The Cycle of YES

No sooner have we packed off the 2009 Farr YES team to their respective universities, colleges and  gainful employment, then the whole enjoyable package starts all over again.

Just back from a very breezy  Bettyhill where I met this this year's batch of committed and enthusiastic students and they're just itching to take on the baton passed to them by the 2008 and 2009 winners.

For more information about Young Enterprise Scotland follow this link

Youth Music Initiative Demo Fund

Here's a message about money from the very nice people at Creative Scotland.......

Youth Music Initiative Demo Fund

Funding of up to £6 000 for studios to record with young bands...

The Demo Fund is part of the Youth Music Initiative’s Independent Music Making programme.

Applications are welcome from professional studios, or organisations willing to partner with a studio, for up to £6000 to help young musicians record a high quality demo.

The Demo Fund will help emerging young bands record their first demo, allowing them to take the next step in their music careers by presenting themselves professionally to the music industry. The aim is to target young musicians who are making music in an unsupervised capacity.

There is a change to the application process for 2010/11, instead of specific deadlines for the Demo Fund we have moved to Fast Track applications, which means we are accepting applications anytime until 10th January 2011.

Funds available
A total of £70,000 is available to be distributed

Level of grants
£1,000 - £6,000 per application

Who Can Apply
The Demo Fund is primarily for professional recording studios with a proven track record of working with high class professional musicians.

Other organisations are also eligible to apply, for example rehearsal spaces, venues, local authority arts officers, youth or music organisations but must demonstrate a strong partnership with a professional recording studio.

How to Apply
All the guidelines and application forms relevant for the Demo Fund are available on the music funding for organisations webpage. Link

If you need any help or advice,  email Development Officer:  Jennifer McGlone
 or call her on +44 330 333 2000

Sutherland Development Plan

 
The Sutherland Development & Action Plan was officially launched last night at the AGM of the Sutherland Partnership

Guest Speaker was John Thurso MP who put the Plan into  context with the economic threats and opportunities both locally and further afield.  Like the Plan itself the message was distinctly upbeat but not complacent.  Although the economic situation is outwardly grim, there are local strengths, initiatives and enterprises which have the potential to provide major opportunities for Sutherland businesses and communities.

You can obtain a copy of the plan from William Sutherland at the Sutherland Partnership or by using the download (1.7Mb) link here.

STEP Awards

I spent a long, but enjoyable, day on Wednesday helping to judge the Classic STEP Awards for students placed within businesses across the Highlands & Islands.

In total, 34 students had been working within businesses, carrying out vital projects for their hosts and making a real and considerable difference to their employers in addition to developing their own professional and personal skills,

Ranging from cutting edge sustainable energy projects through to lifeline social enterprises,  it was a real struggle to come up with a winner from such diverse and high-quality submissions, but here are the results:

Winner: Kirsty Gordon, ABSL Power Solutions, Thurso, Product development project

2nd place John Watt, Inspiralba, Campbeltown, Social enterprise consultancy and support project

Runners-up  were:

Rachel Thomas, Cocoa Mountain, Durness, Social networking marketing project
Ewan Murray,Ice Factor, Kinlochleven, Sustainable energy research project
Yva Yorston, HISEZ, Inverness , Online sales feasibility study
Andrea Howard,  Rag, Tag n Textiles, Balmacara, Textile design and product development project

Congratulations to Ruth Sime (Highlands & Islands Enterprise) and Karen Darke (Inspire & Impact) for bringing the whole programme together.

For more details about STEP follow this link or contact Karen Darke at Inspire & Impact

Client Snapshot - Jadcom UK

James Dalton started his IT business, Jadcom UK in 2003. Since that launch, James has been able to supply hardware and software solutions combined with consultancy, training and IT development from his base in Rosehall.

James is seeing considerable potential for growth in his business and recently received some support from Business Gateway to help access these new markets. 

Apart from his business activities, James and his family are familiar figures in the equestrian world and are building a name for themselves in the showing of guinea pigs!

To contact JADCOM visit James' website: Link

Photo: Clive Grewcock

Business Ideas Workshop

Here's a message from Charlotte Ball of UHI Links about their Idea Generation workshop

Do you have a BIG idea for your business?

OR

Do you need a BIG idea to boost your business?

UHI HI Links is delighted to invite you to a workshop with Dr Kevin Byron which aims to help companies turn business ideas and aspirations into a reality.

Inverness College, Longman Campus

Thursday 7th October 1000-1600

The workshop is open to any business of any size , working in any sector and will be an extremely practical and interactive workshop helping companies to work through the process of bringing business change to fruition.

Dr Byron will provide practical examples and techniques which companies can take home, starting with the conception of an idea for business change and working through how a company can approach making new ideas for products and processes a reality.

During the day’s workshop UHI HI Links will also signpost participants to appropriate support and funding that businesses may be able to access at each stage of the processes and give an overview of how companies can access UHI HI Links free services.

