The Basics of Starting a Business
2024-09-03 18:00 - 20:00 UTC
This webinar will give you the information needed to build a start up action plan. The plan will enable you to consider which actions are relevant to your plan, start building a set of SMART Goals, give thought to business skills development and provide a clear path for steps to launch your business.
You will also learn about the key considerations when starting a business and what steps you will need to take from legal, financial and strategic standpoints.
By the end of the webinar, you will have the information required to start building an action plan and be confident about understanding the next steps.

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2024-09-03 18:00 - 20:00
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.

Bookkeeping essentials
2024-09-04 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

Marketing for your business - Skills Webinar
2024-09-04 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-17 13:00 - 16:00
This bootcamp has been designed as a beginner’s guide for businesses, focused on the subject of marketing.
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.

Google Analytics – Understand how your website performs
2024-09-04 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.

Finding your Funding
2024-09-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Arbroath Football Club, Gayfield Park, Arbroath, DD11 1QJ
“Finding Your Funding” is an insightful event that connects businesses of all ages and sectors with a variety of funding partners. The event offers a comprehensive overview of the funding landscape in Angus, allowing attendees to engage with representatives from numerous funding organisations.
A key highlight is the introduction of the newly launched Angus Council “SME Start & Grow Business Grants,” which provides financial assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The event includes presentations from our partners, followed by a general Q&A session. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the funding landscape and receive practical advice to help achieve their goals.

Tayside Adaptation Partnership Vision and Priorities Event: Existing Initiatives
2024-09-05 12:30 - 15:00 | Dundee West Church, 130/32 Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4JW
The climate in Tayside is changing, and the region is experiencing warmer, wetter weather, increased storminess, and higher sea levels, all of which is set to continue even if we achieved net zero tomorrow. We need to adapt to these changes to allow us to become more resilient and ensure Tayside can continue to flourish.
Adaptation Scotland are supporting partners in Tayside to develop a new, Regional Adaptation Partnership to address climate risks.
At this early stage, we want to involve people and organisations across the region in defining a shared vision and priorities for the new partnership. Four sector specific events have been designed to provide opportunities for different groups to have a say in what the partnership could be, what it could do and how it could work.
Aimed at existing climate-related projects and initiatives, this workshop will explore how a regional adaptation partnership can advance adaptation in Tayside, using these three key questions:
1. How would you describe current work on adaptation in Tayside? What works well and what are the challenges?
2. What do you hope to see in Tayside in 2050, as the result of good adaptation action?
3.How can the regional partnership help move Tayside from the current situation to the future we want to see in 2050?
The event will run from 12:30pm – 3pm with registration and a free lunch available from 12:15pm.Space is limited, so we ask you to register no more than 2 people per organisation or group.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 1: On page optimisation
2024-09-05 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 Support – Drop In Sessions
2024-09-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Brechin Library, 10 St. Ninians Square, Brechin, DD9 7AD
The Business Gateway team will be at Brechin 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.

Cashflow Management Skills Webinar
2024-09-09 13:00 - 16:00
Who is this bootcamp for?
This bootcamp has been designed for small business owners, in order to help them with their short-term cash preservation and cashflow, as well as helping to prepare your business for the future.
Overview:
You’ll learn about managing your short-term cashflow and preparing your business for the future, with effective cashflow forecasting and planning to put your business in the best position possible.

Global Insights: Consumer Industries Exporters
2024-09-10 09:30 - 17:30 | SRUC Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre, 9 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA
Come visit Scottish Enterprise in-person at UHI Inverness as we host an unmissable exporting event.
Whether you’re a new or experienced exporter, this is a fantastic opportunity to:

Meet and network with food, drink and consumer lifestyle specialists from Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia and learn about current international market opportunities.
Meet trade advisors based in Scotland who can discuss the support that’s available to help your company develop and grow your international exports.
Book one-to-one meetings with our in-market specialists.
Meet with a range of support teams from Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, EFRS, GlobalScot, IOE and Knowledge Bank, who can support you with your international development.

