Marketing for your business
2025-01-14 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
Without proper marketing your business cannot have a lasting impact. This bootcamp will help you to identify, profile and gain a deeper understanding of your target audiences, how to conduct market research and build a marketing plan. It will also explain brand development and positioning – choosing your price points.
Agenda:
Marketing and market research

What is Marketing?
How to understand your audience using market research

Understanding Your Customers and Competition

Understanding your competitors
Identifying your customers and categorising them
Understanding your customers’ needs and motivations

Marketing Planning, Pricing and Branding

Pricing Considerations
Developing your brand
Developing your message
Deciding on the best marketing methods for your business
Budgeting and evaluating

Introduction to Canva
2025-01-14 13:30 - 15:30
Canva is an all-in-one online design tool that makes it simple to create graphics, edit photos/videos and write content.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to navigate Canva with confidence, starting with a broad overview of what you can create and do with Canva including a live demonstration of the Canva Editor.
We’ll then explore how to:

Design professional printed marketing materials and edit photos with ease.
Create engaging social media content, including videos and images for posts and ads.
Write creative blog content and make stunning presentations.

We’ll finish this beginner’s guide to Canva by looking at some clever strategies for improving how you market your business with your new suite of creative marketing materials.
As a result of attending this webinar, you will gain practical knowledge of the basics of Canva and learn how to save time when marketing your business online. We’ll be focusing on the free features of Canva for this webinar but some paid ‘Canva Pro’ features will be demonstrated also.
Before you sign up for this webinar, please make sure you have created a free Canva account that you are signed into. We will be doing three live demonstrations, giving you an opportunity to practice your new creative skills.

How To Develop a Brand For Your Business
2025-01-14 14:00 - 15:30
Your brand does not just mean which name or logo you choose, it is so much more. Getting your brand right and following the correct process is essential for any new business owner. This bootcamp is designed for those people who are either pre-start or at the very early-stage of running their own business.
We’ll look at the principles of branding and the 5 key elements to each brand. We will guide you through each step and give you tools and templates that will help you on your brand journey.
Agenda:
• Understanding the difference between a brand and a logo
• The 5 key elements of a brand
• Your brand position
• Your brand promise
• Your brand values
• Your brand story
• Brand Associations
• Next steps for you

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2025-01-15 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.

Google Analytics – Understand how your website performs
2025-01-15 14:00 - 16:00
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that helps you understand how your website is performing. It helps answer lots of questions, including:

Which marketing channels drive traffic to your site?
What pages are users looking at the most?
What impact does mobile have on your potential customers?

During this webinar, we’ll help you understand how Google Analytics is set up and give you an overview of key reports. We’ll also look at other web analytics tools to help you online.

Unlocking the power of crowdfunding
2025-01-16 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will equip businesses with the knowledge and strategies to effectively leverage crowdfunding for growth and success.
We’ll cover:

Understanding your funding audience
Crowdfunding success stories
The impact of a successful campaign
The opportunity presented by patronage models
Essential elements of a winning crowdfunding campaign
Building a crowdfunding culture
Crowdfunding myths and realities
Strategies for success

By the end of this webinar, you will have a comprehensive understanding of crowdfunding and patronage/membership models, actionable strategies to launch a successful campaign and the confidence to take your organisation to new heights through crowdfunding.

Building Travel Trade Through Farm Tours
2025-01-16 10:00 - 15:30 | Bairnkine Farm Tours, Bairnkine Farm, Jedburgh, TD8 6PH
Join Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farms Programme at Bairnkine Farm in the Scottish Borders for another informative event, this time focused on building travel trade connections through farm tours.
Whether you’re an established agritourism business or just starting out, all are welcome to attend.
Lucy Tile, of Bairnkine Farm, will provide progress updates on their farm tours and lead a walkaround of the farm. We’ll also hear from Jasmine Jackson, Jacksons at Jedburgh, and Robert and Lucy Wilson, Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen, who will talk about the ways in which they have developed their business with the travel trade.
Rona Wallace, Senior Intermediary Marketing Manager at VisitScotland, will also lead a session on getting started working with the travel trade and provide useful insights on the industry.
There will be a chance to share thoughts & ideas and network over lunchtime.
Tea and Coffee will be provided. There will be a cup of soup at lunchtime but please do bring a packed lunch.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 1: On page optimisation
2025-01-16 14:00 - 16:00
Join us to look at how Google and other search engines decide the order in which they list their search results. We will show you how to maximise your chances of appearing towards the top of the search rankings, ensuring you understand what key words and phrases your potential customers are using when searching online, and how to optimise your website as a result.
We will cover:

