SMALL BUSINESS BRITAIN
active and welcoming community. Businesses can also keep an eye out for opportunities to apply to be part of our specific campaigns or to apply for next year’s Small Awards.
Tell us about your Business for Good programme Michelle Ovens CBE: The Business for Good Programme is a free six- week training programme designed to help small businesses on their sustainability journeys, and help them to create a positive social and environmental impact within their business. We cover topics such as sustainable marketing, financing sustainability and accreditations to help businesses navigate the important but complex sustainability space. The programme is the second sustainability course we have delivered, the first being Small Business Sustainability Basics last year, and both have been incredibly successful and worthwhile. Thanks to both programmes, we have built up an active and thriving community of like-minded small businesses who aim to make a positive impact in society.
inclusive campaigns such as ƒ:entrepreneur, a campaign that celebrates female entrepreneurship, i:entrepreneur which highlights entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, and d:entrepreneur telling the stories of disabled entrepreneurship. We offer an ongoing programme of free training which builds skills, confidence and motivation, along with enabling collaboration and connection. This training includes a range of workshops, webinars, “power hour” round table style sessions and events. The training is delivered in partnership with leading experts and bigger businesses on topics such as digital skills, getting paid on time and sustainability. Our programmes are all free and open to small businesses in the UK – no matter their location, size, industry or where they are in their journey. Through access to Small Business Britain’s large, diverse community we can provide rapid insight into what the UK’s small business owners need. We produce a series of research reports on key issues around entrepreneurship. For example, we recently delivered our How to Grow report with TSB which looked at how businesses can continue to grow and thrive in the uncertain economic climate. We also host an annual awards ceremony, The Small Awards, which was launched in 2017 and targets the whole small business sector focusing on businesses often overlooked by other awards. With 5.5 million small businesses in the UK, there are huge numbers of small businesses doing great things that may not be recognised by awards due to geography, scale or even awareness of the benefits such awards can bring.
How would it benefit independent retailers and suppliers? Michelle Ovens CBE: Independent retailers and suppliers can benefit massively from the support on offer – we often run training sessions on topics such as increasing sales, reaching new customers and other relevant content to a range of different sectors. They would also benefit from taking part in our longer programmes. For example, our Small and Mighty programme helps micro-businesses grow and scale and our Business for Good programme helps firms make positive changes like implementing sustainability in their businesses. We are also the team behind the iconic Small Business Saturday campaign which takes place on the first Saturday of December each year with an impact that lasts all year round. The campaign encourages consumers to shop locally and support small businesses in their community.
as opposed to doing multiple washes a day in a smaller washer.” “On the other hand, we typically say that a refrigerator will use the most amount of electricity in a household as it is required to be powered 24/7, to avoid defrosting and risking any foods or liquids going mouldy or past their best. There are, however, many ways in which you can reduce the energy consumption on your fridge or fridge-freezer, without having to switch it off. For example, by ensuring your refrigerator appliances are set to the optimum settings or not leaving the door open for longer than necessary. It may sound simple, but many homeowners don’t know how much energy any of their appliances generate – in fact, lots of people are causing more damage than good when it comes to switching up their household chores and appliances in their efforts to cut down on energy bills. Some may be cutting back on dishwasher usage to prioritise washing by hand, yet if that requires multiple bowls full of water with a lot of dirty pots, the dishwasher can be the better option,” he adds. Transparency
How can small businesses get involved? Michelle Ovens CBE: We aren’t a membership organisation so getting involved is as easy as signing up to our newsletter where businesses receive all of our current and upcoming opportunities. By attending anything that we do, in-person or online, businesses become part of our
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“Businesses can absolutely provide help on the cost-of-living crisis on its website and through its customer service to ensure support is available when needed. By providing transparent information on energy usage, costs and energy savings, consumers will have more trust and loyalty to these brands and will likely return to purchase later down the line,” says Bhatoye. “Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis is not going away any time soon, and we predict that in 2023, consumers will be looking for even more support from businesses in the year. In order to stay ahead of the
Tell us about Netwalks. Why was the project set up and what has been the response from those participating? Michelle Ovens CBE: Netwalks is an initiative we recently launched in partnership with BT which aims to help small business owners get out and meet other entrepreneurs in the open air. These walks are led by engaging local small businesses, and are a fantastic opportunity for small business owners to get out of their workplaces and meet other local businesses to share ideas or just to have a well-deserved break (coffee and cake is included at the end). We have so far completed walks in 10 locations across the UK, and we have received great feedback from business owners who have attended.
Small Business Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. How has the campaign grown since it first started? What has the response been from supporters of the campaign? Will it return in December this year? Michelle Ovens CBE: Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday of December every year and it is the UK’s most successful small business campaign. The campaign was originally founded by American Express in 2010 in the US, before being brought to the UK in 2013. American Express remain the campaign’s principal supporters. Over this time, the campaign has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds spent with small businesses on the day. Small Business Saturday shines a huge spotlight on the UK’s small business community, regularly trending on Twitter, generating media coverage and gaining support from across the political spectrum. On the day itself, customers are encouraged to support all types of small businesses, online, in offices and in stores, or to lend support in other ways such as leaving positive reviews and spreading the word about favourite small businesses. In the run up to Small Business Saturday every year, we run a UK-wide
“Right now, it is our number one priority to help the nation to understand how to best use their appliances.”
roadshow which has in the past been supported by BT Skills for Tomorrow. The roadshow visits small businesses across the country alongside a fantastic online programme of free workshops, mentoring and networking available for all businesses. Small Business Saturday will be returning on the December 2 this year, and we’d encourage all small businesses to get involved!
How do you plan to evolve Small Business Britain? What are your plans for the rest of the year? Michelle Ovens CBE: Small Business Britain will continue to support small businesses across the nation. For example, we will soon be launching the second round of our incredibly successful Small and Mighty programme in partnership with Xero which is a six-week programme to help micro-businesses grow with expert guidance and mentoring. As well as that, we have a huge number of exciting plans and projects on the horizon – watch this space!
curve, retailers and suppliers should use their voices of authority to put out clear, concise, and transparent messaging to their customers, to let them know that there’s support there for them. Consumers understand the importance of analysing energy usage on their appliances and will be making much more considered purchases than in previous years. Therefore, businesses should be prepared to work collaboratively with consumers to help them understand energy usage and find the best solutions for their purchase needs. It could also be that shoppers look more towards high-street retail purchases, feeling more peace of mind and confidence shopping with the support of a sales assistant,” he concludes.
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