Business Gateway Connections Podcast

In this episode, we speak to Kate Lewis, Co-founder of Wild Harris, offering guided wildlife walks and activities on the Isle of Harris.

Our host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, delves into the inspiration behind the business, sheds light on the year-round outdoor activities showcasing the awe-inspiring island for residents and visitors, and discuss the challenges of rural tourism.

In the wake of covid-19, the energy crisis, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, there has never been more pressure on businesses. For small businesses, many of whom operate alone, the challenge is even greater as owners often play the role of business leader, HR, marketing, finance and more. So, it’s unsurprising that failure is front of mind.

We want to help to eradicate some of the fears around failure and encourage business owners to tackle the subject head on, and we’re delighted to be joined by start-up entrepreneur and successful business owner, Vicky Brock, to discuss why we struggle to speak about failure, how to spot challenges ahead, and how to bounce back.

Learn more about Scottish Apprenticeship Week, why it was first launched, and the benefits of shining a light on apprentices.
The discussion is angled towards SMEs, highlighting how digital skills learnt during apprenticeships can support the future growth of the business landscape. 
The podcast will also be used to discuss the new Digital Economy Skills Action Plan, which launches during SAW ’23. This plan recognises the need for digital skills cuts across all sectors, the DESAP will take a whole economy approach, examining commonality in the digital economy skills requirements across sectors.

In this episode, we speak to Liz Barclay from the Office of Small Business Commission (OSBC), an independent public body set up by the UK Government to tackle late payment and unfavourable payment practices in the private sector.

Liz is also a small business and consumer affairs broadcaster, producer and writer with an in-depth understanding of the issues facing small businesses.

Our host Danny Gallagher chats with Liz about the important topic of cashflow; discussing what it really means, how to create better financial practices, navigating the challenges surrounding cashflow from late payments to working with third parties, and tips for addressing issues head-on. Liz offers important advice on financial planning which leads to a more stable business model, making it possible to pay suppliers and other expenses on time.

In this episode, we speak to Mark Gallacher and Gordy Macdonald from Police Scotland’s cybercrime division.

Police Scotland is on a mission to help businesses improve their cyber security and reduce the risk of becoming victims of cyber incident which take place in many, sometimes unsuspecting, forms.

As part of CyberScotland Week, our host Danny Gallagher chats with Mark and Gordy, both experienced experts in the field, to explore the latest threats facing people operating online, discuss how businesses in Scotland can improve their online security, along with tips on the best practices to protect your business.

In this episode of our Business Gateway’s Connections podcast, we speak to Jamie Newall, Managing Director of eyebright Utilities. eyebright, a utilities management firm, builds sustainable energy solutions services such as carbon reporting and green procurement guidance for businesses across Scotland. 

Our host Danny Gallagher discusses how businesses can navigate the challenges of the ongoing energy crisis, and Jamie offers an insight in the work involved in starting your own business, as well as some advice on how businesses can tackle the crisis and manage their utilities.

The practice of hybrid working has accelerated in the past couple of years due to the pandemic. In this episode, we chat to Helen Denny, Learning & Development Lead at Flexibility Works, about how you can make hybrid working a success for both your employees and your company.

Helen develops training programmes for leaders and employees on how to get the best out of hybrid working and she shares her valuable insights and advice on best practices.

We talk about how you can build bonds and unity amongst teams when they are spread out in various locations, and how you can make sure you are being inclusive to your team members that are working remotely.

We also discuss productivity, employee wellness, the danger of burnout, the creation of team charters, and how to deal with difficult conversations over video calls, among other useful topics that will help give you the tools to make hybrid working work for you.

In this episode of our DigitalBoost Digital Bites series, our host Danny Gallagher is joined by Senior User Experience Designer, Amy McCrae, to talk about all things web accessibility.

Join us to find out how to improve your website’s accessibility using in-depth descriptions and functional features, what tools are out there to help you develop your accessibility, and what your company can gain from an inclusive online presence. We also consider the reliance on accessible features of non-disabled users and how implementing these features can optimise your search engine performance.

In this episode of our DigitalBoost Digital Bites series, our host Danny Gallagher is in conversation with journalist, and communications and marketing expert, Fraser Allen. Fraser currently hosts a podcast for the Scottish Business Network and will be sharing his advice on harnessing podcasts to promote your small business.

Join us as we examine the opportunities to build relationships with your listeners, and how to tailor your content to your audience’s interests. We also discuss the affordability and accessibility of podcasting, finding the right format for your show, and learning to host with the editing process in mind.

In this episode of our DigitalBoost Digital Bites series, our host Danny Gallagher is joined by Patrick Flanagan, Content Manager at Hydrogen, Scotland’s largest social media agency.

