Be part of something bigger
In East Ayrshire we understand your ambition for your business.
After all, business drives our success – because when you succeed, it benefits the whole area. That is why we are committed to bringing new businesses to East Ayrshire, helping established enterprises do even better and creating an environment where start-ups can really take off.
This is where you can find out more about East Ayrshire, including the wealth of business support available. Perhaps you would like to know more about commercial property, or how other businesses benefit from being in East Ayrshire.
This site covers all these subjects and more. So it is now easier than ever to find out what you need to know about East Ayrshire. And of course, if you need more detailed information on anything, we can tell you how to find it.
About East Ayrshire
Hear from some of the most successful businesses in East Ayrshire who explain why they love East Ayrshire
Events view all events
may, 2018
01may5:00 pm8:00 pmBusiness Gateway - Producing Engaging Online Content
Event Details
Producing quality content is an excellent way of helping customers develop a meaningful relationship with your brand, and ultimately boosting sales. Learn to understand, source and measure content. Even if you
Event Details
Producing quality content is an excellent way of helping customers develop a meaningful relationship with your brand, and ultimately boosting sales. Learn to understand, source and measure content.
Even if you are not traditionally in the business of providing content, it’s important to have good-quality articles or even nuggets of useful information on your website and elsewhere to drive customer engagement and help you stand out from your competitors. If you can provide easily accessible evidence that you are an expert in your field, or are able to provide an attractive “space” that makes customers more inclined to spend time with you, it’ll be easier for them to choose you when they’re ready to spend. This session will help you understand what kind of content your customers are looking for, how to find, write and package it, how to market it to them and how to measure how engaging it is for them. This workshop is ideal for businesses that already have a commercial website or use social media, and want to move to the next level of engagement. It will equip you to amplify your brand and message, and to boost sales and profits.
This is a ‘DigitalBoost’ event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.
Time
(Tuesday) 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
The Lounge
33-43 main Street
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
02may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Introduction to Book-keeping
Event Details
This course will assist new and existing businesses in developing a bookkeeping system and template that is suitable for their needs. Which can help reduce accountancy fees. This workshop covers: Important
Event Details
This course will assist new and existing businesses in developing a bookkeeping system and template that is suitable for their needs. Which can help reduce accountancy fees.
This workshop covers:
- Important accounting terms explained
- Which financial statements and statutory returns are relevant to your business
- The Profit & Loss Account
- The Balance Sheet
- The Cash Flow Statement
- The nature of VAT
- Recording transactions using Microsoft Excel
- Accounting Software
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
03may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Keep your Business Safe Online (Cyber Security)
Event Details
Find out how to take some simple steps to reduce your chances of being hacked and also how to minimise the impact if your business does suffer a cyber attack. Recent
Event Details
Find out how to take some simple steps to reduce your chances of being hacked and also how to minimise the impact if your business does suffer a cyber attack.
Recent news stories show that businesses (large and small) are often paralysed by hackers. This engaging workshop will show you how to reduce the risk and mitigate the impact if you are unlucky enough to suffer a cyber attack. The content includes password management, spotting phishing emails, avoiding ransom ware, antivirus software and firewalls. All businesses are at risk from cyber attacks, use this free workshop as an opportunity to help protect yours.
This is a ‘DigitalBoost’ event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.
Time
(Thursday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
04may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Generating Ideas for your Start-up Business
Event Details
This workshop is aimed at people who would like to start-up their own business but don’t have an idea about what type of business to start. Many people would like
Event Details
This workshop is aimed at people who would like to start-up their own business but don’t have an idea about what type of business to start.
