Since returning from leave, I have been fortunate to attend two inspiring events organised by Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES). WES is a not-for-profit, research-led Community Interest Company (CIC) which aims to create an environment where more women can start up in business and make their businesses thrive. The first event was a Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament Building on Wednesday 25th September focussing on the creation of National Women’s Business Centres throughout Scotland. The next event was a Women’s Leadership round-table event, held in Hawick, where businesswomen from throughout the Borders shared their experiences of leadership and examined opportunities to support and further develop women's leadership.

Whilst at the Parliament building, I took time to sit in on discussions and one of the topics on the agenda was the current status of employers signing up to Living Wage accreditation in Scotland. As it currently stands, Scotland leads the UK in the provision of Living Wage, with 53% of businesses offering at least £9 per hour to their employees. Coincidentally, I attended a meeting held by the Scottish Borders Living Wage Group the following day in Council Chambers at Scottish Border Council Headquarters. This group wants to play a leading role in encouraging employers based in the Scottish Borders to become accredited Living Wage employers and are hosting a Business Breakfast on Wednesday 13th November at Council Headquarters. I will be cascading more details in relation to the event shortly.

Don’t forget to book your place on our next Speed Networking Event taking place on Monday 28th October at Peebles Hydro Hotel, as I know that available spaces are limited. Tickets for the next Scottish Borders Excellence Awards are now on sale. Come along and join us in celebrating the success of the diverse range of businesses based in the Scottish Borders….I can’t wait!

Protecting your Business with
Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers

The Bruce Stevenson team were delighted to welcome so many local businesses to Ochiltrees last Thursday morning for their first Networking Breakfast with the theme of “Protecting your Business.”

The feedback has been really encouraging, they have had requests to deliver the training to other organisations and many emails of thanks, some with questions, but all positive.

It’s so important to the team that local businesses are able to recover from major losses and continue to trade, getting it right is easy as long as you take the right advice. Their programme of events going forward will focus on protecting the business and aiding its recovery and they welcome any business who wasn’t able to attend but wants to know more to get in touch. 

Thanks also to the team at Orde Food who were very accommodating. What a venue! The mist was shrouding Abbotsford House when everyone arrived and lifted to a beautiful autumn day when leaving.

The Royal Bank of Scotland
Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme

The Edinburgh Accelerator is delighted to be supporting several businesses based in the Scottish Borders as part of this autumn's cohort - ThermaFY, Balfour Wilson Recruitment, Plant Junkies and McGowan Marketing.

Working in collaboration with Keith Crombie, The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Business Growth Enabler in the region, the Bank will provide coaching, networking opportunities and an environment that helps businesses to start, scale and succeed!

We look forward to bringing you further updates on each business's journey.

On your marks, get set, network!

There are still a few seats left! Our next Speed Networking Event is at the Peebles Hydro Hotel on Monday 28th October 2019. Make sure you get a seat at the fastest table in the Borders!

Thank you to GB Technologies and the Peebles Hydro Hotel for sponsoring this event.

Gin School Tour Networking Event

We see one of the main purposes of the Chamber is to create opportunities for you to meet and network with other businesses, enhancing the opportunity for each business to perform better.

So, when we were approached by the Peebles Hydro Hotel to take part in a multi-Chamber networking event, on Thursday 14th November, from 3-6pm, we were only too happy to get involved.
 

On the Day

This is an ideal opportunity to raise your business profile with those from outwith the region, and hopefully establish more useful business contacts too.

To book your place today, click here.

Venturing Forward

In partnership with Women's Enterprise Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland are hosting a special event at Gogarburn Conference Centre on Wednesday 27th November, that will focus specifically on securing Investment through bringing together women entrepreneurs, investors and funders.

The theme of the day is ‘venturing forward’ as speakers discuss how to break down the barriers preventing women from starting or growing a business, and workshops offering guidance on the entrepreneurship journey, from securing investment to building your team.

There will also be an opportunity to network with speakers and fellow guests.

Member Profile: Balfour Wilson

Balfour Wilson Recruitment are specialists in sourcing high calibre professionals within the public and private sectors for both your permanent and temporary vacancies. Being a Scottish Borders based agency means that we understand the difficulties employers can have finding and recruiting the right talent for their business.

We appreciate that recruitment can be challenging, and it is our goal to make it is as hassle-free as possible. It is our aim to provide an outstanding and personalised service that makes us your preferred supplier in the recruitment industry.

TIME: In business, time is money and using Balfour Wilson Recruitment Specialists to source your ideal candidate will save you time as we will take care of the initial steps of the hiring process for you. If you currently post a job using job boards, social media, radio and newspapers, there is a strong chance you will receive hundreds of CVs, the majority of which will not be qualified or will simply not be right for the job. Finding the right applicants to interview will involve a considerable investment of your valuable time, which could be used more effectively in other aspects of your business.

