In advance of this year’s Small Business Saturday on 3rd December, Martin Whitfield MSP visited The Cockenzie Hub to chat to small businesses located there about the day and how local small businesses can be supported to thrive.

The hub is home to several local businesspeople, including well-known local artist Andrew Crummy, one of its longest-serving tenants, who Mr Whitfield caught up with during his visit.

Now in its tenth year in the UK, Small Business Saturday encourages customers to go out and support all types of small businesses, online, in offices and in stores. While it is timed to coincide with the busy festive period, its intent is to support and promote small businesses throughout the year.

Many small businesses take part in the day by hosting events and offering discounts and, with businesses still recovering from the impact of Covid-19 and facing new pressures such as soaring energy costs, the day is more important than ever.

Mr Whitfield has been encouraging businesses in the South Scotland region to tell him about the pressures they are facing, such as rising energy bills and inflation, but also to take part in the campaign and use it to help promote what they have to offer local consumers.

Speaking after his visit to the Cockenzie Hub, Martin Whitfield MSP said: 

“Small businesses have faced a range of unprecedented challenges over the last couple of years. First, they had to deal with the pandemic, which for many meant periods of closure and huge loss of income. Over the last year they have seen the cost of fuel soar and rising inflation and borrowing costs have also hit many small businesses hard.

“Small Business Saturday is a well established opportunity to highlight the vital contribution small businesses make in their local communities and economies and encourage consumers to support them. After the hardships so many businesses have endured recently, the campaign helps give them a boost at this most important time of the year.

“With that in mind I welcomed the opportunity to visit the Cockenzie Hub and chat to some of the small businesses located there. It is a great facility and I’m grateful to Angie and Iain for affording me the opportunity. I hope Small Business Saturday will continue to grow and have a positive impact for even more local businesses in the year ahead.”

Robin Mukherjee from the Cockenzie Hub said:

“It was great to have Martin Whitfield MSP visit us at the Cockenzie Hub promoting Small Business Saturday. We really appreciate the terrific work of all the amazing people at the hub. We’re especially grateful to unsung heroes like Councillor John McMillan, our Provost who is constantly helping people in our community.”

Iain Mercer, Allied Surveyors Scotland’s director of commercial agency (east), said:

“The Cockenzie Hub has a diverse mix of occupiers and is at the heartbeat of the local economy in Cockenzie and Port Seton. We need landlords like Robin and Angie to provide flexible and functional business space for enterprises such as the ones Martin met.”