Business support and advice
You may need support to help you start or grow your business. There are organisations in Scotland that can offer business support and advice in areas like starting up, improving skills, international trade, innovation and efficiency.
Top content within Business support and advice
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Help and support available for your start up
If you run a start-up business as an entrepreneur, there may be extra help available for you.You may be able to get help, advice, funding and training.
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Get in touch with Business Gateway
Business Gateway offers support to new and growing businesses in Scotland. You can contact Business Gateway via their helpline, contact form or your local office.
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Women in Business
If you are a woman setting up a business, you will boost your chances of success by accessing the right networks and mentors.
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Mentoring for business leaders
Scottish Enterprise’s business mentoring programme lets you draw on practical advice from experienced business people who understand the challenges, know your industry and actively wants to share their knowledge and experiences.
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Local business directories
Directories of businesses in your local area.
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Business development advice
Local business development advice on a number of things including grant and loan applications, marketing, trading overseas and new developments.
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Health and safety at work
Find council information and advice for your business and employeees on health and safety at work.
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Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS)
Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service provides advice, support, training and events for manufacturing companies in Scotland
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Meeting the challenges of growth
Growing businesses face a range of challenges. As a business grows, different problems and opportunities demand different solutions - what worked a year ago might not be the best approach now.
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The Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards recognise outstanding achievements by businesses and individuals involved in promoting enterprise skills
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Getting help from the Cultural Enterprise Office
Cultural Enterprise Office is a specialist business support and development service for creative businesses and practitioners across Scotland. Their services include an enquiry service, free one-to-one specialist advice sessions and their enterprise training programme, Starter for 6.
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Leadership for Growth programme - Highlands and Islands
The Leadership for Growth programme offers high level leadership training for senior directors and business owners.
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Co-operative Development Scotland
Providing specialist advice to new and growing co-operatives and employee-owned businesses in Scotland.
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Trading standards - advice to businesses
Get advice on trading standards from your local council to help with trading standards legislation.
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Local Chambers of Commerce
Find out more about your local Chambers of Commerce. Membership is open to any firm or company, irrespective of size, from the country's largest companies to the smallest retail and professional operations.
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Business continuity advice
Find advice from your local council on business continuity management to help protect your business.
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Intellectual assets - Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) employs a full-time Intellectual Assets and Innovation Adviser who can help growth businesses and social enterprises identify the assets they hold and work out how to use them for business advantage.
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Trading standards
Find information and advice on trading standards from your local council.
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General Strategy Workshop
The General Strategy Workshop aims to enable Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) account managed businesses to rationalise and focus strategy for proactive business development.
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The Just Slate Company gets growth strategy just right
With help from Business Gateway, Donny has helped to generate a 70% to 90% increase in annual turnover each year over the past few years.
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The low carbon built environment (LCBE) expert service
The Low Carbon Built Environment Expert Service is a free service that prepares construction companies for the low carbon market.
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Emergency planning
Advice and information from your local council about emergency planning for your business.
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Success no pipe dream for AMB
Specialist advice and assistance from Business Gateway helped Ann Marie Brannock establish her building and plumbing supply company.
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Digital media sector support (Interactive Scotland)
Interactive Scotland provides expert help and support for businesses across the digital media sector in Scotland.
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Internet Marketing Check - Glasgow
Free web marketing review from Glasgow City Council's business development team.
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Glasgow water company bathes in success
This Glasgow based company, which supplies water flow products, received support from Business Gateway to help it grow.
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Sustainability specialist support
Specialist support from Scottish Enterprise to help your company increase efficiency and develop sustainable projects.
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Business Gateway on same wavelength as Cameron Water
Bellshill water cooler company, helped by Business Gateway to expand into e-commerce and source technology from China.
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Defining your product or service
Meet your customers' needs and generate more sales.
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International business networking (GlobalScot)
GlobalScot is an international network of senior business leaders that offers free support to help Scotland’s companies and organisations succeed.
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RiserTec rises to the growth challenge
Business Gateway helped expand this partnership to expand overseas with market intelligence and prototype development.
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Business is one big adventure for Neil
Glasgow based, Business Gateway helped this entrepreneur turn his passion for outdoor adventure into a lucrative business.
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Early Response (ER)
An Early Response team of experts will carry out independent reviews of distressed companies.
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Orkney Marketing Support
Provides promotion to businesses in Orkney.
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Ukranians give Scots vodka a shot
Business Gateway helped this vodka company to crack the tough Ukranian market.