Lean & Clean: Smarter Food Safety (Part 2)
2025-09-24 10:00 - 16:00 UTC | The Stag, 140-144 Castle Street, Forfar, DD8 3HX
Don’t miss this essential workshop for food and drink manufacturers in Angus. If you’re a small producer or a growing operation, there’s something here for everyone! During these two sessions, you’ll gain practical tools and insights to streamline your processes, improve product safety, and boost efficiency, without breaking the bank.
Session 3: Beyond Clean
Explore how the 5S methodology enhances allergen and foreign body controls while improving workspace structure, safety, and overall efficiency.
Session 4: Automation Unboxed
Find out how modern automation—now more accessible than ever—can help food producers of all sizes tackle labour challenges, cut costs, and stay competitive.
New to Lean thinking? Make sure to book Part 1 on 18 September, covering process efficiency, HACCP planning, and smart factory layouts.

Lunch and Learn: Five payroll mistakes to watch out for and how to fix them
2025-09-24 12:00 - 12:30
Did you know more than 84% of UK businesses make payroll mistakes every single month? These errors aren’t just frustrating – they’re costly. From fines and wasted hours to frustrated employees, the impact adds up fast.
For small businesses still managing payroll in-house – and in many cases, even manually – the stakes are even higher. With ever-changing legislation and tight deadlines, it only takes one incorrect tax code or misclassification of a new starter to throw everything off.
The good news? These mistakes are preventable.
Join Sarah Sharpe of Payroll Ninjas and Adam Coyle from Employment Hero as they reveal how to take the pain out of payroll and avoid the costly errors holding so many SMEs back.
In this session, you’ll discover:

The five most expensive payroll mistakes small businesses are making right now
The hidden cost of these errors to your business and your team
Quick fixes to stop these mistakes in their tracks
How payroll automation can give you back time, money and peace of mind

Walk away with practical tips and tools to simplify payroll, stay compliant and run your business with confidence.

StartSMART: navigating the first steps in business
2025-09-24 12:00 - 13:00
Thinking about starting your own business? Join us for an inspiring and honest panel discussion with three business owners who have navigated the highs and lows of starting-up and running a business.
In this panel webinar, we’ll explore:

What it’s really like to run a business
The everyday challenges SMEs face—from staffing to logistics
How customer expectations are shifting and how businesses are adapting
Real-world insights on scaling, planning for the future, and accessing funding
What support Scotland needs to become a more SME-friendly nation.
You’ll also hear what advice they’d give to anyone starting up today.

Whether you’re just beginning to explore self-employment or ready to take the first step, this session will give you practical insights, relatable stories, and the motivation to get started.

Made in the UK, Sold to the World Roadshow - Scotland
2025-09-25 09:00 - 15:00
Make meaningful international connections on the sixth stop on the all-sector, Made in the UK, Sold to the World Roadshow, which will be held in Edinburgh.
Scotland has a robust and dynamic Financial and Professional Business Services industry that plays a crucial role in the economy. It is also home to a thriving fintech sector, contributing significantly to the economy and providing innovative solutions in financial services. This makes Edinburgh a strategic choice to Spotlight exporting in the Financial and Professional Business Services sector.
Learn how to enhance your export potential, improve your global competitiveness, and meet the growing demand for sustainable products.
You could also benefit from:

Opportunity to meet with relevant, overseas Financial and Professional Business Services buyers* for 1-2-1 meetings

1-2-1 meetings with sector/market specialists (from UK embassies and consulates overseas)

1-2-1 meetings with sector specialist International Trade Advisers

Peer learning sessions

Workshops focusing on overseas markets and developing your international strategy

Networking opportunities

An inspiring and informative seminar programme

Thorntons Webinar - Data Protection
2025-09-25 09:30 - 10:30
The new Data Use and Access Act 2025 was given Royal Assent in June of this year and will amend both the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. Join Loretta Maxfield and Morgan O’Neill to find out the practical implication for organisations and what they need to do and when.
Loretta and Morgan will be considering the impact on key areas of compliance including:

New Complaints Procedure
Direct Marketing
DSARs
International Data Transfers
Legitimate Interests
Automated Decision Making

