How Can We Help?

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. 

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 and 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

Looking for financial support for your business?  There are a range of schemes available through our Business Gateway service.

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.

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.

Business Gateway has a wide range of webinars, events and podcasts to support your business – whatever stage it’s at.  To view the full range, visit Business Gateway Events.

Webinars | Business Gateway | Business Gateway (bgateway.com)