Local economies and high streets received a boost last weekend, as shoppers got behind small businesses in support of the sixth annual Small Business Saturday.
With an estimated spend of £812 million across the UK on the day, according to research commissioned by principal supporter American Express, Small Business Saturday 2018 saw spending increase by 8 per cent on last year.
More than 250 small business organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses, supported the nationwide initiative, as did politicians including the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Mayor of London.
Small Business Saturday, which underscores the range and diversity of the country’s SMEs which make up 99.9 per cent of all private firms in the UK, also drew high engagement on social media. Tweets sent on the day reached more than 100 million people, with #SmallBizSatUK and #SmallBusinessSaturday trending in the UK’s top 5 throughout the day.
Michelle Ovens MBE, Director of Small Business Saturday comments: “In its sixth year, Small Business Saturday has once again captured the hearts and minds of the nation, boosting spending with Britain’s small independent businesses. It has been a challenging year for the high street, and so to see the amount spent on Small Business Saturday yet again is fantastic. Year-on-year, small businesses prove their importance to their communities, and consumers up and down the country respond with incredible support for and engagement in this important campaign.”
Liz Kemp, founder of Kemps General Store in North Yorkshire, one of the Small Biz 100 – the top UK small businesses chosen to represent the campaign in 2018 – says: “Small Business Saturday once again has put a focus on and provided exposure to the small business community. It is so important for us, as a small business, to have this opportunity to share ideas and best practice with one another and create wider support networks.
“As a campaign, it brings what could be disparate businesses together – independents become part of something bigger. It is a chance to show that shopping in a small business is more of an ‘experience’, a destination and something to be enjoyed rather than a functional interaction.
“This experience is something customers clearly appreciate, with the amount spent on Small Business Saturday in its sixth year once again hitting incredible heights. We hope this will be a launchpad for many who do not usually choose to shop local to do so more regularly.”
Caroline Clifton, founder of Brighton gift boutique Present in the Laine, another Small Biz 100 member adds: “Small Business Saturday has once again highlighted how important it is to shop small and shop local. This is vital for so many reasons, not least because it keeps my small business going, but also because it affords me an opportunity to support other small and local businesses – my suppliers. It is a day that draws customers in, which in turn allows small businesses to support one another in this way.
“In six years in the UK, Small Business Saturday has achieved such great things and engaged millions of people with businesses in their local areas. It shows that the high street is still thriving and that small businesses remain at the heart of their communities.”
At Beavis Morgan, we were once again proud to get behind the campaign, in support of small businesses across the UK which have a combined annual turnover of £2 trillion and employ 16.3 million people, emphasising the huge contribution that they make to our economy.
With extensive experience of providing specialist accounting, tax and business advice and planning to small, medium and growing businesses, we are committed to assisting you to remain profitable and increase your net worth.
For more information about how we can help you and your business, please contact Steve Govey or your usual Beavis Morgan Partner.