A new hope: Backing firms of the future
If you missed the big news of the last couple of weeks, you must have been hiding under a rock.
And no, I’m not talking about the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal – but rather Small Business Saturday, which is returning for a sixth year on 1 December.
This is the most important day in the calendar of small businesses up and down the country, and it is gaining increasing prominence in the minds of consumers.
The Butcher, the Baker…
We are living in incredibly uncertain times, and because of this, there has never been a more important moment to back the doers, the employers, the creators, and the builders that stabilise our economy and our communities.
Small Business Saturday is the day to do this.
From concerns about the future of the high street to confusion over Brexit, small businesses face incredible challenges right now.
Throw in the usual day-to-day challenges of launching, running, and keeping a business alive, and there is a lot for the UK’s 5.7m small business owners to deal with.
Hope for the high street
There is plenty of talk at the moment about the demise of the high street, and it would be easy to twiddle our thumbs and watch as another former retail staple bites the dust.
But that is not how we should react.
According to recent research from American Express, small businesses are the great hope of the high street.
Many sectors, including health and beauty and a number of services, are predicted to grow in the coming years, with small businesses leading the comeback. They are our greatest hope for growth, for innovation, and for the future of the UK.
This reminds me to feel hopeful. It reminds me that hope sits firmly with the small and agile businesses that will respond to these growing opportunities.
It also reminds me that it is important to support small businesses – not just because of what challenges them, but because of the often-unheralded opportunities that they create, and the positive impact that they make in their communities.
The spirit of business
Small businesses provide necessary services, such as support for schools and hospitals, mentoring and training for the long-term unemployed, and so much more.
The contribution of small businesses cannot be quantified in pure economical figures.
This is the ethos that we want reflected in the very DNA of Small Business Saturday.
Forget Black Friday
It is not all about the money, which is why we advocate that small businesses get involved in this campaign rather than Black Friday, when it’s not always feasible for smaller firms to make the same deep discounts as larger retailers.
Small Business Saturday is about so much more. Of course, small businesses can deliver incredible monetary value too, but they are also about people, about communities, connections and discovery.
So take some time out of your usual routine this Saturday and discover the incredible gems that surround you in your community.
You will find that these same small businesses are hiring people with disabilities, volunteering to coach the local football team, training young people in work skills, and all the while looking to create something new and exciting for your community. Get involved this weekend, and I challenge you not to be filled with hope too.