The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Grab chance to start business
Akey figure in one of Scotland’ s leading business support organisations has said now is the perfect time to start a business.
Elevator works to facilitate the star t- up, acceleration and growth of businesses through its delivery of Business Gateway services and programmes.
Dundee accelerator manager Cat Ward said: “Now is the perfect time if you’ve got an idea or a side hustle and you’ve always thought you might do something with it.
“I think now, with all the changes that are happening in the world, people are looking differently at how they do business and how they work.
“This is the perfect opportunity to do yourself the favour of looking into the viability of it or not.”
Ms Ward said the Covid19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many businesses.
However, she said Elevator has seen entrepreneurs grasp opportunities to do business in a different and more effective way.
She said: “There’s so much support out there and Elevator is now working across Scotland and I’d say to people be brave and just go for it and use the expert advice that is out there.
“One of the people taking part in our programme had joined because she wanted to start an event based business around food and nutrition.
“She realised pretty quickly that was not going to work in the current climate and she pivoted to doing food platters that are ordered online and she delivers them – we’ve seen a lot of businesses doing that.”
Ms Ward comes from an entrepreneurial family and will appear at this year’s Courier Business Conference, in association with MHA Henderson Loggie.
She said: “One of the things that I absolutely love about events like this is that you see the power of the entrepreneurial community.
“Business some times gets a bad rap – it’s quite easy to imagine that everybody is the kind of ruthless entrepreneur who is out to amass millions.
“But my experience of business owners, particularly in Scotland, is they are incredibly supportive who give so much back.
“I think that has changed a bit now and we can actually say, look, here are people that are probably
not dissimilar from you who have gone out and done it and they are sharing their story as well as some of the lessons they have learned as well.
“The conference is showcasing some of the
amazing new businesses that are coming out of Scotland.
“I think people will be inspired – we are going to get some brilliant conversations from the event.”
The online event is free and takes place on November 10.
People can register for the Courier Business Conference at the courier business conference.com