How we can help?
One to one support from an experienced business advisor
Whatever stage you are at, you can discuss your business with an experienced adviser. Whether you are looking for an independent sounding board to bounce ideas off or a trusted guide to help your business achieve its ambitions, our advisers can help. Advisers can offer support on a wide range of topics from getting a new business off the ground to exploring options for businesses in difficulty and funding for starting-up or growth.
They can also signpost you to other relevant services, make referrals, share useful contacts and help you navigate the wider business support landscape.
To request an appointment with an adviser, contact us on businessgateway@cne-siar.gov.uk or call 07970 959 204.
Up to 3 hours expert help surgery
We recognise that sometimes a quick discussion with an expert is needed for a specific question or issue. We can arrange a surgery over one to three hours with one of our subject specialists, at no cost to you. The range of expert help topics includes;
- HR – recruiting and developing people, becoming an employer, legislation, redundancy
- Digital – content management tools, website building, development and review, online trading, social media platforms, SEO, content creation, cyber security, infrastructure and communication equipment, choosing and briefing contractors
- Marketing – planning, competitor and market analysis, customer profiling, branding and brand development, reviewing and improving activity
- PR – planning and delivering PR, writing content, managing negative PR
- Tendering & Supply Chains – understanding and preparing for the tender process, creating tender documents, improving bids, managing supply chains, expenditure analysis, sourcing suppliers, contracts and agreements, added value and community benefits
- Finance and Funding – financial analysis, financial planning, identifying funding gaps and funding sources, profit analysis, debt management, tax obligations
To request an expert help surgery, contact us at businessgateway@cne-siar.gov.uk
Funding
Looking for financial support for your business? There are a range of schemes available through our Business Gateway service.
To find out more about funding for your business, contact us on businessgateway@cne-siar.gov.uk
Referrals and connections
Navigating the wider business support landscape can be complicated. We use our understanding of what other organisations can offer to help you access the right support for you. We work closely with the enterprise agencies and can refer you on for support where relevant. Our local knowledge can help you make useful connections quickly, to organisations or other businesses.
To discuss which partner referrals or connections may be relevant for your business contact us at businessgateway@cne-siar.gov.uk
Guides, templates, research and pro-formas
A wide range of guides, covering market and sector information, business rules and regulations, industry snapshots, area profiles and market research are available via Business Gateway Outer Hebrides. We also have access to an extensive portfolio of editable documents and contract templates, helping you create the terms and conditions, contracts, policies, procedures and risk assessment forms for your business. You can find various templates and guides on the Business Gateway website.
Alternatively, to request a guide, template, market research or pro-forma contact us at businessgateway@cne-siar.gov.uk