Invest in Angus

How to start a business: The basics
2022-07-19 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
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 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
How much do I need to earn?
Marketing
Pricing
Naming the business
Basic Bookkeeping
Forecasting
Financing, banking, insurance, and VAT
Tax

HR – Recruiting, managing, and retaining staff
2022-07-19 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
Handling and containing exits
Moving on
Dismissal
Restructure/Redundancy

We will 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.

Marketing 1-2-1 Surgery Sessions
2022-07-20 10:00 - 11:00
Whether you’d like to discuss market research, marketing strategy or would even just like an impartial review of your website or social media page, this is an opportunity to book a one to one appointment either from the Business Gateway Dundee office or over Zoom with marketing specialist, Stuart Milne.
These appointments are for businesses based in Dundee, Angus or Perth.

Let's Talk Technical
2022-07-20 10:00 - 11:00
You are invited to join our monthly group of engineering, manufacturing and transport businesses to discuss issues relating to those sectors. This group is designed to help you to develop specialist contacts in your area of industry and focusses on topics suggested by the group. We meet on the third Wednesday of every month for 75 minutes.

Chaired by Charles Hansard from Westford Services Ltd, the UK Distributor for Micfil Ultra Fine Filters for fuel and oils.
Hosted by Ruth Lambert, Development Manager for Somerset and Wiltshire

Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth and Employer Partnerships from Weston College will be our speaker talking about how best to establish links with academic institutions to improve your pipeline for new recruits.
Whether you are new to networking or looking for something more related to your work all small businesses are welcome, both FSB members and non-members.

Online Sales: Improve, develop & make more money
2022-07-20 10:00 - 12:00
What’s the best way to sell your products online? The key to improving your online business is measuring its effectiveness – you can then take steps to optimise its performance. Should you be using your own eCommerce store or Amazon, neither or both? This webinar will help you decide.
We will cover:

Factors to consider when selling online.
What eCommerce options exist, and the benefits of each
Differences in available eCommerce platforms
Benefits of automation
Key items to optimise performance

Making digital content accessible
2022-07-20 14:00 - 16:00
Everyone consumes and understands information differently, with some facing additional challenges that aren’t always considered. In this webinar, we’ll explore the challenges that people can have when accessing digital content and we’ll look at the ways you can improve your digital content to be inclusive and considerate for all.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:

Understand and consider the barriers and challenges faced by others when accessing digital content.
Assess your digital content on how easy it is for others to access, consume and understand.
Review your website content with an understanding of what adjustments you should make to ensure that your content is catering to all.
Use social media functions and tools to help make your content more accessible.
Understand and use an ‘Accessibility Ready Checklist’ for any of your content to ensure you are designing and developing content for all of your audience.

How to write and develop your business plan
2022-07-21 09:30 - 11:30
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

Living Circular – embedding circular construction practices
2022-07-21 13:00 - 14:00
There are two complementary consultations: proposals for a Circular Economy Bill and a Route Map to 2025 and beyond.

Both consultations outline key activities to move Scotland towards a more circular economy. The Circular Economy Bill will establish the legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. The Route Map is specifically aimed at maximising progress towards our waste and recycling targets.

By modernising waste and recycling services across Scotland, we will make it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.

In this second session of the series, we will be specifically talking embedding circular construction practices, focusing on this particular package of the Route Map.

