The team at Business Gateway Lanarkshire has a wealth of experience, resources and workshops to teach you everything from starting up to growing your business. At a local level, your Business Adviser can offer free one-to-one support in-person, over the phone, video call or email, providing more in-depth services tailored to you and your business needs. From researching your idea and target market, establishing, and improving your web presence to taking on employees or developing your sales skills - our support can help you achieve your goals.
There are many ways we can support your start-up journey.
Our Planning To Start tool is a great place to begin. It takes just 10 minutes to complete and provides you with an instant toolkit with key resources & information. We'll then connect you with a member of the team at our local office for further support.
Our website offers a business plan guide and template to download when you’re ready, market reports and research, as well as handy online guides and articles, video tutorials and podcasts. Plus, we have a great range of webinars to hone your start-up skills – from writing a business plan to marketing on a budget.
With our help, you could be in business sooner than you imagined.
Our resources and one-to-one support can help you strengthen your business.
Whether you’re looking to take on premises or learn more about digital marketing, we can help you take the next step. Get started by taking 10 minutes to complete our Strengthen Your Business Tool and get a personalised dashboard of online resources and webinars.
We know that your time is in short supply, so we also offer one-to-one advice at a time and day to suit you. Together, you and your business adviser can create a strategic action plan to suit your ambitions.
Our online resources and webinars can help you learn new skills, create opportunities and gain confidence. From HR to restructuring, innovation and digital marketing - we can help. And if specialist input is required, we can connect you to other sources of support.
Access webinars, online guides and a Digital Health Check.
From digital marketing strategy to social media, e-Commerce, cyber security and more, we can help boost your digital performance.
Our Digital Health Check is a great place to start. It will help pinpoint your digital strengths, areas you could improve, and how we can help, and it only takes 5 minutes to complete.
Business Gateway Lanarkshire has access to a wide range of funding and finance programmes to support the growth and development of your business.
Our advisers can help to identify appropriate funding and guide you through the eligibility criteria and application process, supporting you with reviewing business plan & cashflow forecasts as part of the application process. For more information or to apply contact us now.
North Lanarkshire Council - Business Start Up Fund
Do you need funding to help start your business? 100%
funding of up to £1,000 or £2,500 is available to help pre-start
businesses in North Lanarkshire with a robust and viable business idea to start
trading earlier than would otherwise be possible. This offers funding for
essential business purchases such as IT equipment, infrastructure, website
design and stock costs. Eligibility criteria applies.
North Lanarkshire Small Business & Self Support Scheme
Funding for micro and small business 3 – 12 months old and with less than 49 employees. This grant scheme has a tiered funding structure with grants of up to £1,000 and up to £3,000 available.
- For businesses with more than one full-time employee, the scheme will provide 100% grant support up to £3000.
- For self-employed individuals with no employees, it is anticipated that a maximum one-off grant will be made available up to £1000.
North Lanarkshire Business Growth Fund
A competitive, discretionary grant fund targeted at new and existing SMEs (less than 250 employees) to support the strategic, long term sustainability and growth of the business. Grants can provide up to 50% towards eligible project costs (ex VAT), up to a maximum grant award of £50,000. To be considered, applicant businesses must have been actively trading for at least 12 months (at the time of application).
We know that running a business can be both rewarding and challenging, trying to grow sales and profit can be difficult. Our local team can help you face the challenges to achieve your ambitions.
We can support you to develop and implement your growth strategy through 1:1 advice, provide access to a range of business experts, funding programmes and to local and national business support, plus a number of local networking and business skills workshops.
A business surgery is an invaluable opportunity to spend 1 hour with an expert consultant to discuss YOUR business. The surgeries are practical and personalised to address specific needs and objectives of your business. Specialist business surgeries are fully funded.
We offer specialist business surgeries in the following areas:
- HR
- Exporting
- Procurement / Tendering
- Marketing Strategy and Branding
- Digital Marketing
- Website
- Business review and strategy expert
Taking on staff can be a challenging process. Our advisers can provide you with details of areas of consideration when taking on new members of staff.
From contractual requirements, sick pay, holiday pay, disciplinary and many other areas. If it is your first time taking on an employee then we can provide you with much of this information from one of our HR professionals.
Business Gateway Lanarkshire has a dedicated team working with the enterprising third sector.
If you are thinking about starting or already running a social enterprise, we can help you with business advice and access to further support.
Working together in partnership Business Gateway Lanarkshire, local service providers such as accountants, banks, lawyers, consultants can generate real results with client businesses.
Our team also has strong links with local business groups such as Lanarkshire Chamber, FSB and CEED.
If you’re an entrepreneur between the ages of 18 – 30, let our local team support you with starting your new venture or help your existing business reach its next goal.
We have extensive links to national support agencies for young entrepreneurs and can help you with business planning, marketing, access to finance, training and more. Our Young Entrepreneur Starter Pack workshop with support you with many of the considerations relating to identifying and researching an idea to information on starting your business and accessing funding for your business.
Lanarkshire-based SME’s looking to start or develop their business could be eligible for up to 5 days fully funded support from specialists.
Tailored, expert advice is available across a range of business areas and could support you in:
- Business Financial Management
- Business Development and Strategy
- HR, Leadership & Skills
- Procurement
- Marketing
- Information and Digital Technology
- Energy efficiencies and Net Zero
- New Market Opportunities and Internationalisation
Eligibility criteria applies. Contact us to find out more or apply for consultancy support.
The Women's Business Centre is a website designed to support women at the pre-start and start-up through to growth stages of their business journey.
Operated by Women’s Enterprise Scotland, the Women's Business Centre website is free to access and offers dedicated, needs-based content on starting and growing a business, including stories, encouragement and top tips from leading business owners across Scotland.
The Supplier Development Programme provides support through a range of free tender training, e-learning modules and Meet the Buyer events to help Scottish SMEs, social enterprises and third sector organisations in bidding for public sector opportunities.
Your local Business Gateway office can offer free support to any business considering making redundancies.
Our advisers can help you look at your business challenges and then help you make the next practical steps. Along with that we can introduce you to PACE – Partnership Action for Continuing Employment.
Information on the free advice and support available from Scotland’s public sector business support organisations is available to find, all in one place, at Find Business Support.
Find your nearest office
North Lanarkshire
7 Scott Street
Motherwell
ML1 1PN
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday
09:00 to 17:00 (by appointment only)