Classic Car and Harley Davidson Event

Bathgate’s new-look Steelyard was the place to be on Saturday 30th July, when Enterprising Bathgate staged its first Classic Car and Harley Davidson Event.

This was the first opportunity to show off the new public event space which has been created by the re-design of the area, and both The Steelyard and the event itself proved to be a huge hit with all those attending, enjoying hours of sunshine and the first class display of beautiful cars and bikes. ... CLICK HERE to read more and see some great photos of a great event!

Premises Improvement Scheme

There has been an excellent response to Enterprising Bathgate’s 2009-10 Premises Improvement Scheme with 69 businesses already participating in this project.

As detailed in earlier newsletters, we have funding of £45,000 in place to contribute to external and internal improvements to premises by way of grants. All levy payers are eligible to apply and grants are banded to reflect the rateable value of the property with additional help being available to those businesses moving in to vacant premises.
CLICK HERE to read more.

CCTV

The project to deliver round the clock dedicated monitoring and management of the CCTV system in Bathgate town centre is still on schedule for launch in October 2011. The project is much more ambitious than originally envisaged, as it now involves funding and agreement between West Lothian Council, Enterprising Bathgate, Lothian & Borders Police, City of Edinburgh Council, and the Scottish Government.

How to save money and make your business more sustainable.

The Envirowheel, created by the Mayday Network, is the first dynamic online portal signposting businesses to environmental support from organisations throughout Scotland.
Click Here to View Envirowheel.

Funding available for Training

Flexible Training Opportunities gives businesses with under 75 employees the opportunity to apply for up to £5,000 towards employee training costs.

Launched by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and supported by the European Social Fund, it aims to help small businesses become more resilient and to boost productivity and success. Funding is available for up to 10 employees per business , including Sole Traders, and the money is not a loan so there’s no need to pay it back.

SDS will refund up to 50% of each episode of employee training up to a maximum of £500 per employee. It effectively means you can double your training investment. Or it might help you introduce some training when you thought it wouldn’t be possible.

The application process is simple and the rewards can really make a difference. Many businesses have already taken advantage of the offer.

More information can be found on http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/.
For advice on how to apply, call free on 0800 783 6000.

For additional advice including help completing the application form please contact:
Melissa Molina,
Business Adviser,
Business Gateway
West Lothian Council
on 01506 777928 or
melissa.molina@westlothian.gov.uk