PRIME business club

Thinking of starting a business? Do you have an idea for a new business venture?

Are you interested in turning a hobby or interest into a business?

Even the brightest ideas sometimes need a little help to get them off the ground. With the right support, advice and encouragement anything’s possible.

SELECT PROGRAMME

The SELECT Programme is a series of free workshops designed for anyone over 50 thinking about starting their own business or planning on becoming self-employed.

Training workshops

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce can give you all the support and training you need. They are running a number of FREE workshops designed for anyone over 50 who is thinking about starting their own business or planning on becoming self-employed. These workshops will help you develop the skills you need to get your business off the ground - everything from developing your ideas, writing your business plan, developing a marketing plan and much more.

Is self-employment right for you? 8 June 2010

Ideas generation, 15 June 2010

Starting your own business and generating finance, 22 June 2010

Starting your own consultancy, 30 June 2010

Tax, Pension and Benefit Implications, 6 July 2010

E-Marketing, 13 July 2010

They also provide a range of services that could help to make a difference to your business.

• One-to-one business advice
• Essential business skill training
• Outplacement and redundancy support services
• Career coaching and guidance
• Interview technique skills and job search
• Personality profiling
• Mentoring
• Monthly business club

To book your FREE place on any of these workshops or to find out further information call Rebecca Burnett on: 0131 221 3190 or e-mail: rebecca.burnett@edinburghchamber.co.uk

NESTA Age Unlimited Scotland

NESTA, a public body established by Parliament to encouraged innovation and funded with Lottery money, has launched a new programme in Scotland called Age Unlimited.

Here’s what it says:

We are looking for people in their 50’s and 60’s in Scotland to come forward with new ideas that could be turned into live community projects which would improve the lives of older people (people in their 70’s, 80’s and above). The programme aims to test how older people can be engaged in the design and delivery of innovative new services that could improve older people’s health and well-being and reduce dependency on costly mainstream public services.

Maybe you have experience as a carer or volunteer with older people and have skills and experience you’d be willing to share. Maybe you are looking for a new challenge? If so, we want to hear from you. In return we’ve got support and funding to make your idea become real.

More information and the application form for the Age Unlimited programme can be found online: www.nesta.org.uk/age-unlimited-scotland. If you have any queries or would prefer to complete a paper application, please call 01382 229521 or email ageunlimitedinscotland@nesta.org.uk and we will post you a form. Our application closes on 1st March 2010.

Read the recent press coverage in The Herald here: Sheena was a punk rocker…

The Open Day programme is the biggest government business support road show, designed to provide free information and support to businesses, through a series of exhibitions across the country.

It is organised by HM Revenue and Customs, who invite local organisations and representatives of national bodies such as PRIME that can provide support and advice to local businesses. The organisations chosen all operate on an “other than for profit” i.e. non-commercial basis.

At this free event you will have access to a full team of experts who provide advice and technical support on a range of subjects, covering every stage of your business from start-up, through growth and expansion to pension arrangements when you retire. Free seminars cover topics such as meeting government regulations, funding, marketing and enhancing your business through new technology.

Click on the link below to find out more and to book your place.

Website Link: http://www.businessadviceday.gov.uk/events/

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is running a series of free evening workshops about self-employment during May. Each event is about a different topic - you can go to any or all of them.

• Is self employment right for you? 6 May
• Ideas generation Thursday 7 May
• Starting your own business Tuesday 12 May
• Starting your own consultancy Thursday 14 May
• Self employment: tax, pension and benefit implications Tuesday 19 May
• e-marketing Thursday 21 May 2009

To book or find out further information call Rebecca Pilch at Edinburgh Chamber (not PRIME) on 0131 221 3190 or email rebecca.pilch@edinburghchamber.co.uk

Note: A chamber of commerce is a voluntary association of local businesses in a particular area. Its activities will generally include lobbying, training and various kinds of business networking event. Legally their status varies. The most ancient ones, including the Edinburgh Chamber, have royal charters.

Some of them are pretty substantial organisations. The Edinburgh Chamber claims over 2,000 members and has more than 50 staff. It puts on many other events throughout the year, which are open to non-members. Generally there’s a fee. Here’s the Edinburgh Chamber’s full event list

“This free event is brought to you by HM Revenue & Customs working with the Scottish Executive. We also work with a number of other partners: the Health and Safety Executive, The Patent Office, Environment Agency, Age Positive, Office of Fair Trading, Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, The Pensions Regulator, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and PRIME.”

At the event you will have access to a full team of experts who provide advice and technical support on a range of subjects, covering every stage of your business from start-up, through growth and expansion to pension arrangements when you retire. Free seminars cover topics such as meeting government regulations, funding, marketing and enhancing your business through new technology.

Click on the link below to find out more and to book your place.

Website Link: www.businessadviceday.gov.uk

Despite the awful headline “Silver start-ups for our golden oldies” (yuk) this article from The Scotsman contains two interesting case studies of start-up firms built on their owners’ previous experience.
Jack Hamilton’s firm maintains floating buoys and other navigational aids around the UK, and now employs 15 people. Jack has yeas of experience in the field. “When I got to 61, my son Billy had finished his gap year and was wondering what to do with himself. That’s when we decided to set up an agency for marine aids to navigation.”
May Marcus and Julie McTaggart, both in their 50s, set up Premier Car Check within a month of being made redundant. Both women had considerable experience of vehicle checking. Their service enables car buyers to find out if there are problems about their prospective purchase - for example if money is owed on it or if it’s been reported as stolen.

SCOTLAND is the UK’s most entrepreneurial region accirding to a study for UBS Wealth Management reported in The Scotsman newspaper. Scotland’s claim is based on the success Scottish firms have had on attracting venture capital. For every one million inhabitants London has 53 venture-backed companies - but Scotland has 54.