Times are difficult for many self employed business owners, and increasing costs leads to the need for increased income. GrowBiz is addressing this need with a special ‘sales’ focused session of its popular XChange networking event, which will include advice on how to find and retain customers.

On Thursday the 16th of June, GrowBiz will be celebrating 15 years of supporting rural enterprises with a special birthday event. The event is being held at Birnam Arts and will include an afternoon session with a drop-in support surgery offering 1-1 business advice, opportunities for informal networking and meeting the GrowBiz team, and an enterprise showcase. The showcase will feature a variety of local businesses owners who have benefited from GrowBiz support, and who demonstrate the diversity and innovation of enterprise in rural Perthshire and beyond.

The July Women’s Enterprise Networking event hosted by GrowBiz will be streamed live from a poly-tunnel! Attendees will be able to visit Lynbreck Croft, featured on BBC's This Farming Life, from the comfort of home and hear guest speaker Lynn Cassells’ inspiring story of how she and co-owner, Sandra, created a thriving croft in the Cairngorms National Park with no previous agricultural background or farming experience.

GrowBiz are delighted to have Willie Cameron as the guest speaker for the May XChange networking event on Thursday the 27th May from 6pm. Known as Mr Loch Ness, Willie is a leading light in the development of tourism, both at Loch Ness and the Highlands in general. As the founder of Loch Ness Marketing (LNM), he has worked with film, TV and media for 26 years and has become a sought-after speaker, mentor and motivator.

The online Women's Enterprise Network meetings are an informal and supportive place for women starting, running or growing a business in rural Scotland. This month's guest speaker has had a somewhat unusual enterprise journey — after 22 jobs, from aerobics instructor to psychotherapist, she finally found a way to draw on all these career experiences, as well as ‘real life’, and channel them into running her own farm diversification business.

GrowBiz is excited to welcome a panel of diverse young business owners to its free April XChange networking event on Thu, 29 April, 18:00 – 20:00. It will be important to encourage more young people to stay in rural and island areas to ensure there’s a sustainable economic recovery. But there are many challenges to overcome, not least the problem of limited employment opportunities. With the right support, self-employment and business creation can provide a solution. And there are many young people who want to create their own futures through enterprise.