Small Business Saturday has confirmed the 21 towns and cities it will visit on its 2023 national roadshow, as the campaign gears up to highlight the nation’s most loved independents and calls on local business owners to get involved.
Supported by BT, ‘The Tour’ will kick off in Inverness on 30 October. It will then travel all over the country for a month to visit and shine a light on the contribution of the UK’s vibrant small business economy.
Destinations will include Fife, Glasgow, Belfast, Chester, Newcastle, Rydeale, York, Manchester, Wrexham, Peterborough, Birmingham, Hereford, Cardiff, Falmouth, Exeter, Bournemouth, Brighton and Whitstable. The Tour will then finish in London ahead of Small Business Saturday on 2 December.
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign
It celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and to support businesses in their communities. The campaign is now in its second decade in the UK, backed by principal supporter American Express.
Alongside the roadshow, the campaign will also offer small businesses everywhere in the UK a month of free online support, with daily workshops and mentoring covering a wide range of relevant topics as well as insight sessions with small businesses and industry experts.
Commenting is Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK. “The UK’s fantastic entrepreneurs work tirelessly to make an incredible contribution to the economy but continue to face a really tough time.
“It is more important than ever that we support and recognise their efforts. The Tour will showcase these exceptional and innovative small businesses and the amazing contribution they make to local areas, whilst also offering them vital support both in-person and online.”
Focus on sustainability
With sustainability and energy saving high on the agenda for small firms, The Tour will make use of electric vehicles to reduce emissions and reflect the sustainable switches many small business owners are making as part of their vital role in the race to net zero. This will include touring with a state-of-the-art eco-friendly electric bike – the Electro Ride X – from innovative London electric motorbike company, Stirling Eco.
Also commenting is Chris Sims, BT’s MD for Small and Medium Enterprise. “During this tough economic situation, it’s important that we give Britain’s entrepreneurs all the support they need to succeed. The Tour is a brilliant way for small businesses across the country to get tailored support around growing their capability for the future.
“We are delighted to be supporting this effort once again through our Skills for Tomorrow offering, which has helped over one million entrepreneurs grow their small businesses with free digital skills training.”
The Small Business Saturday tour will visit the following UK locations:
- Monday 30 October – Inverness
- Tuesday 31 October – Fife
- Wednesday 1 November – Glasgow
- Thursday 2 November – Belfast
- Friday 3 November – Chester
- Monday 6 November – Newcastle
- Tuesday 7 November – Ryedale
- Wednesday 8 November – York
- Thursday 9 November – Manchester
- Friday 10 November – Wrexham
- Monday 13 November – Peterborough
- Tuesday 14 November – Birmingham/ Knowle
- Wednesday 15 November – Hereford
- Thursday 16 November – Cardiff
- Friday 17 November – Bristol/Bath
- Monday 20 November – Falmouth
- Tuesday 21 November – Exeter
- Wednesday 22 November – Bournemouth
- Thursday 23 November – Brighton
- Friday 24 November – Whitstable
- Monday 27 November – Aldgate
- Tuesday 28 November – Islington
- Wednesday 29 November – London, Richmond Park
For more information on Small Business Saturday and to get involved in The Tour, please click here.