Many people would like to start their own business but don’t have a business idea to focus on. This session will provide a structured approach to business idea generation, how to validate these ideas and decide which (if any) to pursue. As a result of this session, delegates will be able to:
1. Clarify their motivation behind starting their own business
2. Appreciate the skills and experience they bring to their new business
3. Utilise a range of techniques for generating new business ideas
4. Gain an appreciation of how to evaluate these ideas
5. Prepare for getting started!
Time
(Friday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
08may9:30 am11:30 amBusiness Gateway - GDPR - Your Journey to Compliance
Event Details
What Is GDPR and how does it impact on my business? This is your opportunity to find out more about GDPR and ask the questions that are appropriate for your
Event Details
What Is GDPR and how does it impact on my business? This is your opportunity to find out more about GDPR and ask the questions that are appropriate for your own business.
| The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new legal framework that is being introduced from 25 May 2018 across the European Union to overhaul and update current legislation on the protection of personal data. This will have an impact on most businesses. You are now required to ensure that fully informed consent is obtained at the point of collecting data; that you know where to locate all data that you have collected; that it is appropriately secure, particularly when transferred or shared, and when to delete it. This is the time to review your current business practices and to make sure you have a plan in place on how you will achieve compliance by 25 May 2018. Law firm Gilson Gray will be delivering this workshop to provide practical guidance and assistance on how best to tackle your journey to compliance. |
Time
(Tuesday) 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Location
Greenwood Conference Centre
Greenwood Gate, Dreghorn KA11 4GZ Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
09may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Creating Video Content for Social Media
Event Details
Video content is HOT right now! Estimates predict that this year, over 60% of mobile phone usage will be to consume video content. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram - they all want
Event Details
Video content is HOT right now! Estimates predict that this year, over 60% of mobile phone usage will be to consume video content. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram – they all want you to create videos
This practical workshop aims to give you the skills and confidence to create video content.We’ll help you brainstorm ideas, and show you how to turn these ideas into videos your customers will want to watch.From archived videos on a YouTube playlist, to live video streaming on Facebook – we’ll look at simple effective ways to create engaging video that make an impact
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Greenwood Conference Centre
Greenwood Gate, Dreghorn KA11 4GZ Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
10may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Start-up Workshop 1 - Researching & Planning your business
Event Details
This workshop is the first of a 2-part series aimed at people who are planning to start or have just started a business and need to know the basics of
Event Details
This workshop is the first of a 2-part series aimed at people who are planning to start or have just started a business and need to know the basics of what to do
You will leave the workshop understanding the skills you need and the actions you need to take to start their business.
This workshop will help you understand:
- the main reasons business fail
- the importance of planning for success
- the importance of market research and how to do it
- what resources you will require and
- the basic requirements for setting up e.g. registration, insurance, tax & VATThis half day workshop will be practical and results-oriented. After introducing each topic and explaining relevance, we will introduce tools that can be applied at that stage. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and plan how they will implement these tools.
Time
(Thursday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
11may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Pinterest & Instagram: The Rise of Visual Communication
Event Details
In a world saturated with online marketing content which is becoming increasingly visual, how can you ensure your business will be heard? Studies have demonstrated that our brains process visual
Event Details
In a world saturated with online marketing content which is becoming increasingly visual, how can you ensure your business will be heard?
| Studies have demonstrated that our brains process visual imagery 60,000 times faster than written copy. How can you better communicate visually with your audience?
In this workshop, you will learn how to:
|
Time
(Friday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Greenwood Conference Centre
Greenwood Gate, Dreghorn KA11 4GZ Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
14may1:30 pm4:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Online Marketplaces - Ebay, Amazon & Etsy
Event Details
This workshop focuses on a hugely untapped opportunity for small Scottish businesses - trading on Online Marketplaces. This workshop focuses on a hugely untapped opportunity for small Scottish businesses -
Event Details
This workshop focuses on a hugely untapped opportunity for small Scottish businesses – trading on Online Marketplaces.
This workshop focuses on a hugely untapped opportunity for small Scottish businesses – trading on Online Marketplaces. Trading online to the world is within the reach of any small business and for many it’s easier than they think.
We’ll cover:
- Choosing the right Marketplace – with a specific look at trading on Ebay, Amazon and Etsy
- An overview of the rules and regulations enforced by these platforms
- Understanding Profit Margins and how Marketplace fees affect them
- Selling on a Marketplace and my own website?
- After Sales, Customer Service, and the impact of online reviews!
- 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 your business, and how to get started selling quickly and easily.
Time
(Monday) 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
15may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Twitter & Hootsuite
Event Details
A workshop for businesses that already use Twitter as part of their digital marketing strategy, and wish to produce more engaging content, reach a wider audience and measure the effectiveness.
