Invest in Angus

How to write funding applications
2025-07-18 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
When submitting applications for funding, you need to ensure that the applications are written in such a way that improves your chances of being successful.
There are numerous funders out there and each will have their unique way they wish you to apply, however, in this webinar we’ll explore some key steps you can take to improve your chances of a successful application, including:

Clarifying your need

Demonstrating your needs

Understanding your funder

How to speak their language

Getting the basics right

Overcoming the common mistakes

Answering the questions asked

Engaging with Travel Trade: Developing your Product Sheet
2025-07-22 12:00 - 13:00
Do you want to connect with Travel Trade opportunities and need some support ensuring the information you provide is as effective as possible?
In this webinar of the Agritourism Monitor Farm programme, you will be guided by the experts to create a practical sales tool to help you connect with the travel trade. Cassie McEwan from Visit Scotland will guide you step-by-step through building a simple, two-page product sheet that clearly showcases your agritourism experience.
You will learn what travel trade buyers are really looking for, how to structure your content, and what to include to make your business stand out. By the end, you’ll have a flexible template you can adapt and use—perfect for getting trade-show ready and making a great first impression.

Video production for digital marketing
2025-07-22 14:00 - 16:00
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

How to generate and increase sales
2025-07-23 10:00 - 12:00
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

Social media essentials: Facebook
2025-07-24 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: Instagram
2025-07-24 14:00 - 16:00
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

How to build your brand
2025-07-25 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

Making the case for soil health monitoring
2025-07-25 10:30 - 12:00
Part of the “Envisioning the future of soil health monitoring” series for AI4SoilHealth, hosted by Soil Association.
Why does soil health monitoring matter? What are some of the latest tools scientists are developing to make it easier? And what ambitions do policy makers have for monitoring frameworks of the future? Sign up to this free webinar to join leading experts to discuss these topics and learn more about the future of soil science.
The webinar will bring together the perspectives of farmers, policy makers and scientists on soil monitoring practices, and ground key concepts in the current EU farming and land use landscape. The panel will discuss the value of soil monitoring from three vital perspectives: on-the-ground practice, scientific research, and policy development.

How to start a business: The basics
2025-07-26 10:00 - 12:00
Whatever your reasons may be for considering being your own boss, we are here to support you and help you decide if this is the right path for you.
We will cover:

Personal finance
Planning – how much do you need to earn?
Researching your market – who your customers are, understanding your competition and what the trends are within your chosen field
Business structure – what are the core business structures? How to decide which is right for you and how to register as a business
Creating your start-up action plan – an outline
Marketing
Pricing
Naming the business
Basic bookkeeping
Forecasting
Financing, banking, insurance, and VAT
Tax

Bookkeeping essentials
2025-07-28 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

How to create engaging content
2025-07-28 14:00 - 16:00
Producing quality content is an excellent way of helping your customers develop a meaningful relationship with your brand, services and products. In this webinar we will show you how to source and develop a variety of content for your website and social channels.
This session is ideal for businesses that already have a business website or use social media and now want to take it a step further, and develop the skills to show your audience that you are a trusted operator in your field.
We will help you:

Understand what kind of content your customers are looking for
Source, write and deliver that content
Amplify your brand and message and boost engagement online

Google Analytics – Understand how your website performs
2025-07-29 10:00 - 12:00
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.

Lunch and Learn: Navigating the new trade tariffs
2025-07-29 12:00 - 12:30
How do tariffs affect world trade and how can you best manage them?
In the Lunch and Learn, Mike Wilson looks at the recent turbulence in world trade brought about by Trump tariffs, their implications and how businesses can best manage their impact.
Key takeaways from this session:

Understand what tariffs are and what’s happened recently
See their impact on your business and world trade
How to manage tariffs and the effect of trade agreements

Mike is CEO and founder of the fast-growing consultancy company Go Exporting, which specialises in working with businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the world of opportunities in international markets.
He has 30 years’ experience in export-import, with a particular emphasis on entering new sectors and geographies. He has an entrepreneurial flair for identifying and assessing opportunities, developing routes to market and generating growth and profit.

Ready, set, launch: Essential digital tools to grow your new business
2025-07-29 13:00 - 15:00
In this business.connected workshop in partnership with Vodafone Business, we’re excited to bring you a practical and empowering session designed to help you get your business off to a strong digital start.
Whether your entrepreneurship is just beginning or you’re looking to strengthen your online presence, this workshop will guide you through the essential digital tools and strategies needed to launch and grow a successful business in today’s connected world.
Led by our expert speaker Nick Binza, the session will cover everything from building your online presence to choosing the right digital tools and setting up foundational systems like websites, payments and CRM platforms.
You’ll also learn the basics of digital marketing and how to automate key business functions to save time and money. Plus, we’ll cover the critical topic of getting your cyber security right from the very beginning, so your business stays protected as it grows.
Nick is the founder of Purpose Digital and former head of e-commerce and marketing at Mous, where he scaled the business from £1 million to £17 million turnover in just three years. At Purpose Digital, he helps start-ups and growing brands accelerate their e-commerce – whether that’s landing their first sale or reaching £10 million in revenue. His team recently helped Pot Gang triple their revenue to over £2 million and works with a range of D2C and B2B brands, delivering practical, results-driven digital growth.