The workshop will begin at 10:00 and finish at 16:00.

Due to the nature of the workshop spaces are limited in order to facilitate effective group working. As we only have a limited number of places we would ask any individuals wishing to sign up to complete the following short registration form http://www.hilinks.uhi.ac.uk/pages/newslist.html no later than Friday 10th September. UHI HI Links will then inform those who have successfully gained a place on the workshop early in the week beginning 13th September).

For further information please contact Charlotte Ball (charlotte.ball@uhi.ac.uk/01463 279 368

Gateway/HIE Meeting

This might not be interesting for anyone (everyone?) who wasn't there but I've spent the day with Gateway colleagues and Highlands & Islands Enterprise staff from all over the Region.  We were challenged to come up with ways to work better together and to do something to reduce the confusion out there, in Enterprise Land, about our respective roles.

And, you know, I think it worked.

Business Idea Competition - now with added Social Enterprise

Well, it's that time of year again.  Here's a message from our friends at UHI and Create.

"To encourage enterprise and innovation in the region, UHI is launching the 2010 Business Idea Competition for commercial or social enterprise ideas. Last year this competition was extremely successful, with high quality ideas coming forward. Since the competition we have actually seen a number of entrants commence trading.

We think there are many people in the region with interesting and innovative commercial business or social enterprise ideas and we want to encourage them. This competition is simple and straightforward to enter, with only five questions to answer. All the entrants will be given advice on how to take their ideas forward and can win money at the same time.

The competition is open to everyone living in the Highlands and Islands, Perth-shire or Moray aged 16 or over who has a great idea for a business, this includes Social Enterprise concepts. Ideas should be submitted to our expert panel of judges by Wednesday 27th October 2010 to be eligible to win a share of our £3,800 prize fund."

For more details and to download a copy of the ridiculously simple Application Form, follow this link

HIE Creative Industries Newsletter - August 2010

Highlands & Islands Enterprise's Creative Industries Team have issued their latest, very informative, newsletter.  You can download a copy via the link below:


Link to PDF Document

For further info, contact

Susan Purvis - Creative Industries Development Manager
susan.purvis@hient.co.uk

Tel: 01463 244 484

Client Snapshot - Global People Solutions

 

Darren Peattie started Global People Solutions Ltd in early 2010, based in Skerray on the north coast of Sutherland.  Providing a complete recruitment service to the Energy and Renewables sector, the business was launched with the help of a Business Gateway Rural Development Grant and proves that world-class businesses can be run successfully from even the most remote parts of our County.

In addition to the recruitment consultancy, Darren is passionate about introducing young people to careers in the energy industries and will be launching an initiative to promote the sector within schools.

For more information about Darren's business see: Link

Photo: Clive Grewcock

Would you like the chance to sell your products at a Farmers' Market?

Russell Smith of the Scottish Crofting Foundation has come up with an initiative to help producers and makers sell their products at Farmers' Markets.  Primarily situated at Dornoch Farmer's Market but hopefully expanding further afield, the scheme is aimed at start-up businesses in food production and crafts sectors.

Annual Membership is £15, and stall costs for each market are £10 for a full-size stall or free for a shared stall.

This seems to be a great way of undertaking some practical market research, in addition to generating cash for your business.

For further information, contact Russell on 01863  766144 or Sarah Wealing on 01408 641469.

Enterprise Roadshow - 12 October 2010

Here's a quick heads up about the Highland Opportunity/Business Gateway Roadshow to be held in Dornoch on the 12th October.  This afternoon/early evening event promises to be both informative and enjoyable. It aims to provide an opportunity for businesses to meet each other and representatives from, among others, Business Gateway, HOL, Enterprise Europe, PSYBT etc.

Put it in your diary now and there'll be regular updates over the coming weeks......

Congratulations to the Crannag Bistro

The Crannag Bistro, Bonar Bridge (Link) , is one of the six finalists in the "Taste of the Highlands; Restaurant of the Year Competition" (snappy title) sponsored by Williamson Foodservice.

We wish Ian and Kathy Smith, ace proprietors of the Crannag, every success at the Final to be held in October.

For more information about the Awards follow this Link.

Back in the Office

For anyone interested, I'm back in Bonar  having returned unscathed from the mean streets of Nottingham.  Hopefully,  I managed to keep on top of most of the immediate issues but thanks to everyone for their patience and support while I was away.

Client Snapshot - Barbara MacLeod Jewellery Design

Barbara MacLeod, from Lochinver, started her jewellery business after graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone College and returning to her native North West Sutherland.  Her pieces are produced as commissions or in very small batches and combine the traditional jeweller's skills with the latest in 3D Modelling and photo-etching techniques.

She was assisted with marketing funds by Business Gateway and The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT). 

To find out more about Barbara's business visit her website here:  Link

Photo's Clive Grewcock