Carmarthenshire Our Region
Ben Francis of Hygrove Homes, third from left, with Scarlets Rugby players
THE BUS TOUR IS A VERY VISIBLE WAY FOR US TO MEET SMALL BUSINESSES AROUND THE UK AND SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN BECOME INVOLVED AS WELL AS DRUMMING UP CONSUMER INTEREST, SUPPORT AND ENTHUSIASM.
The bus at Parc y Scarlets
CARMARTHENSHIRE
Bus tour urges small business spend The bus tour of a growing campaign that has encouraged multi-million pounds worth of spending with small businesses arrived in the Swansea Bay region. Small Business Saturday’s bus stopped at Parc y Scarlets in Carmarthenshire and Swansea city centre’s Castle Square as part of its 29 date UK tour. The annual, not-for-profit campaign puts small, independent businesses in communities across the country in the national spotlight. Ben Francis, commercial director at Swansea-based house developer Hygrove Homes, acts a champion for Small Business Saturday and won a community award from the campaign in London earlier this year. He said “strong and successful” small businesses were needed to support local and national economies.
As part of the venture, people up and down the country are urged to go out and support small businesses in their communities on that day and all year round. An estimated £623 million was spent with small businesses across the UK on the day last year – up £119 million on the previous year and an increase in spending of 24 per cent. Michelle Ovens, Small Business Saturday national campaign director, said: “Small Business Saturday is not just a campaign to raise awareness of our diverse and innovative small business sector, but also a vehicle from which small businesses who embrace make use of the campaign can derive tangible benefit. “The bus tour is a very visible way for us to meet small businesses around the UK and show them how they can become involved as well as drumming
up consumer interest, support and enthusiasm.” Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the US in 2010 and remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, where it is now in its fourth year. It is backed by business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation. Also firms such as TalkTalk Business, Post Office, Facebook and Virgin Media Business. Small Business Saturday took place on December 3.
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