January 2018 - St Andrews Business Club

Learn to use marketing messages to make customers love your business

26th January 20185th February 2018 Yvonne McAulay

Award-winning journalist and PR consultant Lynda Hamilton Parker will teach attendees about how to communicate their business messages.

People doing business in North-East Fife can make a date with St Andrews Business Club on Valentine’s Day to learn how best to make customers love their business by communicating their business messages effectively.

In the latest event of the club’s season, to be held at the Old Course Hotel from 5.30pm, award-winning journalist and PR consultant Lynda Hamilton Parker will teach attendees about how to communicate their business messages by using the media and other marketing channels to raise the profile of their business.

PR

Lynda will also describe how the media work as well as debunking some of the myths and mysteries around PR.

Anyone wishing to learn about this important business topic, as well as network, is asked to book via Eventbrite.

A full list of this season’s events can be found at http://bit.ly/StABCEvents.

North-East Fife 2018

25th January 2018 Yvonne McAulay

A Club record number of people doing business in North-East Fife came to the Old Course Hotel to hear what to expect in the economy of North-East Fife in 2018 from Keith Winter, Executive Director of Enterprise & Environment at Fife Council and Professor Brad MacKay, Vice-Principal, International Strategy and External Relations at University of St Andrews.

Professor Brad MacKay, Vice-Principal, International Strategy and External Relations at University of St Andrews, talked about the factors he believes will influence what 2018 will hold for the university sector and businesses in North-East Fife at the event held by St Andrews Business Club at The Old Course Hotel.

Professor MacKay talked about Post-EU scenarios for the higher education sector, particularly Brexit as well as Eden Campus, the opportunities it will create and how they will be realised.

Keith Winter, Executive Director of Enterprise & Environment at Fife Council, talked about the factors he believes will influence what 2018 will hold for businesses in North-East Fife at the event held by St Andrews Business Club at The Old Course Hotel.

Keith Winter explained Fife’s approach to delivering economic growth, the current environment, the county’s economic and social make-up and external influences before detailing its challenges and opportunities.

In particular, Keith explained the role of Fife in the Tay Cities Deal and the role of the Plan for Fife.

Thanks were given to Keith and Brad for sharing their insights.

For more photos, go to the Album on our Facebook page.

NEXT EVENT: The Club’s Next Event is February 14, when Lynda Hamilton Parker, of Lynda Hamilton Communications, will explain Marketing – getting your messages across.

INFO & BOOKING: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/marketing-getting-your-messages-across-networking-tickets-36791238585

New business learning events at St Andrews Business Club

18th January 201816th January 2018 Yvonne McAulay

By Alistair Morris, President

Since the start of the Club’s 2017-18 Season last September, we’ve been delighted with the feedback we’ve received on our events programme from the growing number of business people attending them.

So far at least 80% of attendees taking our post-event survey have typically rated their event Excellent or Very Good overall. And many have gone on to join the Club as a result.

Today we’re announcing the details of our business learning events for the rest of the season.

Business learning

The event topics, some of which were suggested by members, have been chosen to provide you with essential information on today’s key business issues you can use straight away. They will be:

January 24: The business environment in North-East Fife in 2018 – with views from Keith Winter, Executive Director of Enterprise & Environment at Fife Council and Professor Brad MacKay, Vice-Principal, International Strategy and External Relations at University of St Andrews. This will include the results of research Brad has done into Brexit and business decision-making and Keith talking through the likely impact of the City Deals on Fife.
February 14: Marketing messaging with award-winning media & PR expert Lynda Hamilton Parker
February 28: Modern Apprenticeships with experts John McFarlane, Employer Engagement Co-ordinator responsible for the Modern Apprenticeship programme, Fife Council, and Heather Brown, Co-ordinator for Foundation Apprenticeships, Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Fife, Fife Council.
April 25: How to ensure better Sales & Profits with international sales consultant, tutor and business coach, Peter Waggott of Vertical Motives
May 23: ‘Uncovering Mindfulness – For You, Your Business & Life in General’ with international bestselling mindfulness author, ‘leadership provocateur’, thinker and disrupter, Paul Mudd of The Mudd Partnership
June 6: Cyber Resilience with expert Gerry Grant, Chief Ethical Hacking Consultant at Curious Frank, the cyber section of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre.
For those looking for more personal learning and feedback on their situation, we also have a pilot informal Problem-solving networking lunch on March 28 – for a small number of people to discuss over a light lunch how a business issue or problem was or can be dealt with.

