Tourism businesses – Use analytics to evaluate your digital platforms and get customers
2022-11-16 11:00 - 12:30 UTC
By the end of this webinar, you will understand how to find out (for Google, Instagram & Facebook Analytics):

The characteristics of people who are accessing your online presence.
What people are doing when they access your website/s or social accounts.
How to set goals and objectives on each platform.
The art of measuring the effectiveness of websites and social posts.
How to continuously improve digital activities – measures to monitor and actions to take.

There will be particular emphasis on cost-effective/free ways to do the above.

How to start a business: The basics
2022-11-16 14:00 - 16:00
Whatever your reasons may be for considering being your own boss, Business Gateway is here to support you and help you decide if this is the right path for you. Helping you consider your plans from exploring your potential customers to looking at the key activities and costs involved.
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

The Secret to Successful Tendering - How to win contracts and boost your business’s revenue
2022-11-16 14:00 - 16:00
Join this specialist webinar to learn how to win public and private sector contracts that will help you increase connections and revenue for your business.
Our expert, Judith Stewart, will explain the differences between private and public sector tendering, ways to get your business tender-ready, and how to build your reputation with the people who matter so that you’ll come away with a roadmap to success.
Francis will help you to find all the support and training with SDP to help you for tendering for public sector contracts.

The Secret to Successful Tendering: 1-2-1 Surgery
2022-11-17 09:00 - 17:00
Book a space on this specialist surgery to get a one hour 1-2-1 appointment with our expert Judith Stewart. You’ll be able to ask advice on how to win public and private sector contracts for your business.
Booking this event will secure you a space, one of our team will be in touch with you after booking to arrange a time for your one hour appointment. Judith can help explain the differences between private and public sector tendering, ways to get your business tender-ready, and how to build your reputation with the people who matter so that you’ll come away with a roadmap to success.

Planning & scheduling your online content
2022-11-17 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.

Scale up Visa route
2022-11-17 11:00 - 12:00
The government has recently introduced the Scale-Up visa route, which gives certain employers another visa option to help access international talent.
Join us to learn more about this new route and how it could help you access international talent.

How to generate and increase sales
2022-11-17 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

Photography for online business
2022-11-17 18:00 - 20:00
During this webinar you will:

Discover the basic ‘dos and don’ts’ of taking your own pictures, editing them and uploading them onto digital platforms.
See some real-life examples of posts that demonstrate good, bad and indifferent use for businesses.

e-Commerce with Shopify
2022-11-18 11:00 - 13:00
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

Build a customer focused business
2022-11-18 14:00 - 16:00
Did you know that a returning customer will typically spend more than two thirds more with your business than a brand new one?
Did you know that retaining just 5% of your customer base can give an increase of over 20% in profits for your business?
Having an effective strategy in place for your business to deliver great customer service is critical for your business.
We will cover:

Why good customer service is critical for business growth
What are the essentials of delivering great customer service and how should this be delivered?
How to effectively manage different types of customers and their expectations
How, why, and when you should measure the service a business delivers
How to use the service provided to promote a business and enable growth

How to write and develop your business plan
2022-11-19 09:00 - 11:00
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
2022-11-21 14:00 - 16:00
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.

Fife & Tayside Procurement Surgery
2022-11-22 09:00 - 13:00
Local suppliers are invited to attend clinic appointments lasting 20 minutes, available from 9:00am to 1:00pm by prior appointment only. The appointments shall be conducted via Webex, hosted by the Supplier Development Programme.
Procurement Surgery Aims
Procurement Surgeries will:

Signpost and prepare businesses to local support, aiming to increase their confidence when tendering with the public sector;
Assist suppliers in gaining knowledge of local supply chain opportunities across Fife and Tayside;
Help the Councils build relationships with suppliers and break down barriers to bidding;
Raise awareness of the opportunities within public sector procurement, such as Regulated Procurement Pipelines; and
Support suppliers in becoming “tender ready” with the Supplier Development Programme to better understand and respond to the “ask” from local authorities in procurement.

Bookings for Procurement Surgeries must be booked in advance by SMEs by logging into the SDP website and answering the required questions that are part of the booking process.
This event will say it is fully booked, it is not. If you are interested in attending please register. Suppliers will be placed on a waiting list in the first instance, and allocated a time slot by the Supplier Development Programme.
Due to high demand for these sessions, eligible SMEs are asked not to book more than one procurement surgery per financial year. Should an eligible business register for more than one procurement surgery, it will be allocated a place at the next procurement surgery with the local authority area in which it is based.
Please note: these Procurement Clinics are open to eligible SME businesses based within Angus, Dundee City, Fife and Perth & Kinross Councils only.

