Business sessions aim to help local entrepreneurs

Offering a fully funded workshop programme and 24/7 advice via www.bgateway.com, the business support organisation provides a wealth of information designed to expand your business know-how.

The website has information to help you get moving, including guides to taking the first steps to running your own business, employing people, downloadable business plan templates and market insight packs.

The site also highlights what is on offer at your local Business Gateway, including its fully-funded workshop programme.

The events cover every aspect of running a business, from business planning, marketing and finance to HMRC, record keeping and ICT, and have been designed to increase your knowledge and confidence as well as provide networking opportunities.

For those already running a new venture, the half-day seminars aim to help you grow, increase your digital know-how, improve your networking skills and advance your understanding of finance.

Over the coming month workshops include -

Future of the Web – Thursday, 27th April from 8am to 10am at Kirkintilloch Golf Club – This seminar is a live interactive and in depth look into the future of the web covering technologies that will affect all of our businesses in the next five years.

Cyber Crime and Business Security – Tuesday, 2nd May from 2pm to 5pm at Milngavie Enterprise Centre, Ellangowan Court – This workshop aims to increase your awareness and provide advice on how to improve security against potential cyber threats to your business.

Hiring Good People – Thursday, 4th May from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm – Milngavie Enterprise Centre, Ellangowan Court – This event will help you explore what you need to look at when employing your first member of staff or growing your team.

When Social Media Goes Wrong – Thursday 8th June from 5pm until 7pm at Cyan, Milngavie - This high energy session will highlight where social media can go wrong in business, showing real world examples, the devastating outcomes, and discussing ways to mitigate the risks of it happening to you.

Anne MacIntosh, Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire said: “Getting started in business is exciting but it can be challenging too, so it is important to get the right advice at the earliest opportunity.

“Our aim is to ensure you get the support you need to turn your initial idea into a viable business, and then help you grow it.”

To book a place on a workshop and to find out more about how Business Gateway can help your venture visit www.bgateway.com/east-dunbartonshire or call 0141 530 8530.