The Small Business Saturday Tour Bus is coming to Ship Street Brighton between 10am-2pm on 22 November 2018.
Small Business Saturday UK, the nationwide campaign to support and promote the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses, is currently touring the country to spotlight and support the nation’s top growth businesses.
Now in its sixth year, the Small Business Saturday campaign bus is travelling over 3000 miles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, visiting 30 locations over 25 days.
The Small Business Saturday UK campaign team offers free mentoring sessions to small businesses, including mentors from bus tour supporter Xero's network of accountants, and many more.
Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Dee Simson, BHCC Lead Member for Economic Development and Social Value, Nancy Platts, Gavin Stewart from Brilliant Brighton (BID), Martin Searl from the Federation of Small Business and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kelly Tolhurst MP will be among those welcoming the bus and businesses on-board in Brighton.
Up to 20 small businesses will be exhibiting their products and services outside the bus and will be profiled across the campaign’s social media channels. Forty small businesses will also win the chance to have their logo featured on the Small Business Saturday bus, via a social media competition.
With an aim to shine a spotlight on the UK’s top small businesses, the campaign will feature its special ‘Blue Sofa’ interview series, where small businesses, entrepreneurs and leading local figures can share their stories about their business or local area, to a Facebook live audience.
Cllr Nancy Platts says: “I’m delighted to be welcoming the Small Business Saturday bus to the city. Brighton & Hove is home to an abundance of start-ups and independent retailers so the tour is especially relevant for a large number of people here and this is a great opportunity to highlight the support that’s out there for them.
“Small Business Saturday is more than just one shopping day, it’s a reminder to us all to support the local businesses that contribute hugely to our sense of community and the distinctive personality the city is well-known for”.
Michelle Ovens MBE, Director, Small Business Saturday, says: “From Birkenhead to Belfast, Glasgow to Carmarthen, The Small Business Saturday bus will travel the country to celebrate the UK’s fantastic growing businesses and shine a spotlight on their success. This tour is a way for us to give back to businesses at the heart of communities – celebrating them, championing them and providing a listening ear and a chance for mentoring. The tour is not just open to businesses, it’s open to everyone – every individual who can take a moment to appreciate the far-reaching impact small businesses have on their community.’
The Small Business Saturday Bus Tour is an important part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday, taking place on 1 December 2018. It follows the recent launch of the UK’s Small Biz 100 – a daily celebration of 2018’s top small businesses from across the UK.
Small businesses can book mentoring sessions during the bus tour through the Small Business Saturday website.
Mentoring is an important and valued source of support for small businesses in their local communities. Recent research from peak b revealed that small businesses play a pivotal role as employers and change-makers in the local communities, with many small business owners stepping up to mentor others and 28% offering training for the wider community.
Now in its sixth year Small Business Saturday is the UK's most successful small business campaign, which last year saw an estimated £748m spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday.
A grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010. American Express remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.
In Brighton & Hove, there are 15,900 people employed in retail of which:
This equates to:
Data from Regeneris and the Brilliant Brighton BID