Events

For the smaller business wanting to grow, exhibitions and the events are a key way to meet customers and create a brand presence for your business. Many successful operators first meet the customers.

The 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. Statically, you only have a tenth of a second to stop 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 practical and interactive session which allows you to rehearse your technique – we know this has he benefits on exhibition days and lets you “hit the ground running” full of confidence.

Key skilled rehearsed:

• How to identify the right show
• Clarifying objectives
• Promotional planning – before the show
• Stopping visitors – techniques, opening lines, dealing with 2 contacts at the same time, qualifying prospects quickly
• The Sales Ladder, two way communication, listening skills
• Presenting products well
• Identifying buying signals
• Closing the sale/appointment
• Dealing with timewasters
• Quiet stands
• Busy Stands
• Recording information
• Keeping alert
• Evaluation techniques
• Follow up procedure

To book a place Click here

If you are planning to grow your business over the next few years, this session will really get you thinking. This is a day out the office to think about your future.

This workshop will look at good marketing & sales strategies & also come up with some quick wins to start moving you forward.

The content is based on current strategies marketing thinking & also practical knowledge of marketing communications & promotion online & offline. It positions marketing & sales within the business cycle & is ideal for SME’s to focus on their business growth.

AM

• Realistic Marketing & sales – How it applies to a small business
• Ps of the marketing mix & sales – How research & insight Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Presence, Process, Planet, Purple cow,. Sales at interact.
• Key ideas for activity in each of the P’s
• The concept of different target markets – thinking of customer groups into silos
• Research & Insight – understanding customer motivation, competitor activity etc
• Marketing action plans template – useable after the course
• Quick wins at no cost to improve awareness & sales opportunity – first actions

PM

• Promotion & Branding – how to create a brand & build positive awareness
• Creating key messages for different customer groups
• Communication & promotion
• Managing your marketing on a regular basis – resource & budget
• Evaluating the results for the next round of marketing activity

To book a place Click here

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 to understand:

• The main reasons businesses fail
• The importance of planning for success
• The importance of market research and how to do it
• The basic requirements for setting up e.g registration, insurance, tax & VAT.

This 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.

To book a place  Click here

This workshop will equip you with the networking skills necessary to build effective networks.

This workshop will:

• Explain the importance and benefits of effective networking
• Discuss the impact of first impressions and body language
• Help you describe your business in a consistent and interesting way
• Reveal the importance of active listening
• Identify networking opportunities
• Assist with planning the development and maintenance of regular networking contacts

By the end of the workshop you will have developed a strategy for4 establishing and maintaining state business relationships.

To book a place Click here

An opportunity to network wit a diverse start up / growth business community. Our advisor team will be present to answer any questions you may have.

To book a place Click here

This workshop aims to enable you to set up and manage an effective online trading presence.

The workshop will examine:

• E – commerce opportunities for your business
• Selecting products to sell online
• What product catalogues and shopping carts are available
• Appropriate payment options
• The importance of usability and search engine optimisation
• Processes for order management and fulfilment
• Distance selling regulations
• Good practice in data security
• Website performance measures
• Selecting suppliers

By the end of the workshop you will be able to draw up a detailed action plan to set up your online trading presence.

To book a place Click here

This workshop (previously called Website Analytics) unlocks Google analytics so you can clearly see where your website traffic is coming from and why transforming your website’s effectiveness.

Google Analytics is an incredibly powerful tool for all businesses with an online presence, and by the end of this workshop you’ll be comfortable reading, understanding and acting on analytics information.

You’ll be able to see at a glance where your website traffic comes from, and what this means for your company. Even more powerfully, you’ll be ready to use the data to improve your website’s effectiveness.

We’ll show you how often to check analytics, how to set goals and the most effective ways to implement analytics tools. So when you develop your digital strategy you can be confident you will see results.

Please note: Participants must bring a laptop, tablet or smartphone to the workshop.

This is a “DigitalBoost” workshop which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.

To book a place Click here

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 statuary returns are relevant to your business
• The Profit and Loss Account
• The Balance Sheet
• The Cash Flow Statement
• The nature of VAT
• Recording transactions using Microsoft Excel
• Accounting Software

To book a place Click here

This workshop is the second of a 2 – part series. Having researched and planned your new venture in Workshop 1.

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.

To book a place Click here

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.

These steps include: establishing what your customers are looking for, providing relevant content, 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.

This is a “DigitalBoost” event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.

To book a place Click here

This training aims to raise awareness of causes and signs of stress and offers techniques for managing stress.

Guidance is provided for employers/managers in relation to supporting and managing employees who are experiencing tress or mental health conditions.

Everyone experiences stress of some kind at different points in life. A healthy amount of pressure can be a positive and stimulating experience. However, excessive pressures can have a very damaging effect on our personal and professional lives and, ultimately, on our health and wellbeing.

This training aims to raise awareness of causes and signs of stress and offers techniques for managing stress. Guidance is provided for employers/managers in relation to supporting and managing employers who are experiencing stress or mental health conditions.

Overview

• What is stress?
• The costs of stress
• Identifying causes of stress
• Recognising signs and symptoms
• Techniques for positively managing stress
• Mental health disorders
• Employer responsibilities

To book a place Click here

Video captures people’s attention online and is becoming increasingly important for engaging with potential, or real, clients.

Discover why the use of video helps people find your brand or website and how this kind of content has become a powerful way to engage with your audience. Learn how to create a short ad effective video without pain or expense, including how to plan, shoot, edit and upload it 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.

This is a “DigitalBoost” event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.

To book a place Click here

In this workshop, we cover aspects of financial planning including pricing, cash flow, fundamental accounting, reporting, budgeting and managing financial charge.

The workshops aim is to have a plan to set your business on the road to financial success. Although having an M.B.A. from Harvard  is certainly not a prerequisite for running a successful small business, having some basic accounting skills and knowing how to use accounting software can save a small business owner a lot of money and frustration.

To book a place Click here

Find out how to use image sharing apps Pinterest and Instagram to grow your business. Learn how to shoot, process and upload photos.

Move from being a beginner to knowing enough to gain commercial benefit from the use of Pinterest and Instagram. Learn which type of audience you can reach via each platform and the factors and analytics such as cost and timing of posting images and how that can maximise impact.

Discover the basic “does and don’ts” of taking your own pictures, processing them and uploading them onto digital platforms. See some real life examples of posts that demonstrate good, bad and indifferent use.

This is a “DigitalBoost” event which is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway.

To book a place Click here

This workshop is designed for people who want to deepen their understanding of how Facebook can be used to engage with their target audience in order to book conversions.

Facebook is an increasingly effective tool for reaching target audiences and engaging with them when they are in a responsive mode. People who attend this workshop will learn how to assess whether Facebook is an appropriate medium for them, how to find and refine their audience and to target, create and optimise posts and adverts. This event will also cover measuring the effectiveness of pages, posts and adverts, including through the use of Facebook Insights ( a powerful tool that lets you track user interaction), as well as integrating Facebook with websites. You will also gain valuable knowledge about e-commerce, security, compliance and privacy. The ultimate aim is to equip delegates with knowledge that will enable them to use this crucial element of social media to increase sales and solidify brands.

Delegates may wish to bring along their laptops so they can work on their Facebook accounts during the workshop.

To book a place Click here