Could voltage optimisation quickly cut your energy bills
2025-09-25 10:00 - 11:00
Unless your business is operating completely off grid by generating its own electricity, you’ll be powering your lights, fans, compressors, fridges, freezers and so on using electricity that’s supplied by the UK’s National Grid.
The National Grid supplies your electricity at a voltage of around 230 Volts, but did you know that not all equipment needs the 230 Volts you’re paying for? And that that many types of equipment simply waste what they don’t use.
Introducing voltage optimisation – a voltage optimisation device stops waste. By regulating the flow of electricity around your business it ensures that the energy your business pays for is utilised more effectively.
If you are interested in reducing your energy bills and carbon footprint, join this webinar to find out if voltage optimisation could help you.

How to generate and increase sales
2025-09-25 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

Lunch and Learn: Using automation and AI to save time and money
2025-09-25 12:00 - 12:30
In this Lunch and Learn, Constant Contact’s Molly Caldwell will explain how to use AI and automation to save time and money when marketing your business.
This session will emphasise the importance of automation, particularly email automation for building relationships with your customer base and driving subscribers. Molly will share her top strategies for engaging and expanding an audience, fostering customer loyalty and tailoring email experiences, all with the help of AI.
Topics covered in this session:

How to build momentum with new subscribers
How to build loyalty and nurture relationships
How to create a more personalised experience when marketing your business

Managing people, growing agritourism: Performance and Discipline
2025-09-25 12:00 - 13:00
Employment Law and Human Resource Management Expert, Sophie Henderson of Greenburn will take us through an overview of how to use performance management effectively with your staff to ensure best outcomes. Sophie will also provide information on what to do when things go wrong with insights into the disciplinary process.
If you have specific questions or case studies, it would be great to hear from you in advance and Sophie can answer your questions on the day.

How to deliver low-cost, high impact marketing
2025-09-25 13:00 - 15:00
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

VisitScotland bitesize webinars: How to Improve Your Search Engine Rankings
2025-09-25 14:00 - 14:30
Demystify the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and learn how to grow your tourism or event website’s organic search traffic. We’ll cover the SEO basics, common myths and mistakes, as well as how you can adapt your content to the quickly-changing Google landscape.
Ideal for those unfamiliar with SEO or looking to expand their approach.

Making Tax Digital Explained: Businesses With Over £50k Turnover
2025-09-25 17:00 - 18:30
Whether you’re a sole trader, landlord, or small business owner, this friendly, no-nonsense session will get you up to speed.
If your combined income from self-employment and property is £50,000 or more, you’ll be required to follow the new rules from April 2026. We’ll cut through the confusion, explain what’s changing, and show you how to stay compliant without the stress.
This session will be presented by GrowBiz Finance Manager, Kirsteen Hardie.
By the end of the session, you’ll be able to:

Understand who MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment applies to and when it starts
Know exactly what you’ll need to submit to HMRC – and how often
See how cloud accounting can save time and make things easier
Get tips on choosing the right digital tools for your business
Feel confident about taking your next steps toward compliance

This session is a must to small businesses that meet this level of turnover – so please do come along to find out more.
GrowBiz provides enterprise support to businesses, social and micro-enterprises and the self-employed across rural and island Scotland. Please only book a space if you are based in rural Scotland.

Lunch and Learn: Building your business without sacrificing your wellbeing
2025-09-26 12:00 - 12:30
You know entrepreneurship is hard. But do you know why it’s so hard, and how you can support yourself to thrive, rather than burn out?
In this webinar, Nonie White, positive psychology practitioner and founder coach, reveals the often-neglected links between wellbeing, performance and creating a sustainable business. She also lays out some evidence-based practical takeaways so you can optimise your results alongside your wellbeing.
Topics covered in this session:

The paradox of entrepreneurship – why it’s so potentially brilliant and bad for you, all at once
Why you’ve been focusing on the wrong metrics – and how you can feel better, while doing better
Auditing your own wellbeing and performance habits – then select your evidence-based practices for more sustainable success

Social media essentials: Facebook
2025-09-29 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