Joining us on the panel:

Jane Beasley – Policy Lead, Route Map, Zero Waste Scotland
Stephen Boyle – Manager – Construction, Zero Waste Scotland
Jim Brannan – Head of Supply Chain Development, Balfour Beatty
Tom Warren – Impact Manager – Sustainability, BE-ST

Upgrade your business marketing with a CRM system
2022-07-21 14:00 - 16:00
From organising how you reach new customers to tracking the new deals you close, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a great tool to help your business grow. In this webinar, we’ll show you how to connect a CRM to your website, track potential new customers, manage your business activities, nurture your leads and track successful, new business.
By the end of this webinar, you will understand:

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

An Introduction to Bookkeeping
2022-07-21 18:00 - 20:00
This workshop will explain:

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

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

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 1: On page optimisation
2022-07-21 18:00 - 20:00
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

Instagram for business
2022-07-22 10:00 - 12:00
Thinking about using Instagram to communicate with existing and potential customers? Want to showcase your products or services using it? During this webinar we will cover:

Getting the setup right and benefitting from the available business tools.
Best practice profiles, and some strategies to help your business stand out from the crowd.
The types of audience you can reach via this platform and the factors and analytics such as cost and timing of posting images and how that can maximise impact.
The various types of content you can post to Instagram, from regular posts to Stories and Reels.

The value of print, radio and direct mail marketing for small businesses
2022-07-22 10:30 - 12:00
Industry experts explain how, even in a digital age, traditional media is an essential – and affordable – part of the marketing mix for small businesses.

Traditional marketing is more affordable than you might think. From direct mail to press advertising and radio, it remains an integral part of any small business marketing plan.
Hosted by Shelina Begum, North West Business Editor of The BusinessDesk.com, former business editor at the Manchester Evening News and editor of Asian News, this must-attend webinar will explain the different aspects of traditional media and how to plan them in – alongside digital advertising and social media that many business owners embrace every day.
Enhance your next marketing campaign with top tips from our fantastic panellists Philip Irons, Head of SME Growth at Mail Metro Media (press advertising/affordability); James Robbins, Head of Business Development for Membership Plus (the benefits of using Direct Mail) and Judith Spilsbury, Head of Training and Special Events at the Radiocentre (radio marketing).

Build an effective strategy to grow your business
2022-07-22 14:00 - 16:00
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

Planning & scheduling your online content
2022-07-25 10:00 - 12:00
Businesses who plan their content in advance, aligning their channels with actual business objectives, customer themes and national events, and then schedule it to ensure it reaches the target market at the right time, on the right platform – hugely increase the chances of achieving impact.
In this webinar, you will learn how to:

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

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

The essentials of bookkeeping and what expenses you can claim
2022-07-25 13:00 - 15:00
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

Webinars, live streams, and video conferences: Running a business remotely
2022-07-25 18:00 - 20:00
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

Video production for social media
2022-07-26 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.

A Guide to Completing Your Self Assessment Tax Return
2022-07-26 18:00 - 20:00
If you are newly self-employed and required to submit a self-assessment return for the first time or want to better understand the basics of completing your Self Assessment Tax Return, the key dates, the basics about expenses and record keeping, as well as how income tax and National Insurance Contributions are calculated, then this is the workshop for you.

How to build a digital marketing plan
2022-07-26 18:00 - 20:00
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

Learning Zone – Successfully starting a business
2022-07-27 18:00 - 19:00
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. Avoid the pitfalls when starting up.

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?

Ask an Expert: Tax Surgery
2022-07-28 09:00 - 17:00
With over 20 years experience working in accountancy, Lauren was previously employed as a Senior Tax Manager at Scotland’s largest firm of independent chartered accountants, Johnston Carmichael.
So whether you’d like to know what business expenses you can claim, if you should register as a limited company, or how to calculate your tax, no query is too big or too small!
Please note these appointments are for Dundee, Angus and Perth based businesses.

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 2: Off page optimisation & technical considerations
2022-07-28 10:00 - 12:00
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

Living Circular – reducing food waste
2022-07-28 13:00 - 14:00
There are two complementary consultations: proposals for a Circular Economy Bill and a Route Map to 2025 and beyond.

Both consultations outline key activities to move Scotland towards a more circular economy. The Circular Economy Bill will establish the legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. The Route Map is specifically aimed at maximising progress towards our waste and recycling targets.

By modernising waste and recycling services across Scotland, we will make it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.