How search engines work, and the ‘on-page’ factors used to rank your site
Understanding customer search behaviour
Keyword research tools and how to benefit from them
Optimising your website content for search engines

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2025-01-17 10:00 - 12:00
New and established businesses will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This webinar will teach you what you need to include and how. We will walk you through what should be included within a business plan, how a business plan is used to improve your prospects for a loan or a grant, and how you can develop a business plan to meet your needs.
We will:

Provide a structure for a business plan
Review each section of what should be included within the business plan
Explain when and how to use a business plan
Explore the connections (and importance) between the words and the numbers
Look at how to identify and manage cashflow within the business planning process

Bookkeeping essentials
2025-01-20 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

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Carnoustie Library)
2025-01-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Carnoustie Library, 21 High Street, Carnoustie, DD7 6AN
The Business Gateway team will be at Carnoustie Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

EOI - Ecommerce: Direct-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business Accelerator
2025-01-21 10:00 - 16:00
Unlock the potential of direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce with our flexible programme, designed to help businesses refine and grow their online presence.
This comprehensive course focuses on strategies for selling directly to consumers – including everything from optimising your website to creating seamless customer experiences.
In addition to the direct-to-consumer channel, we’ll explore opportunities in business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce. This will offer a broader perspective to businesses looking to diversify their sales channels.
With practical, action-oriented guidance and one-to-one support, you’ll develop a tailored action plan that drives growth and helps expand your reach – whether you’re focusing on direct-to-consumer or considering business-to-business for future opportunities.
Unlock the potential of direct-to-consumer ecommerce with this flexible programme, which focuses on:

Optimising your website to enhance functionality and improve the customer experience
Creating a seamless customer journey that drives loyalty and increases conversions
Exploring opportunities in the business-to-business channel

How to deliver low-cost, high impact marketing
2025-01-21 13:00 - 15:00
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

Introduction to Lean Workshop
2025-01-22 09:00 - 12:30 | UHI Perth, Crieff Road, Perth, PH1 2NX
Improving productivity in your business can reduce costs and increase competitiveness.
One way to boost your productivity – and keep it high – is to employ Lean Thinking Principles.
Hosted in partnership with Tay Cities Engineering Partnership and UHI Perth, this breakfast workshop is an ideal opportunity to learn all about lean techniques and how they could help your business.
As well as providing a short overview of the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS), this interactive workshop will explore how lean manufacturing can help engage people and create sustainable change in your business.
As the workshop will take place at the UHI Perth, this will also be an opportunity to hear how our partners at Tay Cities Engineering Partnership are sharing expertise and collaborating to drive up the skills and technology base of the sector.
Who should attend:
This event is for business leaders who want to understand the basics of improvement through team-building exercises and practical application.
Through the manufacturing simulation provided, you’ll gain an understanding of the wastes and learn the importance of Performance Management.
This activity workshop provides the opportunity to step back from current operations, review the essential implementation elements of improvement, and assess the way forward for your organisation.

Delivering profit to drive growth
2025-01-22 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 2025 playbook: this year's key business trends
2025-01-22 12:30 - 13:30
From advancements in AI to shifts in social media, customer behaviour and attracting talent, this session will provide actionable insights to keep you ahead of the curve. Our expert panel, hosted by Hugh Lightbody, will share their predictions, case studies, and strategies for leveraging these trends to drive growth and ensure you can stay competitive in an ever-changing landscape.
This session will cover:

The significant trends shaping the business landscape in 2025
How businesses can adapt to the rapid pace of change in technology and market demands
Effective strategies to help small businesses remain resilient during uncertain times
How consumer preferences and behaviours will evolve this year
The role of digital transformation in helping businesses stay competitive
How businesses can train and bring in new talent

Panellists include:

Hugh Lightbody (Host), Chief Officer, Business Gateway National Unit
Genevieve White, Business Gateway Adviser & Founder of Campion Comms
Sean McGrath, CEO, Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation
Gary Ennis, Founder, Managing Director & Senior Consultant, NSDesign Ltd

How to create engaging content
2025-01-22 14:00 - 16:00
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

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2025-01-22 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!

AgriFood Innovations - Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
2025-01-23 09:00 - 12:00
At this online webinar series, you will hear about ways in which the carbon footprint of food production can be reduced, by different thematic areas.
These webinars will feature keynote speakers providing expertise in their given field and insights from Innovate UK funded projects. There will be an opportunity to network, and pose questions to the innovators.
From energy to co-product and waste valorisation to the blue economy, join us for insightful discussions and explore innovations in sustainable agriculture and food systems that will drive us towards a nature positive future.

