Copyright scotsman
Lossiemouth will be the first stop this week as an annual UK-wide campaign to encourage people to shop local hits the road. The Moray town was due to host the Small Business Saturday roadshow today before it moves on to Aberdeenshire and then Edinburgh. The month-long tour aims to shine a light on the “real people, passion and creativity” behind the UK’s 5.6 million or so local small firms, celebrating their critical contribution to the economy, society and communities. The roadshow will ultimately travel in excess of 3,000 miles across the UK, visiting more than 20 towns and cities including Durham, Grimsby, Hereford and London. Supported by BT, the event will profile a diverse range of small businesses along the way, including stop offs at Moray Driftwood Designs in Lossiemouth, Deeside Stitches in Aberdeenshire, and JustBe Botanicals in Edinburgh. The main Small Business Saturday event will be held this year on Saturday December 6. Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign that celebrates small businesses and encourages consumers to support and spend with small firms. Backed by principal supporter American Express, the campaign has been running since 2013. Over this time it has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday. Make sure you keep up to date with breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. Alongside the roadshow, organisers will be offering small businesses across Scotland and the wider UK a month of dedicated, free online business support, including webinars on a wide range of small business topics, as well as mentoring from business experts. Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “We are excited to be starting this year’s tour in Scotland and visiting the nation’s favourite businesses in the lead up to Small Business Saturday on December 6. “The tour is a celebration of the phenomenal small businesses across the UK that make up the heart of communities. As we see renewed optimism from small businesses, underlined by the positive growth in the small business population, we want to showcase their inspiring stories and encourage everyone to support the small businesses that make the UK so vibrant.” A “small business happy hour” on Instagram will also take place weekly, featuring giveaways from local businesses across the UK. Chris Sims, chief commercial officer, UK business, at BT, said: “Small businesses are vital to the UK economy, and giving entrepreneurs the right support and guidance is crucial to their success. “The tour provides a valuable opportunity to connect directly with small businesses across the country, offering tailored guidance and practical resources to help them grow and adapt. It’s a powerful initiative that brings businesses together to drive innovation, strengthen local communities, and build a more resilient economy.” The Small Business Saturday tour team will travel across the UK in branded electric vehicles, as organisers look to “reflect the sustainable practices many small business owners are embracing in the race to net zero”. The tour concludes in London at the start of December.