VIP tour

As a result of the positive feedback we’ve had about the Members & Guests-only Business Visits held so far, we’ve taken the opportunity to arrange an extra business visit to a site which will play some role in the business lives of many of us in the next few years – the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus at Guardbridge. Members and their Guests will enjoy a VIP guided tour on June 27.

Networking

Opening most of our events to non-members – so they can get a taste of the business learning and networking we offer – has proven to be popular too. And the minimum 45 minutes networking time built in to our events is being well used!

We’re expecting plenty of that at our St Andrews 10 x 30 event on May 9, where Members will be drawn at random to present 10 slides for a maximum of 30 seconds each on a topic of interest to all. It promises to be a fun night!

Whether you’re already a member, a past one or someone new to the Club, we’d be delighted to see you at our events this year. And hear what you think of them – so we can keep making the Club better.

Details of the full season’s topics, dates, speakers are here

Details of membership benefits and how to join the Club are here

For latest news from the Club, its members and the North-East Fife business community, follow the Club on:
– Twitter
– Facebook page
– LinkedIn

Learning Lunch – Preparing for Making Tax Digital

10th January 201810th January 2018 Yvonne McAulay

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a key part of the UK Government’s plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs. But the timetable for which businesses will be affected, and when, are different.

Although the implementation deadline has been pushed back as a result of the 2017 Finance Bill, no business should leave preparing for it till the last minute.

One of the recommended changes is moving to online accounting software, for which there are other compelling commercial benefits, including significant cost savings, increased efficiency, improved management information and 24/7 mobile access to your data.

In our first Learning Lunch of 2018, Mark Gibson and Elaine Cromwell, Partners at Thomson Cooper Accountants, explained how online accounting delivers streamlined processes, resulting in improved business performance.

The presentations began with Mark talking about personal tax accounts and MTD.

Mark talked about personal tax accounts and MTD.

The presentations ended with Elaine taking attendees through moving to online accounting and the benefits of doing so, aside from preparing for MTD.

Elaine took attendees through moving to online accounting and the benefits of doing so, aside from preparing for MTD.

For more information about this subject, you can visit Thomson Cooper Accountants website at http://www.thomsoncooper.com/

For more photos, go to the Album on our Facebook page.

NEXT EVENT: The Club’s next event is January 24: North East Fife 2018 – what businesses should expect

Keith Winter, Executive Director of Enterprise & Environment at Fife Council and Professor Brad MacKay, Vice-Principal, International Strategy and External Relations at University of St Andrews, will talk about what they believe 2018 will and may hold for St Andrews and North-East Fife which will affect businesses and for which they need to have a plan.

North-East Fife 2018 – what to expect for businesses

5th January 201816th January 2018 Yvonne McAulay

People doing business in North-East Fife are being invited to St Andrews Business Club’s event on January 24 to hear what to expect in the economy of North-East Fife in 2018.

In the event, to be held at the Old Course Hotel from 5.30pm, Keith Winter, Executive Director of Enterprise & Environment at Fife Council and Professor Brad MacKay, Vice-Principal, International Strategy and External Relations at University of St Andrews, will talk about what they believe 2018 will and may hold for St Andrews and North-East Fife which will affect businesses and for which they need to have a plan.

Anyone wishing to learn about this important business topic, as well as network, is asked to book via Eventbrite. A full list of this season’s events can be found at http://bit.ly/StABCEvents.

The Club’s first event of the New Year, and at its new venue, is on preparing your business for HMRC’s Making Tax Digital programme and takes place on January 10.