Business Gateway Start-up Workshop in Lairg - 4/5 July 2011

Bookings are now being taken for the next Business Gateway Start Up Workshop to be held in Lairg Learning Centre on 4/5 July 2011.  The course covers the basics of business planning, record-keeping, legislation etc and is a great networking opportunity in its own right. It is also useful for those who have recently started their own venture and who are looking for a bit of reassurance!

For details and booking, please contact Lesley Allan on 01463 713889 or lesley.allan@highland-opportunity.com

Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2011 - Saladworx do it again...

David & Michelle of Saladworx pick up another addition to their trophy cabinet.

At the risk of seeming repetitive, Saladworx have won yet another award.
 
Hosted by BBC Radio 2 food expert Nigel Barden and sponsored by Clydesdale Bank, the 15th Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards recognise the best of Scotland’s food and drink industry.

The entries were judged by a panel comprising industry experts and journalists and the hotly contested product awards were presented to some of the country’s most innovative and exciting companies.

Dornoch-based Saladworx won Product of the Year and Product Innovation of the Year.

Cabinet Secretary (Rural Affairs & Environment) Richard Lochhead congratulated the booming food and drink sector in Scotland and underlined its ongoing importance to Scotland’s economic recovery. The Cabinet Secretary also announced a £2.64 million Scottish Funding Council package to establish a Scotland-wide food and drink innovation network with 17 Scottish universities. Part of the Scotland Food & Drink industry strategy, the delivery of the innovation network is the culmination of three years of work and collaboration.

Mr Lochhead said: “Once again, the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards have showcased an impressive variety of the very best Scotland has to offer. It’s great to see returning names maintaining high standards, as well as some new entries who have successfully shaped innovation into excellence."

Creative Industries Newsletter - May 2011

Here's a link to the latest Creative Industries Newsletter from HIE.  It's packed to the gunwhales with vital information for the creative sector.  This issue has all the details of this year's goNorth Industry showcase -  in addition to the usual news on funding, training and opportunities. Google Docs Link

For more info about goNorth: Link

Ward Forum, Lairg, 28 May 2011

Please note that there is a Ward Forum for Ward 1 of the Highland Council being held in Lairg Community Centre on the 28th May, starting at 11am.  The major topic for discussion is Community Benefit.  The meeting is open to all.

"Ward Forums have been set up across the Highlands to help you have your say in what's happening in your area. The forums will meet regularly in public led by the ward members in your area, assisted by the Ward Manager. Representatives of community councils and partner agencies, such as the police and fire, will also serve on the forums.

The meetings will last for up to 2 hours, with a 20-minute slot allocated at the end of the meeting for questions from the public."

From Bonar to Laxford Bridge by Canoe

Congratulations to the Highland Council's own Andy McCann who, along with his daughter and other family members, completed a 3-day canoe marathon from Bonar Bridge to Laxford Bridge. This seems to have involved a lot more hiking and dragging a canoe overland than you would think and is all the more creditable taking into account the windy weather that weekend.



The expedition raised more than £1200 for Fortrose Academy's work in Malawi.  For details of this project, see www.mufoto.weebly.com

Free Business Start Workshop in Lairg

(Sorry if this is a bit too short notice but I've been on leave). 

Anyway, our good friends at the Lairg Learning Centre are running a Business Start Workshop on Wednesday 25th May from 10am to 3pm covering the basics of self-employment from getting that great idea to business planning and basic record keeping.

Whilst this is not a Business Gateway event, we do work closely with the Learning Centre network and we'll do our best to provide any follow-up support to attendees.

To book a place, or for more information, please contact Kelly MacKay on 01549 402050 or email her at:  kelly-lairglearningcentre@hotmail.co.uk

Does Anyone Want to Buy a Giant Eagle?

Sam Barlow, Sutherland-based artist, is selling a magnificent steel Sea Eagle sculpture.  

With a 5m wingspan, it would make a stunning impression in a wild location.  

For more information, follow this link:

Highland Opportunity is looking for a new Chief Executive

 If anyone wants to be the boss of Highland Opportunity (and therefore me) here's a link to the relevant advert: Link

It just occurred to me...

On May 7th, I'll have been with Highland Opportunity for 20 years.  Good Grief!

Before

After

My Only Post about the Royal Wedding....

