Invest in Angus

Tourism businesses: Make your website work for your customers
2022-11-01 11:00 - 12:00 UTC
At the end of this webinar you’ll:

Understand how users consume content.
Understand the importance of knowing your online users’ experience and tailoring the customer journey on your website accordingly.
Find out how to measure user experience cost-effectively.
Have some great examples of making user experience work.

Email marketing for business
2022-10-31 17:00 - 19:00
Connecting with your audience through effective email marketing campaigns is a great way to improve your marketing strategy and boost sales. In this webinar, we’ll explore what makes an email campaign effective and ensure you are able to:

Segment your audiences and target them effectively
Create a quality marketing email and measure its effectiveness
Identify the most suitable platforms and tools for email marketing campaigns, including different paid-for account levels
Identify the different components of a successful email campaign, including design, HTML v text and other formats
Use reporting and key metrics to make sure your campaigns are successful
Be compliant with legal requirements relating to email communications

Online Sales: Improve, develop & make more money
2022-10-31 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

The low-cost guide to marketing your business
2022-10-28 14:00 - 16:00
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

Tayside Contracts Local Suppliers Event
2022-10-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Perth & Kinross Council Civic Hall, 2 High Street, Perth, PH1 5HP
Tayside Contracts is the largest catering organisation in the Tayside area and provides over 6 million meals to schools and communities in the Angus, Dundee City and Perth & Kinross areas every year.
Several Tayside-based food producers already supply Tayside Contracts through our extensive supply chain, and we are looking to extend that local approach, to ensure that more sustainable, high quality and local products are used as much as possible in the safe, healthy, nutritious and delicious meals that are served every day to nearly 30,000 people by Tayside Contracts – whilst generating more income for local businesses.
Therefore, NFU Scotland, local food producers and Tayside Contracts have joined together to host an event that brings together food producers across Tayside (whether you are, or are not, a NFU member), with Tayside Contracts and some of their big suppliers, to explore how we can work together to support Tayside businesses and increase the levels of locally grown and produced food, being part of the meals served by Tayside Contracts.
If you’re a food producer based in Tayside and are looking to extend your sales and distribution, this is for you.
This event will be held at:
Perth & Kinross Council Civic Hall, 2 High Street, Perth, PH1 5PH
28 October 2022
from 9.30am for 10am start.
Register online to attend.

Video production for social media
2022-10-27 18:00 - 20:00
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.

An Introduction to Bookkeeping
2022-10-27 18:00 - 20:00
This workshop will explain:

what financial records are needed
the broad principles and procedures of accounting systems
how to choose accounting systems – both manual and computerised
which financial statements and statutory returns are relevant to your business
different accounting periods and financial years
how to use financial records for monitoring the financial state of your business
cash flow forecasting, profit and loss statements as well as what they should contain
what financial measures and forecasts are needed by your business
what information on financial record keeping is available and from whom

By the end of the workshop you will be able to introduce or improve your financial record keeping system and improve how you manage your finances.
This webinar is for businesses in Dundee, Angus and Perth.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2022-10-27 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

Digital fundamentals for tourism businesses
2022-10-27 11:00 - 12:00
At the end of this webinar you’ll have learned about:

Getting your business visible online with the right content, at the right time, on the right platforms.
Assessing the quality of your online presence and knowing if you reach your intended audience.
The different online booking and distribution platforms available to tourism businesses.
Cost-effective digital marketing, including reducing your carbon footprint.
The first steps in ensuring your content is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) friendly.

How to write and develop your business plan
2022-10-27 08:00 - 10:00
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

Get impact & engagement with social media analytics
2022-10-26 18:00 - 20:00
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn & Pinterest are widely used social platforms, but often account owners aren’t looking at the metrics provided within them. Those metrics will inform you of reach, impressions, demographics and more, all of which can help towards improving the impact of your posting and targeting.
This webinar will help you understand how to access those metrics, and how to use them to improve your social media delivery.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2022-10-26 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

Marketing 1-2-1 Surgery Sessions
2022-10-26 09:30 - 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 appoint either from our Dundee office or over Zoom with our marketing specialist, Stuart Milne.
Once you have booked your space, one of our team will be in touch to arrange an appointment.
These appointments are for businesses based in Dundee, Angus or Perth.

