Invest in Angus

How to generate and increase sales
2024-06-06 13:30 - 15:30 UTC
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

How to start a business: The basics
2024-06-06 18:00 - 20:00
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

Bookkeeping essentials
2024-06-07 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-20 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

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2024-06-10 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.

Understanding Process Improvement Training
2024-06-11 09:00 - 12:00 | ETZ Ltd, 53 Blenheim Place, Aberdeen, AB25 2DY
Join our Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) on 11 June 2024, from 9:30am to 12:00 noon, for a free Lean Breakfast Workshop at W-Zero-1 collaboration space at ETZ, Aberdeen, which will provide you with the tools to support you through the Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme’s Process Excellence requirements.
The series is designed to help you develop your own continuous improvement strategies, to apply process improvements, improve workplace organisation and much more. Each workshop will also begin and end with a 30-minute networking opportunity.
Workshop two – Understanding Process Improvement Training
The second session in our series will focus on supporting your business with process improvements. You will learn:

The flow of departments within a company
The importance of gathering data to prioritise improvement actions
Practical tips and tools to identify waste and how to challenge it

Our event is open to all manufacturers and producers – large, small and sector wide – who wish to improve business efficiency and begin their F4OR accreditation. It’s aimed at business leaders and managers who are looking to introduce a culture of change within the business and who wish to engage the workforce to look for opportunities to do things better and deliver process improvements that can benefit your business.

Growth Leadership - Taster Session
2024-06-11 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.

Essential Leadership - Taster & Information Session
2024-06-12 09:30 - 10:30
Are you a new business leader, someone who aims to move to a leadership role in the next two to three years, or the leader of a business that’s in the early stages of growth?
If so, the Essential Leadership programme could be for you.
You can join our taster session, which will give an overview of the programme. This will help yo ensure it’s the right leadership development programme for you. You’ll also get the opportunity to ask the team questions about the programme.
Whats involved in the programme?

Pre-programme onboarding – diagnostics (including 360) will be undertaken with each participant prior to the structured learning sessions. During the feedback session the diagnostic results will be discussed, and you’ll identify and agree on actions to take forward.
Five half-day workshops – this programme of workshops is delivered over approximately three months. These facilitated sessions are where the like-minded individuals come together to learn, and to share issues and solutions. You will support, challenge, and inspire each other.
Four hours of coaching – with a dedicated qualified coach to further develop you as a leader. The focus can be on business or personal development.
A half-day forward action planning session – you’ll review what you have learned, track your progress to date and plan the next steps, with the support of your sponsor.

How much does the full programme cost?
There is a cost to the programme, which has been significantly subsidised by Scottish Enterprise – cost payable per delegate is £700 plus VAT.

Inch Cape Supply Chain Expo
2024-06-12 12:00 - 2024-06-13 12:30 | Forth Ports Leith Cruise Terminal, Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ
After more than 12 years in development, the project is assembling its Tier 1 contractors ready to start full construction. The Inch Cape team is keen to ensure UK companies are well-placed to bid for contracts with their Tier 1s and would like to welcome the local supply chain to a face-to-face event held over two days in June 2024.
A number of the project’s Tier 1s will be exhibiting over two days and there will be opportunities to hear from them directly, book one-to-ones and meet with others in the offshore wind supply chain. There will also be the chance to find out the latest on the project and have a tour of the port at Leith, for those keen to see how it’s being developed.
This event is organised by NOF and supported by Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster (FTO).
The event is recommended for existing and potential suppliers to the offshore wind sector, particularly those with a local presence or facilities. While attendees can come on either of the days, Day One will focus on wind turbine generators and the wider project and Day Two on the electrical transmission system.

Precision Medicine Opportunities in the USA
2024-06-12 15:00 - 16:00
This webinar is delivered in partnership with healthcare market specialists, AVIA, and will empower companies involved in Precision Medicine & Data-Driven Healthcare to increase market awareness and improve understanding of health systems, potential customers and investors in this $25 billion marketplace.

