options available with traditional Advertising and Promotion as a way a company communicates what it does and what it can offer customers, but also looking how this has changed in a world where marketing has moved online
The foundations of effective marketing in a digital age, looking at how your business can grasp new ways of marketing such as social media, web, and digital PR

Online Sales: Improve, develop & make more money
2022-08-08 14:00 - 16:00
What’s the best way to sell your products online? The key to improving your online business is measuring its effectiveness – you can then take steps to optimise its performance. Should you be using your own eCommerce store or Amazon, neither or both? This webinar will help you decide.
We will cover:

Factors to consider when selling online.
What eCommerce options exist, and the benefits of each
Differences in available eCommerce platforms
Benefits of automation
Key items to optimise performance

Producing engaging online content
2022-08-09 10:00 - 12:00
Producing quality content is an excellent way of helping your customers develop a meaningful relationship with your brand, services and products. In this webinar we will show you how to source and develop a variety of content for your website and social channels. Ideal for businesses that already have a business website or use social media and now want to take it a step further, and develop the skills to show your audience that you are a trusted operator in your field.
This session will help you:

Understand what kind of content your customers are looking for
Source, write and deliver that content
Amplify your brand and message and boost engagement online

Building a Strong Future for Tourism in Angus
2022-08-09 13:00 - 15:30 | Links Hotel, Mid Links, Montrose, DD10 8RL
Register your place and learn more about building a strong future for your tourism business.
This workshop, held in partnership with the Angus Tourism Cooperative, is open to Angus tourism businesses, community groups and volunteers to come along and hear from three key speakers who will provide insights into the future of tourism.
Following the speakers, there will be four groups focusing on discussions around preparing Angus for the future of tourism. This is an opportunity to share information and ideas on your vision for the future, spark new connections and work together on innovative collaborative projects.
Speakers
Duncan Stewart, 56 Degree Insights
Duncan will present the latest market insights and trends in tourism and explain how you can use these to inform business decisions. You will also learn where you can access data easily using your own digital tools as well as free published data.
Stewart Walker, BTS Consulting
Stewart has been appointed by Angus Council to support delivery of the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan (STIDP) for Angus. Stewart has been engaging tourism stakeholders to identify issues arising from an increase in tourism and he will share some of these key findings. Stewart will share why it’s so important to have a STIDP plan and what the final report will consist of.
Rhonda McFarlane, Funding Officer, Angus Council
Rhonda has supported businesses and community groups with funding applications for eight years. Rhonda will present a flavour of the funding that is currently available for different projects and where you can access this information. Learn how Angus Council can help support your funding application.
Workshops

What are the future ambitions for your business?
What infrastructure improvements would you like to see that will improve/enhance the customer experience/journey in Angus?
Preparing Angus to welcome visitors of the future – blue sky thinking.
What help/support do you need to grow and develop your business?

Agenda
1pm – Arrival and networking
1.30pm – Welcome and presentations from speakers
2pm – Comfort break
2.10pm – 4 x 20 minute workshops
3.30pm – Networking & close

Market Research Made Easy
2022-08-09 18:00 - 20:00
The workshop will look at:

the role of marketing in your business
identifying your target customers
identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors
market research

There will also be information on additional services from Business Gateway and details of other webinars which may be appropriate for you.
This webinar is for businesses based in Dundee, Angus and Perth.

Build a customer focused business
2022-08-10 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

Twitter for business
2022-08-10 14:00 - 16:00
This webinar will help you develop and hone your social media strategy in order to amplify your message using Twitter. You will gain a deeper understanding of where Twitter fits into your overall plan, and how it differs from other platforms.
You will also learn about:

What makes a good Twitter profile (and the options available to you).
Twitter best practice content and what makes the perfect tweet.
Dashboards such as Hootsuite to help you manage and integrate your social media accounts and schedule content.
Advanced techniques for social listening and pro-actively finding content and customers.
The basics of Twitter paid advertising.

