Train and grow with Argyll and Bute Business Gateway
GROWING businesses across the area are benefiting from Argyll and Bute Council’s European funded business support programme which was launched last year.
More than 60 local businesses have registered for the Business Gateway Local Growth Accelerator Programme and 35 grants – totalling more than £156,000 – have been approved.
Funding available includes growth grants of up to £5,000, a new employee or graduate placement grant of up to £12,000, and training, trade fair and accreditation grants of up to £1,500 for businesses in key growth sectors.
One business which has already benefited from the support is Dunoon-based architect firm Architeco, which invested in software to provide detailed energy modelling that can accurately predict a building’s performance.
To access support, businesses must first register for the programme. It is open to micro, small or medium sized businesses based in Argyll and Bute aiming to increase their turnover by £50,000 or more within the next three years.
Anyone wanting to register or discuss their eligibility should visit www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/ bglgap or talk to a Business Gateway adviser on 01546 604 555.
Workshop places still available
Business Gateway offers a wide range of free workshops to new and growing businesses. The autumn programme includes workshops in Ardrishaig, Lochgilphead and Oban, with places still available to book.
The ‘Get your business noticed – PR on a budget’ workshop runs on November 14 in Ardrishaig. This workshop is about getting a business noticed without spending money.
It covers how to get featured in newspapers, radio and television, understanding how the media works, finding the stories that journalists will want to tell and understanding how to make contact with them.
This workshop will be delivered for Business Gateway by Colin Kelly.
The ‘Better Business Websites’ workshop running in Ardrishaig on November 21 is aimed at businesses already online but looking to get more from their website. It examines how to make a website better through design, content, usability and search engine optimisation.
The DigitalBoost ‘Twitter and Hootsuite’ workshop on November 21 in Oban is aimed at businesses already using Twitter who want to hone their social media strategy.
It includes how Twitter relates to other platforms, the benefits of sponsored posts and how to create them, as well as how to use Hootsuite to manage and integrate social media accounts.
LinkedIn can be a powerful and profitable business tool. The DigitalBoost ‘LinkedIn for Business’ workshop running on November 22 in Oban shows how to move beyond networking and use LinkedIn to market products and promote a brand.
‘Practical Basic Book-keeping’ will run on December 7 in Lochgilphead.
This workshop is a starting point for good record-keeping and includes how to keep accurate financial records and understand the key components of book-keeping. It is aimed at those new to business or with little or no formal training in book-keeping.
To book a place at any of these workshops contact Business Gateway on 01546 604 555 or email business.gateway@argyll-bute.gov.uk.