Scottish Business Expo 2018

[MarkB]

Time: 08:30 - 18:00
Date: Fri, 4 May 2018, Sat, 5 May 2018
Venue: Queensferry Hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton, St Margaret's Head, North Queensferry, KY11 1HP
Tickets: £102.73 – £995 (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-business-expo-2018-tickets-40795268747)

 

[Scott Kinnear]

I got a (Free) ticket for the Business Gateway Dundee Conference on February 21st, some good speakers lined up.

Marc Beaumont The record breaking long distance cyclist.

Kirstine Moody of Team Magnus (Family Outdoor Gear)

Collette Norval Social Entrepreneur of Social Stuff Ltd.

https://www.bgateway.com/local-offices/dundee/dundee-making-it-happen-conference-2018

Should be good, Interesting.

 

[MarkB]

I used to think these shows were literally that, just for show, but the more I read about some of the speakers I think they can prove very useful when we require a bit of direction and motivation. There is nothing which motivates you more than to hear a successful person talking

 

[Scott Kinnear]

I think they can bring motivation Mark, I am looking forward to it. I have thought about a social enterprise in the past, after gaining some knowledge through voluntary work a few years back.

I am always on the lookout for another venture, The gardening is seasonal and no good between October and April. thus going back to full-time employment and doing the garden nights and weekends. I am pondering another startup and am doing some work along that line just now, it is my aim to try and build my customer base up gradually. I have one customer just now which would come under my new start-up as well as my gardening, I do their grass and strimming etc during the season. not looking to do business to public with the new startup, it would be B2B.

 

[selfemployed]

Would you mind posting a review of the Expo after you have been @Scott Kinnear ?

Would be good to hear about it.

 

[Scott Kinnear]

Hi selfemployed,

I'm not going to the Expo at Queensferry, I'm going to the Business Gateway Conference at a Dundee Uni Centre.

I will take some notes and do a review of that though

 

[MarkB]

Thanks @Scott Kinnear

Your notes should make interesting reading - there must be ways of increasing the acitivity in this section as these shows can be very useful to those in business.

 

[Scott Kinnear]

I remember going to another Business event at a Dundee Uni Centre, Joanna Riley The Apprentice Candidate in 2010, along with a guy called Gary McEwan, he runs Business Elevator, while I remember Joanna's talk, I remember Gary's more, talking about people taking a risk to startup themselves. it went along the lines of the people in the valley always wondering what it would be like at the top of the mountain. it was a big risk and safer to stay in the valley. haha

 

[MarkB]

In order to make the big jump to a larger business this will always involve a degree of risk. It is simply a case of limiting your downside when taking this risk by going slowly slowly or simply saying I have £xyz to spend and thats it. Faint heart never won fair maiden as they say

 

[selfemployed]

I think you get to a point in your life, if you are inclined to go self employed, where you just think, if I dont do it now I will never do it. From a personal point of view it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be when I finally took the plunge.

 

[Scott Kinnear]

Totally selfemployed, I had the itch away back in 2010, I had just read Duncan Bannatynes book " Anyone Can Do It", I looked at opening a dry cleaning/launderette business at my local shops, I went to a Dry cleaners Seminar at a hotel place up at Cumbernauld, It was a good way to get an insight into the industry, and also put me off hearing some of the situations dry cleaners faced.

That itch stayed with me until April 2012 when I started Sidlawview Garden and Landscape Services.

The only downside was the work stopped in October, and If I didn't get a job, I was on jobseekers until spring. and I did not find work 2012 into 2013, and, 2014 into 2015.

Have a look at some of the work I've done over the years, there's before and afters in there

https://www.facebook.com/Sidlawview/

 

[selfemployed]

The problem is, once you have made the leap over the canyon to self employment, could you really go back to a "normal" 9 to 5 job? I know I could not.

 

[Scott Kinnear]

Selfemployed - I have went back to regular employment, although I may go back to fulltime self employed in the future, they want to introduce backshifts with no shift allowance. They will say they are giving an allowance, between the hour of 6am and 7am, I've never heard of that in my life before, going on shifts and only getting the one hour shift allowance??

