Two small business owners from Chester visited Downing Street last week to mark Small Business Saturday.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Small Business Saturday is the nationwide campaign to support, inspire and promote the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses. This year it has again selected 100 small businesses for the Small Biz 100, including Chester based Pink Spaghetti PA services and commercial comparison website Businesscomparison.com.
Pink Spaghetti franchisee Michelle Collins has relished the support and national networking opportunities over the past months at both the annual Blue Tie ball and the Downing Street event.
Businesscomparison.com which is based at the Steam Mill Business Centre in Chester was chosen as a champion of the event which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ by using the businesses on their doorstep.
Head of the comparison website Philip Brennan helped to raise awareness in the run-up to Small Business Saturday by also visiting 10 Downing Street.
He said: “It’s fantastic that the needs of the small business community are being brought to the attention of decision makers at Downing Street.
“At Businesscomparison.com we’re excited to be involved in such a unique event. Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy and, as such, deserve recognition for the contribution they make to the economy. The Small Business Saturday team do a great job of banging the drum for SMEs.”
Small Business Saturday receives widespread support from local authorities across the country, from business and from government. Economic Secretary Stephen Barclay MP attended the gathering on Thursday (November 30) along with Small Business Saturday campaign director Michelle Ovens MBE and other small business owners from across the country.
Michelle Ovens MBE said: “Small Business Saturday shines a spotlight on our local businesses to show how vitally important they are to individual communities and the UK as a whole. We are encouraging everyone to support the small businesses near them this Saturday, by shopping local, and also giving them their backing into 2018 and beyond.”
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Stephen Barclay MP said: “It’s great to welcome so many business owners to Number 10 to show our appreciation for the crucial contribution they make to Britain. Small businesses are vital to a thriving and competitive economy that is fit for the future, so it’s great to see that the number of small businesses in the UK has been growing in recent years. We hope the country will join us in championing the UK’s small businesses, and support them this Saturday.”
The UK’s small businesses made £717 million on Small Business Saturday in 2016, which was a 15% rise on the previous year according to research by principal supporter, American Express.
