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!

Aberdeen Business Network (ABN) provides a unique and highly effective range of 6 offline business development solutions to North East businesses & organisations, as well as the free, online 7000+ member Community. Launched in 2008, Aberdeen Business Network (ABN) provides a unique and highly effective range of 6 offline business development solutions to North East businesses & organisations, as well as the free, online 7000+ member ABN Community. The ability to co-ordinate both online and offline networking gives our members a huge advantage in their business development activities. Options include networking events, one-on-one relationship-building, sales intel groups, networking training, premier memberships and advertising & event sponsorship opportunities.

Business Gateway Aberdeen City and Shire is your gateway to free expert local assistance and advice. There 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. Enterprise Business Centre Broomiesburn Road Ellon AB41 9RD 01538 787393 Crichiebank Business Centre, Mill Road Port Elphinstone Inverurie AB51 5NQ 01224 968 789 Enterprise Business Centre South Harbour Road Fraserburgh AB43 9TN 01346 454712 Burnside Business Centre Burnside Road Peterhead AB42 3AW 01779 867 254

From start-ups, SMEs to major international corporations there are numerous local and national organisations that can offer business support. Both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils provide a range of support and advice for local businesses from those starting out to social enterprises and successful international organisations. Find out more about available support:

Develop your business idea or boost your existing business with LINA online The Library Innovation Network Aberdeenshire (LINA), which has been developed in partnership between Live Life Aberdeenshire library service and RGU, is continuing to offer business toolkit workshops online. Prior to the Coronavirus restrictions, LINA’s co-working spaces and workshop programmes were held in the following libraries: Peterhead, Banff, Fraserburgh and Macduff. Additional programmes were due to be run from Turriff, Rosehearty, New Pitsligo, Strichen and Cairnbulg. All free learning programmes are now available online. LINA Online Business Toolkit Workshop For those interested in starting a business or scaling an existing business this online standalone workshop will help develop your entrepreneurial skills. The workshops will focus on the knowledge and mindset needed to accelerate your ideas, providing you with a toolkit of skills from marketing and viability to pricing and problem solving.

Representing more than 1,100 organisations collectively employing 125,000+ people across all sectors, Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce is the North-east’s leading business membership organisation and the largest Chamber in Scotland. An independent, privately funded organisation, we work locally, nationally and internationally to support businesses from sole traders to multinational corporations in a myriad of ways: From sourcing research and intelligence on our operating environment to providing unrivalled opportunities for networking, business development and best practice exchange. From equipping the region's workforce with the skills to succeed to issuing export documents for goods worth in excess of half a billion pounds every year. From talking up the area and celebrating business success to lobbying for necessary change. And much more. Being a member of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce can bring significant value to your business. Talk to us today to find out more. The Hub, Exploration Drive, Aberdeen Energy Park, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8GX

Aberdeen based startups and entrepreneurs take note - here's the lowdown on key startup support and help available where you are... Away from established startup hubs like London, the support for setting up a startup in the UK isn’t always so clear. It’s not a lack of support, just a quieter ecosystem that takes a little more work to unearth. We want to help with this by highlighting what some cities, which might not spring immediately to mind at the mention of ‘startups’, have to offer. Remember when we said that we were touring the UK in no particular order? Well, we’re going back to Scotland today to have a look at startup support in Aberdeen!

Should you join over 10,000 businesses and start and grow your business in this up-and-coming Scottish city? Startups.co.uk, the UK’s leading independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business. Established in 2000, we are the UK’s largest, longest serving, and most comprehensive small business advice platform, covering everything you need to know to start, buy, run, or sell a business. You can read more about our track record on our Wikipedia page.

Were proud to be a local, trusted & fast-growing IT firm. We help our clients understand, implement & secure their IT. Choose us to be your IT and Cyber Security provider. Professional, trusted, reliable and honest.

Economic Development within Aberdeenshire council exists to benefit business and communities and all those looking to find out about Aberdeenshire or relocating to the area.

Aberdeen Entrepreneurs. The business networking group which offers a working environment for business individuals to come and meet new people, network, gain business opportunities and have an enjoyable evening with like-minded people. Each event runs with the same format; a guest speaker, question and answer session and plenty of networking opportunities. There is no membership for Aberdeen Entrepreneurs – as we know you are busy and are unable to attend every month, but our large pool of like-minded people ensures a good turnout.

SBNN Aberdeen publishes business news from Aberdeen City and Shire on a daily basis. We are part of the Scottish Business News Network, publishing more Scottish business news than anyone else via our national site, Scottish Business News, our geographically specific business news sites for Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness, and our sector specific sites for food & drink and technology. Send your press releases to editorial@sbnn.co.uk

Renowned as a Global Energy Hub, Aberdeen is a vibrant, entrepreneurial region in Scotland's North East, home to a unique mix of business opportunities and specialist skills across various sectors including energy, technology, life sciences and food & drink. More than 20% of Scotland’s top business are located in this region which is taking great strides to ensure that it continues to compete on a world stage; the Aberdeen City Region is in the midst of a transformational journey designed to drive an economic renaissance, bringing benefits to the region, Scotland and the UK overall now and for generations to come. More than £10 billion of public and private infrastructure investment is due to be delivered before 2030, marking an exciting time to be part of a genuine world-class business location. The Aberdeen City Region is primed for business and the Invest Aberdeen team is on hand to welcome you here.

Established in 2009, Aberdeen Young Professionals is a networking group aimed at young professionals who either work or are based in the Aberdeen area. Regular events allow members to network with like minded individuals and make new connections. AYP aim to help develop the next generation of industry leaders

I know by now most of you will be switching off and thinking nerd but listen what do you want from your accountant but someone who likes numbers – right?? And if you thought that was bad enough wait till I knock your socks off with the statement that I have a Maths degree – yep sure do. But please don’t let that put you off cause I also love getting to know people, so I’m a nosey mathematician turned accountant. Just the type of person you need on your team; someone who is ‘integral’ to your business. You may even enjoy talking numbers with me especially ones linked to how much will it cost to hire me? Don’t worry I’m worth every penny very reasonable and I’m ‘differential’, ’binominal’, ‘hyperbolic’ and modest too. If it helps we can arrange a monthly retainer fee so you can cover my costs over the year. I should probably mention, if modesty didn’t forbid, that I’m good at what I do. My clients seem to agree, and say nice things about me. So give me a call and if you’re lucky I may solve some of your problems – ouch!!

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.

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

Its not always totally obvious which route to take when you are starting up on your own. We support Contractors, Sole Traders and Limited Companies and will make sure you choose the option that is best for you. We look after you right through the process of starting a business so that you understand from the outset your responsibilities, the dates you need to submit tax returns, and everything else that is involved.

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.

Founded in 1877, AGCC is an accredited member of both the British Chambers of Commerce and Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the only truly independent UK business support organisation which has local representation, credibility in the eyes of government and the media, and is consulted at all levels by the Scottish Government and Westminster. Address: The Hub, Exploration Drive, Aberdeen Energy Park, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8GX