Business Gateway to host more Masterclass events

Guest speaker Phil Anderton, right, with Business Gateway Scottish Borders Manager Phil McCreadie at the Masterclass event at Ochiltree's, Abbotsford - The Home of Sir Walter Scott.Guest speaker Phil Anderton, right, with Business Gateway Scottish Borders Manager Phil McCreadie at the Masterclass event at Ochiltree's, Abbotsford - The Home of Sir Walter Scott.
Guest speaker Phil Anderton, right, with Business Gateway Scottish Borders Manager Phil McCreadie at the Masterclass event at Ochiltree's, Abbotsford - The Home of Sir Walter Scott.
More than 1,500 people attended Business Gateway events in the Borders during 2015/16, and last year's popular Masterclass events will be run again.

The Business Gateway service is provided by Scottish Borders Council and offers information, advice and guidance to people who are considering starting a business or growing their existing business.

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The Business Gateway service offers clients a ‘one-stop shop’ for business support enquiries as well as providing direct support and a conduit to other business support services provided by the Council and its partners, such as Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.

The service reached 219 start-up customers during the financial year of 2015/16, and also performed well in respect of assisting higher value start-up customers and growth advisory services.

There will be an increase in the number of events delivered across the whole of the Scottish Borders and there will be an emphasis on the areas of exporting and innovation. A series of retail workshops will also be provided to assist local High Street traders and those interested in setting up business in town centres.

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A Business Week will also be organised in November, tying in with the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, said: “I am pleased that the Business Gateway service is adjusting the way it works and the services provided to meet the dynamic needs of local businesses in the area.

“Once again, the Business Gateway team has successfully engaged with a significant number of businesses and entrepreneurs and has set them on the road to growing or establishing their business and the survival figures for businesses accessing Business Gateway services continues to show the value of this service to firms in the Scottish Borders.”

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The latest round of free workshops offered to new and existing businesses will take place later this month at Ettrick Riverside, Selkirk.

On Tuesday, May 24, the event is ‘Marketing Your Business’ 9.30am -12.30pm, and the session on Wednesday, June 22 (also .30am-12.30pm) focuses on business start-up finance.

May’s events conclude with a class on bookkeeping on Wednesday, June 29 from 9.30am to 12.30pm, which is designed to equip businesses with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage finances and comply with regulatory legal requirements.