A series of free workshops are being held in Douglas to help preserve, grow and protect businesses.

Manninvest is hosting the practical business clinics covering cybersecurity and data protection, marketing, investment pitching and human resources.

Each workshop, which will run from 12.30-1.30pm, will be led by a recognised industry expert who will also be available on the day for free one-to-one private appointments.

In addition to the seminars anyone can book to use the facilities at Manninvest’s serviced offices on the day of the workshops.

These include desks, a ’colourful’ comfort area, free wi-fi, parking, coffee, tea and croissants. Manninvest’s business development director, Richard MacNee, told the Manx Independent: ’These free training sessions are the perfect way to get business skills up to speed.

’We have some very experienced specialists leading the clinics and we hope these key business topics will be useful and practical. On the same day as the workshops we are inviting people to come and give our serviced offices a try, for free.

’All you need to do is book in advance through the Manninvest website or Eventbrite so we can brew the coffee and order the croissants.’

Anyone wanting to set up a private meeting with the expert on the day they are doing a workshop needs to send an email to [email protected] with a brief explanation of what they would like to discuss and with who.

The cybersecurity and data protection workshops will be run by Skanco Business Systems’ senior technical consultant, Lee Williamson.

He is an established speaker and trainer on the topic.

Lee’s sessions will have an interactive format with games, demonstrations and videos.

These sessions will use understandable, non-technical language allowing attendees to get the basics of what cybersecurity is about and how hackers can target both companies and individuals.

The human resources workshops will be led by Global People Solutions, a HR consultancy. The workshops will be led by Elaine Codona who is said to be experienced in supporting businesses to get the best from their people.

This has involved recruitment, leading change programmes, creating talent development plans and managing complex employee relations issues.

She is a member of the Institute of Directors and a chartered member of the The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a member of the International Coach Federation.

A marketing session will be run by Alison Teare from Simply Marketing. She is an entrepreneur and business owner and a qualified marketer through the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Director of Douglas-based Reeoil David Butterworth will lead a workshop on how to pitch to investors. He’s a former managing director of Skanco and now a non-executive director. He has a great deal of experience working with emerging and existing business in the information technology sector.

Seven workshops will take place, the first being next Wednesday [October 17].

The others will follow on various Wednesdays until December 5. All the events take place at Manninvest, First Floor, Skanco Court, Cooil Road, Douglas IM2 2SR.

Bookings can also be made through www.manninvest.com