 Not quite Business Gateway-related but it's amazing what the good ladies of  Bonar Bridge and Ardgay can achieve when they put their minds to it....

Stop Press: Well Done Farr High School - Again

 
Farr High School's team "Farr Safer" swept the board at last night's Young Enterprise Scotland Awards held at the Newton Hotel, Nairn.  There'll be more details and photo's later but congratulations to FHS and Link Teacher, David Charnley for taking the trophy home for the third year running.

Textiles & Fashion Events at Go North 9/10 June 2011

Here's news about a couple of Great Events aimed at the Fashion and Textile Sectors:

HIE and HI~Arts are pleased to host a series of fashion and textile workshops as part of this year's goNORTH in Inverness.

Trend & Product Design Workshop - Thursday 9th June 2011

Delivered by industry specialists Upper Quartile this workshop running on Thursday 9th June 2011 is designed specifically for fashion, design and textile companies covering:

• Colour, design and product trends textiles, fashion and accessories for Autumn/Winter 2012/13

• Product, interior, retail and lifestyle trends

• Trade Fairs - attending and showing

Speakers: Anne Ritchie has a wealth of experience in the textile and design industries, having previously worked for leading brand names in design and product development roles. She advises widely on design, products and trends to the UK and international clients.

Business of Fashion Workshop - Friday 10th June 2011

Leading UK creative economy experts Andrew Senior Associates will present a four hour workshop on Friday 10th June 2011.

The workshop will be focussed on the business of fashion, with a particular emphasis on ethical fashion, fair trade and sustainability, sustainability in economic, environmental and social terms. It will look at the issues of conviction, integrity and quality, and why these make a product stand out. The workshop will also examine the importance of provenance and its impact on branding and positioning in the market.

Our methodology will be a series of presentations and group tasks, designed to allow participants to answer key questions that affect the strategic development of their business and will allow them to course a path to market success!

Interwoven into these activities will be the issue of working internationally, from the perspective of sourcing and selling, and we’ll consider the importance of London to these relationships and wider success.

With a working lunch from 12:30pm to 13:30pm and a networking afternoon tea from 15:30pm to 16:30pm, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask individual questions.

To attend any of the above workshops please book your place by 1st June 2011 by visiting: http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/gonorth-fashion-textile-workshops.htm and completing the booking form (see the 'For Download' section) and then send your booking form to Avril Souter at HI-Arts on avril@hi-arts.co.uk

Visit the goNORTH website for more information about other workshops and events: www.gonorth.biz/

Business Gateway Workshops - Ullapool

There are spaces available on the really useful Business Gateway Workshops to be held in Ullapool as follows:

Thursday 2^ndJune:    Marketing & Selling

Friday 3^rd June:        Record Keeping

If anyone is interested, please contact Lesley Allan to book: 01463 713889 or lesley.allan@highland-opportunity.com

Innovation Opportunity for Social Entrepreneurs

Here's a message from Iain Hamilton at Highlands & Islands Enterprise about  the Social Innovation Camp:

Opportunity to work with UK's leading software developers to create a

business/social start-up.

 

NESTA (National Endowment Science Technology and the Arts) run an annual

event called the Social Innovation Camp. This is for anyone who has an

idea to deal with a social issue, or health and wellbeing, and offers

the opportunity to work with some of the UK's leading software

developers to turn 6 back of the envelope ideas into business/social

start-ups in under 48 hours, complete with working software.

Technical skills are not a requirement for this process.

The Social Innovation Camp will run from 17th - 19th June, in Edinburgh

(Some expenses will be paid). Ideas that use the web to create social

change need to be submitted for consideration by NESTA by Friday 20th

May 2011.  If selected, you will be invited to attend the Edinburgh

workshop to try and make the idea a reality.

To get a better idea of what is involved and how you can participate,

NESTA will deliver two short workshops, lasting approximately 1 hour, on

10th May at 4.30pm and 7.30pm in:

The Ironworks

122b Academy Street

Inverness

IV1 1LX

If you would be interested in attending on 10th May, could you please

e-mail:  iain.hamilton@hient.co.uk

Full details of the programme are available here (Link) -  where

you can also find examples of successful ideas from past years.

Business Gateway - Newsletter for Existing Businesses

The Business Gateway newsletter, aimed at existing businesses, can now be found online. It contains case studies and  information on support options for developing your business, including training, advice, mentoring and funding.   Please follow this link