Learning Zone - How to run a more efficient business
2022-11-22 10:00 - 11:00
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)

LinkedIn for business
2022-11-22 14:00 - 16:00
No longer just an online CV, LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful – and profitable – business tool. Like any tool, you must learn how to use it, and this webinar gives you expert guidance.
You will:

Learn how to create a LinkedIn strategy to boost your business reputation via marketing and brand promotion initiatives.
Learn the difference between personal and company profiles and how to optimise them for both maximum visibility and brand awareness.
Understand that content is king on LinkedIn, and we’ll show you how to plan and produce captivating content that enriches your brand.

An Introduction to Bookkeeping
2022-11-22 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.

Robertson Group Tayside - Supply Chain Event
2022-11-23 09:00 - 11:00 | Carnoustie Golf Hotel, Links Parade, Carnoustie, DD7 7JE
Robertson Construction Tayside is hosting a Supply Chain Event to give local subcontractors and suppliers the opportunity to learn more about the business as well as our upcoming project, Monifieth Learning Campus.
Monifieth Learning Campus is a replacement for the existing Monifieth High School. The new Campus will be constructed on the existing site with a GIFA of circa 13,800m2, to cater for 1,200 pupils and will also incorporate an early years learning facility.
Anticipated site start is May 2023, with phase 1 scheduled to complete July 2025. Phase 2 will commence in August 2025 and will complete in July 2026.
The project is being designed and built to Passive House standard.
This event is primarily for new subcontractors and suppliers to Robertson therefore, as we have limited capacity, we would encourage new supply chain to attend over businesses we have existing relationships with.
We will be hosting 2 sessions on the day; 09:00 – 10:00 and 10:30 – 11:30.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for tourism businesses – Part 1
2022-11-23 11:00 - 12:30
It’s more vital than ever to get your business to the first few places in the online search results page. These two 90-minute events will tell you all you need to know to improve your rankings, including how search engines work.
This first session will show you how search engines work and we’ll show you the anatomy of results pages and what customers and clients look at on these pages.
You’ll see how to find out what key words people are using when they search for your service, and we’ll demonstrate how you use that information to greatly increase your ranking in results pages.

Email marketing for business
2022-11-23 15:00 - 17:00
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

Marketing Strategy Workshop
2022-11-23 18:00 - 20:00
This new workshop will cover the crucial next steps in what you need to know to ensure successful marketing takes place within your business.
Marketing Strategy is an advancement from our ‘Market Research Made Easy’ workshop, with the specific focus on supporting those businesses that are established and already have the basic marketing methods in place.
This workshop will look at:

Marketing Audit – current knowledge and success.
Understanding what ‘Marketing’ is.
The importance and benefits of planning.
How to develop your Marketing Strategy.
Measuring your marketing output
Top tips to improve your Marketing Strategy

By the end of this workshop, you will come away with the knowledge plus top tips for implementing your own marketing strategy plan into your business.
This webinar is for businesses based in Dundee, Angus and Perth.

Learning Zone – Successfully starting a business
2022-11-23 19:00 - 20:00
So many start-up businesses fail due to lack of planning. This webinar will be a short and sharp overview of what you need to think about to ensure your business is sustainable and avoids the pitfalls when starting up.
We will cover:

Why start-ups fail (cash, time, market research)
Spend time researching your idea
Will you be a sole trader or a limited company?
What are your main revenue streams?
What are your main start up and running costs?
What assets, resources and people do you need?

Finance 1-2-1 Surgery Sessions
2022-11-24 09:00 - 17:00
Take this opportunity to discuss your finance queries with our 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, one of our team 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 in our Dundee Business Gateway Office.
These appointments are aimed at businesses based in Dundee, Angus, and Perth.

Webinars, live streams, and video conferences: Running a business remotely
2022-11-24 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

The basics of trading on Ebay, Etsy and Amazon Marketplaces
2022-11-24 14:00 - 16:00
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.

Video production for social media
2022-11-25 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.

The low-cost guide to marketing your business
2022-11-25 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

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for tourism businesses – Part 2
2022-11-28 11:00 - 12:30
In part 1, we saw how search engines work and how to find out what people are searching for.
In part 2, we’ll look at the many factors that influence how far up the search rankings you go.
You’ll see how to optimise these factors and how to keep up with future changes in the algorithms that search engines use. You’ll be shown how use tools and plug-ins such as Google Search Console, Google Business Profile and robots.txt
We’ll then demonstrate how to avoid ‘violations’ and their consequent penalties.

Paid for advertising
2022-11-28 14:00 - 16:00
This webinar is designed to help you make more informed decisions about where paid-for advertising fits in to your digital marketing strategy. During the webinar we will discuss various key considerations of paid advertising, provide advice on planning, explore platform options and look at measuring the impact of your ads.
By the end of the webinar, you’ll have a better understanding of:

Key concepts of paid ads and how it fits within your strategy
Best practice during ads setup
Importance of planning for paid Ads
How to evaluate and understand performance of paid ads

How to build a digital marketing plan
2022-11-29 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

HR – Recruiting, managing, and retaining staff
2022-11-29 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