Lunch and Learn: How to build a multi-layered communication strategy
2025-09-29 12:00 - 12:30
If your emails are getting ignored and your DMs are collecting dust, it’s time to rethink your approach.
This short and practical session led by Leisa Pickles will show you how to build a multi-layered communication strategy that helps you reach more people, start better conversations and grow your customer base.
Topics covered in this session:

Why a single-channel approach no longer cuts it
The three key layers every outreach strategy should include
How to follow up
What to say (and when) to get a response

The BG Interview: Roan Lavery
2025-09-29 12:00 - 13:00
Join host Hugh Lightbody for a virtual Q&A with Roan Lavery, co-founder of FreeAgent, one of Scotland’s most successful tech stories. This is your chance to hear firsthand how a personal challenge evolved into a game-changing platform for small businesses—and how it grew into a scalable company now backed by NatWest.
In this conversation, we’ll explore:

The personal inspiration behind FreeAgent’s creation
Pivotal moments that signalled scale-up potential
Tough early decisions and their long-term impact
Customer-driven innovation and product pivots
Core values that shaped and sustained company culture
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in Scotland
The role of community and support networks in startup success
The unique advantages and challenges of building a tech company in Scotland

Whether you have a business idea you’d like to turn into a reality, are a tech enthusiast, or simply curious about the journey from startup to scale-up, this session promises insights, inspiration, and practical advice.

Thorntons Webinar - Implications of the Proposed Changes to APR and BPR for Family Farming Businesses
2025-09-30 09:30 - 10:30
With the Government having now published their draft Bill in respect of changes to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs from Inheritance Tax, family farming businesses should now be reviewing their existing arrangements to ensure that they maximise the reliefs that are to be available after April 2026.
This may necessitate restructuring their existing legal set up, transferring assets onto the next generation sooner than would otherwise have been the case and reviewing their Wills.
Our presenters will highlight the issues and the potential solutions.

How to build your brand
2025-09-30 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

THRIVE+ : Advanced Sustainable Marketing Strategies
2025-09-30 10:30 - 12:00
This event is part of a series of THRIVE+ skills development events delivered by experienced industry trainers.
Key topics:
1. Advanced ESG Principles and Practices
a. Understanding how to apply advanced ESG frameworks to elevate your brand’s sustainability efforts.
b. Case studies of businesses that have successfully implemented advanced sustainability practices and the lessons learned.
2. Effective Packaging Strategies and Supply Chain Considerations
a. In-depth discussion on how to innovate with packaging while making it both sustainable and scalable.
b. Strategies for selecting eco-friendly suppliers and reducing the carbon footprint of your supply chain.
3. Communicating Your Sustainability at Scale
a. Building an effective ESG brand story that resonates with customers and sets your business apart.
b. Best practices for communicating sustainability through digital marketing, packaging, and social media platforms to enhance engagement and trust.
There will be a Q&A section at the session.

Lunch and Learn: How to turn procrastination into progress
2025-09-30 12:00 - 12:30
We all put off the things that matter most – chasing leads, making the call or setting clear targets. It’s not laziness, it’s often fear or lack of clarity.
In this session, Mark Elliott will explain why this avoidance happens. He’ll also share a simple tool you can use to spot the bottlenecks holding your business back – and then fix them.
Topics covered in this session:

Why avoidance is a normal response, not a personal failing
How to use the Customer Factory tool to identify your business’s weakest link
One simple action you can take this week to build momentum again

An introduction to business strategy
2025-10-01 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

Cybersecurity & AI: Simple Steps to Protect Your Business
2025-10-01 11:30 - 12:30
Do you feel your business could be better protected? This session is for you.
Join Pamela Malpas, CEO of 1Office Technologies, for a practical walkthrough of what today’s cyber risks really look like – including how AI is changing both the risks and the solutions.
You’ll leave with simple, cost-effective steps you can take right now to reduce risk, protect your team and clients, and feel confident in the choices you’re making.
Whether you’ve had a close call or just want peace of mind, this session will give you the clarity and control to keep your business running smoothly – without the stress or overwhelm.

