3-day Business Start Up Workshops

Thinking of starting a business? Got a seed of an idea? Then it is at this stage that you need to take full advantage of all the support and help that is available to you. Get it right from the start, and planning your business can save you a lot of headaches at a later stage.

HIE Caithness and Sutherland funds a three-day Business Start Up workshop, available free of charge, to help you work out whether your idea is viable, and how much it will cost to get it set up and survive!  Not only will you get some basic training but free business advice to help you along. Even if in the end your decision is not to start then at least it will be based on sound business principles!

The 3-day programme is as follows:

Day 1

  • Introductions
  • Why businesses fail - discussions
  • Business plan - why do you need a business plan, what should it contain
  • Profit forecast - what it is and what information does it give, what is included in a profit forecast, practical exercise of completing a profit forecast
  • VAT - when and how do you register, what options are there for the small business
  • Legal set-up - what are the options of setting up a business

Day 2

  • Marketing - where is your market, what is your market looking for, how do you find this out, what questions should you be asking in your research
  • Promotion - things to be aware of when promoting or advertising the business
  • Selling - basic introduction to selling
  • e-commerce - basic information about e-commerce

Day 3

  • Tax/National Insurance - how does it apply to businesses, how much do you pay, NI class 2 and 4, self assessment
  • Cash flow forecast - what it is and what information does it give, what is included in a cashflow forecast, practical exercise of completing a cash flow forecast
  • Business plan - what should be included in more detail
  • Financial plan - where to go to get financial help in starting a business
  • Keeping the books - basic suggestion on what has to be kept and how to keep them

The courses will be available in 2007 and 2008 as follows:

  • Tuesday 13th - Thursday 15th November:  Assynt Leisure Centre, LOCHINVER
  • Wedneday 5th - Friday 7th December: Innovation Forss, THURSO
  • Monday 18th - Wednesday 20th February: Ben Bhraggie Hotel, GOLSPIE
  • Monday 10th - Wednesday 12th March: Mackay's Hotel, WICK

All courses will run from 10am - 4pm.

For further information, or to book a place on a course, please contact Development Partners on 01463 223993 or email: enquiries@developmentpartners.co.uk