HELP!
Times are hard for businesses in the current economic climate, and every location has its own unique challenges. FREE support and advice is available to help: • Find and attract more customers • Make your business more ‘resilient’ to economic downturn • Create marketing and advertising plans • Save money on business operations and bills • Work more efficiently and profitably • Improve business security • Deal with shoplifting and under-age customers • Managing staff for small enterprises • Improve Book-keeping and Accounts • Manage deliveries etc. during the tram works
WHERE? McDonald Road library is home to the Leith Walk Business Hub. This is a dedicated facility with a programme of workshops for business people in this area, plus advice surgeries by appointment. You can find out more by stopping in at the library, by telephone or by email Telephone (Library) – 0131 529 5636 E-Mail – brian.moffat@bgateway,com
WHEN? We know you’re busy, so the workshops are organised outside normal business hours, taking advantage of the library’s late opening on Monday and Wednesday from 5-8pm. A schedule of the initial workshop programme, commencing on April 14th, is on the reverse of this page. Please sign up for YOUR workshops NOW, or to obtain more information Phone – 0131 347 2820 E-mail – brian.moffat@bgateway.com The library is open Monday, Wednesday: 1.00pm - 8.00pm, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10.00am 5.00pm, Saturday: 9.00am - 5.00pm, Sunday 1.00pm - 5.00pm
Workshops at the Leith Business Hub Come to the free business workshops on Wednesday Evenings from 5:30pm to 7:45pm. To book places on these courses, please call the events line on 0131 347 2820, email brian.moffat@ bgateway.com or call in to the library and let us know. Courses begin 14th April 2010... 14th April - Marketing your Business
Increase your business’s sales and profitability by marketing your products or services to more potential customers.
21st April - Advertising and Promotion
Learn the skills required to effectively advertise and promote your business. Ensure that your existing customers return at regular intervals. Attract new customers to your premises..
28 April - Mastering Selling Skills
Improve the selling skills of both yourself and your staff. Turn a customer enquiry into a sale - better still turn one sale into two.
05 May - Customer Care
Happy and contented customers will not only come back to your business over and over again, they will also recommend it to other potential customers. Statistics show that unhappy customers will tell another eight people about their experience. Learn how to develop a Customer Care Plan, happy customers mean profitable customers.
12 May - Trading Electronically
More than 35% of all customer purchases now commence with an on-line search, which then results in either a visit to the retailer’s premises or the transaction being completed through their web-site. If your business does not have an on-line web presence to advertise its goods or services, then it simply does not exist for the thousands of people who use the internet as part of their shopping experience. We will show you that it is not difficult to learn the skills that are required to set up and manage an effective web-site for your business.
19 May - Time Management
Do you never seem to have enough time in the day to run your business effectively? Are you always being reminded of things that you have forgotten? This Workshop will teach you the skills to make more effective and efficient use of your time
26 May - Making your Business More Profitable
Increasing your business’s sales does not always guarantee extra profits unless you are in control of your margins, costs and overheads. Learn the knowledge and skills that are required to identify how to make your business more profitable.
02 June - Negotiating Skills
Are you a confident and successful negotiator? Are you the person that is in control when discussing terms & conditions in a business deal? Do you often feel that you should have obtained a better price for your products or services? Learn how to negotiate more effectively, reduce your costs and increase your sales and profitability.
You can access the Business Hub during normal library opening hours, as well as a wide range of resources and information. For round the clock business information, check out the Business Gateway Website www.bgateway.com - available every day, all day.