WE LOVE LOCAL BUSINESS!!!

Come and join us at our second BCA on tour event! No requirement for membership - just book a ticket and get along on the day to meet like minded, enthusiastic businesses and join us in the awesome patter.

BCA on tour offers Informal networking which showcases local business and local community causes. We have organised a series of completely free and completely awesome events at various different interesting venues across Ayrshire. Our bags are packed and we want you to join us!

Our second event takes us to our very own member: McColm Civil and Structural Engineers who will open their studio doors wide to welcome business owners and directors one and all! See behind the scenes how this thriving young engineering practice work together and produce their designs... If that isn't incentive enough, yes - there is Lego.

As ever, BCA on tour is a completely FREE business networking event, powered by Business Club Ayrshire. Ease yourself into Friday with blether about all things business with like minded people.
There will even be coffee...
See you there.

Watch this great promo video from BCA member Launch Digital, who have a proven track record for delivering engaging, exciting and functional designs. They make your brand standout, by making it an inspirational tool for your staff, clients and the wider community.

The award winning team of designers start every new project with a fresh approach, as every project has a different function and target audience, the Launch graphic design team create stunning, eye catching material designed to increase call to
actions, enquiries and set goals.

As an established family business Launch offer comprehensive on-going support and back up ensuring quality and customer satisfaction are at the top of the agenda at all times. Social responsibility is taken seriously by using energy saving equipment, recycling and reusing, including having a company EV for business trips, to reduce Launch’s carbon footprint.
Launch work closely with the local community and charities, ensuring to ‘give back’ where possible. The agency believes in equal opportunity and as an all inclusive, diverse and equal employer it makes Launch a great company to work for ensuring all employees are included in all decisions.

The Ayrshire Communities Trust’s green credentials were boosted recently when the Saltcoats-based organisation took delivery of its first electric vehicle.

The brand new, all electric Volkswagen Golf E was sourced and supplied by Ayrshire’s Vehicles4Work, and Director Patrick Kane was delighted to personally delivery and hand over the new car to the Trust’s team last month.
The plug-in car will help connect the Trust, also known as TACT, to the numerous community groups and projects it supports across North Ayrshire, enabling its experienced team to deliver various services whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
Operations Manager Kaileigh Brown and Employability Team Leader Cheryl Newall were on hand to take delivery of the Golf-E.
Kaileigh commented: “The Ayrshire Communities Trust provides support to community organisations throughout North Ayrshire and it is therefore essential that our team can travel the length and breadth of the area. Thanks to North Ayrshire Council’s Switched On Vehicles Grant, we are now able to do so sustainably, whilst helping demonstrate the viability of cleaner, greener electric cars to the wider community.”

Ayrshire-based Vehicles4Work sourced and supplied the car, working with the team at TACT to identify the type of electric car most suited to the Trusts’ needs. Patrick Kane, Sales Director at the independent car and van brokers, added: “We were delighted to help The Ayrshire Communities Trust identify and source their new car. The variety of electric and hybrid cars available is ever increasing, and so we carefully went through the options with the client. The Volkswagen Golf-E is the ideal fit, and we were very pleased to be able to source it directly from Volkswagen Financial Services | Fleet and hand it over personally to Kayleigh and the team at their Saltcoats head office.”

Check out the current offers below at Vehicles4work:

Tip 1 - Be Careful what you click

Avoid visiting unknown websites or downloading software from untrusted sources. These sites often host malware that will automatically, and often silently, compromise your computer.
If attachments or links in email are unexpected or suspicious for any reason, don't click on it.

Tip 2 - Install anti-virus protection

Only install an anti-virus program from a known and trusted source. Keep virus definitions, engines and software up to date to ensure your anti-virus program remains effective.

Tip 3 - Backup Your Data

Back up on a regular basis - if you are a victim of a security incident, the only guaranteed way to repair your computer is to erase and re-install the system.

Does your Company have the right level of IT Support?

We can offer you a number of IT services from consultancy right through to support with our Block Hours and Contracted Support service options.

Whether you prefer to have our dedicated IT staff on retainer, or just want to be able to get in contact with us as and when you need help, Halo can provide the level of service and support that your SME requires.

Business Club Ayrshire hosted the first BCA on tour event at HM Prison Kilmarnock on Tuesday 20th August. The event was a great success with members and visitors engaging in great networking, sharing ideas and building relationships for future business. HM Prison Kilmarnock shared their business opportunities and visions. Keep following BCA for information on our next event, get involved, gain new business and meet like-minded business people.

WE LOVE LOCAL BUSINESS!!!

Come and join us at our first ever BCA on tour event! No requirement for membership - just book a ticket and get along on the day to meet like minded, enthusiastic businesses and join us in the awesome patter.

BCA on tour offers Informal networking which showcases local business and local community causes. We have organised a series of completely free and completely awesome events at various different interesting venues across Ayrshire. Our bags are packed and we want you to join us!

Our first event takes us to HM Prison, Kilmarnock where we will learn about how the prison are offering skilled resources to rehabilitate inmates and add value to local businesses.

We will be joining some of the Prison's existing business customers and taking a tour of the workshop facilities .

Kilmarnock Prison's own team will kindly providing catering and there will be plenty of tasty breakfast treats, tea and coffee.

This proves to be a busy event and the tickets will be snapped up fast. GET ON IT and We'll see you there.

BCA had a great meeting this morning at Unity Grill in Ayr, the Unity Grill is a Social Restaurant in the heart of Ayrshire where 100% of profits are used to challenge food poverty, 'Eat Well. Do Good.’

IM training spoke to the group and tasked everyone with Health and Safety scenarios which business owners face everyday in various different situations. The talk highlighted gaps we all have in Health and Safety in our workplace and in our procedures. IM training, headed up by Iain Mackay, delivers training throughout Scotland ensuring Businesses and their Employees are Safe, Happy and Healthy at work.

1.Always treat newly-formed firms and new accounts with suspicion, beware of a new client trying to place a large order for their first or second order.

2.There are certain styles of business names long firm fraudsters seem to favour. Beware of the words, Euro, International, Worldwide, Wholesale, Trading and Distribution, please air particular caution to these types of businesses.

3.If the trader has been a long-established company, beware of rapid change in Directorship, Company Secretary etc. These indicate the company has changed ownership, and may have been hijacked by fraudsters to obtain credit.

4.Use a recognised credit reference agency to check the company or individual out in detail. If the company has submitted accounts to Companies House, check the dates match and the firm of accountants who submitted the accounts actually exist.

5.Check with the landlord of the premises and neighbouring businesses to confirm the length of occupancy.

6.Ensure receipt of original paperwork - never accept copies or faxed documents. Do not accept hand-written faxed orders for goods.

7.Ask for Trade References, don't just call the number supplied and ask them to supply you with information. Goggle map the business to check it actually exists and again ask neighbouring businesses how long they have been there for.

8.When following up a Trade Reference ask unusual questions like, Have you worked with this Company at any different addresses? Have they changed their names? How well do you know them? (If the person at the end of the phone is hesitant they are usually working from a script, which wont include questions like this)

9.Check the company has a website, and it looks genuine, there should be no spelling mistakes, and should relate to the business they carry out. If the website looks very basic, carry out more checks.

10.Fraudsters very rarely have company email addresses, they are usually linked to Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail Accounts, if this is the case your suspicions should be aroused straight away.