Unleash the Power of ChatGPT/AI for global business growth
2025-01-23 09:30 - 13:00
AI has been hitting the headlines recently, with the launch of ChatGPT already making waves in various industries.
ChatGPT and other similar AI applications use natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue. The language model can respond to questions and compose various written content, including articles, social media posts, essays, code and emails.
This webinar is updated weekly and covers a huge range of AI topics, including getting the most out of popular models (ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini) for the creation of written and visual content.
This webinar will help you understand more about generative AI models and how you can use them to boost efficiency and productivity in your business.

Social media essentials: Facebook
2025-01-23 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

EOI - Scaling Internationally with Amazon & Other Global Marketplaces
2025-01-23 10:00 - 16:00
If you’re an established company looking to scale internationally, this flexible accelerator programme is for you.
With a primary focus on maximising success on Amazon, you’ll also explore other key online marketplaces including eBay and Etsy, as well as specialised wholesale online marketplaces like Alibaba, Wayfair, Faire and more.
The programme will provide you with actionable strategies to expand your reach, optimise marketplace performance, and grow sales globally.
You’ll also benefit from a bespoke action plan and personalised 1-2-1 support to create your custom international growth strategy.
Programme Format:
This online programme will start on Wednesday 22 Jan 2025 with an in-person event.
The learning modules will then be released online, and followed with bi-weekly Teams catch ups.
The programme will end on Wednesday 23 Apr 2025 with a final in-person event.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2025-01-23 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

Kickstart your Marketing
2025-01-23 16:00 - 18:00
The workshop will cover the basic principles of marketing, including target audience identification, competitor analysis, value proposition, and the development of marketing strategies.
The workshop will also explore the importance of measuring the success of marketing strategies and how adhering to good business practice can positively influence Customer Generated Content.
Overall, this workshop is ideal for businesses – new and existing – who want to gain a solid understanding of the basics. By the end of the workshop, you should have the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and execute an effective marketing strategy for your business.

Understanding Co-ops for Creative Industry Businesses
2025-01-24 09:30 - 12:30 | Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Are you thinking of starting a new creative business? Or looking for a different approach to your existing business or community venture? Have you considered a co-op?
If you’re looking for an inclusive, democratic approach to your business, then a co-op could be the perfect fit.
Our free event, Understanding Co-ops, is brought to you by Co-operative Development Scotland, one of Scottish Enterprise’s services, and explores how your business can thrive as a co-operative.
Why co-ops?
All kinds of businesses operate as co-ops. These include pubs, energy suppliers, taxi firms, bookstores, community gardens, wine sellers, farms, sports clubs, and much more.
Co-ops are run by their members. They can be customers, employees, residents, or suppliers. They have a say in how the co-op is run – this makes it a fairer, more collaborative, and democratic way of doing business.
Co-ops are also resilient as a business model. They are more than twice as likely to survive the early years of trading when compared to other start-up businesses.
What to expect
The workshop will be led by a co-op specialist from Co-operate Scotland LLP and will feature guests from local creative industry co-ops:

Hen Hoose
Glasgow Theatre Arts Collective

Our guests will share their experiences of starting and running a co-op.
This informative and interactive workshop will give you a more in-depth understanding of co-operatives, as well as the initial steps required to start one. You’ll discover:

The different kinds of co-ops and learn which type might suit you best
What membership means
The strengths of co-ops versus traditional business models
Co-op values and principles
Co-op facts and figures
The different legal forms a co-op can take
Support for co-ops from Co-operative Development Scotland

How to start a business: The basics
2025-01-25 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

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Kirriemuir Library)
2025-01-27 13:00 - 16:00 | Kirriemuir Library, 28 Reform Street, Kirriemuir, DD8 4BS
The Business Gateway team will be at Kirriemuir Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

Social media essentials: TikTok and Instagram Reels
2025-01-27 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

A Guide to Completing your Self-Assessment Tax Return with EQ Chartered Accountants
2025-01-27 18:00 - 20:00
If you are newly self-employed and are required to submit a self-assessment return for the first time or want to better understand the basics of completing your Self-Assessment Tax Return then this workshop is for you.
The session will cover the key dates, the basics about allowable expenses and record keeping, as well as how income tax and National Insurance Contributions are calculated.

Business Finance Viability
2025-01-28 16:00 - 18:00
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!