Event Details
A workshop for businesses that already use Twitter as part of their digital marketing strategy, and wish to produce more engaging content, reach a wider audience and measure the effectiveness.
This workshop will help you develop and hone your social media strategy in order to amplify your message. You will gain a deeper understanding of where Twitter fits into your overall plan, how it relates to other platforms, and the relative benefits of sponsored posts, as well as how to create them.
We will also go through the features of Hootsuite in order to help you manage and integrate your social media accounts. This includes learning about advanced techniques for creating and publishing content, and delegating tasks to other team members. Legal requirements and best practice frameworks will also be covered.
This is a ‘DigitalBoost’ event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.
Time
(Tuesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
16may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Create Killer Graphics with Canva
Event Details
Bring your laptop and join us, learn how to design simple but beautiful graphics using Canva the FREE simple online tool. These creations can then be used market your business
Event Details
Bring your laptop and join us, learn how to design simple but beautiful graphics using Canva the FREE simple online tool. These creations can then be used market your business – online and off.
Create stunning images for presentations, your website/blog, email newsletters and any social media channels.
This workshop is not exclusively for online marketing, you will learn to create images for print as well – e.g. business cards, flyers, posters or invitations.
At the end of this session, you will be able to edit pictures, design cover photos, collages and create stellar images to market your business both offline and on.
*Please note: Participants must bring along a laptop. This is a hands-on, practical course so some basic computer skills are essential
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
17may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Start-up Workshop 2 - Marketing & Managing your Business
Event Details
This workshop is the second of a 2-part series. Having researched and planned your new venture in Workshop1, you will leave this workshop with an understanding of the skills you need
Event Details
This workshop is the second of a 2-part series.
Having researched and planned your new venture in Workshop1, you will leave this workshop with an understanding of the skills you need and the actions you need to take to market and manage your business. Ideally participants will have attended Workshop 1.
This workshop will:
- Provide an introduction to marketing
- Outline the basic elements of creating a marketing plan
- Highlight the key aspects which need to be managed in the business
- Outline the basic elements of how to manage the books
This half day workshop will be practical and results-oriented. After introducing each topic and explaining .the relevance, we will introduce tools that can be applied at that stage. You will have the opportunity to discuss and plan how you will implement these tools
Time
(Thursday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
17may1:30 pm4:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Business Planning & Cash Flow
Event Details
Both start up and growing business will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This workshop will:
Event Details
Both start up and growing business will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in.
This workshop will:
- Provide a structure for a Business Plan
- Review each section of what should be included within the Business Plan.
- Understand when and how to use a business plan.
- To understand cash flow within the business planning process
Time
(Thursday) 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
18may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Introduction to Excel
Event Details
This half-day workshop is aimed at those looking to gain an understanding of Excel and how to use it to create basic spread sheets. Introduction to Excel This half-day workshop is
Event Details
This half-day workshop is aimed at those looking to gain an understanding of Excel and how to use it to create basic spread sheets.
Introduction to Excel
This half-day workshop is aimed at those looking to gain an understanding of Excel and how to use it to create basic spreadsheets and will be delivered in the format of an explanation/demonstration of the program (and how to use some of the tools associated with it), followed by a practical exercise.
During the workshop attendees will learn how to do the following:
- How to access the program
- How navigate through the program
- How to create/populate a spreadsheet
- How to format a spreadsheet
- How to create/use basic formulas and functions
- How to filter your data
- How to create a basic chart
- How to print all (or sections) of your spreadsheet
- How to save your spreadsheets, to various locations/drives etc.
It is advisable to bring along your own laptop, which has Office 2010 or later (e.g. 2013/2016 installed on it), so that you can create your own spreadsheet.
Time
(Friday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
22may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Hashtags - Building Online Communities
Event Details
What benefits can using a hashtag really bring your marketing efforts? And how can we find, and benefit from speaking to the right online communities? What benefits can using a
Event Details
What benefits can using a hashtag really bring your marketing efforts? And how can we find, and benefit from speaking to the right online communities?
| What benefits can using a hashtag really bring your marketing efforts? And how can we find, and benefit from speaking to the right online communities?