The basics of trading on Ebay, Etsy and Amazon Marketplaces
2022-10-25 18:00 - 20:00
As a consumer, you’ve almost certainly purchased online from one of the global marketplaces such as Ebay, Etsy or Amazon, so why wouldn’t your customers do the same and buy from you?
We will cover:

Why to sell via a Marketplace, your own website, or both
Choosing the right Marketplace – looking specificly at Ebay, Etsy and Amazon

Understanding Profit Margins and how Marketplace fees affect them

An overview of some of the rules and regulations enforced by these platforms
Trading internationally – what’s possible?

You’ll leave with a better understanding of how online marketplaces can help you reach your target audience, which marketplace is best for you, and how to get started selling quickly and easily.

HR – Recruiting, managing, and retaining staff
2022-10-25 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

Website usability and customer experience
2022-10-25 14:00 - 16:00
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

DASA Funding and how Scottish Companies can win it
2022-10-25 11:00 - 12:00
DASA funds innovation projects which support UK defence and security quickly and effectively, through an Open Call for Innovation, along with Thematic Competitions and innovation loans.
DASA has recently launched several new funding and acceleration programmes to support companies to commercialise new products, which this webinar will focus on.

Build your brand and promotional graphics
2022-10-25 10:00 - 12:00
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

Planning & scheduling your online content
2022-10-25 10:00 - 12:00
Businesses who plan their content in advance, aligning their channels with actual business objectives, customer themes and national events, and then schedule it to ensure it reaches the target market at the right time, on the right platform – hugely increase the chances of achieving impact.
In this webinar, you will learn how to:

Plan content based on your business and your customer needs
Evaluate current social media dashboards and management tools
Create a social media content calendar and schedule updates automatically
Reach more people through automating your blog and email newsletter content
Implement simple automation techniques to increase efficiency

Having great content is just the start. This webinar will help you better organise and setup your content strategy through simple planning and effective scheduling, to achieve great business results.

Finance 1-2-1 Surgery Sessions
2022-10-25 09:00 - 17:00
Take this opportunity to discuss your finance queries with finance specialist, Scott Geddes. Gain clarity on the start-up and running costs for your business or discuss how to make your business profitable and financially viable.
Brush up on some financial basics by learning how to create a cash-flow forecast and better understand your business’s profit and loss accounts. If you’re getting ready to apply for funding, lean on Scott’s experience to understand what lenders are looking for.
Become aware of your financial commitments, as they can differ depending on your business type.
Once you have booked your space online, someone will be in touch to discuss an appointment time with you and send you further information. These sessions can take place online via Zoom or alternatively, face to face at the Dundee Business Gateway Office.
These appointments are aimed at businesses based in Dundee, Angus, and Perth.

Learning Zone - How to run a more efficient business
2022-10-24 18:30 - 19:30
We will explore the ways you can improve your efficiency with the least business impact and at a low cost, covering:

Governance and process
Good financial management
Understanding your sales and costs
Targeting only profitable customers
Reducing stock
Cutting wastage (process, people, and projects)

Cloud for business
2022-10-24 14:00 - 16:00
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.

Instagram for business
2022-10-24 10:00 - 12:00
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.

The essentials of bookkeeping and what expenses you can claim
2022-10-21 12:30 - 14:30
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

e-Commerce with Shopify
2022-10-21 12:00 - 14:00
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

Shopify is a paid monthly subscription costing around £25 per month.

Upgrade your business marketing with a CRM system
2022-10-20 18:00 - 20:00
From organising how you reach new customers to tracking the new deals you close, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a great tool to help your business grow. In this webinar, we’ll show you how to connect a CRM to your website, track potential new customers, manage your business activities, nurture your leads and track successful, new business.
By the end of this webinar, you will understand:

What a CRM is, why they’re important and the difference between some of the best CRMs offered to businesses.
How to use HubSpot, a free CRM, for managing contacts, organising sales processes and creating reports.
How to improve your sales and marketing processes by using CRM task management, meeting scheduling and email marketing.
Your legal responsibilities when capturing customer information.

How to write a Business Plan and why you need one
2022-10-20 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.

How to generate and increase sales
2022-10-20 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

Webinars, live streams, and video conferences: Running a business remotely
2022-10-20 10:00 - 12:00
There are many tools available to allow you to communicate with people online. Whether you are trying to run a workshop or seminar, hold a meeting or just communicate. Many of these digital tools are easy to use and offer some powerful facilities. Let us guide you through:

What webinars, live streams and video conferences are and what is right for your business
Case studies and examples of how they are used
An overview of the tools and platforms currently available

An introduction to business websites & what you need to consider
2022-10-19 14:00 - 16:00
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.
