Scotland first port of call as Small Business Saturday takes to road for tenth anniversary

An annual campaign to encourage people to support local businesses will take to the road at the end of this month with Glasgow earmarked as the first port of call.

Marking ten years of the campaign in the UK, Small Business Saturday’s tour will arrive in Scotland’s largest city on October 31 and will go on to visit independent businesses across Glasgow, before moving on to Fife on November 1 and Edinburgh the day after. The tour, which will then go on to take in a host of locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will spotlight local business owners and community leaders in these areas through interviews on social media, and local entrepreneurs from across the area are being encouraged to sign up and get involved. Supported by BT Skills for Tomorrow, the tour forms part of the official countdown to the main Small Business Saturday event on December 3.

As the roadshow makes its way around the UK there will also be opportunities for business owners across Scotland to take part in Small Business Saturday’s wider online programme of free business support that will run for a month from October 31. Virtual workshops and webinars on a range of business topics will be offered each day, as well as free one-to-one mentoring.

Leanne Farmer, founder of A Wee Pedal, a bicycle tour company based in Edinburgh, said: “Small Business Saturday is a wonderful campaign and it is incredibly exciting that its nationwide Tour is kicking off in Scotland. Running a business can be really challenging, so having support to do the thing that you are passionate about and make a difference locally is really important. The spotlight that the campaign brings in celebrating small firms just like us and encouraging people to shop locally and support small firms in their communities is more vital than ever now. The roadshow will provide a welcome boost to small firms across Scotland and is a brilliant way to kick off ten years of Small Business Saturday.”

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to “shop local” and to support businesses in their communities. The campaign is celebrating its tenth year in the UK this year, with principal supporter American Express.

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday UK, said: “We are so excited to be kicking off in Scotland and visiting small businesses here and across the UK, as we count down to Small Business Saturday with this tour. This year’s campaign is all about shining a light on the nation’s fantastic small firms and showing them some major love, at a time when many are facing a lot of challenges. I would encourage all small businesses across the region to get involved, whether it is in person or online.”

The roadshow will feature a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles - including an electric van and delivery style push bike - that reflect the sustainable switches many small business owners are making in the race to net zero.