Small Business Saturday Businesses Invited to 10 Downing St.

Anne Morgan, owner of Anne Morgan Jewellery, a gallery that specialises in selling handmade jewellery by 30 jewellery designer makers as well as her own work, joined other small business owners at a reception at No.10 Downing Street attended by the Small Business Minister Margot James.

Prime Minister Theresa May said about the initiative, “Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for us to celebrate the success of the UK’s 5.4 million small businesses - from family run restaurants, to innovative tech start-ups, to local corner shops.
I’m delighted that we had such a great representation of firms here in Downing Street to mark this event and recognise the prosperity they bring to the UK.”

Small Business Saturday, a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, places small, independent businesses in communities across the country in the national spotlight. Its aim is to prompt people not only to spend money with small independent businesses in the run-up to Christmas but also to create a mind-set to support them all year round.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, added, “The UK’s 5.5 million small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating millions of jobs in communities across the country and helping to build an economy that works for all.
“I am proud to be joining Small Business Saturday in championing them, and would encourage as many people as possible to get out to their local high street this weekend to do the same.”

Small businesses around the UK have planned events, promotions and other activities to attract clients and customers to them not only on December 3rd but also beyond. The campaign team has also completed a five-week nationwide bus tour to all regions in the UK to promote Small Business Saturday locally visiting 29 towns and cities in 27 days.

“Its been an amazing experience to promote Small Business Saturday at number 10. I exhibit a variety of jewellers, who comprise of 23,050 craft-making businesses in the UK and the craft industry’s  total income is £457m     (source Craft in an age of Change, Crafts Council 2012). We all make original unique pieces that are all handmade. Informing my customers where and how their jewellery has been made is really important to me. We’re hoping that Small Business Saturday will encourage people to think about shopping with independent small business like myself not just on Small Business Saturday but all year round." Said Anne Morgan.

American Express was the founder of the campaign in the US and is the principal supporter of Small Business Saturday UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small. The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation as well as other corporate supporters including PRS For Music, TalkTalk Business, Vistaprint, Post Office, Clear Channel, STIHL, Dropbox, Facebook, Virgin Media Business and Indeed.

“Small Business Saturday has become an exceptional example of collaboration and co-operation with small businesses teaming up in communities around the UK,” explains Campaign Director Michelle Ovens. “We aim to showcase the level of diversity, innovation and talent that is active within our small business sector and persuading people to get out and support their friends, neighbours and family members and reinforce local communities and economies.”

www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com