Scottish Borders

Business Gateway Scottish Borders was established in 2001 to help support individuals and businesses with quality, practical advice, guidance and information. By assisting new and developing businesses, we can contribute to the Scottish Borders' diverse and dynamic economy by offering the following services.

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Meet the Team

Within the Scottish Borders, there are a number of initiatives which are delivered through Business Gateway and our local partners, to provide support for new and existing businesses.

Neil
Manager
Neil manages the Business Gateway Team across the Scottish Borders as well as the Client hub for South of Scotland Enterprise who deliver the service on behalf of Scottish Borders Council. He was previously with Business Gateway in Dumfries & Galloway and has delivered Welfare to Work programmes for DWP. Prior to that he was in the polymer industry for over 25 years and has a wide range of experience from that time including Sales, Engineering, Marketing, Operations, Manufacturing and working internationally. He lists his specialities as marketing, IP and spreadsheets. Away from work he can be found holidaying in Italy.
Liam
Business Adviser
Liam is a Business Adviser within the Business Gateway Scottish Borders team. Previously as the Business Development Assistant, Liam has over 3 years’ experience in assisting start-ups. He has recently completed his Premier Advisor and a Digital Marketing qualification. With experience in areas such as marketing, finance, customer service and sales, Liam is well equipped to serve all clients, ensuring emerging entrepreneurs receive the guidance and support they need. As a native to the Scottish Borders, Liam has a unique understanding of the different challenges and opportunities that start-ups in the region face.
Caja
Business Adviser
Caja is another of our Business Advisers for Business Gateway in the Scottish Borders and joined Business Gateway in 2023 as a Business Assistant. Caja has been involved in the running of many small businesses in the area for the past 25 years. Working in hospitality, flooring, photography, and the greeting card industry. She has wide experience through the start-up process and in providing excellent customer service in the businesses. She prides herself on being an excellent listener and that will help build strong relationships with founders, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and business owners across the highly varied customer base we have in the Borders. She also works closely with colleagues and students in the local Higher Education establishments to help grow the next generation of new business owners. She has recently completed her coaching qualification. Caja understands the key elements of running a business and the many challenges that are faced in those early years. She is passionate about supporting others from the area on their journey into Self-Employment. In her spare time, Caja enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking the dog and eating out.
Nicola
Business Adviser
Nicola joined the Business Gateway Scottish Borders team as a Business Adviser in November 2025. She brings a warm, approachable style to supporting founders and small business owners, and is known for being down to earth, relatable and genuinely invested in helping people turn their ideas into reality. Nicola originally worked as a Business Adviser with Business Gateway Dumfries and Galloway building strong experience in supporting start ups and growing businesses. In her early career, she worked in HR roles across both the public and private sectors in the UK and New Zealand. In between her two chapters at Business Gateway Nicola worked on a variety of business development projects and has spent the last nine years self employed. During this time, she has launched and run a successful dog grooming salon and for the last five years has run her own health and nutrition coaching business, supporting more than 125 women through one to one coaching/mentoring. Nicola holds the Premier Adviser qualification, and her approach is straightforward, pragmatic and focused on helping business owners gain clarity and take meaningful steps forward. Outside of work, she’s passionate about self development, fitness and nutrition. You’ll often find her out walking, usually plugged into a great audiobook.
Caitlin
Business Assistant
Caitlin is the first point of contact for Business Gateway in the Scottish Borders, supporting clients whether they reach out by phone, email, or through the website. With a strong background in customer service, hospitality, and event coordination, she brings an organised and client‑focused approach to every interaction. Caitlin plays a key role in welcoming new entrepreneurs into the service, guiding them through initial enquiries and helping them connect with the right support. Alongside her frontline responsibilities, Caitlin works closely with local schools to inspire and encourage young entrepreneurs, helping them explore their ideas and take their first steps into business. In addition to her administrative experience, Caitlin has hands‑on exposure to marketing and manufacturing, giving her a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by early‑stage businesses. She enjoys being part of a team that supports the region’s diverse business community and is always looking for ways to make the client journey smoother and more engaging.

There are many ways we can support your start-up journey.

Our Business Support 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, articles and video tutorials. 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 Business Support tool and get a personalised dashboard of online resources and webinars.

We can also offer 1-1 advice at a time that works for you. Together, you and your business adviser can create a strategic action plan to help you achieve your goals.

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.

As part of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) Digital Pathfinder Borders College (BC) and Dumfries and Galloway College (DGC), in collaboration with partners, have developed an innovative and interactive Digital Skills Provision Map for businesses across the South of Scotland.

The SFC’s Digital Pathfinder programme, which has been led by both of the colleges during 2023, has aimed to help the region become more competitive by facilitating the delivery of higher-level digital skills for both businesses and individuals.

Now both educational institutions, supported by a range of partners, have created a Digital Skills Provision Map which simplifies access to local digital skills support by outlining what digital skills learning, training and development is available from the main public, third sector and education providers.

The map, which will be updated annually, shows businesses where to go to source the digital education, training, and development they need and contains links to access further information.

As well as BC and DGC, 14 other partners were involved in the production of the map, including: Business Gateway Borders; Business Gateway D&G; CGI; Eco Group; SenseOn; Skills Development Scotland; South of Scotland Enterprise and Third Sector Dumfries & Galloway.

The Digital Skills Provision Map makes access to digital skills development easy and is designed to make the future simpler for businesses across the region.

A copy of the map can be downloaded here.

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.

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.

Want to speak to the team?

We offer local advice, webinars, events, networking and much more. So get in touch with us today.

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Want to visit us?

We are available for walk-ins Monday - Friday.

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Upcoming events in Scottish Borders

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Business Start-up Support - Meet the Advisor Drop-in ( SELKIRK )

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