Invest in Angus

The Basics of Starting a Business
2024-06-04 16:00 - 18:00 UTC
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.

Website development for your small business
2024-06-04 14:00 - 17:00
This webinar is suitable for business owners who are thinking about getting a website, or those who have just started to put one together.
Divided over three sessions, it will look at the principles and practices of developing a website for your business.
Topics covered include:

audience demographics
website domains
website structure
keywords
GDPR
analytics
website building
Google Ads

The breaks provided have been designed to coincide with a change in the webinar’s focus area within the subject of website development. You can attend all three sections using the same link, or choose the parts that suit your needs.

How to create engaging content
2024-06-04 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.
This session is 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.
We 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

Social media essentials: LinkedIn
2024-06-03 14:00 - 16:00
No longer just an online CV, LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful – and profitable – business tool.
During this webinar, 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

Create videos with YouTube
2024-05-31 11:00 - 12:00
With 2 billion users logging in every month, YouTube provides an exciting way of increasing your brand’s exposure through video.
This session will cover:

how to understand your brand and target audience’s behaviours
how to write, storyboard and film engaging videos
how to market your content to users and measure your success

You will also learn:

how to identify your niche
top tips for creating engaging content
ways to increase your video’s discoverability

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 the opportunity to ask questions during the session.

Business Finance Viability
2024-05-30 10:00 - 12:00
Led by experienced advisers, this webinar takes the fear out of finances, providing practical tools and guidance to help you confidently manage your business’s budgeting and forecasting. You’ll learn how to identify the hidden costs of running your business, including the cost of hiring staff, maintaining stock levels, and other crucial expenses.
Through a series of engaging exercises, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your business’s financial viability, helping you make informed decisions about its future growth and success. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or have been in business for a couple of years, this webinar is tailored to your needs, providing you with the knowledge and skills to take your business to the next level.
Don’t let financial worries hold you back from realizing your business’s full potential. Sign up for the Business Finance Viability webinar today and discover how to confidently manage your business’s financial health!

Creating an effective email marketing strategy
2024-05-30 10:00 - 12:00
Customers buy from businesses that they know, like and trust. Email marketing is powerful and affordable tool in your digital marketing toolkit to build these relationships.
Most businesses send monthly newsletters to stay in touch with their audience, but your results will improve with a structured plan and the best practices that will be explored in this webinar.
Whether you’re new to email marketing or you’re looking to optimise your email strategy, this webinar enable you to:

Adopt email marketing into your wider marketing strategy and gain insight into your target audience
Understand the key stages of an effective marketing strategy
Segment your audiences and to target and position your offering to them effectively
Create a value-driven and customer-focussed content for email marketing whilst measuring and testing it’s effectiveness
Identify the most suitable platforms and tools for email marketing campaigns, including different paid-for account levels
Optimise the different components of a successful email campaign
Use reporting and key metrics to make sure your campaigns are successful
Be compliant with legal requirements relating to email communications and use best practices for escaping the spam folder

How to deliver low-cost, high impact marketing
2024-05-29 15:00 - 17:00
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

Cyber security for your small business
2024-05-29 15:00 - 16:00
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.

USA Offshore Wind Market Update - May 2024
2024-05-29 14:00 - 15:00
Join us to hear an update on the current state of play in the US offshore wind market.
Learn more about upcoming projects, proposed longer term developments and SDI’s future event calendar.

Social media essentials: Facebook
2024-05-29 10:00 - 12:00
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

Finding, keeping and looking after your staff
2024-05-28 13:00 - 15:00
One of the most daunting challenges a business can face is the process of hiring employees, 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 look after your team.
We’ll cover:

Finding, keeping and looking after your staff
Attracting and recruiting the best people for your business
Your obligations as employers
How to retain staff members
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

Unlocking Efficiency in Green Energy Supply Chains through Emerging Technologies
2024-05-28 11:00 - 12:00
Join this webinar to learn about how new and emerging technologies can unlock efficiencies in the green energy supply chain and how secure data sharing can reduce costs and optimise processes in the Energy sector.

