Invest in Angus

How to start a business: The basics
2025-10-23 18:00 - 20:00 UTC
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

Lunch and Learn: Understanding your pension ahead of Budget day
2025-10-23 12:00 - 12:30
Understand your pension now – be ready for Budget day.
The Autumn Budget often reshapes pensions, tax and investments. Knowing exactly what you have today means you can prepare calmly, without reacting irrationally to headlines or fear.
Topics covered in this session:

How pensions really work
How much you will need for a comfortable retirement
The smartest ways to save using a limited company
The role of cash flow modelling in long-term planning

Employing staff, introducing a manager and building your team
2025-10-23 10:00 - 16:00 | Bowmuir Farm Holidays, Bowmuir Farm, Biggar, ML11 8LX
Join Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farms Programme for a talk from Core Community Group members Tom and Sarah Parker as they share their real-world experience of successfully introducing a new manager into their business. Discover what worked, what they learned, and how they made the transition seamless for their staff and customers.
Whether you’re considering hiring your first manager or looking to strengthen your leadership structure, this session offers practical tips on how to employ the right people and build a strong, capable team.

Thorntons Webinar - Data Records, Retention & Secure Disposal
2025-10-23 09:30 - 10:30
The ICO’s recent £18000 penalty against Birthlink, a Scottish charity, in relation to destruction of a large volume of personal records highlighted the importance of ensuring compliance with the basic principles of good data governance, clear retention timeframes and secure disposal.
It serves as a reminder that a personal data breach is broadly interpreted and includes destroying personal data when it ought not to have been. Organisations must have in place clear processes and procedures to manage records and personal data in them to avoid personal data breaches as well as the human impact mismanagement can have.
Join Morgan O’Neill and Loretta Maxfield to explore the requirements and benefits associated with record keeping, retention and secure disposal methods and a practical outlook of how organisations may wish to implement these.

Social media essentials: Instagram
2025-10-22 18:00 - 20:00
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

How to build a digital marketing plan
2025-10-22 14:00 - 16:00
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 marketing update: October 2025
2025-10-22 12:00 - 13:00
Boost your social media skills with our free October update!
This online event is ideal for social media managers, small business owners, and marketing professionals looking to stay ahead of the latest trends.
What to expect:

Top trends and insights: Explore the latest social media trends, B2B and B2C strategies, and tools that are shaping the industry in 2025.
Live demonstrations and best practice examples: See real-life case studies and demonstrations from leading brands, showing you what’s working now.
Expert-led sessions: Gain actionable insights from Alison Battisby, social media expert and founder of Avocado Social.

Accounting for Limited Companies
2025-10-22 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar is designed to outline the key accounting and statutory reporting requirements for a limited company and explain the main differences between operating as a sole trader versus a limited company.
We’ll cover:

Advantages and disadvantages of setting up as a limited company
Company set-up
Accounting requirements
Record keeping and employing staff
Paying directors and shareholders
Corporation Tax
VAT
Software
Management accounts
Incorporation

By the end of the webinar you should have a solid basis of deciding if a limited company is the correct structure for your business, and have an understanding of what is involved in accounting for a limited company.

Using Food Tourism to Power Scotland’s Culinary Identity
2025-10-22 10:00 - 11:00
Scotland’s food and drink are among its greatest assets. And when thoughtfully developed, they can become powerful drivers of economic growth, community pride, and environmental sustainability.
This webinar, based on Crafting Your Taste of Place by Erik Wolf, Executive Director, World Food Travel Association, will explore how food tourism can help your region stand out and thrive.
Tailored to Scotland’s producers, suppliers, and tourism stakeholders, the session offers practical guidance for turning local food culture into unforgettable visitor experiences that benefit businesses and communities alike.
Whether your area is already on the map or emerging, discover how to harness your culinary identity to its full potential.

