I felt a great sense of excitement when I first heard about Small Business Saturday which is taking place on 7th December. Have you heard of it?
The concept for Small Business Saturday started in America in 2010 and has been bought over here to help support and promote just that, small business. Small businesses are everywhere. In fact the more you think about it the more you can probably conjure up.
For me for example it means the sandwich shop where I buy my breakfast sometimes or lunch, the hairdresser I visit in the next village, the farm shop where I buy my Sunday meat, the butcher in the village where my son pops to pick up his weekend bacon for breakfast.
I love visiting these places because they are convenient, close, friendly and they serve great choice and quality with a super friendly smile. There are many other types of business which include restaurants, pubs, services such as plumbers, dressmakers and so on.
Almost all of the businesses that we partner at Foot Trails are small businesses including our hand-picked country inns and country pubs and fabulous friendly drivers.
The campaign highlights small businesses as unsung heroes. The statistics are staggering.
The great idea of the campaign is not to promote more mindless spending on more and more goods. It is promote to those who are going to be buying anyway to do so in small, independent shops rather than large national chains.
As well as often increased quality in goods in smaller shops, especially food for example in local specialists there are sound economic reasons why this is a good thing to do. Square foot for square foot it has been shown that local shops provide significantly more employment than national chains.
60% of the UK’s total private sector jobs are provided by SMEs (small medium sized enterprises) and these businesses provide 50% of UK GDP. They may be called small, but boy, these businesses are significant.
I think the term small business can be misleading. Bigger does not necessarily mean better. In fact where supermarkets are concerned for example I think you find more choice and quality in smaller specialists. And I know many committed, high quality and service focused small businesses.
Those who know me and Foot Trails know that I have long been an advocate of authentic and specialised, tailored experiences in travel rather than bigger mass tourism.
The Small Business campaign and its message has the backing of some impressive names including entrepreneurs Piers Linney, James Caan and Martha Lane Fox as well as 10 Downing Street. But excitingly, it is you the consumer who can make the biggest difference by showing your support through where you place your pounds and pence. You have the power in your hands, wallets and purses.
So, Small Business Saturday is almost upon us. This Saturday. Please think about where you shop and support our independents and fabulous small business. Now and all year round.
Alison
If you are a small business who wants to take part visit http://www.smallbusinesssaturday.com for a free pack
Foot Trails offer – Save 5% on Small Business Saturday
To mark Small Business Saturday Foot Trails is offering a 5% discount on every walking experience booked on this day (excluding gift vouchers) and giving away a free box of British chocolate truffles.
We are hugely proud to be one of 100 small businesses which have been promoted (one each day) in the run up to Small Business Saturday. Visit http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday
