Events

It is important to be prepared for Exhibitions and Meet the Buyer events as you have a very short window of opportunity to make a great impression and take your discussion to the next stage.

Grow your business and maximise sales and leads from up and coming exhibitions and one to one Meet the Buyer events.

This session will show you how to do it well, plan ahead and give yourself the best chance of success and a proper return on your investment in time and money.

This session lets you plan your stand, to attract customers and show off what you have to offer!! This session splits into 2 parts:

The exhibition session will show you how to:

• Review targeted exhibitions and Meet the Buyer events can be of importance to you.
• Selecting the right show/event for you – time and money.
• Consumer shows, Trade Shows, Meet the Buyer events – how they offer.
• Useful checklist for planning how to operate.
• Type of stand – position in the hall.
• Dressing your stand well to show your products/business and attract customers’.
• Objectives of the show or event – engaging with the right people.
• Stand manager – objectives/project management to stage manage the occasion and get it right.
• Pre-publicity to encourage and inform your audience prior to the event.
• Key messages/content for your stand and your team.

The Meet the Buyer section will include:

• Doing your homework on the buyer and their business.
• Outline presentation template to follow.
• Key messages and content to make a great impression.
• Pitfalls to avoid!

It is practical, fun and led by a tutor who works at shows every year.

To book a place, click here.

Set yourself up for success in the new year with our comprehensive workshop on market planning. This session will provide you with the tools, strategies, and insights you need to plan the year ahead.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a marketing professional, or part of a small business team, this workshop will equip you with actionable steps to make your marketing efforts more focused and impactful.

Learn:

• How to set clear, achievable marketing goals for the new year.
• Identifying and understanding your target audience.
• Crafting a marketing strategy that aligns with your business objectives.
• Leveraging tools and techniques for market analysis.
• Budgeting and allocating resources effectively.
• Tracking and measuring success to refine your approach.

To book a place, click here.

Dealing with difficult conversations can be so time consuming.

Dealing with difficult conversations can be so time consuming. Attend the Business Gateway session with Arena HR and devise a strategy to allow you to handle difficult conversations effectively and get a solution quickly. This allows you to get back to doing your job well and increase the harmony in the workplace.

To book a place, click here.

Harness the power of TikTok for your business and learn practical techniques to create engaging content and grow your audience.

TikTok isn’t just for dance trends and lip-synching videos; it offers a fantastic opportunity to engage with your customers and increase your business’s online reach. In this hands-on workshop, learn how to create bitesize video content for more effective business communication on one of the most popular social media platforms.

We will cover:

• How to optimize your TikTok account for the best results with video.
• How to discover and leverage the latest trends on TikTok.
• Ideas for creating content that entertains, inspires, or educates your audience, with plenty of examples given.
• How to increase engagement and reach by focusing on structure, duration, titles, and understanding the algorithm.
• The best equipment, apps, and workflow to create bitesize vertical videos for TikTok.

Join us for this interactive workshop and leave with practical skills and knowledge to boost your business’s presence on TikTok.

To book a place, click here.

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.

To book a place, click here.

In this webinar we will provide an overview of the legal obligations business owners have when they employ people.

We will look at the following in detail:

• Who is covered by employment law.
• What should be included in your contracts of employment.
• The HR policies you should have in place.
• Employee entitlements in pay, working hours and other benefits.
• Best Practice in managing legal risks associated with employment law.

To book a place, click here.

This webinar will simplify all the ‘tech talk’ and show you which types of ‘Keywords’ you should use and when, to really maximise your Search Engine Optimisation efforts.

Everywhere you turn, digital marketers are talking about the importance of keywords and although most of us are aware of the importance that keyword research plays in Search Engine Optimisation, not may of us are aware of how to identify the right keywords that will bring in the right traffic.

There are 9 types of keywords and different types should be used to target different audiences at each stage of the customer journey, in order to reach a broader range of people and increase your chances of securing a customer.

