Be your own Boss in 2021
At Business Gateway Midlothian, we are seeing a higher level of people interested in starting a new business. While this is a challenging time to start a new business, there are opportunities presenting themselves all the time, as we adapt to living differently.
New business ideas come from different places. Those with an entrepreneurial mind-set see an opportunity and take a leap of faith. Others come from a consumer experience that has led them to an ‘I would do that differently, and it would be better, and more profitable’. Alternatively, in response to the Coronavirus restrictions, more new businesses are emerging that provide a ‘delivery to your door’ product, often with repeat sales generated by a subscription model. As the UK leaves the EU, consideration to the localisation of goods and services may be another opportunity for new businesses. The possibilities are endless!
Whether you already have your business idea or you ‘just know’ now is the time to work for yourself Business Gateway can support you. We can help you to refine your product or service offering, assess viability, identify the most cost effective route to market and develop a business plan that will help you access the funding you need to get your venture off the ground.
Is 2021 your year? We have pulled together a Starting My Own Business learning programme to kick-start your entrepreneurial adventure for 2021 over the Festive Break.
Business Start Up Planning Webinar
The Benjamin Franklin quote ‘if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’ is especially important when you are starting your new business journey.
We understand that for many, their business is built around a product or service that is their unique skill or passion, and that writing a business plan is something that they instinctively want to run away from! But the best time to do this is at the beginning of your business journey. The business planning process is ongoing, constantly evolving and is not a one-off document that you are creating, it is the starting point for you to visualise your business performance over the years to come. The process of creating your business plan allows you to focus on each business element to provide a robust plan of how to meet your objectives.
Business start-up Marketing webinar
You’ll learn about consumer behaviour and trends that will help you identify your target customer, nail what you do better than your competitors and exploit that to gain business.
Business Start Up Finance Webinar
This workshop covers all things revenue and profit related for your business, you will learn how to manage your profit and loss account, where to access different sources of finance to launch your business and the right legal structure for you and your business model.
Newly Self Employed - The Basics
Starting a new business brings legal responsibilities for the business owner, such as registering with HMRC and submitting annual tax returns. This webinar will make sure that you have covered all necessary requirements in a timely and organised manner.
Bookkeeping Webinar
Managing your business finances should not be an exercise you leave until the year end, best practice is to record income and expenditure in real time or as close to real time as you can manage. This Bookkeeping webinar will introduce both desktop and digital methods of record keeping. Every business should consider the methods in relation to the complexities of their own income streams, the need for up to date forecasting figures in planning for growth and the wider cost implications of implementation.
If you can’t make the above webinars, there’s still plenty of information to help you get prepared for running your own business in 2021 in the Business Gateway online tutorials.
Marketing – Online Tutorial
Marketing your product or service to the right individuals, at the right time, in the right way drives awareness, interest in your offering and, ultimately, purchase from the right consumers. Find out how to develop your own marketing strategy to build a successful business.
Planning – Online Tutorial
Whether you’re starting your business journey, growing or diversifying, business planning is a step you can’t afford to miss. Understand the planning process and, why on-going planning is crucial for running a successful business.
There are a wide range of webinars available, free of charge – visit the Business Gateway website for a full list of those available to all those living and working in Midlothian.
Remember you can always get in touch with one of our Advisers to discuss any aspect of your business, get in touch with the Midlothian team via email bg@midlothian.gov.uk