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2025-07-30 10:00 - 12:00
New and established businesses will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This webinar will teach you what you need to include and how. We will walk you through what should be included within a business plan, how a business plan is used to improve your prospects for a loan or a grant, and how you can develop a business plan to meet your needs.
We will:

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

Lunch and Learn: Smarter ways to reuse your content
2025-07-30 12:00 - 12:30
In this Lunch and Learn, Emma Goode, founder of 24 fingers, shares how to get maximum value from the content you already have without reinventing the wheel.
She explains how one blog, video or post can be turned into multiple pieces of content that keep your marketing working harder, for longer.
Emma will break down practical, simple ways to repurpose and multiply what you already do and show you how to stop wasting time creating content that only gets used once.
Key takeaways from this session:

Discover how to stretch one piece of content into 24 valuable posts, emails, videos and more
Learn a simple framework to make your marketing work harder and last longer
Pick up quick wins you can use straight away to save time and money

Emma is the founder of 24 fingers, a company that helps small businesses that are all fingers and thumbs with their online marketing. By using hands, hearts and minds (and 30 years’ experience in the industry), 24 fingers helps founders grow their businesses and brand through digital marketing, including social media, SEO, content marketing and lead generation.

2025 Outlook – Key business trends at the halfway mark
2025-07-30 12:00 - 13:00
As we’ve reached the midpoint of 2025, the business landscape for SMEs is evolving faster than ever.
From shifting consumer behaviours to rapid tech innovation and regulatory changes, staying ahead requires insight, agility, and smart strategy.
Join Hugh Lightbody for a dynamic panel webinar where our panellists unpack the key trends shaping the SME landscape in the second half of 2025. Whether you’re already running a small business or thinking of starting up, this session will equip you with the information you need.
This session will cover:

What trends are defining the SME space right now—and what’s coming next?
How can small businesses stay agile amid tech and market disruption?
What practical strategies are helping SMEs stay resilient and competitive?
How to navigate evolving regulations without getting overwhelmed
The changing face of social media in 2025—what to focus on, and what to leave behind
What digital transformation really means for small businesses today
Unlocking growth through partnerships and collaborations

Our panellists are:

Colin Borland, Director of Devolved Nations, Federation of Small Businesses
Sarah Johnson, Director, IndigoLeap
Jordan Kay, Head of Innovation & Growth, Connect Three

Lunch and Learn: How to stop underselling yourself
2025-07-31 12:00 - 12:30
Ever find yourself fumbling when someone asks: “So, what do you do?” Or giving a vague answer like: “I work in marketing” or “I’m a coach” and instantly regretting it?
In this Lunch and Learn, Lauren Mucklow, strategic growth consultant, business coach and founder of What She Said, helps service-based business owners stop underselling their expertise and start communicating their value with clarity and confidence.
In this session, Lauren shares a simple framework, relatable examples and practical tools to help you define and articulate your unique offering, without any dry marketing jargon or complicated theory.
Key takeaways from this session:

How to create a clear, confident positioning statement for your business
The common pitfalls that make your message forgettable and how to avoid them
Why getting specific helps you win better-fit clients and charge what you’re worth

Lauren is a business growth coach and strategist with a passion and natural flair for ideation, pitching and problem-solving.

Why your business needs a blog
2025-07-31 14:00 - 16:00
This webinar will provide you with the knowledge and understanding you need to create a blog that promotes your business.
We will cover:

What a ‘blog’ is, how to set one up and what it takes to make them work
Other small and medium sized businesses who already blog successfully and what you can learn from them
Options for monetising a blog
How to promote your blog
How your blog can help move your website higher up search engine ranking
Understanding analytics and measuring the impact of your blog

Making Room for Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism
2025-07-31 15:00 - 16:00
Join us to explore how data is transforming environmental sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector.
The panel will examine how data is being used to monitor and improve material and water use, reduce waste, meet emissions goals and mitigate biodiversity impact.
As sustainability reporting requirements grow more complex, we will also hear how data can drive compliance, unlock efficiencies, and support long-term environmental goals.

Lunch and Learn: Choosing the right marketing activity for your business
2025-08-01 12:00 - 12:30
Are you overwhelmed by all the marketing options out there – social media, email campaigns, events, sponsorships, SEO, ads?
Are you unsure where to invest your time and budget? In this 30-minute webinar, Lissa McPhillips cuts through the noise and helps you identify which marketing activities are right for your business, based on your goals, audience and resources. You’ll walk away with a practical framework to make confident, strategic marketing decisions.
Key takeaways from this session:

Clarity on how to match marketing activities with your specific business goals and customer journey
A simple framework to evaluate which marketing channels are worth your time, effort and budget
Confidence to focus on fewer, more effective activities without getting distracted by trends or pressure to do it all

With over 25 years of strategic marketing experience, Lissa is a dynamic force in driving business growth and success. She has previously held senior marketing positions with several Fortune 500 companies, including CIT, Dell and JP Morgan Merchant Services, where she served as VP of marketing for Europe.

