The campaign will profile small businesses in Manchester on 7 November, as well as providing free business support as firms face a raft of winter challenges
Small firms from across the North West will be put on the map by the Small Business Saturday campaign, as it unveils a nationwide roadshow to support and celebrate the nation’s small businesses as they face mounting challenges over the winter.
Marking ten years of the campaign in the UK, Small Business Saturday’s Tour will arrive in Manchester on 7 November and will go on to visit independent businesses across the city, spotlighting local business owners and community leaders through interviews on social media. Local entrepreneurs from across the area are being encouraged to sign up and get involved.
Once again supported by BT Skills for Tomorrow, ‘The Tour’ will set off in Scotland on 31 October, and go on to visit 23 towns and cities across the UK during November, as part of the official count down to Small Business Saturday on 3 December.
As the roadshow makes its way around the UK there will also be opportunities for business owners across the North West to take part in Small Business Saturday’s wider online programme of free business support that will run for a month from 31 October.
Virtual workshops and webinars on a range of business topics will be offered each day, as well as free one-to-one mentoring and opportunities for small businesses to tell their stories and network on Small Business Saturday’s social media channels.
A Small Business Happy Hour on Instagram will also take place each day with giveaways from local businesses all over the country that everyone can enter.
“We are so excited to be visiting small businesses in Manchester and across the UK, as we count down to Small Business Saturday with this tour,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK.
“This year’s campaign is all about shining a light on the nation’s fantastic small firms and showing them some major love, at a time when many are facing a lot of challenges. I would encourage all small businesses across the North West to get involved, whether it is in person or online.”
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and to support businesses in their communities. The iconic campaign is celebrating its tenth year in the UK this year, with principal supporter American Express.
Chris Sims, Managing Director Small and Medium Enterprise at BT, said: “The Tour is a fantastic initiative to reach out and support small businesses with the skills they need to scale up in key areas such as digital marketing and sustainability. We are delighted to be supporting it again this year, bringing insight from both our BT Skills for Tomorrow offering, as well as our new Digital Marketing Hub. In these challenging times for businesses we hope this provides a catalyst for growth in the lead up to the festive period, which is typically a very important time of year for these types of enterprise.”
With sustainability and energy saving high on the agenda for small firms, ‘The Tour’ features a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles – including an electric van and ‘delivery style’ push bike – that reflect the sustainable switches many small business owners are making, whilst also highlighting the vital role small firms play in the race to net zero.
To get involved in The Tour locally, or book virtual one-to-one mentoring sessions and workshops, small businesses should visit https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/the-tour
