Small Business Saturday tour launches in Blackburn

Small Business Saturday, the annual initiative to promote local businesses, will kick off its 2019 campaign in Blackburn.

 

Setting off from Blackburn en route to Birkenhead, the Small Business Saturday UK campaign bus will travel more 3,000 miles in total across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, visiting 30 locations over 25 days.

The bus will offer free mentoring sessions to small businesses, including mentors from Xero’s network of specialist accountants. At each stop, twenty local small businesses will board the bus to exhibit to the public and encourage people to get behind the campaign.

The bus stop features a special ‘Blue Sofa’ interview series, where small businesses, entrepreneurs and leading local figures will share stories about their experiences in the local area to a Facebook live audience.

Organisers opted to focus on the north west, identifying it as a "growing business hotspot".

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “We are excited for the Small Business Saturday bus tour to launch in the North West, a region that continues to grow and whose small businesses have a huge impact on their communities.

"The bus tour will be a fantastic opportunity to champion small businesses in Blackburn, Birkenhead and beyond, while providing a place for discussion and mentoring. The tour is not just open to businesses, it’s open to everyone – as all individuals can appreciate the far-reaching impact small businesses have on their community.”

Almost 10 per cent of the UK’s Gross Value Added came from the region according to latest figures from the ONS, bringing more than £167bn to the economy through 530,000 registered businesses.

There are 5.6 million small businesses (0-49 employees) across the country, accounting for 99.3% of the private sector, and employing 12.9 million people.

Small business minister Kelly Tolhurst MP, said: “With more than 1,000 starting up every day, the UK’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy.

“The Small Business Saturday bus tour showcases the vital contribution they make to our economy and communities up and down the country. I would like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the tour and the day itself.”

  A grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the US in 2010. American Express remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.