Social media platforms are awash with communities of like-minded people and potential customers following, sharing and discussing their passions. In this workshop we discuss and learn about:
|
Time
(Tuesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
23may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway -Marketing Strategy and Planning for Growth
Event Details
If you are planning to grow your business over the next few years, this session will really get you thinking. It is a day out of the office to think
Event Details
If you are planning to grow your business over the next few years, this session will really get you thinking. It is a day out of the office to think about your strategy for growth, your target market
| The topics we shall cover are as follows:
Part 1 (morning) – Strategic Marketing and Sales Marketing and sales – How it applies to a small business – a realistic view; ‘P’s of the marketing & sales mix- How research and insight, Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Presence, Process, Planet, Purple cow, Sales all interact; Key ideas for activity in each of the ‘p’s. The concept of different target markets – thinking of customer groups into silos; Research and insight – understandingcustomer motivations, competitor activity etc. Marketing action plans template – usable after the course. Quick wins at no cost to improve awareness and sales opportunity – first actions Part 2 (afternoon) Marketing Communication and how to maximise the effect! Promotion & Branding – how to create a brand and build positive awareness, Creating key messages for different customer groups, Communication and promotion (offline and online) – the right formats – how to select and when to use. Managing your marketing on a regular basis – resource and budget. Evaluating the results for the next round of marketing activity A light lunch will be served |
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Greenwood Conference Centre
Greenwood Gate, Dreghorn KA11 4GZ Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
24may5:00 pm8:00 pmBusiness Gateway - GDPR - Your Journey to Compliance
Event Details
What Is GDPR and how does it impact on my business? This is your opportunity to find out more about GDPR and ask the questions that are appropriate for your
Event Details
What Is GDPR and how does it impact on my business? This is your opportunity to find out more about GDPR and ask the questions that are appropriate for your own business.
What Is GDPR and how does it impact on my business? This is your opportunity to find out more about GDPR and ask the questions that are appropriate for your own business.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new legal framework that is being introduced from 25 May 2018 across the European Union to overhaul and update current legislation on the protection of personal data. This will have an impact on most businesses. You are now required to ensure that fully informed consent is obtained at the point of collecting data; that you know where to locate all data that you have collected; that it is appropriately secure, particularly when transferred or shared, and when to delete it. This is the time to review your current business practices and to make sure you have a plan in place on how you will achieve compliance by 25 May 2018. Law firm Gilson Gray will be delivering this workshop to provide practical guidance and assistance on how best to tackle your journey to compliance.
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
25may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - How to Run a Successful Exhibition
Event Details
For the smaller business wanting to grow, exhibitions and events are a key way to meet customers and create a brand presence for your business. This session looks at how to
Event Details
For the smaller business wanting to grow, exhibitions and events are a key way to meet customers and create a brand presence for your business.
This session looks at how to find the exhibition or event that is right for you, create a stand that stands out and trains you the standholder, how to sell your products and services effectively on stand.Statistically, you only have a tenth of a second to stop a customers, so you need to be well prepared for the show.
This programme looks at 4 key areas –
1. planning and build up –
2. pre show publicity –
3. working the stand on the days of the show
4. following up leads.
This is a practical and interactive session which allows you to rehearse your technique – we know this has huge benefit on exhibition days and lets you ‘hit the ground running’ full of confidence.
Key skills rehearsed
How to identify the right show
- Clarifying objectives
- Promotional planning – before the show.
- Stopping visitors – techniques
- Opening lines
- Dealing with 2 contacts at same time
- Qualifying prospects quickly
- The Sales Ladder
- Two way communication
- Listening skills
- Presenting products well
- Identifying buying signals
- Closing the Sale/Appointment
Time
(Friday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location
Business Gateway Office (Kilmarnock)
89 King St Kilmarnock KA1 1QD Ayrshire
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
29may5:00 pm8:00 pmBusiness Gateway - Digital Marketing Strategy
Event Details
Digital marketing can deliver real world business growth, and this workshop will show you a practical strategy for success. This inspiring workshop will guide you through the practical steps needed to
Event Details
Digital marketing can deliver real world business growth, and this workshop will show you a practical strategy for success.