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2024-05-28 10:00 - 12:00
This workshop will take place online via Zoom. Joining instructions will be shared with you once you have reserved your space.
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!

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2024-05-27 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

How to start a business: The basics
2024-05-25 10:00 - 12:00
Whatever your reasons may be for considering being your own boss, we are here to support you and help you decide if this is the right path for you.
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

Delivering profit to drive growth
2024-05-23 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

The essential guide to Trade Fairs
2024-05-22 12:00 - 13:00
If you’re thinking about selling wholesale via trade shows and not sure where to start, this session will help you understand what’s involved and how to get started.
You’ll learn more about:
• How to choose your stand
• What you need to think about when setting up
• Pricing and marketing yourself
• Navigating contracts to follow up
Exhibition industry experts Becky and Stacey will give an overview to help you decide if this could be a worthwhile route to market for your business.
Springboard Events call on decades of experience in trade shows to bring you the basics of what you need to know to navigate this daunting move.

Selling and Exporting Overseas
2024-05-22 10:00 - 12:00
Jane Milroy our expert in exporting will be running this innovative masterclass helping you to look at ways to grow business and explore some great opportunities selling to different markets overseas.
This information packed webinar will take you through all the key areas you need to consider when trading internationally with a particular emphasis on doing business with EU countries in the post-Brexit era.
It will cover both strategic and practical aspects of both exporting and importing and is suitable for companies that are new or in the earlier stages of trading internationally.
Topics to be covered will include: researching market opportunities, routes to market and working with international partners, incoterms, customs and VAT implications, legal aspects of working internationally and pricing strategies and getting paid.

Bookkeeping essentials
2024-05-22 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

Sustainable Scotland Network Conference 2024
2024-05-22 09:00 - 15:00
We’re thrilled to announce the return of SSN’s Annual Conference on public sector climate action. This year’s Conference will address the key challenges and opportunities facing the public sector as we move from ambition into action on climate change, resilience and sustainability.
Taking place online on Wednesday 22nd May 2024, the Conference will welcome public sector colleagues, SSN members, and industry professionals to one of Scotland’s major public sector climate change events.
The Conference will present insights and initiatives designed to shift the dial on climate and sustainability action. It will draw on the work of SSN members and bring together leading advocates for transformational change within and across the public sector.
The event will focus on progressing integrated approaches designed to deliver multiple national performance outcomes across climate, wellbeing, nature, health, sustainability and
prosperity.
Máiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Scottish Government will open the event, alongside Cllr Gail Macgregor, Environment and Economy Spokesperson, COSLA. We will also be joined by speakers who will share their own insights and lived experience of putting policy into practice. The event will also feature sessions on taking a holistic approach to mitigation, adaptation, resilience and well-being.
This is a key event for anyone working on climate change and sustainability in, or with, the public sector. The conference audience will include leaders, policy makers and practitioners from across the Scottish public sector, including local authorities, NHS Boards, universities and colleges and the wide array of national and regional public bodies that are all actively involved in SSN.

Introduction to Energy Transition in APAC
2024-05-22 09:00 - 10:00
Meet the APAC Energy Transition team and hear our priorities and opportunities for the year ahead.
This webinar is for Scotland based companies in energy transition.

Social media essentials: Instagram
2024-05-21 14:00 - 16:00
Thinking about using Instagram to communicate with existing and potential customers? Want to showcase your products or services using it? During this webinar we will cover:

Getting the setup right and benefitting from the available business tools
Best practice profiles, and some strategies to help your business stand out from the crowd
The types of audience you can reach via this platform and the factors and analytics such as cost and timing of posting images and how that can maximise impact
The various types of content you can post to Instagram, from regular posts to Stories and Reels