Join our discussion to explore what tools are available for your brand’s social media campaigns and how to tailor your content to various platforms. We will also discuss the benefits of using algorithm-based platforms for your ads, being authentic online, and learning from your own success as well as others.

In this episode of our DigitalBoost Digital Bites series, our host Danny Gallagher is joined by Alex Porter-Smith, Head of Production at High Tide, an Edinburgh-based production company that specialises in creating high-end online film and video content.

Join us to hear all about the processes behind developing video content for your business, from planning and preparation to execution and analytics. We also discuss filming and editing with your mobile phone, featuring your fabulous staff on camera, and maximising engagement with your content through effective campaign strategies.

In episode 8 of our Business Gateway Connections podcast, we speak to Amee Ritchie and Jake Elliot-Hook, founders of S’wheat, who have created the world’s first reusable bottle made from plants. 

Our host Danny Gallagher discusses the opportunities and challenges of being a young person in business, covering topics such as branding, funding opportunities, marketing, and sustainability.

Listen to this episode of our latest Business Gateway Connections series, where host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager is joined by Geoff Leask, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise Scotland, a Scottish charity dedicated to inspiring young people to learn and succeed through enterprise.

Every year Young Enterprise Scotland supports around 16,000 young people, from all backgrounds, to develop business knowledge, entrepreneurial skills & ultimately become more employable.

Join us for an in-depth discussion with Geoff as we explore what it takes to run a business as a young person in Scotland as well as uncover the challenges faced by young people in today’s business environment.

In this episode, we explore the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT can provide businesses with time saving processes and valuable information as many devices from all aspects of life get connected to the digital world.

We are embracing devices such as Alexa and Google Home or central heating systems in our day-to-day lives. In a similar way there is a host of IoT technology that can make running a business more seamless, efficient, and cost-effective.

Speaking to award-winning Augmented and Virtual Reality specialist David Sime we look at technology such as mobile card readers, tracking software and mobile stock inventory and much more.

In this episode of our Business Gateway Connections series, host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, is joined by Gareth Claase, Founder of Gecko Glazing, for an in-depth discussion exploring sustainability and the story of their secondary glazing which reduces heat loss, and in turn reduces heating emissions. 

Tune in for insight into the advantages and challenges of making your business greener, how the business promotes and practices sustainability, as well as guidance on how businesses can reduce their own carbon emissions and ultimately help Scotland achieve net-zero targets.

In this Digital Bites episode we talk with Alex Hamilton, Head of Innovation at Isobar UK, about the current buzzword Metaverse. We explore the term Metaverse and get under the skin about what it means and how it differs from other virtual reality technology.

The Metaverse is in its infancy and, much like the internet in the 70s and 80s, it’s hard to predict its future. It’s filled with lots of possibilities but also lots of pitfalls. One thing we know for sure is that as a society we’ll be spending more time in virtual environments and, like the internet, it will be important for all businesses in the future.

Listen to our Business Gateway Connections series where we interview well-known Scottish brands to explore their story and gain insight into what it’s like to run one of Scotland’s most iconic businesses.

Host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, is joined by Ross Lamond, Founder and Owner of Bug Bakes, which is the UK’s first dog food brand to use insects as a sustainable source of protein instead of livestock. Offering a product that is both good for your dog and the planet, Bug Bakes aims to tackle carbon emissions, with insect protein drastically reducing water usage and deforestation for agriculture.

Join us for an in-depth discussion that explores the story of Bug Bakes, the challenges Ross faced starting up a business as a young person and advice he would give, how the business adapted to challenges presented by the pandemic, what it’s like to have celebrity investors, his experience on Dragon’s Den, and why ethical sustainability is at the forefront of everything they do.

Listen to our Business Gateway Connections series where we interview well-known Scottish brands to explore their story and gain insight into what it’s like to run one of Scotland’s most iconic businesses.

Host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, is joined by Simon Cotton, CEO of Johnstons of Elgin, Scotland’s second oldest family business and home to one of the most prominent mills in the world producing luxurious woven and knitted textiles from cashmere and fine wools.

Join us for this in-depth discussion that explores the story behind Johnstons of Elgin, how the business has adapted to challenges presented by the pandemic, and why sustainability, circularity and slow fashion is at the heart of everything they do.

In this Digital Bites episode, host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, talks to Sarah Johnson, Director of Digital Marketing Agency IndigoLeap, about the importance of a creating a clear social media strategy and 7 key steps to consider:

1. Take stock and assess where you are and how you compare to competitors

2. Setting objectives that will help drive your business forward

3. Get to know your audience so you can understand what makes them tick

4. Set up your platforms that are appropriate for your business and your objectives

5. Find some inspiration for your social strategy to keep yourself relevant and engaging

6. Create a content calendar to allow you to plan ahead and maximise your social media content

7. Evaluate and adjust your content to see what works

In this Digital Bites episode, host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, talks to Nicola Gandy, Director, Azacus.io, about the measures small businesses can take to increase their cyber security and prevent/combat any potential attacks.