COST: It is often assumed that bringing recruitment in-house will result in a cost-saving to your business. However, when you take a closer look at the cost implications of finding the ideal candidate the costs start to add up. Depending upon your preferred advertising method there will always be the initial outlay for the cost of the advert from £5 to £500 depending upon your chosen method. Added to that, you need to think about the valuable staffing costs that need to be allocated to administer and facilitate the recruitment process from sifting through the endless CVs, initial conversations, the list goes on and these all take time and as previously stated, time is money.

Caley Balfour and Moira Wilson have over 30 years of Recruitment, Sales and HR experience gained between themselves and they have assisted in excess of 2000 candidates in securing employment in their preferred field and therefore are perfectly placed to take your recruitment under their wing.

Is Your Business Going Superfast?

Whether you work from home or use premises having reliable fast broadband is now a fundamental part of your business - big or small

Did you know, that thanks to the £460 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme almost 38,000 homes and businesses across the Scottish Borders can now access fibre broadband? It's the first time the programme has brought fibre broadband to Liddesdale, Borthwickbrae and Smailholm with more fibre cabinets also now live Melrose and Selkirk.

Find out how fast broadband can help your business here.

Upgrades are not automatic, so in order to benefit from fast broadband you need to sign up with a service provider. You can check if the services are available at www.scotlandsuperfast.com/yourstreet.

DSSB is delivered through two projects – led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in its area and the Scottish Government in the rest of Scotland – funding partners also include the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), BT Group, local authorities and the EU via the European Regional Development Fund.

Across Scotland over 936,000 premises can now access fibre broadband thanks to the programme – over 5,000 new fibre street cabinets are now live and more than 13,000km of cable has been laid by engineers from Openreach, Scotland’s digital network business. Fibre broadband offers fast and reliable broadband connections at speeds of up to 80Mbps1 and there are many suppliers in the marketplace to choose from.

Research has suggested that every public pound invested in fibre broadband in Scotland is delivering almost £12 of benefits to the Scottish economy. The independent report commissioned by DSSB and undertaken by consultants Analysys Mason estimates the total benefit from the investment as £2.76 billion over 15 years.

Sara Budge, Director of DSSB said: “I am delighted that the programme has connected so many businesses in Scottish Borders.

“Getting online is important. Superfast works hard to help you work faster. From downloading large files via Dropbox to uploading tender submissions, high speed means less stress.

“Fibre broadband offers fast and reliable connections at speeds of up to 80Mbps* and there are many suppliers in the marketplace to choose from.

If your business has benefited from our programme and you would like to share your story, we would love to hear from you.

For more information or to submit your story, please contact us at: https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com/campaign-landing-pages/contactpress-media/

Business Gateway Borders Conference

It’s that time of year again when it’s all hands on deck at Business Gateway as they organise their annual conference, and this year is shaping up to be one of the best yet.

This year's venue is Kelso Racecourse and speakers are coming from both near and far, including local businesses ThermaFY & ReTweed and from further afield we have IndigoLeap, Harris Tweed and Mackie’s of Scotland.

The conference, and the guest speakers, are aimed at inspiring, encouraging and supporting local businesses to grow and adapt. The event also offers a fantastic opportunity to make new connections, share experience and learn about the exciting prospects for the region’s economy.

The free full day conference is being held on Wednesday 30th October at Kelso Racecourse and is open to business of all sizes and in all sectors. This event is being funded from the European Regional Development Fund. Space is limited to 150 places so please book early to avoid disappointment.

The guest speakers are:

• Mark Hogarth, Harris Tweed - Mark has been creative director of Harris Tweed Hebrides since 2008 and works as a branding consultant in fashion and textiles. His work as part of the multi award winning Harris Tweed Hebrides has been credited with transforming the unique heritage industry.
• Hazel Smith, ReTweed - Hazel set up ReTweed in Eyemouth as a social enterprise, offering women a new way to think about their futures by gaining the skills and experience for creative industries.
• Sarah Johnson, IndigoLeap - Sarah is a seasoned digital marketer, with over 15 years' experience in the industry. She is Co-Founder and Director of IndigoLeap, a data-led marketing agency helping clients achieve their business growth objectives, quickly and profitably.
• Amanda Pickford, ThermaFY - CEO and founder of ThermaFY in Kelso, a software company who develop specialist thermal analysis solutions.
• Karin Hayhow, Mackie’s of Scotland - Karin Hayhow is Marketing Director of Mackie’s. The family business is based in Westertown which has been home to an ice cream factory since 1986. The firm remains a popular and well-known household name and established global brand, and continues to expand its product range to now include crisps, popcorn and chocolate.

Business Gateway’s start up and growth business advisers will also all be on hand at the conference to answer any queries and discuss the range of support that can be provided.

Spaces at the conference can be booked via the Scottish Borders Business Gateway website or by calling 01835 825600.

Change Works in Peebles Event