Organisations Urged To Get Involved With Small Business Saturday Again

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being encouraged to throw their weight behind the second annual Small Business Saturday, which will be taking place on December 6th 2014.

A non-political, non-commercial event, it aims to celebrate the nation's most innovative organisations and encourage people to shop in their local stores or use nearby services as opposed to relying on big brands all the time.

Last year, leading business organisations including the Association of City and Town Management, Association of Convenience Stores, Ingenious Britain and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) all added their support to the initiative and it is hoped many more will get behind it for 2014.

The scheme was also well-received by members of the public, with 48 per cent of UK consumers aware of the day last year and an amazing £460 million spent in small businesses as a result. The Twitter hashtag #SmallBizSatUK was trending in the top three all day and 40 per cent of all local authorities helped out by showing their support too.

FSB national chairman John Allan said: "The FSB was thrilled with the success of the first Small Business Saturday and we look forward to helping make this year an even greater celebration of small businesses."

Prime minister David Cameron pointed out that small businesses are not only vital for the economy and the ongoing economic recovery, but they also provide an essential community feel in towns and villages.

"Small Business Saturday is an important reminder that we need to celebrate small businesses not just on one day, but all year round," he added.

To get involved, SME owners can visit the Small Business Saturday website and download a digital pack or organise to have one sent to them by post. The packs contain posters and resources designed to help them make the most of the event.

There are also dedicated Facebook and Twitter pages, with companies potentially able to get a social media mention if they let the organisers know about their plans in good time.

Expert Opinion

Small Business Saturday is a great initiative which puts the focus back on the products and services that ambitious growing firms across the UK offer. Small firms are hugely important in a number of ways, not just in economic terms but also in terms of bringing new skills and talent to both the communities and sectors that they function within. <br/> <br/>"The Government has long-held views that the strong performance of SMEs is key to the economic recovery, so it is likely that this year’s initiative will get a very strong push in terms of awareness. <br/> <br/>"However, it is vital that this campaign does not boil down to purely a day of using small business services, but is instead the beginning of a continued effort to understand and appreciate what these businesses offer." Fergal Dowling - Partner