They also discuss the effect COVID-19 has had on cyber-crime and cover employee training, securing employee devices, securing your online systems, and creating a secure online experience for your customers.

In this episode, Danny talks to UX Designer Sam Selbie about finding simple ways to make your business website more sustainable.

We look at ways of reducing your website’s carbon footprint through some small changes, such as image sizes and hosting, as well as exploring how a sustainable website can also benefit your customers and their experience of your brand online!

Find out how you can start being more sustainable today.

In this episode of our Connections Podcast series we have partnered with Skills Development Scotland to talk through the importance of modern apprentices in the workplace and discuss why more Scottish businesses are continuing to invest in apprenticeship schemes.

Host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, is joined by Neil Cunningham, Employer Engagement Adviser at Skills Development Scotland; Anthony Burns, Chief Operating Officer of ACS Clothing and Radoslaw Lacki, one of ACS Clothing’s Modern Apprentices.

Skills Development Scotland highlight the support they offer businesses in finding the right apprentices and the wide variety of apprenticeship schemes that are available in Scotland. We also learn about ACS Clothing’s commitment to developing their apprenticeship scheme and explore why apprenticeships are crucial in building the careers of Scotland’s youth workforce.

In this Business Gateway Connections Podcast episode, host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, chats with Simon Howie, founder and owner of Scottish leading butcher brand. Founded in 1986 in Dunning, Perthshire, Simon Howie has become the UK’s best-selling haggis brand and in 2021 the business reached new heights by launching the first ever haggis into space.

Throughout the podcast, Simon will discuss the story behind the brand, including how it all began and what’s next for the butcher, as well as provide insight into the challenges the business has faced during the pandemic, and key advice for budding entrepreneurs who want to start their own business.

Listen to our latest Business Gateway Connections series where we interview well-known Scottish brands to explore their story and gain insight into what it’s like to run some of Scotland fastest growing businesses.

Host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Highland Manager, is joined by Darina Garland, Co-Founder and Director of outdoor pizza oven company, Ooni. Recently commended at the 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards, Darina launched the business in Edinburgh in 2012 and it has now grown to become the world’s most popular wood fired portable oven brand.

Through an in-depth discussion, Darina will discuss the secrets behind the recent growth of Ooni, including the culture behind one of Scotland’s most talked about businesses and how they have adapted to major challenges across the past 12 months.

Listen to our Connections podcast episode where we focus on what businesses can do to prepare for the UK leaving the EU at the end of December. We hear from business owners on how they are preparing leading up to the 1st of January 2021 and learn about the simple and low-cost actions all businesses who will be impacted can look at taking right now.

Host Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Manager, Highland, is joined by Kevin Shakespeare, The Institute of Export and International Trade, Brie Reid and Tom Martin, Co-Founders of Snag Tights and David Archer, Managing Director of Sephra Europe for their perspective on the current situation. The podcast highlights the key changes that will come into place and what businesses need to plan for and implement in preparation for leaving the EU.

Starting your own business can be thrilling, exciting, and without a doubt a bit daunting! Tune in to our Business Gateway ‘Connections’ podcast episode, where we explore how those facing redundancy in light of COVID-19 may want to take the leap into self-employment or starting a business.

Danny Gallagher, Business Gateway Manager, Highland, speaks to Sarah Johnson, Director at IndigoLeap and Gillian Macdonald, a Business Adviser for Business Gateway, who share tips on how people can work out if they are in fact armed with that “light bulb” idea to help them start a new venture, what support and resources are available, and how a strong digital strategy can help get you off the ground.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a massive shift in the adoption of flexible working with many employees working from home or working reduced hours. Several of the biggest employers in the UK have said they have no plans to return to the office full time so does this mark a cultural shift in the workplace.

In this episode, we speak to Nikki Slowley of Flexibility Works who has been an advocate for flexible working for many years. And we are also joined by Karen Pickering, Director and Chair of the board at Page\Park architects, a company where before lockdown traditionally employees would work at the office but have found allowing staff to work remotely has been a massive benefit to productivity.

In our bonus bite, following on from our Boost your Twitter Game episode, Gary Ennis from NSDesign tells us his top tips on how small businesses could be harnessing the power of Twitter Lists.

Digital Bites is aimed at helping small businesses get a little more digital-savvy. Industry experts delivery their tops tips on various topics such as cybersecurity, e-commerce, digital marketing, social media, digital upskilling and much more.

Our brand new podcast #DigitalBites rounds up industry insiders and expert advice to inform and empower small businesses to become more digital. Whether it’s using social media to boost your awareness, engaging with your customers online, selling your products digitally or even protecting your business against potential cyber scares - we have the low-down on everything you need to know.