West Lothian

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.

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.

New and aspiring business owners may be eligible for our Intro to Business Grant. This grant has been created to assist eligible West Lothian residents with the costs of starting a new business (such as purchasing essential equipment and tools), and to help them overcome any barriers that are preventing them from getting started. This fund is available for businesses that have been trading for a maximum of 6 months.

We also offer a High Growth Start Up Grant, for eligible local businesses within the first 18 months of trading that are VAT registered or have a turnover of £60K+. With this grant, the business can receive grant support of up to £4,000 to bring new products to market, attend trade events and build capacity.

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.

You could also be eligible for our Digital Development Grant , which is part funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is aimed at enhancing the digital capabilities of Scottish businesses. VAT registered business can apply for funding of up to £7,500 (against a total project cost of £15k), and business that are not VAT registered can apply for grants of up to £1,000 (against a project spend of £2,000). Businesses must be SMEs and have been trading for a minimum of 6 months.

We offer a variety of workshops and events exclusively for business women based in West Lothian, including our popular West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship Programme.

To stay up to date with the latest news and opportunities, you can join our West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship private group on Facebook.

To discuss funding requirements please visit the Business Loans Scotland or call 01506 283 260.

Anyone starting a registered childminding business in West Lothian is eligible to apply. To find out more visit the West Lothian Council website.

These include:

• Environmental Health and Trading Standards - They enforce a range of consumer legislation through inspection of trade premises, testing equipment, sampling goods and investigating complaints. Call 01506 282 500 to find out more.
• Licensing - Find out if your business needs a license to trade and how to apply. Call 01506 281 632 for more information.
• Planning - Guidance on all the aspects of the planning process. For more information call 01506 282 456.
• Business Rates - For information on the billing or collection of Business Rates call 01506 776 982.
• Commercial Property - The council provides a search facility to help businesses find property to suit their needs. Call 01506 283 285.

For more information on these services call 01506 777 400 or visit the West Lothian Council website.

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.

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.