Capital Investment Plenary Session:
Capital Investment is a key factor within productivity that can influence exporting. The aim of the session is to raise awareness across Scottish companies about the support that SE has relating to capital investment, with speakers including SDI trade, Financial Readiness and SMAS. Each team will give a brief presentation regarding the support they can provide and case studies.
IOE Plenary Session:
The aim of IOE Session is to help give insights and information on following topics:

Electronic Trade Act and impact of,
Europe post Brexit looking at Horizon what’s coming next,
Free Trade Agreements upcoming legal/legislation pertaining to food and drink.
IoE support will be available throughout the day for any 1-2-1 questions you may have

Developing Standard Work Methods
2024-09-11 09:00 - 12:00 | ETZ Ltd, 53 Blenheim Place, Aberdeen, AB25 2DY
Join our Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) on 11 September 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 five – Developing Standard Work Methods
Our fifth session of the series will focus on supporting your business with standard operating procedures. You will learn:

How to develop a standard working approach
Solutions to potential challenges when implementing standard working practices
Practical tips and tools to rollout Standard Work

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.

Managing People for Growth
2024-09-11 09:00 - 16:00
Our workshops cover several key areas that can help you develop the skills of your people managers.
You’ll learn how to:
Identify the skills and approaches managers require to perform their roles successfully both now and in the future.
Implement fair and progressive work practices through an understanding of key drivers that can develop new ways of working (for example, the fair work framework, productivity and benefits of employee engagement).
Understand the importance of effectively maximising and improving existing staff skills, while identifying the style and attributes of an effective manager.

Positioning Your Business to Win
2024-09-11 13:30 - 17:30 | Montrose Port, South Quay, Montrose, DD10 9SL
The exclusive “Positioning Your Business to Win” workshop series continues on 11th September at Montrose Port Authority in collaboration with Angus Council.
This 1/2 day workshop is aimed at helping businesses position themselves in the market to increase their visibility and to make them feel more comfortable when engaging with customers.
During the 1/2 day workshop you will discover strategies to:
▪️Identify and target your ideal customers
▪️Analyse why your customers buy from you
▪️Understand what it is your customers want
Plus over lunch, network with fellow business owners to expand your network.
Workshop Details:
Location: Montrose Port
Cost: £50 per person (includes lunch)
Time: 1:30 pm
Limited spaces available. Reserve your spot now!
For enquiries and reservations, please contact peterwaggott@verticalmotives.com

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2024-09-11 16:00 - 18:00
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!

How to start a business: The basics
2024-09-11 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

Global Insights: Consumer Industries Exporters
2024-09-12 09:00 - 18:00 | Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh Airport, 100 Eastfield Road, Ingliston, EH28 8LL
Join our free event, where new and experienced exporters can network with their peers and meet trade advisors and market specialists.
Whether you’re a new or experienced exporter, this is a fantastic opportunity to:

Meet and network with food, drink and consumer lifestyle specialists from Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia and learn about current international market opportunities.
Meet trade advisors based in Scotland who can discuss the support that’s available to help your company develop and grow your international exports.
Book one-to-one meetings with our in-market specialists.
Meet with a range of support teams from EFRS, GlobalScot, IOE and Knowledge Bank who can support you with your international development.

Climate springboard
2024-09-12 09:30 - 11:30
Climate Springboard is a free online workshop programme available to any Scottish small and medium enterprise. Learn about the net zero landscape for Scottish businesses including upcoming regulation and supply chain requirements. Hear insights into business support and funding opportunities and learn simple low-cost actions to reduce your carbon emissions easily.
The three fortnightly workshops consist of:

an overview of the Scottish net zero landscape
the tools to calculate a carbon footprint and develop a strategy in-house
simple step guidance to take action
the opportunity to meet and learn from like-minded businesses

Focused on simplifying an overwhelming challenge, Climate Springboard was created from a unique partnership between the Royal Bank of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh. It is delivered online by The Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.
This is the first of three workshops. The second and third sessions will take place on 26 September and 10 October 2024.

Selling Your Business Masterclass
2024-09-12 10:00 - 12:00
Have you considered a succession plan for your business? It’s never too early to start thinking about your options. Employee ownership is quickly becoming the preferred exit route for business owners.
Aimed at business owners who are considering an exit from their company, this session will give attendees the opportunity to hear from school, dancewear and club uniform suppliers, Smiths of Greenock. Speakers from the company will explain considerations they undertook when choosing employee ownership and how things have worked out as a result.
Ralph Leishman from 4-consulting will also talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2024-09-12 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
2024-09-12 18:00 - 20:00
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.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2024-09-16 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will guide you through the steps needed to create an effective digital marketing strategy, ensuring you focus on the right tactics to meet your business objectives and goals.
We will cover:

The importance of planning your digital marketing activities
Building your plan around a simple framework
Conducting a situational analysis (and understanding customers and competitors)
Developing your brand and tone of voice
Planning your content strategy
Prioritising digital channels
Evaluating your Digital Marketing efforts