Making digital content accessible
2022-08-10 18:00 - 20:00
Everyone consumes and understands information differently, with some facing additional challenges that aren’t always considered. In this webinar, we’ll explore the challenges that people can have when accessing digital content and we’ll look at the ways you can improve your digital content to be inclusive and considerate for all.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:

Understand and consider the barriers and challenges faced by others when accessing digital content.
Assess your digital content on how easy it is for others to access, consume and understand.
Review your website content with an understanding of what adjustments you should make to ensure that your content is catering to all.
Use social media functions and tools to help make your content more accessible.
Understand and use an ‘Accessibility Ready Checklist’ for any of your content to ensure you are designing and developing content for all of your audience.

The essentials of bookkeeping and what expenses you can claim
2022-08-11 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar is for those who are entering business for the first time or require an understanding of what is involved in financially managing a business, including basic bookkeeping, and creating a profit and loss account. You will also get an understanding of what expenses the business can claim and then how to fund your business. At the end of the session, you will receive a workbook on excel to help you manage and monitor costs and sales.
At the end of this session, you will be able to:

Implement basic bookkeeping skills across your business
Create a profit and loss account
Understand what expenses can and cannot be claimed
Use financial management to increase revenues and profits
Understand capital and revenue costs and how they are treated

How to Write a Business Plan and Why You Need One
2022-08-11 18:00 - 20:00
This webinar will help you create a robust business plan.
The webinar will look at:

creating a description for your business
the business planning process
efficient ways of obtaining skills and resources
presenting your business plan

There will also be information on additional services from Business Gateway and details of other webinars which may be appropriate for you.
This webinar is for businesses based in Dundee, Angus and Perth.

An introduction to business websites & what you need to consider
2022-08-11 18:00 - 20:00
This webinar will take you through all the steps required to design, build and host a business website. You will learn about:

The need to determine website objectives
The importance of knowing who your audience is and measuring results
Setting clear calls to action and creating engaging content
Creating your brand’s visual identity online, your site’s blueprint and how you can structure your site map
What’s involved in registering your domain, maintaining your site content, and options for hosting it

This webinar will also offer guidance on when and how to outsource your website development. Covering topics such as choosing a suitable content management system, what to organise first and costing for the work.

Protect your business and data from hackers
2022-08-12 10:00 - 12:00
Join us to look at why it’s important for all businesses to give their online security thought and consideration. We will take you through some simple steps to minimise the risks, and we will also direct you to available support to help you and your business.
During the session will cover:

Cyber security and why it matters for businesses
Steps to take to protect yourself including backups, malware protection, mobile devices, VPNs, firewalls, passwords and more secure authentication to help avoid scams and fraud
Simple ways to protect your website and social media from attack
Basic good practice, to prepare and understand what to do if the worst happens

Build an effective strategy to grow your business
2022-08-12 14:00 - 16:00
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

Blogging for business
2022-08-15 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will provide you with the knowledge and understanding you need to create a blog that promotes your business.
We will cover:

What a ‘blog’ is, how to set one up and what it takes to make them work
Other small and medium sized businesses who already blog successfully and what you can learn from them
Options for monetising a blog
How to promote your blog
How your blog can help move your website higher up search engine rankings
Understanding analytics and measuring the impact of your blog

How to write and develop your business plan
2022-08-15 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

e-Commerce with Shopify
2022-08-16 10:00 - 12:00
Shopify is a powerful all-in-one e-Commerce website builder that makes setting up an online store simple and straightforward. In this webinar, we will explore Shopify’s features and pull together the building blocks for your first e-Commerce website.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:

Understand the essential features that a website needs to have to sell physical and digital products online
Understand what Shopify is and how to use the features it offers to build a secure and powerful e-Commerce website
Use the Shopify page builder and work with free themes to get the design and style of your website on-brand
Understand how to manage orders and deliver great customer service
Understand how to launch your new e-Commerce website and ensure all essential building blocks are in place using a pre-launch checklist

HR – Recruiting, managing, and retaining staff
2022-08-16 17:00 - 19:00
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

