Small Business Saturday tour bus comes to Scotland

Small Business Saturday UK, the national campaign to support and promote small firms, will roll into Scotland next week.

The Small Business Saturday tour bus will offer free mentoring services to local businesses, courtesy of accountancy firm Xero. Picture: contributed

The Small Business Saturday tour bus will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s small, local companies by offering free mentoring sessions and the chance for companies to exhibit to the public.

The campaign bus will visit Perth and Inverclyde on Tuesday 30 October, before heading to Glasgow’s Buchanan Street on Wednesday 31 October and visiting Kilmarnock later the same day.

Up to 20 small businesses from each of the surrounding areas can apply for a chance to exhibit to the public and be profiled across the campaign’s social media channels.

The tour will feature an interview series allowing entrepreneurs to share stories about their small business or their local area to a live audience on Facebook. It will also highlight Scotland’s representatives from the “Small Biz 100”, a daily celebration of 2018’s top small businesses.

Local companies are invited to book a mentoring session with accounting software Xero’s small business accountants via the campaign’s website.

The campaign bus, now in its sixth year, will travel more than 3,000 miles to 30 locations over 25 days.

Small Business Saturday is a not-for-profit campaign originally founded by American Express in the US in 2010, and the credit card provider remains the principal supporter of the initiative in the UK.

Last year’s Small Business Saturday saw some £748 million spent with small businesses across the UK. This year’s event will take place on 1 December.

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “We are excited for the Small Business Saturday bus to be stopping by in Glasgow and championing small businesses throughout the local area and providing a listening ear and a chance for mentoring.

“Glasgow has a history of supporting small businesses, so the city is a perfect place to celebrate their success and continue this legacy.

“The tour is not just open to businesses, it’s open to everyone – every individual who can take a moment to appreciate the far-reaching impact small businesses have on their community.”

Small business minister Kelly Tolhurst added: “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.”