Small Business Saturday and why being small is good for business!

At the start of 2020 there were 5.9 million businesses in the UK with 0-49 employees. Small companies mean big business, with SMEs making up 99.9% of all UK based companies. From sole traders, to small family businesses, and growing companies, small businesses are vital for our economy.

Promoting small businesses in the UK - Small BusinessSaturday

2020 marks the eighth anniversary of Small Business Saturday in the UK – a dedicated campaign to raise the profile of UK small businesses. Small Business Saturday is held on the first Saturday in December and this year is on the 5th December.

The impact of Small Business Saturday

The initiative encourages consumers to shop locally and support small local businesses. Last year saw the biggest campaign in the UK to-date, resulting in:.

• £800m being spent with small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2019.
• 17.6 million people shopping in small businesses on the day.

The value of local – why it matters to consumers

A major driver behind Small Business Saturday is encouraging consumers to shop locally. The benefits to customers of this approach are well documented. The Guardian sets out seven reasons for shopping locally , including boosting the local economy, ethics & environmentalism and the value of supporting local communities and entrepreneurs. For small businesses, reminding customers of these benefits can help them to compete with bigger national and international companies selling similar products.

Local, independent, small: they’re all USPs

In a globalised world there is often an expectation on businesses to think internationally and strive to compete with the multinationals. However in many industries and sectors the opposite may actually serve businesses better. A businesses’ location, small size, place in the community and ability to offer a personal service can all become assets and unique selling points (USPs) to customers.

 The millennial factor

Research suggests that millennials (those currently aged18-35s) are shopping very differently to previous generations. Recent insights from the FedEx centre for small business centre suggests that 40% of millennials prefer to buy locally , even if it means paying more. They value knowing more about where the products they buy come from and who is involved in their creation. As this age group continues to increase their purchasing power, the significance of business values as a sales driver could continue to grow.

Communicating values to boost sales

For businesses with a physical shop or storefront, gaining recognition as a local business is easier. For online sellers, conveying values like geography, personal service and brand storytelling can be more difficult. Getting involved in campaigns like Small Business Saturday is one way to communicate these values. But a company’s website, social media and email campaigns are key channels to communicate values to customers.

Digital marketing support for small and medium businesses in Devon and Exeter

We’re a small website design business in Exeter and so we know what it's like to work in the south west and how important it is to connect to your customers. We can work with you to ensure your social media channels , website content and email campaigns are saying the right things about your business to get noticed by customers. We use keyword research to identify the search terms that will help you rank well with search engines. We also understand how to use pay-per-click marketing tools to place your business at the forefront for Devon and Exeter web searches.

If you’d like to discuss how digital marketing can help your business please get in touch .