Small Business Saturday tour bus rolls into Scotland

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, hailed the campaign as a 'year-round' celebration. Picture: Contributed

Companies across the UK are gearing up for the nation's seventh annual Small Business Saturday, a not-for-profit campaign which celebrates small traders and encourages consumers to support ventures in their communities.

The campaign bus will exhibit outside the Scottish Parliament tomorrow before moving on to Auchterarder - its only two stops north of Border.

Small Business Saturday brought in record spending figures, with shoppers shelling out £812 million in small businesses on the designated day, which this year takes place on 7 December.

Fife-based entrepreneur Jo Macfarlane outside 10 Downing Street. Picture: Contributed

Founded in the US by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday was launched in the UK in 2013 and is backed by organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses, Indeed, Dell and Amazon.

Scottish supporters include entrepreneur Jo Macfarlane, founder of the eponymous Fife-based candle brand, who is one of the "Small Business Heroes" championing the movement.

The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Mayor of London were among those publicly backing the 2018 campaign, alongside more than 90 per cent of local councils.

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “Each year this campaign has grown in support from government, business and communities alike, and so we can’t wait for December to come round and put small businesses in the spotlight once again. Small businesses are the heart of their communities, with 5.6 million keeping their local economies moving, providing jobs, training and unique services.

“But this is not just a campaign for one day, it is a year-round celebration of small businesses and we want to ensure the long-term success of those high street heroes and digital stars, with a campaign that showcases their contribution for months before and after Small Business Saturday.”

The bus tour follows last month’s announcement of the Small Biz 100 - a celebration of 100 unique and independent businesses from across the UK - which this year included Orkney scale modelling firm Peedie Models.

It will call at 27 different towns and cities along its five-week journey, ending in London on Wednesday 4 December.