Rural Enterprise News: 28 January

It's hard to believe that January 2022 is almost over! But it is indeed time to start planning for next month if you haven't already - so we have a few news updates, events and opportunities that you may want to take advantage of in February:

Scottish Employer Webinar—Access funded training through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund: This exclusive webinar will explore how The Open University (OU) can support small businesses to develop staff and volunteers via the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, which is supported by the Scottish Government via the Scottish Funding Council. Takes place on Tuesday 1st February, 10:00am. Register here.

Rural Community Engagement Fund: Designed to fund creative local ideas to support and promote mental health recovery in Scotland’s rural communities. The micro grants of up to £2,500 are aimed at people who face additional inequalities in achieving good mental health. Local groups and organisations are eligible to apply. Find out more here.

The Circle Academy: The Circle Academy is a practical and educational entrepreneurial training programme for individuals or organisations interested in running a ‘More Than Profit’ business. The programme is open to anyone who wants to create positive, social, or environmental change in a sustainable and commercially viable way. Find out more here.

DigitalBoost: These webinars are available to all Scottish tourism businesses to tune in for free and hear from industry experts who will provide digital support and practical advice across a range of topics. See the full programme here.

Making Tax Digital for VAT: The government Making Tax Digital initiative aims to make the tax system and more efficient. From 1 April 2022, businesses that charge VAT but have a taxable turnover below the £85,000 VAT threshold must submit their VAT returns digitally. Find out more in this webinar.

Enterprise Nation Small Business News: There are some new rules and regulations that small business owners should be aware of, including changes to importing goods and Border controls. Read a summary here.

Instagram for Beginners Online Learning Session, Tue, 15 February, 11:30 - 13:00: Do you need a helping hand to get started with Instagram? Then this friendly and hands-on introduction could be just what you need. This GrowBiz session is ideal for anyone who isn't an active user and would like to get started. Join us to for help to decide if Instagram can work for your business, create and set up your business account, learn the basics of posting, including hashtags. For this session you’ll be in the capable hands of Abi Shepherd who manages much of the GrowBiz social media. Please have your smart phone ready and be prepared to have a go! Sign up for free.

Marketing — Get Specific + Be Efficient Online Learning Session, Thu, 24 February, 09:30 - 11:00: Are you feeling busy and pulled in all directions in your business? Is it a challenge to keep up with your social media channels, newsletter and/or blog, not to mention all the other tasks and demands of running a business? Perhaps it’s time to pause, to reflect and to figure out how you can maximise your time and energy to get the results you want. During this GrowBiz learning session you’ll start to figure out who your ideal customer is and what’s the best way to reach them, plus how to identify and use the messaging that your customers want to hear. Sign up for free.