I've not been on any of these but I tend to consider this type of event a good opportunity to network. Try to find out what the seminar is on, do a bit of homework and seem knowledgeable then some of the other attendees will realise you know what you are doing and may use your services.
I have been to quite a few Business link workshops and found them to be quite a good networking opportunity.
From a gaining business point of view I have found that the ones where the subject is money orientated seems to help as this gets the attendees in the right frame of mind from the beginning. But from just a general networking and getting your name seen viewpoint then they are all good. I would pick seminars that are of interest to you as there can be nothing worse than sitting listening to somebody for a couple of hours on a subject which bores you as this will then show when you start talking to the others.
I found my first two clients at a Business Link start up seminar on finance and ended up knowing more than the trainer. I didn't need to go to be taught anything but I just wanted to know what was being taught to start ups.
Good luck, go for it and they won't cost anything apart from your time, and they do get you out of the office.
I just did the Busiess Gateway Start-Up seminar on Monday night in Coatbridge (I am just outside Motherwell) and found it very good. There was only 4 of us and a good informative 2 and a bit hours. Good pointers, and Allan has run and runs small businesses, so had good tips and just knew what he was talking about. They also list other workshops/seminars, one of which is a Creat a Website, which I will also do which is based around the Mr Site package which I was looking at anyway. I may have picked up my 1st client from this, he is starting up in the next cpl months like myself, so we have each others contact details, so yes, a bit of networking as well.
I would certainly suggest using any of the appropiate workshops/seminars they do, they are free anyway :) and can run during the day as well as evening, just a great tool to use when starting to look at going on your own
They also emailed me a copy of a Bookkeepers business plan that they use as a generic copy, but is very good ! more or less have mine done already ! :), so if you want a copy I can email it to you, let me know.
thanks for your replies, they were very helpful and glad they were all so positive. I have signed up for a few workshops in May in Dunfermline where I live, they are evenings asswell so it means I won't have to find childcare as hubby is home.
Good tip on going to a finance one, was going to skip that one but yes, could be a chance to show my knowledge (I hope!)
Thanks Mark I would very much appreciate it if you could e-mail me the bookkeepers business plan, one of the workshops is on preparing a business plan so would be good to have this before I go.