An introduction to business strategy
2024-06-12 15:00 - 17:00
This webinar is practical, outcome driven, and designed to fit with the needs of small businesses in both B2C and B2B environments. It will help you develop a strategically led approach that can turbo charge business growth, identify the core growth strategy(ies) that are right for your business, and develop an action plan.
We will look at:

Your business today – identifying your strengths and areas for development
The key pillars of a business and why balancing all areas is essential for success
Personal and business ambitions and using these to guide strategy development
Ansoff’s Matrix as a tool for identifying core growth strategies
The core components of your business delivery
How to develop a methodical, strategic approach to developing your business for future success

After the webinar, you will understand:

How to undertake a balanced review of where your business is that helps identify areas for development
Ansoff’s Matrix and how to use it as a core strategic planning tool
How to create a strategic plan for growing your business

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 1: On page optimisation
2024-06-13 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

Business Finance Viability
2024-06-13 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!

Marketing strategy and AI
2024-06-14 14:00 - 15:00
How can you supercharge your digital marketing strategy with the help of AI in 2024?
In today’s evolving digital landscape, AI is changing the way consumers access and interact with digital tools: from providing increasingly personalised user experiences to the integration of new technology in our everyday apps.
In this one-hour short course, you’ll explore the impact of AI on digital marketing and how to leverage its potential to reach and engage with customers in new ways.
This session delves into the cutting-edge tools from Google and others, and will provide you with actionable insights to implement in your marketing strategy, with the help of AI.
In this session you will learn:

how AI is changing the marketing landscape and what are the opportunities for marketers
AI-powered marketing tools you can try
supercharging your digital marketing strategy.

The 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 opportunity to ask questions during the session.
This session is developed by marketing experts at Google as part of the New Fundamentals training series from Google Digital Garage.

Social media essentials: Facebook
2024-06-17 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

Social media essentials: TikTok and Instagram Reels
2024-06-17 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

Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill
2024-06-18 09:30 - 10:30
The Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill was first introduced to Parliament in 2022. It is the first major piece of data protection legislation since the UK left the EU, but the legislative approval process was paused to enable collaboration and input from business leaders and data experts.
The latest version of the bill, presented to Parliament in March 2024, is intended to establish a UK data protection regime that works for individuals and organisations while maintaining high standards of data protection.
In this webinar Data Protection specialists, Loretta Maxfield and Morgan O’Neill will discuss some of the changes proposed by the bill and key provisions organisations should be made aware of.
Who should attend?

Individuals responsible for managing privacy
Data Protection and Governance professionals
Managers
Business owners

Delivering profit to drive growth
2024-06-18 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

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2024-06-18 10:00 - 12:00
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!

Build your Business Confidence in Tourism
2024-06-18 10:00 - 13:00 | Strathmore Rugby Club, Inchmacoble Park, Forfar, DD8 1RL
Do you feel your business confidence could use a boost?
This is your chance to enhance your tourism expertise with professional support.
This course is designed for individuals who understand the importance of working on their business, not just in it. In the initial masterclass you will be encouraged to audit your own business or business idea, identify key areas impacting your success and explore tools and techniques to overcome your obstacles.
The two follow-up sessions are designed as individual consultations, providing attendees with the opportunity to discuss their specific business needs. This ensures that you will finish the course feeling more confident and armed with your very own business action plan.
Throughout the course, you’ll be supported by our friendly and relatable course leaders, Kate Mason and Debbie Hutchison, two local businesswomen with years of experience in building tourism brands. They understand first-hand the challenges you face and how to overcome them.
Book now and take the first step towards transforming your business today!

Supporting employees with a visual impairment workshop
2024-06-18 12:30 - 13:30
Join this webinar on an inclusive workplace environment for employees with visual impairments. In this session, you’ll explore the experiences and challenges faced by people with visual impairments in the workplace, and how employers and colleagues can provide meaningful support.
Through discussions led by experts in the field, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the various types of visual impairments and their impact on daily work tasks. The session will also address common misconceptions and barriers faced by visually impaired individuals, and provide practical strategies for creating accessible workplaces and accommodating diverse needs.
Whether you’re an HR professional, manager, colleague, or simply interested in promoting inclusivity, this webinar will equip you with valuable knowledge and actionable steps to better support employees with visual impairments, ultimately creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

Circular Communities Toolkit Launch
2024-06-18 13:00 - 14:00
The circular economy can bring with it many advantages beyond just being better for our environment.
With the launch of the Circular Communities Toolkit, find out how your local area can get involved and what the benefits could be for your communities!
Co-presented by Kimberley Guthrie, Chief Officer, Scotland’s Towns Partnership with Deborah Mooney, Consultant (Partnerships) and Cheryl Robb, Partnerships Manager, Zero Waste Scotland.