This inspiring workshop will guide you through the practical steps needed to design a digital marketing strategy to meet your business objectives and create more leads.
Successful strategies have three key elements: Content Creation, Content Publication and Content Amplification©. You will learn time-efficient techniques for developing these elements so you can confidently drive more traffic to your website.
We’ll help you understand the digital trends and equip you to work more strategically with the big search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) to improve the quality of your search results. We will show you how to plan more engaging email newsletters and posts on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
This is a ‘DigitalBoost’ event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.
Time
(Tuesday) 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
30may9:30 am4:00 pmWorkshop 3: International digital marketing - SEO, Social Media
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Event Details
Ecommerce offers substantial opportunities for your business to increase sales across the UK and beyond but selling online requires planning and focus to succeed. If you already have an ecommerce
Event Details
Ecommerce offers substantial opportunities for your business to increase sales across the UK and beyond but selling online requires planning and focus to succeed. If you already have an ecommerce website and are looking to increase domestic and international sales, or if you need practical support to get started internationally, this series of workshops is for you.
At the workshops you will learn how to:
- Gain more international enquiries and customers through your website and digital channels
- Develop an appropriate digital strategy to grow your online sales
- Focus on customer needs and improve your sites online profile
- Improve your websites ranking in international search engines and find out how search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media works in different countries
- Address language considerations and learn how to localise your website
- Learn how to use free tools to assess and validate market opportunities
- Get practical support on using the best channels to target those markets
These workshops will be presented by Stephen Whitelaw of Orthic Consulting as part of East Ayrshire Council’s beReady business support programme.
The third workshop will cover:
- How Search Engines Work and a comparison
- International SEO Google Vs Yahoo Vs Bing Vs Baidu Vs Yandex Vs Others
- Insights and Analytics
- Tracking customer engagement and sources
- Impact of social media & generating referral traffic
- User generated recommendations
- Engaging with customers
You should bring along your own laptop so you can work on your ecommerce site during the workshop.
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Ingram Enterprise Centre - Kilmarnock KA1 1DD
30 John Finnie Street
30may9:30 am12:30 pmBusiness Gateway - Build your own Website - Part 1
Event Details
Build your own Website (Part 1) Every business needs a website, and if budget is tight, then you might prefer to build one yourself.Introducing WordPress - one of the most popular
Event Details
Build your own Website (Part 1)
Every business needs a website, and if budget is tight, then you might prefer to build one yourself.Introducing WordPress – one of the most popular web building systems used on millions of sites across the world.This work shop will be delivered over 2 half days. In order to get the most out of this workshop, clients are asked to bring along a laptop.
Part 1
We’ll begin this session with brief outline of some of the basic components of a business website. What pages do you need to create, what messages do you want to tell, what is the purpose of your website?
You’ll learn how to create a WordPress account, choose a theme (a design), create some basic web pages, and be introduced to Blogging!
Time
(Wednesday) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
31may5:00 pm8:00 pmBusiness Gateway - LinkedIn (Intermediate)
Event Details
Want to boost your business with LinkedIn? We’ll take you beyond networking by showing you how it can market your products and promote your brand. LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful
Event Details
Want to boost your business with LinkedIn? We’ll take you beyond networking by showing you how it can market your products and promote your brand.
LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful – and profitable – business tool. Like any tool, you have to learn how to use it, and this workshop gives you expert guidance. You’ll create a LinkedIn strategy to supercharge your business via marketing and brand promotion initiatives.
You’ll learn when to use personal and company profiles and how to optimise them for maximum visibility. Content is king these days, and we’ll show you how to plan and produce captivating content that enriches your brand.
Also, the value of the event will be enhanced if you can bring along your laptop or tablet so you can work on your LinkedIn account during the session.
This is a ‘DigitalBoost’ event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Organizer
Maureen Deans01563 576987
Why East Ayrshire?
Find out what makes East Ayrshire stand out as a business location and why it’s right for you.
Support for your business success
From advice and financial help to a welcoming business community, East Ayrshire offers an outstanding network of support.
Success stories start here
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