Lunch and Learn: What makes a good (or bad) small business strategy
2025-08-04 12:00 - 12:30
Strategy tends to confuse businesses not because it’s complicated, but because it’s often misunderstood, misapplied or miscommunicated.
This session, led by Melissa Wusaty, clarifies what strategy is (and what it isn’t), explores the difference between good and bad strategies and introduces the essential components every business, regardless of size, needs to begin building one with confidence.
Key takeaways from this session:

What strategy is (and isn’t)
What makes a good strategy
How to start building a strategy for your business

Over the past two decades, Melissa has navigated change for businesses and organisations, sought or imposed. Whether building on strengths or forging a new direction, she is often tasked to explore and evaluate possibilities to transform a challenge into an opportunity.

An introduction to business strategy
2025-08-05 10:00 - 12:00
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

Lunch and Learn: What makes a business unforgettable
2025-08-05 12:00 - 12:30
What makes a business unforgettable? It’s not your offer. It’s not your price. It’s not your marketing funnel.
It’s how you make people feel.
In this Lunch and Learn, brand messaging expert and certified ‘unreasonable hospitality coach’ Alex Kakavelakis will show solopreneurs, small businesses and their teams how to apply the moments-that-matter approach, a practical way to turn everyday client interactions into loyalty-building, word-of-mouth-generating experiences.
This session is perfect for small businesses looking to improve client retention, founders tired of constantly chasing new leads and anyone trying to stand out in a sea of AI-generated sameness.
Key takeaways from this session:

Why retention is your most powerful growth strategy
How small, thoughtful gestures can transform your customer experience
The difference between service and hospitality, and why it matters more than ever
A simple, repeatable framework for creating moments that matter in your business

Alex helps founders and teams find the words that make people listen. As a certified StoryBrand guide and ‘unreasonable hospitality coach’, Alex helps you clarify your message, focus your marketing budget and build a strategy that turns customers into loyal fans, through workshops, masterminds or FCMO services.

Using AI tools to create content for your business
2025-08-05 13:00 - 15:00
In this business.connected workshop in partnership with Vodafone Business, we’ll explore how to harness the power of AI to create smarter, more strategic content – without compromising on authenticity.
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a small business owner or part of a growing team, this session will give you the tools to confidently integrate AI into your content strategy while staying true to your brand voice and values.
Led by Kristian Downer, an expert in digital content and AI applications, the workshop will cover how to use AI tools to generate blogs, video scripts and social media posts efficiently – plus how to make sure your content feels human and trustworthy.
You’ll also learn how to repurpose one idea into a wealth of content across different platforms, and how to use AI-powered analytics to track what’s working, what’s not and where to optimise.
Kristian has over 11 years of experience in digital marketing and specialises in helping business owners and marketing managers cut through the complexity to achieve consistent, profitable growth. From sole traders to large corporates, he’s delivered proven strategies and high-performing campaigns that drive real results.
Now, as a national trainer for Google Digital Garage through Enterprise Nation, he’s equipping businesses across the UK with the skills to navigate the evolving digital landscape – including the opportunities and challenges of AI in marketing.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2025-08-05 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

How to deliver low-cost, high impact marketing
2025-08-06 10:00 - 12:00
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

Lunch and Learn: Practical AI tips to help your career or small business
2025-08-06 12:00 - 12:30
AI is everywhere, but where do you start if you’re a small business owner, side hustler or simply someone curious about how these tools can help in your everyday work?
In this accessible and hands-on session, Polly Dhaliwal will cut through the noise to share practical ways you can start using AI tools like ChatGPT, Notion AI and more, even if you’re not technical. Whether you’re looking to save time, boost productivity or simply understand what’s possible, this session is for you.
Key takeaways from this session:

How AI is changing how we work and what that means for you
Smart ways to use AI for everyday tasks like planning, writing and research
Time-saving tools and tips anyone can use – no tech background needed
How to approach AI ethically and stay ahead of the curve

As chief operating officer at Enterprise Nation, Polly leads efforts to support over one million small businesses every year. With experience in product development, operations and growing communities, she’s passionate about simplifying journeys for businesses and supporting entrepreneurs to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Growth bites: Get started with CRM
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00
Are you looking to better manage your relationships, boost productivity and drive more effective outreach for your business or charity?
Join us for an insightful and practical webinar that will introduce you to the power of customer relationship management (CRM) systems!
This webinar is perfect for anyone looking to move beyond spreadsheets and into a more organised and efficient way of managing their contacts and interactions.
We’ll show you how a CRM can transform the way you operate, helping you build stronger relationships and achieve your goals.

Social media essentials: LinkedIn
2025-08-06 14:00 - 16:00
No longer just an online CV, LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful – and profitable – business tool.
During this webinar, 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