How to generate and increase sales
2025-10-21 13:00 - 17:00
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

THRIVE+ : Food & Drink Legislation and Labelling
2025-10-21 10:30 - 12:00
Session 1: Tuesday 21 October

Session 2: Tuesday 28 October
This event is part of a series of THRIVE+ skills development events delivered by experienced industry trainers.
This 2-session training webinar will be delivered by industry experts and will cover the following key topics:

Food labelling required on front and back of pack (including ingredient declaration, nutrition information)
Legislation vs guidance
Food safety act
Food safety management system (HACCP, TACCP and VACCP)
Food allergens
Health claims
Novel food list

This package is aimed at food and drink entrepeneurs throughout the UK and food industry professionals looking to expand their food legislation and labelling expertise (Technical, NPD, sales, marketing, food production).
There will be a Q&A section at the end of each session.

How to write funding applications
2025-10-20 12:00 - 14:00
Securing funding can be a game-changer — but writing a strong application takes more than just filling out forms.
This webinar will offer tools and insights to help improve your chances of a successful application, including:

Clarifying and communicating your funding need
Building a persuasive business case with clear objectives and costings
Understanding your funder’s priorities and tailoring your language
Presenting evidence that demonstrates impact and credibility
Avoiding common mistakes that lead to rejection
Structuring your application for clarity and relevance

Lunch and Learn: Why sleep is a performance tool, not a luxury
2025-10-20 12:00 - 12:30
In this practical session, health and performance coach Michelle Flynn will explore why sleep is critical to health, focus and resilience – especially for busy professionals.
You’ll learn how poor sleep affects performance, the common habits that quietly sabotage rest and simple, science-backed strategies to improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep.
The session is designed to leave you with realistic tools you can apply immediately to boost energy, productivity and wellbeing.
Topics covered in this session:

How quality sleep boosts focus, decision-making, resilience and energy levels in both business and life
How to spot and fix the hidden things that disrupt sleep
Practical strategies to improve both the quality and quantity of sleep – without complicated routines
Realistic changes small business owners can implement immediately to protect their health, avoid burnout and perform at their best

#MadeOnAMobile
2025-10-20 10:00 - 12:30
Do you watch videos on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or LinkedIn and wonder… should I be doing that too?
If you want to promote your business, share your story, or build your brand, video is a powerful way to connect. This two-part workshop will show you how to create authentic, engaging content, using just your phone.
Session 1: Filmmaking Foundations (Online via Zoom)
Start with the essentials that will shape everything you create:
Plan and structure your story
Compose compelling shots
Edit video clips with sound, titles and transitions, all on your mobile device
Video is the only format where your audience can hear your voice, see your face, and feel your passion, even when you’re not in the room.
Whether you use Apple or Android, you’ll leave with the confidence to shoot and edit creative content that truly connects.
This is a two part event. When you book the first session you are also booking session 2 on 23rd October at Arbroath Football Club from 10am – 4.30pm, where you’ll get hands-on experience with interview techniques and learn how to share your finished video across social media and the web, ensuring it reaches and resonates with the right audience.

Lunch and Learn: How to set healthy tech boundaries at home and work
2025-10-17 12:00 - 12:30
Juggling client demands, content creation and monitoring your child’s screen time is the modern parent’s triathlon.
Led by Nicola Millington, this hands-on Lunch and Learn will equip you with a concrete framework to handle the specific online challenges you face. Nicola will move from theory to practice, giving you scripts, tools and routines you can implement immediately.
Reclaim your time, protect your mental energy and build your business from a place of calm confidence.
Topics covered in this session:

The 5-minute troll triage: A step-by-step flowchart for assessing and responding to (or ignoring) negative online engagement without it ruining your day.
Designing your digital perimeter: Learn how to configure privacy settings, use content filters and establish “digital-free zones” in your home to protect your family’s peace.
The family media agreement co-created by an entrepreneur: A practical framework for creating a set of online rules with your children, fostering trust and open communication instead of control and secrecy.

VisitScotland bitesize webinars: Optimise your website with UX fundamentals
2025-10-16 14:00 - 14:30
Want to make your tourism website easier and more enjoyable for your visitors?
In this introductory UX (User Experience) webinar, you’ll learn simple, practical tips to understand what your users really need, so your site feels welcoming and easy to navigate.
Ideal for tourism businesses looking for an easy introduction to website optimisation.

