Business Start Workshop - Lairg 13/14 June

If you're planning to start a business or have recently started one, you might be interested in attending our forthcoming (free) business start workshop being held on 13/14 June in the Lairg Learning Centre

For details, follow this Link or contact me.

Job Opportunity - Information Officer, Highland Opportunity

Highland Opportunity is looking for an Information Officer, based in the Inverness Office.  For further information follow this Link

Access to Business Finance, 29th April, Inverness

Business Gateway in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses is hosting an Access to Business Finance event at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on the 29th April 2013.

• Do you have a business idea but don't know where or how to raise the finance to get it off the ground?  
   
• Do you want to expand or develop your existing business but haven't got the cash to do it?
   
• Or maybe you are treading water in this tight economy and need help to consolidate and plan for future growth?

Open to all small businesses, the day will bring together representatives from the major banks, alternative providers of business funding, accountants and lawyers and will be based on a series of talks, workshops and one-to-one conversations.

The event should be of interest to professionals who support small businesses and will be an excellent opportunity to network and influence funding bodies.

For the full programme and booking information, follow this link:

HiDigital Workshops - Dornoch

HIE and Business Gateway are hosting a series of workshops to help businesses make the most of the Internet and digital technology.  The next Sutherland event is being held in Dornoch on 16th/17th April 2013 and will cover the basics of social media, enhancing your web presence and using IT to produce meaningful financial information.  Places are limited and booking is essential.

For more inforamtion or to book a place, please email

Intrepid...

The Business Adviser must get through.....

Brora Artist Nominated for Scottish Variety Awards 2013

It's great to see that Lola Nicol, Artist, from Brora has been nominated in the Best New Scottish Artist/Designer category in this year's Scottish Variety Awards.

To see all the nominations and vote in any of the categories, follow this link:
Lola's website is here; Link

HIE Guide to Managing Community Funds

HIE have published a Guide to Managing Community Funds:

"...the new guide contains advice and guidance on how communities can manage the distribution of the income. Currently, communities are choosing areas such as investing in jobs, housing, new business starts, investing in energy efficient measures or addressing fuel poverty. 

Many communities use their own organisations to manage income from energy projects and some which are planning or already investing income back into the community have provided case studies within the guide....."

You can find out more  - and download the guide  - by following this Link

"Enterprising Sutherland " is Back in Business..

It's been a while but the technical isues are sorted ( I hope ) and the blog continues.....

Start - Up Workshop - 26/27 March 2013 in Brora

As they say in the entertainments industry, we are now taking bookings for the Free Start Up Workshop being held in Brora on 26th/27th March 2013. You can book direct with Lesley Allan on 01463 713889.

Here’s some information about the Workshop but, if you’ve any comments or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The PTYBS Awards

Craig Dunlop, Elly Knight and PTYBS Regional Manager, Alithea Watson, at the Awards

What a great time we  had at the PTYBS (formerly PSYBT) Awards held on Tuesday at the City Chambers in Glasgow. 

Of the six Regional Finalists, Highland was represented by EllyKnight (no relation!) and Craig Dunlop from the Red Roof Cafe in Skye.  We didn't win but Elly and Craig took away a cheque for £750 and made quite a few new friends at the Event,  which was hosted by Fred MacAulay.

The overal Winner was Bright Care from Edinburgh.

For more information, contact PTYBS or in Highland, Alithea Watson on 01463 228340

Saturday Music - "Trespassers" by The State Broadcasters

Here's a video from The State Broadcasters (featuring Inverness's very own Gillian Fleetwood). the song is from their new album "The Ghosts We Must Carry".

Business IT Guide

If  you've an isssue with any aspect of IT in your business then this might be a good place to go....

"Digital Highlands and Islands have launched the Business IT guide, which has been created in partnership with e-skills UK. The guide is available at www.digitalhiguide.co.uk. 

The website contains 150 guides written by IT specialists, with a focus on helping Highlands and Islands businesses increase productivity and efficiency through the use of IT. 

In addition to the 150 guides, businesses and social enterprises with additional questions can also ‘Ask the Expert’ by submitting questions through the website, where they will be answered by an IT expert. 

The online IT guides and specialised ‘Ask the Expert’ functionality are provided at no cost to Highlands and Islands businesses and social enterprises, visit the website now and find out more..".

Starter for 6 Roadshow - Inverness. 8th November 2012

If you're looking for support for your creative venture, here's a  message from the Cultural Enterprise Office about the 2013 Starter for 6 Programme:

"Starter for 6 is Scotland’s premier start-up and investment programme for creative industry entrepreneurs and is now in its seventh year. 

Originated by Nesta, the programme has been produced and delivered by the Cultural Enterprise Office since 2009. In that time Cultural Enterprise Office has developed the skills and talents of 162 businesses and 187 participants and awarded over £490,000 in investment to 88 new creative industry start-ups. 

This year's Main Programme will run in Glasgow/Edinburgh and Dundee The programme provides successful applicants with: 

• Four enterprise training sessions designed to provide you with the business skills to turn your idea into reality. The sessions cover  costing, pricing and marketing to pitching and presentation skills giving you confidence and providing you with the content to build a robust business plan. 

•  Peer mentoring or coaching. 

• The opportunity to network and share ideas with like minded entrepreneurs in training sessions and events. 

•  The opportunity to become part of the growing Starter for 6 Network. 

• The opportunity to pitch for up to £10,000 of grant funding at the end of the training programme in order to take your business forward. br />"

The Inverness Roadshow will take place at the Ironworks on the 8th November and details can be found here:

"Bye Bye B&B" - a new Book from Joan Campbell MBE

Author, tourism guru, Chair of  The  Federation of Small Business up here (and good friend of Business Gateway) Joan Campbell MBE has a new book out  - and its Highland launch is taking place in Waterstones, Inverness on 1st November.   If it's anything like her previous books - it will be very funny, informative and a damned good (Christmas?) present.

For more info about the book and its launch, follow this link to Joan's website.

Preparing to Export: 14/15 November

Here's a message from HIE about their Introduction to Exporting Event in Inverness 0n 14/15 November:

"Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in partnership with Scottish Development International, is offering a Preparing to Export - Introductory course. 

This is fully funded by Smart Exporter, an ambitious new international trade skills programme, and is targeted at Highlands & Islands companies that are thinking about exporting for the first time or are in the early stages of exporting. 

Delivered by Giraffe Consulting, the programme runs over two consecutive days. Benefits of attending include: 

• Understanding the basics of exporting & opportunities in international markets 
• Gaining the skills & confidence to succeed in highly competitive international markets 
• Developing a practical export plan to help your business to grow...."

Full Details from this Link