Invest in West Lothian - February Newsletter
Welcome to the February edition of the Invest in West Lothian newsletter! In our newsletter, we will be sharing the latest news stories, funding opportunities, and events for businesses in West Lothian.
Here at Invest in West Lothian, we are committed to helping businesses in West Lothian grow by providing confidential and impartial advice, highlighting funding opportunities, and sharing helpful resources. We can help new and established businesses that are currently based in West Lothian, or are looking to relocate to the area. You can learn more about the support we offer by visiting www.investinwestlothian.com .
Celebrating Good News Stories in West Lothian
Funding and Upskilling Support Helps Local Business Villaggio Gelato Achieve its Growth Goals
Villaggio Gelato makes artisan, authentic Italian gelato, using the finest ingredients and traditional machinery. After experiencing impressive growth during the first year of trading, Owner and Director, Marguerite Spina, got in touch with us to request support to help keep the momentum going.
We were delighted to help the business achieve its growth goals by providing funding and upskilling support. This included funding through our popular Digital Development Grant, which is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to give the business's website an exciting update and attract more customers to the recently opened Villaggio Gelato Beach Hut in Winchburgh. Funding was also provided through our Trade Development Grant to help the business achieve its goal of attending more events, as this would build Villaggio Gelato’s profile and introduce the products to more clients.
In addition to the funding support, Marguerite also benefited from training and upskilling support. She participated in our first Women in Entrepreneurship Programme, which helped her gain clarity into the next stages of growing her business.
You can read the full story here.
Funding for Businesses in West Lothian
The Invest in West Lothian team have extensive experience of preparing funding packages for local businesses of all sizes. Each month, we will highlight a new funding opportunity that is currently available to eligible businesses in the area.
The Shop Front Improvement Scheme
With the Shop Front Improvement Scheme, eligible West Lothian businesses can receive funding towards the costs of making external improvements to their premises, for example, painting or new signage.
This is an exciting opportunity to give your business premises a boost, raise your profile in the local area, and attract new customers. West Lothian Council’s helpful Town Centre Team are available to provide support throughout the application and statutory process.
To learn more and apply, please email nairn.pearson@westlothian.gov.uk
Upcoming Events
We are delighted to be hosting the following free events in February:
West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship – Business Start Up Support Session
During this exciting webinar on Wednesday, the 12th of February, our Business Adviser Tahrir will be highlighting the support available to help aspiring business owners in West Lothian. Topics covered will include how to access 1:1 business advice, how to access free business resources, and funding opportunities your business may be eligible for. This is part of our West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship project, and this session has been tailored to support ethnic minorities. This is taking place from 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship – Business Start Up Support Session
Our Business Adviser Tahrir will also be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, the 19th of February, highlighting the support available to help aspiring business owners in West Lothian. Topics covered will include how to access 1:1 business advice, how to access free business resources, and funding opportunities your business may be eligible for. This is part of our West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship project, and this session has been tailored to support Ukrainian women. This is taking place from 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
Improve Your Business Marketing with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This practical workshop will examine how Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) can help transform the creation of written and visual content for your organisation’s digital marketing and wider day to day business activities. This is taking place on Tuesday, the 25th of February, from 10:00am – 3:30pm at the Scottish Procurement Alliance Partnership Hub in Livingston.
Build a Powerful Brand with Personality
In this webinar, Michelle Brown will be sharing her tips on how you can build a powerful brand with personality to help attract the attention of customers. Attendees will leave with a deeper insight into the importance of having a brand strategy, why the tone of voice and the language you use is important to attract your target audience, and the benefits of injecting some personality into your brand to help build trust and credibility. This is taking place on Wednesday, the 26th of February, from 10:00am – 12:00pm.
To learn more and book your free space at any of our events, please click here.
West Lothian Construction Forum Networking Evening
The West Lothian Construction Forum are also hosting an exciting in person networking event on the 19th of February. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow professionals in the construction field, exchange ideas, hear from a guest speaker, and gain valuable insights. This is free to attend and is taking place at the Sibbald Training premises in Blackridge, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm.
To learn more and book your free space at this event, please click here.