Marketing 1-2-1 Surgery Sessions
2022-08-17 09:00 - 17:00
Whether you’d like to discuss market research, marketing strategy or would even just like an impartial review of your website or social media page, this is an opportunity to book a one to one appointment with Business Gateway either from the Dundee office or over Zoom with marketing specialist, Stuart Milne.
There will also be information on additional services from Business Gateway and details of other webinars which may be appropriate for you.
These appointments are for businesses based in Dundee, Angus and Perth.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2022-08-17 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will guide you through the steps needed to create an effective digital marketing strategy, ensuring you focus on the right tactics to meet your business objectives and goals.
We will cover:

The importance of planning your digital marketing activities
Building your plan around a simple framework
Conducting a situational analysis (and understanding Customers and Competitors)
Developing your brand and tone of voice
Planning your Content strategy
Prioritising digital channels
Evaluating your Digital Marketing efforts

Video production for social media
2022-08-17 14:00 - 16:00
Video captures people’s attention online and is important for getting your message across, while engaging with your target audience.
Learn how to:

Choose what type of video to create to suit your business objectives
Plan, shoot, edit, and upload video without special kit or expertise.
Get to know the various digital platforms that can be utilised to view and share video content.
See what editing apps are available and how to add music and subtitles.

How to start a business: The basics
2022-08-17 18:00 - 20:00
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

How to protect and manage your intellectual property
2022-08-18 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

LinkedIn for business
2022-08-18 14:00 - 16:00
No longer just an online CV, LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful – and profitable – business tool. Like any tool, you must learn how to use it, and this webinar gives you expert guidance.
You will:

Learn how to create a LinkedIn strategy to boost your business reputation via marketing and brand promotion initiatives.
Learn the difference between personal and company profiles and how to optimise them for both maximum visibility and brand awareness.
Understand that content is king on LinkedIn, and we’ll show you how to plan and produce captivating content that enriches your brand.

Website analytics to improve your business and sales
2022-08-18 18:00 - 20:00
Google Analytics (Universal and GA4), Search Console and Heat Mapping are incredibly powerful tools that help you better understand how your website is performing. This webinar will better equip you to be able to improve the performance and effectiveness of your website by:

Learning about top landing pages and traffic sources, to understanding organic search rankings and user interaction,
We’ll show you around the Google Analytics interface, help you view and understand key reports, how to setup conversions and more.

The business benefits of running a sustainable business
2022-08-19 10:00 - 12:00
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

Cloud for business
2022-08-22 10:00 - 12:00
Your digital back office is the technology and tools that you use to manage and grow your business. In this webinar, we’ll look at back-office strategies and explore the range of cloud services on the market that can support you with keeping great customer relations, managing resources, keeping organised and communicating efficiently.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:

Understand the areas of your digital back-office and the impact each area can have on the efficiency and growth of your business.
Use up-to-date knowledge on current cloud services and tools to help you with upgrading your digital back office to be more secure, scalable and efficient.
Use real-world examples to help you understand different cloud-based platforms, their functions, and their costs.
Make informed decisions about improving your digital back-office in the future based on scalability, security, efficiency and affordability.

Facebook for business
2022-08-22 14:00 - 16:00
Get to grips with Facebook – the world’s most popular social networking platform.
In this webinar you will:

Learn how to get the most out of Facebook and how it could fit into your business’s digital marketing strategy.
Better understand the algorithm behind Facebook, and how to create great content that achieves a bigger reach and impact.
Learn from the stats and data you can get from the system and discover who your most interested customers/clients are.
Understand the power of Facebook advertising, and other selling options available to you.
Discover other business opportunities presented by Facebook, including how to promote and sell products and services.
Be introduced to ‘Business Suite’ – a free Facebook dashboard to manage all your business activity.

Website usability and customer experience
2022-08-23 10:00 - 12:00
Website usability and user experience are key to driving leads, sales and other conversions through your website. But where do you get started?
During this webinar, we’ll cover:

What User Experience is and what impact it can have
Some of the key factors influencing website usability, including credibility, value, purpose and more
Hints, tips and tools to help you start improving elements of your website, from navigation menus to page layouts
An overview of tools to help you measure User Experience
