Small Business Saturday, the annual campaign to celebrate and support small businesses across the UK, is back again on 4th December. Now in its ninth year, the campaign encourages customers to ‘shop local’ and support all types of small businesses, online, in offices and in stores.

The campaign has enjoyed remarkable success and growth over the years. Despite the pandemic, last year there was a record estimated spend of over £1 billion with small businesses by more than 15 million consumers across the UK.

With many businesses still recovering from the varied impacts of Covid-19, the ‘shop local’ message has never been more important. That is why I have been urging businesses and customers in East Lothian to participate in this year’s Small Business Saturday and help boost their sales in the vital festive period.

In previous years many small businesses and local business associations have taken part in the day by hosting events and offering discounts, while local authorities have also been big supporters of the campaign. Local businesses have also featured in the Small Biz 100, which highlights 100 small businesses, one a day for 100 days leading up to Small Business Saturday.

There is still plenty of time for businesses, communities and individuals to get involved ahead of the day. If you run a small business and are planning to join in with Small Business Saturday, with a special event, offer or in some other way, please let me know and I’ll help promote it on my social media.

The monthly Haddington Farmers’ Market offers a great opportunity to shop locally with various East Lothian businesses all at the same place. The next market is this Saturday (27th November) with the final one of this year taking place on Saturday 18^th December, perfect for those late gifts.

Find out more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved at https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com