Lunch and Learn: Unlocking the power of video to scale your business
2025-10-16 12:00 - 12:30
Think creating professional video is too complicated or costly?
Join this Lunch and Learn to discover how easy it can be to produce stand-out content with zero editing experience and hear why video should be a core part of your brand strategy.
Video is the storytelling medium of choice, delivering up to 20 times more engagement than other formats. Yet many businesses struggle with the perception that it requires expensive tools or advanced skills.
In this session with video editor Tim Chaffee, you’ll learn how to overcome those barriers and create professional-looking videos quickly, affordably and with ease.
Topics covered in this session:

How to build brand visibility with video storytelling
How to create high-quality content using next-gen, browser-based tools
How to collaborate with your team to streamline production and scale output

How to build your brand
2025-10-15 13:00 - 15:00
This webinar will define what a brand is (and is not) and explain how it is more than just creating a logo. We will explore how a business can use their brand to show its identity, purpose, personality, message, and values in order to stand out from competitors, build a loyal customer base and make more sales.
This session will:

Provide you with a clear understanding of the difference between brands and branding
Help you understand what a brand is
Show you why branding is important
Look at your brand strategy, brand identity and action
Help you learn how to develop your brand’s positioning, character, and purpose to differentiate your business from its competitors
Demonstrate how to set up a brand kit and style guide to ensure consistency across websites, social media, business cards, posters etc.
Teach you how to create simple promotional graphics using a variety of tools including Canva
Highlight a variety of free tools including Google Drive, Hubspot and Mailchimp that can save time and simplify marketing tasks

Building a finance stack that grows with your business
2025-10-15 12:00 - 12:30
Expanding globally starts with the right systems in place.
Many founders choose low-cost finance tools early on. It works for a while. But as the business grows, those tools often fall short – leading to messy migrations and delays.
In this session, we’ll hear from Tannah Matus, CFO at Secret Food Tours. He’ll share how he’s built finance systems that scale, support global operations and connect smoothly with tools like Xero, NetSuite and Shopify.
Tannah will also answer questions based on real challenges small businesses face when expanding into new markets – drawing from his own experience and from the wider community.
If you’re thinking about growing internationally, this conversation will help you plan ahead and avoid common roadblocks.
Topics covered in this session:

The essential tools for early-stage vs scaling-stage businesses
How to avoid painful migrations later on
Real examples from founders and leaders
How Airwallex integrates with accounting and e-commerce software

Business expenses – What can I claim
2025-10-15 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar focuses on the main areas of spend that many businesses might incur, and provides a detailed and HMRC backed overview of what can and should be claimed.
This webinar will cover:

What constitutes a business expense
The HMRC rules around business expenses
What you can claim and more importantly what you cannot when submitting an accurate tax return
The main expenses that are claimable, what can be claimed and how they should be calculated

Lunch and Learn: Leaning into adversities to make your brand stronger
2025-10-14 12:00 - 12:30
Many businesses don’t survive “shock events” (global pandemics, heavy flooding, recessions and so on). So what helps those that do survive them to keep going?
In this Lunch and Learn, Adrian Ashton will share insight into how he’s managed to keep his business afloat in the face of ongoing crises that would’ve forced most other businesses to wind up. And he’ll explain how to apply these lessons to any enterprise.
Topics covered in this session:

How not to lose clients when dealing with challenges
How to approach recreating your business model
How you can use crises to help strengthen your brand

Young person’s guide to starting a business
2025-10-14 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will provide you with information, direction and support on a range of topics, including:

Planning (before you start, & once you are up and running)

The personal benefits of working for yourself

How to make sure your idea is viable and sustainable

How to research your market and market your business

How to identify who your customers are

Staffing

Funding

How to register and set up – sole trader or a limited company

Lunch and Learn: Bringing your business story to life
2025-10-13 12:00 - 12:30
Storytelling brings the emotional element into the buying process. Knowing how and when to use your story ensures that people hear what you have to say and engage with it.
In this webinar, Bev Hepting will look at how you can incorporate your story into your business marketing and create highly compelling messages in the process.
Topics covered in this session:

How to put your story together
How to incorporate it into your business message
How to deliver your story and message with confidence and clarity

Predicting the future of soil health with AI
2025-10-13 10:30 - 12:00
Part of the “Envisioning the future of soil health monitoring” series for AI4SoilHealth, hosted by Soil Association.
What role can AI play in assessing soil degradation, mapping vulnerabilities, and identifying the drivers of soil health decline? Can machine learning and process-based models provide reliable insights into Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) dynamics? And how can indicator frameworks be integrated into modelling projects to strengthen our ability to track and safeguard soil health?
Sign up to this free webinar to join leading experts to discuss these topics and learn more about the future of soil science.
In this webinar we are joined by AI 4 Soil Health project partners and a member of the European Commission to discuss AI, modelling and soil health indicator frameworks. The panel will discuss what these methods mean for the future of soil health, explore challenges and opportunities, and share lessons learned from applying models across Europe.

Lunch and Learn: Why changing the high-street narrative is vital for success
2025-10-10 12:00 - 12:30
In this webinar, Laura Harris from HighStreetPositives will explore why changing the narrative about our high streets is vital for business success, investment and local engagement.
Using survey insights and real-life examples, she’ll show you how to build pride in your place, share local good news, collaborate with fellow enterprises and highlight the high street as a community hub – all to strengthen both your business and your town.
Topics covered in this session:

Why narrative matters – understand how perceptions influence local engagement and your business, with insights from HSP surveys
Building pride in place – practical steps for small businesses to foster community spirit and collaborate with other local enterprises
Making high streets experiential, convenient and community-focused – actionable ways to attract and retain customers while contributing to a vibrant, valued local high street

Social media essentials: TikTok and Instagram Reels
2025-10-10 10:00 - 12:00
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

Lunch and Learn: Building a food business with creativity and confidence
2025-10-09 12:00 - 12:30
Join us for an inspiring session in which Dee Omole, CEO of Dee’s Basement, explores why your story is just as powerful as your product.
Discover how to keep your creative spark alive while navigating the demands of running a business, and learn how to recognise and grow opportunities that truly let your brand shine.
Whether you’re building your brand or looking to refresh your vision, this webinar offers practical insights to fuel both passion and purpose.
Topics covered in this session:

Why your story matters as much as your product
How to keep your creativity alive while running a business
How to spot and nurture opportunities that help your brand shine

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2025-10-09 10:00 - 12:00
You’ve heard of Artificial Intelligence, but do you know how it can help you as you run your business? This practical webinar will explore how AI can help improve your business marketing to be more efficient and cost-effective, through the automatic creation of content for all your digital platforms; as well as helping you better understand your customers and business opportunities.
This webinar will cover:

What is Artificial Intelligence
Current AI tools and systems to use right now (including ChatGPT and MidJourney)
Automating digital content for blogs and social media
Using AI for business strategy and customer profiling
The pros and cons of AI for small businesses

This webinar will help you understand how you can integrate AI into your existing marketing, looking at the potential consequences (good and bad) of Artificial Intelligence, and its impact on small businesses and their customers.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2025-10-08 14:00 - 16:00
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

Lunch and Learn: Money-saving questions to ask your accountant
2025-10-08 12:00 - 12:30
Most small business owners only speak to their accountant once a year – when the tax bill lands. By then, it’s too late to make changes.
But if you know the right questions to ask during the year, you can save money, improve decision-making and put your business in the best possible position for growth.
In this practical 30-minute Lunch and Learn, award-winning finance trainer Tara Askham will share simple tips to help you stay on top of your cash flow, understand the key numbers that matter and build the confidence to have better conversations with your accountant.
Topics covered in this session:

The key questions to ask your accountant to save money and improve decisions
The three essential numbers every business owner should know (and why they matter for loans, mortgages, and growth)
How to keep on top of your cash flow so there are no surprises