Summer School 2024: Innovation in Town and City Climate Action
2024-06-19 09:00 - 2024-06-20 14:00 | University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD
The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed at COP26, was a step forward in our effort to tackle climate change. But there are serious concerns that it is not enough. While the Glasgow Climate Pact gives guidelines on how we tackle climate change, it’s not legally binding.
A clear sign that we are not moving fast enough is that COP26 aimed to ‘keep 1.5ᵒC alive’, to minimise a rise in global temperatures. In 2023, just two years later, 1.5ᵒC has already been breached. More needs to be done.
Slow progress is not a new problem. The friction between countries on a global stage has always been a barrier to progress. That’s why there is a growing consensus that climate action has to be driven by towns and cities at a local level. The place management industry has every incentive to lead on this.
Not only are our towns and cities exposed to extreme weather events which are taking a toll on the business community in areas hit by repeated storms and flooding, but there are also a number of co-benefits to climate action which can bring economic growth. Furthermore, as outlined in our ground breaking virtual event ‘Divided We Fall’ there needs to be the type of coordinated approach that necessitates the involvement of place management.
Following the legacy of COP26, Summer School 2024 will take place in Glasgow with a range of keynote sessions, workshops, study tours and panel debates. We will explore a number of issues crucial to local climate action including recovering from extreme weather, business engagement on sustainability, the 15 minute city, and the impact of net zero on regeneration. We will use an amended format to deliver more interactive workshops and panel debate to allow members to share best practice.

Fundamentals of SEO
2024-06-19 10:00 - 13:00
This SEO workshop will show you how to increase your chances of showing up on Page 1 of Google. Learn proven strategies and expert tips to enhance your search rankings, ensuring your business stands out amongst the competition. Presented by Janine Marriott.
You will learn how to monitor and assess the known factors affecting your search ranking, find out what people are searching for and establish current search trends. To ensure maximum success we will brief you on how to keep up to date with search algorithm changes and how to avoid violations and penalties applied by search engines. By the end of this workshop you will be understand the factors affecting your search engine rankings and act to improve your position.

Website development for your small business
2024-06-19 13:00 - 16:00
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.

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2024-06-19 14:00 - 16:00
New and established businesses will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This webinar will teach you what you need to include and how. We will walk you through what should be included within a business plan, how a business plan is used to improve your prospects for a loan or a grant, and how you can develop a business plan to meet your needs.
We will:

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

Operational Excellence Breakfast Workshop
2024-06-20 09:00 - 12:30 | Michelin Innovation Parc, Baldovie Road, Dundee, DD4 8UQ
At this highly interactive event, the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) will simulate how businesses are run, highlight some of the typical daily challenges that we experience and demonstrate an alternative way of looking at your business via simple ‘lean thinking’ principles. This approach is designed to help you gain a better understanding of what might be required to get you started on, or maintain, your operational excellence journey.
There will also be a live practical demonstration from SP Automation and Robotics. The demonstration will showcase some of the company’s products in automation, Industry 4.0 technology and collaborative robots that look to improve productivity in manufacturing production.
You will also hear from Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) and The Skills Academy, delivered by Dundee and Angus College. You’ll learn how, by providing access to creative spaces, skills training, business advice and support, the MSIP site has become an innovation ecosystem for manufacturers across the region and a prime location to sustainably grow your business.
This event is open to all manufacturers – large, small and sector wide – who wish to improve business efficiency. Particularly those who have responsibility for championing or driving business improvement within the workplace and/or those involved in the implementation of new processes, technologies and new ways of working.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2024-06-20 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

Boost your productivity with AI
2024-06-20 14:30 - 15:30
This Google Digital Garage session introduces learners to cutting-edge AI tools that are already available from Google and others, to show some of the smartest ways digital-age workers can use them to save time at work and on tasks.
In this session, you will learn:

an introduction to generative AI and how it works
how to use AI-powered tools and techniques to save you time
an overview to crafting effective prompts

This session is run using YouTube and is 45 minutes long.
The course assumes no prior knowledge or experience so there is no pre-reading necessary.

Managing the growth of your small business
2024-06-20 15:00 - 16:00
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
