#SmallBiz100 organisers looking for most impressive independent companies
Small businesses can always do with extra help and that’s what the #SmallBiz100 offers, with applications now open.
The annual 100-day countdown to Small Business Saturday, the organisers are after entries to choose as the most impressive small firms, following in the footsteps of publisher Dotty About Braille and indie retailers Maybugs, Independent Design Collective and The Cotswold Eco Company from last year.
Small Business Saturday claims to be the UK’s most successful small business campaign, which takes place each year on the first weekend in December, celebrating small businesses and encouraging consumers to shop small and support businesses in their communities.
This year’s date is 7 December, and 100 days before the Small Biz 100 kicks off featuring a different company each day to highlight how much small businesses contribute to the country.
“I can’t tell you how much being selected for this helped my business,” said Dotty About Braille founder Hayley Kellard, who specialises in braille greeting cards for visually-impaired people. “It gave me a much-needed boost in confidents, it’s led to some really exciting opportunities and has enabled me to be part of a friendly, supportive network.”
Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK, explained that applications close on 30 June, and the successful businesses will be notified in August, with the 100-day promotion starting on 29 August this year.
As well as being featured on the website, each firm gets allocated a day when it is promoted across Small Business Saturday’s social media channels, and there are plenty of PR opportunities as local press to get involved, with the campaign happy to help prepare press releases and share good news from current and previous #SmallBiz100 companies.
For the last 10 years, the 100 have also joined the Small Business Saturday team in London at receptions in Downing Street, House of Lords and the Treasury Drum with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Originally founded by American Express in the US in 2010, the payment card company is still the grassroots non-commercial campaign’s principal supporter as it moves into its second decade in the UK,
And organisers are stressing the need for ongoing support from the support for small businesses, as they face serious challenges from the cost-of-living crisis, on top of prolonged challenges.
On Small Business Saturday, customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, from independent greeting card and gift shops and restaurants to small service and B2B-based firms like accountants and plumbers. Many take an active role in promoting the day by hosting events and offering promotions.
To apply for #SmallBiz100 2304 click here, or you can register with Small Business Saturday which helps improve your business’s visibility, making you searchable via the business finder on its website which is regularly promoted across social media. It’s also a great place to promote special offers, and to pick up tips and advice from other small businesses.