Furthermore it doesn't suit me for getting my daughter, I have her 3 nights in the week, two of which is just a couple of hours, that's the pleasure of being self employed you can work your own schedule. I went back to regular work because in winter there was no work.

 

[MarkB]

This is one of the reasons why I could not go back to full-time employment, the small print and conditions which all work in favour of the employer. I also find that self-employment does offer more time with the family if schedule correctly. It is not always easy but it is certainly more flexible. However, on the downside, I do miss that feeling of walking out of the office door to go home and leaving all of my working troubles behind me - well at least until the next day!

 

[Scott Kinnear]

Its the Business Gateway Conference tomorrow, Got my pad and pen ready to take some notes and I will do a post in the coming days

 

[MarkB]

Cheers @Scott Kinnear

Will be good to see what they say

 

[MarkB]

How did your course go @Scott Kinnear

 

[Scott Kinnear]

I am doing a post to publish on the forum just now on word, then once I have finished I will post it

I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Mark Beaumont's Story, I enjoy cycling myself, and looking forward to start getting out again soon.

It was a great event. I would go to future conference events, and I would certainly enjoy hearing more about Mark and his cycling trips. I have done the Dundee Cyclathon and raised money for Children 1st in Dundee. I would have put my cyclathon picture up but that would be cruel having you see me in my cycling shorts haha

I have aways fancied doing the Etape Caledonia Cycle run from Pitlochry

 

[MarkB]

Look forward to reading your post - all sounds very interesting. Historically sport and business have worked very well together.

 

[Scott Kinnear]

My attendance at the first Business Gateway Tayside Conference at the University of Dundee Dalhousie building.

This Conference was organised by Business Gateway, in partnership with Elevator and the University of Dundee Centre of Entrepreneurship.

The Host was Gavin Oattes who runs Tree Of Knowledge, and who is also setting up a new social enterprise.

Mark Beaumont, Record-breaking long-distance British cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster, documentary maker and author, engaged the audience with his presentation entitled: "Around the World and back to Dundee" and was Keynote Speaker. Mark is also Rector, and has just officially opened Elevators Centre for Entrepreneurship at Dundee University.

Kristine Moody of Team Magnus who supply Family Outdoor Equipment. Kristine puts her success down to a number of key factors. First, an innovative product development programme, leading to a steady stream of new and creative products. This, plus a focus on creating an authentic image of the Scottish outdoor lifestyle, especially to people who perhaps yearn to get away from the daily slog of city life have helped Kristine to build the brand.

Collette Norval of Social Stuff Ltd. Collette is co-founder and Managing Director of the newly launched social start-up, Social Stuff Ltd, creators of SQUAD scarf. Based in Aberdeen, the social enterprise manufactures multi-functional snoods for sports supporters and outdoor enthusiasts, with the aim of giving 100% of its profits to charities and good causes.

The audience was put on for the Business Community, University and College Students and Senior Phase School Pupils to be motivated, inspired and energized in 2018.

The theme of the conference is 'if not you, who? If not now, when?' encouraging delegates to make it happen for themselves!

My own review on the event is,

I enjoyed the event, I thought the host Gavin and all the speakers presented well. As a cyclist myself, It was great to hear Mark Beaumont in particular.

I think the main aim from the speakers, were aimed more towards the senior school pupils and university and college students, it was Dundee Business Week and there events were going on, came along with Elevator (A Business Gateway Partner Organisation) and The University opening of the new Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Overall, and through their own stories, each speaker talked about stepping out, building confidence, passion, attitude, planning and researching.

Collette Norval was good, again, more aimed at inspiring the young ones, talking about her own experiences from school, How she was always putting herself forward, or asking questions, being proactive and showing enthusiasm. Collette graduated from St Andrews University before joining The Wood Group Graduate Internship Scheme. The lass has down well through hard work, and is now Co-Founder and Managing director of Social Enterprise Social Stuff Ltd.

This is a brief post of the very first Business Gateway Tayside Conference 2018.