Small Business Saturday

I always like to support small independent local shops where possible. So I was very interested to find that today is Small Business Saturday UK - a grassroots campaign that highlights small business success and encourages people to support local shops and small businesses in their area. 

Small businesses often offer specialised services and unusual products that are difficult to source from larger chains. Small businesses also invest a greater proportion of their profits back into the local community (rather than larger companies where the profits tend to go to the head office of the company). Shopping locally also cuts down on the carbon footprint of your weekly shop.


In addition to these benefits,small businesses also add to the sense of community in their local areas. 
 

Recent research, commissioned by American Express (founder of Small Business Saturday) shows that small shops across the country provide £537million worth of added-value services, going above and beyond for their customers and communities. These services include checking in on elderly and vulnerable neighbours, giving advice on personal matters and sourcing bespoke items.

The research shows that areas with more small independent shops also have a greater sense of community. Here are some selected findings from the research:

* People in these areas are twice as likely to say "hello" to people on their high street and twice as likely to chat to someone they do not know, compared to people in areas with fewer independent shops. 
* Sixty four per cent of shoppers in areas with a large number of small independent shops describe their local high street as the ‘heart of their community' (vs. 17 per cent in other areas).

* Living in an area that ‘feels friendly' (59 per cent) and ‘where there are familiar faces in the local area' (45 per cent) are considered amongst the most important in terms of generating a sense of wellbeing in a community.

So how about making a point of shopping in local independent shops today? If you want to do more, you can find out here how you can get further involved in Small Business Saturday.