Businesses come in all shapes and sizes. In Scotland, 99% of all private sector businesses are small to medium size enterprises – and they provide an estimated 1.1 million jobs*. What could you add to that mix?

Scottish tourism businesses and the fantastic work they do make up the lifeblood of our industry. The world-class standards of our accommodation providers, visitor attractions, visitor/experiences, restaurants and other businesses are why Scotland attracts so many new and returning visitors year after year.

There are plenty of examples of successful entrepreneurs and ideas. You may find reading them sparks your own imagination and inspires you to seek out and build your own enterprise – whatever its size! Students have great ideas for ventures and with a bit of perseverance and support, turn them into successful ventures.

Details of funding schemes for rural businesses in Scotland including the Scottish Rural Development Programme. Grants and support for economic, environmental and social measures to benefit rural Scotland are available through the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

The best time to talk to an accountant is when you first think about starting or buying your own business. The next best time is now. A little bit of time and money invested in timely advice could save you thousands of pounds and make the difference between success and failure, particularly if start-up funds are limited. We’d love to get to know you better & take some of the work off your plate. Call to book a FREE consultation or request a call back today!

Carnoustie Creative are an established web design studio based in Angus who provide a comprehensive range of services ideal for startup businesses. Customers are increasingly moving online or simply checking an online presence before they make contact using traditional methods. You only get one chance to make a first impression, let us help you make it a good one! We have packages aimed specifically at new startups and growing businesses covering domain registration, web design, hosting, email, logo design and branding. We also offer graphic design for print and can help to polish your brand image with fantastic business cards, flyers and brochures. Our bespoke websites are created to align with your objectives and target market, developed to industry standards and delivered on a content management system so you can update text, images and product details yourself - full training is included. Starting a company and developing a brand and website can be an intimidating process, and it’s something that small and medium enterprises will probably only have limited experience of. We can help guide you through the process and also advise you how to keep costs low. If you have an idea in mind, or a fixed deadline, that’s not a problem. If you let us know when we start work, we can ensure the right steps are taken to make sure you end up with the website you want, and in the timescale you want it.

Advice and support for business We offer a wide range of services to businesses. Whether you’re an existing business looking for support, planning to expand or looking to invest in Angus by relocating to the area, the Invest in Angus website will provide you with all the information you need.

The Invest in Angus team at Angus Council are here to help businesses invest, work, grow and thrive in Angus. We offer a one stop advice shop – whether it’s information on funding, skills, staffing support, land and property or practical business advice. We are focused on meeting the needs of businesses with a flexible, effective team that can respond quickly to the ever changing business environment and to your specific request. Address: Orchardbank Business Park Orchardbank Forfar Angus DD8 1AN

We are the leading business membership organisation in Dundee & Angus and part of the worldwide long-established Chamber of Commerce brand. We have over 800 members who between them employ over 67,000 people. We work hard to help provide members with the business connections and opportunities they need to flourish. We represent our members’ views and use our collective voice to influence opinion makers. We are passionate about Dundee and Angus and promote it as a world class destination, helping the local business community to thrive. Chamber members have a real say in how our organisation is run. The President, Vice-Presidents and Non-executive Directors of our board are all drawn from and elected by members. Our board makes strategic decisions for the chamber and ensures that it continues to grow and prosper. There is an extensive list of membership benefits available, making your membership great value for money. Interested? You can Join us online today or contact our Membership Team on 01382 228545 or email: membership@dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk We run over 80 events per year with more than 3,000 attendees and share over 100 news items each month for members on our website & social media, giving a widespread audience reach of over 2,500,000 p.a. across all of our digital channels. We are based at 37 City Quay in the heart of Dundee's Waterfront, and run our extensive event programme & membr engagement all across Angus & Dundee.

The Invest in Angus team at Angus Council are here to help businesses invest, work, grow and thrive in Angus. We offer a one stop advice shop – whether it’s information on funding, skills, staffing support, land and property or practical business advice. We are focused on meeting the needs of businesses with a flexible, effective team that can respond quickly to the ever changing business environment and to your specific request. If you are considering starting your own business in Angus or are in the early stages of trading, Business Gateway is available to help and guide you on the path to success. The website provides a wide range of useful information from the basics of starting up, including finance advice, and tax and legal issues to creating a business plan and considering marketing strategies. The guides available include: Starting a business: the basics Starting up: common mistakes and how to avoid them Family-run businesses Starting & growing a rural business There are also video case studies and diaries and lists of events in the area which relate specifically to business start ups.

Business Gateway Tayside is your gateway to free, expert, local assistance and advice. here are many ways we can help you, even if starting up still seems a way off. Our website is a great place to begin: we offer a business plan guide to download when you’re ready, market reports as well as handy online guides and articles, video tutorials and podcasts. Take part in our webinars to hone your start-up skills – from how to handle the legal requirements to getting your market research right. Plus use our Planning to Start tool to guide you through the essential steps of starting up. It takes just 10 minutes to complete and then we can then use the details you give us to create your action plan, complete with links to relevant information and support. We’ll also recommend free webinars to help you hone your skills and may refer you to relevant support from our partners. A business adviser from your local office will also get in touch to see how else we can help at this stage and signpost you to a wide range of other support across Scotland. With our help, you could be in business sooner than you imagined.

Starting a business is exciting, and succeeding is rewarding, but what about the bit between? You know, that bit that’s full of self-doubt, endless repetition and feelings of being out of your comfort zone? We call it ‘The Lonely Middle’ and it’s one of the hardest parts of creating a successful business. We know, we’ve been there. So, we created The Lonely Middle Club to help you through it. Each month you get exclusive content to help give you the knowledge and inspiration to succeed. Plus, you get access to a private members-only Facebook group where you can get advice and network with small business owners who are going through similar challenges to you. If you want even more, you can download our 51 worksheets, guides, and journals all designed to do one thing, and one thing only… help you get through ‘The Lonely Middle’ and achieve your business goals. Visit our website today to join the club and benefit from our members price lock and full no questions asked money-back guarantee.

Gumtree have a section dedicated to buying and selling businesses in Angus. Although all advertisements are listed in good faith, please do be very careful and take professional advice before signing any legal documents or parting with any money.

FSB West of Scotland is the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It was formed in 1974 as the National Federation of Self Employed and represents the interests of small and medium-sized businesses locally and nationally. They offer a great package tailored to your needs if you are thinking about starting a business in the area. Contact: Hisashi Kuboyama Development Manager Hisashi.Kuboyama@fsb.org.uk

SCC we are dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of our member companies and to helping them rise to the challenge, seize the opportunity and succeed in the marketplace. By joining a Chamber of Commerce your company automatically becomes part of Scotlands largest business organisation, with access to an unrivalled range of services, support and advice to aid your development as a thriving member of the business community. Address: Scottish Chambers of Commerce, 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EQ

The Scottish Rural Network website is your one-stop-shop for news, events and information about rural development. We can help you connect with other people, communities, organisations and businesses across rural Scotland and beyond.

Would you like you to know how your business could benefit from digital upskilling? Training, guides, tutorials, workshops, 1:1 advice and consultancy – all for free.

Small business grants in Scotland tend to either be funded by the Scottish or UK Government, as well as the European Union (EU). Generally, the funding is either available for any business across Scotland (or for businesses intending to be based in Scotland). Alternatively, some grants are only available to businesses working in certain sectors or specific locations.