Lunch and Learn: How to create a digital product from idea to prototype
2025-10-01 12:00 - 12:30
Do you have an idea for an app, a service or another digital product, but don’t know where to begin?
In this Lunch and Learn, Marco Strillozzi will lay out a straightforward, practical process you can follow to move from concept to prototype – and you don’t need to be a tech expert!
He’ll show you how to define your target audience, differentiate yourself from competitors and use modern no-code/low-code tools to build testable prototypes that you can publish online.
You’ll also learn how to use freelancers and tech partners to fill gaps and accelerate your journey.
Topics covered in this session:

A simple roadmap to prototyping your idea
A list of tools and platforms to get you started
How to promote and validate your prototype with real users

Creating an effective email marketing strategy
2025-10-01 12:00 - 14:00
Customers buy from businesses that they know, like and trust. Email marketing is powerful and affordable tool in your digital marketing toolkit to build these relationships.
Most businesses send monthly newsletters to stay in touch with their audience, but your results will improve with a structured plan and the best practices that will be explored in this webinar. Whether you’re new to email marketing or you’re looking to optimise your email strategy, this webinar enable you to:

Adopt email marketing into your wider marketing strategy and gain insight into your target audience
Understand the key stages of an effective marketing strategy
Segment your audiences and to target and position your offering to them effectively
Create a value-driven and customer-focussed content for email marketing whilst measuring and testing it’s effectiveness
Identify the most suitable platforms and tools for email marketing campaigns, including different paid-for account levels
Optimise the different components of a successful email campaign
Use reporting and key metrics to make sure your campaigns are successful
Be compliant with legal requirements relating to email communications and use best practices for escaping the spam folder

How to improve your Google search rankings - Part 1: On page optimisation
2025-10-01 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

Become a CPD-certified Green Champion
2025-10-02 10:00 - 12:30
Rising energy costs, the climate emergency and increasing consumer pressure continue to impact businesses and challenge the way they manage their environmental performance.
The good news is Business Energy Scotland’s Green Champions training course has already helped over 4,000 professionals from organisations across Scotland to prepare for this challenge.
And this is your chance to join them. This webinar will pack the entire Green Champions foundation modules into one session and provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to grow a green, profitable business.

Lunch and Learn: What does AI search mean for marketers, SEO and content?
2025-10-02 12:00 - 12:30
AI is rewriting the rules of search in real time and, frankly, who isn’t struggling to keep up?
With generative AI replacing traditional customer search journeys, the trusty old playbook for SEO and content marketing isn’t enough anymore to win.
We’ll discuss how AI is reshaping the search landscape and what you should be thinking about to stay ahead of your competitors.
Topics covered in this session:

Is SEO dead or just evolving?
Is it really possible to optimise for large language models (LLMs)?
What role does your website play when answers are generated, not linked?

Introduction to Canva
2025-10-03 09:30 - 11:30
Canva is an all-in-one online design tool that makes it simple to create graphics, edit photos/videos and write content.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to navigate Canva with confidence, starting with a broad overview of what you can create and do with Canva including a live demonstration of the Canva Editor.
We’ll then explore how to:

Design professional printed marketing materials and edit photos with ease.
Create engaging social media content, including videos and images for posts and ads.
Write creative blog content and make stunning presentations.

We’ll finish this beginner’s guide to Canva by looking at some clever strategies for improving how you market your business with your new suite of creative marketing materials.
As a result of attending this webinar, you will gain practical knowledge of the basics of Canva and learn how to save time when marketing your business online. We’ll be focusing on the free features of Canva for this webinar but some paid ‘Canva Pro’ features will be demonstrated also.

Lunch and Learn: Identifying ideal customers and validating potential demand
2025-10-03 13:00 - 13:30
In this session, business consultant Paul Cunningham will introduce you to actionable tools and frameworks you can use to identify your ideal customers and validate that there’s demand for what you’re selling.
Topics covered in this session:

How to model your ideal customer profile for accurate and cost-effective marketing
Validating potential demand to scale your efforts and investments to match
Simple tools and frameworks that accelerate and sustain your progress

How to start a business: The basics
2025-10-04 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
