In summary
This month, we are delighted to be hosting our exciting FSB Business Bootcamp event in Edinburgh! This event will be a great mix of networking and insight from other business owners and it’s one you definitely don’t want to miss. We’re also partnering with the Institute of Directors on a new networking event in St Andrews, so I hope to meet many of you at these great new events!
Read on to find out more.
Featured news and events
Edinburgh Visitor Levy
The City of Edinburgh Council is aiming to be the first council in Scotland to introduce a Visitor Levy or ‘tourism tax’ and has now published its proposals for how the scheme would work. Anyone staying in visitor accommodation in the city, such as a hotel, guest house, B&B or self-catering would pay a tax of 5% per night, up to a maximum of 7 nights. The tax would be collected by the accommodation provider and paid to the council, which expects to raise up to £50m per year as a result of the levy. The council is hoping to get the levy up and running by mid-2026. You can read more about the plans here.
The Federation of Small Businesses is keen to ensure that these plans work for smaller businesses in the city. It’s vital that they are adequately compensated for the additional burden of cost and administration that they are being asked to undertake and that they have a direct and meaningful voice in how the revenues are spent by the council. A full council consultation will be published in September. You can read more about our views here.
FSB Business Bootcamp: Helping Your Business Take Off
FSB’s hugely popular Business Bootcamp event is coming to the East of Scotland in September! Join us for a day of networking and inspiring speakers in the amazing setting of The Pavilion at Ingliston’s Royal Highland Centre. You’ll have the chance to learn in an interactive way from a team of experts and to grow your network in a fun and exciting setting. With presentations covering everything from recruiting staff to selling your business, there will be something for everyone looking to take their business journey to the next level.
In other news
East Lothian Supplier Survey
Do you do business with East Lothian Council? If you do, they would love to hear from you to find out your views on your experience. Their procurement team are looking for feedback from local suppliers on their experience tendering with them and would like to know how best to advertise upcoming opportunities to you. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and the survey is due to close on 17th September.
You can take part in the survey here.
Climate Ready South East Scotland
Are changes to our climate having an impact on your business? Have you been affected by flooding? Have extended periods of wet or dry weather caused you to have to reschedule work? What actions has your business taken to try to mitigate any climate related issues? If any of this applies to you, then Climate Ready South East Scotland would love to hear from you. They are looking for any data, evidence or plans related to climate risks and impacts, or adaptation actions and you can feed in to their call for evidence.
Still in the news
Fife Start-Up Grant
Did you know that if you intend to start a new business in Fife or have started one within the past 6 months, you could be entitled to a £500 grant towards your costs? This fund is open to new businesses who are working with Business Gateway and is open for applications until 31 January 2025.
Edinburgh Supplier Newsletter
In common with many local authorities across the country, the City of Edinburgh Council is looking for new ways to engage with its existing suppliers and with businesses who may be interested in selling their goods or services to the council. Their supplier newsletter is a great way of finding out how to engage with the council’s procurement team and to see what kinds of contracts are coming up.
More news and activity near you
Get in touch
Your FSB Development Manager for the East of Scotland is Garry Clark. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch.
- email: [email protected]
- follow us on X: @FSB_GarryC
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