Recruiting, Training & Retaining Staff - Monitor Farms Programme
2024-05-21 10:00 - 16:00 | Charleton Farm, Montrose, DD10 9EW
This Monitor Farm meeting takes place on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at Charleton Fruit Farm and Arbikie Distillery. The focus of the meeting is on recruiting, training and retaining staff.
Registration is at 10am at Charleton Fruit Farm with the meeting starting at 10.30am and lunch will be provided.
Graeme and Lisa from Charleton will provide a tour of the business and speak about staffing within their business. There will also be experts providing further information on the topic including employment law.
We will then move to Arbikie Distillery at 2.30pm for the final part of the meeting and a representative from Arbikie will speak about how the business has developed over the past few years and how they recruit, train and retain a great staff team. This will be followed by a tour of the distillery and the new accommodation.
All welcome.
The meeting itself is free to attend and all agritourism, rural tourism and rural food and drink businesses are welcome as well as farmers and crofters considering agritourism.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2024-05-21 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

Social media essentials: TikTok and Instagram Reels
2024-05-20 14:00 - 16:00
TikTok and Instagram Reels aren’t just for dance trends and lip-synching videos, they can also be a fantastic opportunity to engage with your customers and increase the reach of your business online. Learn how to create bitesize video content for more effective business communication on two of the most popular social platforms.
We will cover:

How to optimise your TikTok and Instagram accounts for the best results with video
How to discover the latest trends on each platform and leverage this to create popular videos for your business
Ideas for creating content to entertain, inspire or educate your audience (with lots of examples from a variety of relevant TikTok and Reels accounts)
How to increase engagement and reach by paying attention to your videos’ structure, duration, titles and understanding hashtags and algorithms
The best kit, apps and workflow to create bitesize vertical videos for both platforms

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2024-05-20 10:00 - 12:00
Join us as we take a further, more detailed look at how the Google search engines indexes and ranks websites based on a number of external (off-page) and technical factors. Implementing this learning will increase your chances of customers discovering your business through Google – the world’s leading research tool.
We will cover:

How to block or control what websites are allowed to ‘index’
The importance of a fast loading mobile website
How security and usability influence Google
What “off-page” optimisation means, and tactics to generate back-links
The importance of Local SEO, and why a “Google Business Profile” is vital

Upskill for Today & Future Proof Your Business
2024-05-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Michelin Innovation Parc, Baldovie Road, Dundee, DD4 8UQ
Calling all electricians, plumbers, car mechanics/technicians and tradespeople working with hybrid/electric vehicles (EV), EV charging installation points, hydrogen vehicles or heat pump systems.
Explore our cutting-edge facilities, equipment and training at The Skills Academy at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, designed to elevate your skills in current & future technologies.
Why Attend?
Hands-On Experience: Explore our state-of-the-art equipment used for our upskilling courses for plumbers, electricians and car technicians at The Skills Academy.
Funding Opportunities: Learn about accessing funding to upskill yourself or your team in these skills.
Business Success: Understand the importance of upskilling in electric and renewable technologies to future-proof your business.
Don’t miss this chance to stay ahead in your field and shape the future of your business!

Growth Leadership - Taster Session
2024-05-16 10:00 - 11:00
Are you a leader of a business with planned growth aspirations, a leader looking to build on previous leadership development over the next two to three years, or the leader of a business that’s in the early stages of growth?
If so, the Growth Leadership programme could be for you. You can join our taster session to get an overview of the programme. This will help you ensure it’s the right leadership development programme for you.
You’ll also get the opportunity to ask the team questions about the programme. Growth Leadership is aimed at leaders whose businesses have planned growth aspiration, as well as experienced leaders wishing to build on previous leadership development participation.
What’s involved in Growth Leadership?

Pre-programme onboarding – you’ll get personal and business assessments and diagnostics prior to the structured learning sessions. Before the learning phase, the diagnostic results will be discussed and actions to take forward will be identified and agreed.
Learning phase – you can join eight 0.5-day workshops, delivered over approximately three months. These facilitated sessions bring the group of leaders together to learn, share issues and solutions and support, and challenge and inspire each other.
Post-programme support and implementation – you’ll review what has been learned, track progress to date, review the action plan and plan your next steps.
You’ll also get coaching with a dedicated qualified coach to further develop you as a leader – your coach can focus on business or personal development.

Pricing
The cost to participating businesses is £1600 (plus VAT) per participant.
The programme is significantly subsidised by Scottish Enterprise.

Managing the growth of your small business
2024-05-15 16:00 - 17:00
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