In this third session of the series, we will be specifically talking about reducing food waste, focusing on this particular package of the Route Map. Tackling food waste is one of the most important ways we can reduce the carbon impact of Scotland’s waste.;

Joining us on the panel:

Campbell Reid – Research Analyst, Zero Waste Scotland
Other guest speakers will be announced in due course.

Email marketing for business
2022-07-28 13:00 - 15:00
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

Learning Zone - How to run a more efficient business
2022-07-28 18:00 - 19:00
This session will look at reviewing costs and running an efficient business.

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

The business benefits of running a sustainable business
2022-07-29 10:00 - 12:00
Your customer has changed, they are looking to source their products from companies who have strong green credentials. This webinar will show how by becoming more sustainable you can both increase sales and increase profits.
We will look at:

Understanding the problem
What is sustainability and why it is important
Innovation
Profiting from being a green business
Embracing a purpose beyond profit
The Sustainability Triple Bottom Line
Developing your own green charter
Examples of those practicing this way of growth with remarkable success
Top tips for going green

Photography for online business
2022-07-29 14:00 - 16:00
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.

Two Part Accredited Climate Emergency Training
2022-08-02 10:00 - 12:30
Our two-part programme provides you with a certificate in carbon literacy, giving you the knowledge and skills you’ll need to identify where you can make changes; changes to help your business be more cost-efficient and better prepared to meet both customer expectations and new regulations, in a net-zero Scotland.
Please Note: Both sessions plus self-study must be completed to be eligible for certification, so please ensure you can commit to both dates – 2nd and 9th August; 10:00 – 12:30.
About the course
This free online training is certified by The Carbon Literacy Project and delivered by their official partner in Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful.
You will learn about the challenges of the climate emergency and be provided with effective tools to take back into your organisation, to help create focus on sustainability and decarbonisation.
What is carbon literacy and why is it important to me?
Carbon Literacy is the knowledge and capacity required to create a positive shift in how mankind lives, works and behaves in response to climate change. The Carbon Literacy Project’s definition of it is:
‘An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.’
It’s important because a shift is already happening amongst consumers and businesses, as they look for reassurance from retailers and suppliers that efforts are being made towards sustainability and minimising carbon emissions. Not only will it be important for organisations to be able to provide that reassurance to customers but soon, regulations will be introduced that will need to be met legally.
Being carbon literate means you will be better equipped to help your organisation identify where changes might be required, what changes can realistically be made, and find opportunities to make your organisation more resilient and responsive to the impacts of climate change. With a plan in place, ready to be implemented, your organisation can continue to attract sales from customers in a world where expectations will be high.
What will I get out of the course?
After around 8 hours of learning (see course structure below), you will be eligible for an individual Certrificate in Carbon Literacy, independently verified by The Carbon Literacy Project.
You will find the training empowers you to take practical action on climate change and develop skills and experience you can apply in the workplace, no matter what your role or what level of an organisation you work at. If you and your organisation are in the early stages of considering your climate change impacts and planning for net-zero, this training provides a fantastic opportunity to get you started.
Course structure
The training uses a mix of delivery methods over two weeks, including live, interactive webinars and self-study. The total time commitment for the course is 7-8 hours of learning, structured as follows:
Session One – 2.5hr online workshopAn introduction to climate change
Climate impacts and adaptation
Session Two – 2.5hr online workshopReducing emissions
Climate action and communication
Self-study material between the sessions
By the end of the course, you will:
Understand the basic science and impacts of climate change
Know what’s being done locally, nationally and internationally
Be able to identify impacts, risks and opportunities for Scotland
Be able to reflect on your organisation/sector’s role and what you can do

TikTok and Instagram Reels for business
2022-08-02 14:00 - 16:00
You might view TikTok as a stream of dance trends and lip-synching videos, but it can also be a fantastic place to engage with your customers and increase the reach of your business online. Explore how to create bitesize vertical video content and how to use this new format for more effective business communication.
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.