Business Support – Drop In Sessions
2024-09-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Monifieth Library, 48 High Street, Monifieth, DD5 4AE
The Business Gateway team will be at Monifieth 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: Facebook
2024-09-16 14:00 - 16:00
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

Managing People for Growth - Hybrid
2024-09-17 09:30 - 16:00 | Park Inn by Radisson Aberdeen, 1 Justice Mill Lane, Aberdeen, AB11 6EQ
Our workshops cover several key areas that can help you develop the skills of your people managers. You’ll learn how to:

Identify the skills and approaches managers require to perform their roles successfully both now and in the future
Implement fair and progressive work practices through an understanding of key drivers that can develop new ways of working (for example, the fair work framework, productivity and benefits of employee engagement)
Understand the importance of effectively maximising and improving existing staff skills, while identifying the style and attributes of an effective manager

Areas our workshops will focus on:
1. The role of a manager
2. Empowering teams and individuals
3. Communication, influencing and collaboration
4. Coaching and delegation
5. Managing individual performance
6. Creating a culture of innovation

Video production for digital marketing
2024-09-17 10:00 - 12:00
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

Understanding AI & Automation
2024-09-17 10:00 - 13:00 | Arbroath Football Club, Gayfield Park, Arbroath, DD11 1QJ
This masterclass is for anyone interested in using AI and automation to improve productivity, reduce costs, and unlock new growth opportunities for their business.
What we’ll cover:

Understanding automation: Learn the key components, benefits, and potential challenges.
Understanding AI: Explore its core concepts, capabilities, and limitations.
The power of AI and automation: Discover the power of predictive analytics and personalised customer experiences.
Case studies and SME use cases: See how businesses like yours have successfully implemented AI and automation.
How to integrate AI and Automation into your workflows: Understand the steps involved, from identifying suitable processes to selecting the right tools.
Tech Demos: See live demonstrations of the latest AI technologies, including ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and other cutting-edge tools.
Summary and Action list: Receive an actionable checklist to help you start implementing AI and automation in your business.

No prior experience with AI or automation is needed, just a willingness to learn and explore new possibilities.
Book now and take the first step towards a smarter, more efficient, and more competitive business.

Perthshire Talks Responsible Tourism: unlock the potential of accessible tourism
2024-09-17 11:00 - 12:00
In this introduction to accessible and inclusive tourism, hear from VisitScotland’s Inclusive Tourism Manager about the value of the accessible tourism market, the barriers that some consumers face and how best to attract these extremely loyal customers.
The session will also include practical advice and top tips to implement in your business, guidance on a range of helpful resources, and key insights into this valuable market.

Skills Academy Demonstration Day
2024-09-17 11:00 - 16:00 | The Montrose Playhouse, The Mall, Montrose, DD10 8NN
Angus Council is excited to announce the upcoming Skills Academy Demonstration Day, set to take place on Tuesday 17 September 2024, from 11am to 4pm at The Montrose Playhouse.
This drop-in event will showcase a range of innovative training, simulation and administration platforms attendees can experience firsthand.
Highlights include:
· Facilities and Apprenticeship/Internship Management System
· Augmented Reality Welding
· Virtual Reality Classroom
· AR Safety Vessel Coxswain Training
· VR Wind Turbine Engineer Training
· VR Marine Operations – Mooring
· VR Working at Heights and Confined Spaces
· VR Slinger Banksman – safe cargo lifting and movement
· VR Decommissioning
· VR Hydrogen Training
· Digital Twinning (Facilities, Cities and Ports)
· University-accredited Business Development and Sales Programmes
· Recruitment Advice – Apprenticeships and Internships, CV writing
Angus Council, in partnership with Montrose Port Authority, recognises that a Skills Academy will offer targeted training programmes to develop the necessary competencies, ensuring local workers can meet the current and future needs of employers and the changing economy.
The purpose of the Skills Academy, which will be based at Montrose Port, is to address the evolving needs of businesses in the region by providing a up to date, relevant skills for the region’s workforce.
By offering world-class training and development opportunities, Angus Council aims to make the Montrose region more attractive for skilled professionals and employers alike. Retaining and building local talent is crucial for fostering long-term economic growth and prosperity in the area.
We encourage all interested individuals, businesses, and industry partners to attend the Skills Academy Demonstration Day and explore the diverse range of training and development opportunities available.
See links below to two videos which focus on what will be available on the day, plus see how Riiot Digital is helping shape the next generation workforce to support a huge Wind Farm project in Australia.
Wind Turbine Engineer
Australian Wind Farm Project
Please register your attendance for this free event.