You will leave with an understanding of:

1. The 9 different types of keywords, what they are and when to use them.
2. We will look at how to use both paid and free keyword research tools including:

• Google Ads Keyword Planner
• Google Trends
• Google Suggest and Search Engine Results Pages for long tail keywords
• How to Analyse Local Competitor Websites
• Questions People Ask

3. Which keywords are more competitive and why.

4. Where to put your keywords and how many to use.

5. How to write your content based around the keywords you choose.

6. How to identify the keywords that your site is already ranking for and how to get quick wins to increase search traffic.

7. How to measure your keyword optimisation efforts.

8. The cost of keywords should you choose to advertise.

To book a place, click here.

This webinar is aimed at individuals who are looking at ensuring they are considering all aspects of how they should be managing the financial aspects of their business on a day to day basis.

Delegates will learn about the key aspects of financially running a business, keeping on top of the day to day activities, developing profit and ensuring they know how to manage their financials. The workshop will also discuss the variety of accounting packages available and if your business should be using them.

The aim of this session is:

• To understand your profit and loss account.
• To develop your knowledge of what you should be doing on a day to day basis with the financials of your business.
• To consider if the time is right for your business to invest in an accounting package.
• To keep your business focused on how to improve your profitability.

To book a place, click here.

Join us for a practical workshop discussing all things social media, as we examine the way tools like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can help (and hinder) your business objectives.

Social Media is much more than just a promotional tool. Used effectively, you can truly engage and influence your target market audience and achieve better business objectives. Used wrongly, and you’re likely just wasting your time hoping for some vanity likes.

This session aims to ensure you remain ‘business focused’ with your own usage of social media and will cover:

• The current social landscape.
• 2026 trends and tactics to take advantage of.
• The power of social influence.
• Creative social media business examples.
• The business dangers of social media.
• Practical Tips and Tricks.

There will also be plenty of time for questions, and some live audits of attendee social media profiles (with advice and recommendations given).

To book a place, click here.

This workshop is a 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.

Whatever your reasons may be for considering being your own boss, Business Gateway is here to support you and this workshop will help you decide if this is the right path for you. We will explore your potential customers, the problems your business can solve for them and how you can do that better than the competition. Once that is clear, we will look at the key activities and costs involved in starting and running the business and tools for determining the commercial viability before considering the main options for business structures (sole trader, partnership, or limited company).

We will look at:

• Personal finance planning – how much do you need to earn?
• Researching your market – to develop an understanding of your market, who your customers are, understanding your competition and what the trends are within your chosen field.
• Business structure – what are the main 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.

Attendees will be provided with a PDF copy of the slides and a workbook to complete. We will also signpost you to Business Gateway’s Planning to Start tool which will then direct you to further resources and your local Business Gateway adviser.

To book a place, click here.

Increase your chances of online success by better understanding how to plan and curate good content, schedule it using a social media dashboard, and improve efficiency through simple automation.

Businesses who plan their content in advance, aligning all 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 workshop, 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 your blog and email newsletters.
• Implement simple automation techniques to increase efficiency.

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

To book a place, click here.

Your business is judged on what customers see and how they feel when they visit you online. This session will help you ensure their first impression is a good one.

You will learn how to:

• Audit your business across key web and social media channels and build an action plan to improve how you come across.
• Understand what makes your business special and develop key messages to get this across.
• Recognise what makes a successful website and how to improve yours.
• Consider different audiences and customer journeys so that your business is found whether they’re conducting Google searches, using apps or hearing about you via word of mouth.
• Explore the role of AI in the future of online marketing and what you can do now to take advantage of it.

To book a place, click here.

An opportunity for new & existing Ayrshire businesses to meet with Business Gateway & each other.

Join us for an in-person networking event! You’ll hear from our advisers, be surrounded by local business owners and our team will be on hand to offer advice or answer any questions.

Meet, connect, and collaborate with fellow business owners, meet our business advisers, and book a free 1-2-1 surgery session with an adviser, tailored to YOUR business.

Bring your business cards! There will be the opportunity to introduce your business and take part in a 1-minute speed pitch!

There will be complimentary refreshments for you to enjoy as you network.

To book a place, click here.