A small independent wedding boutique in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire has been included among the 100 small businesses in theUK that are being featured in promotions ahead of the UK’s first dedicated day focused on small businesses – Small Business Saturday – on 7 December 2013.
Curvy Bridal is a small successful wedding boutique that focuses on ladies with curves, no matter what their size. Their knowledge of size and structure has been their major selling point. Next door to Curvy, they have a menswear shop called Joshua Adams, that has formal hire wear and menswear, which works alongside Curvy, with their seamstress and design rooms working at the rear. To mark Small Business Saturday UK, Curvy Bridal will be offering 10% off any gown when Small Business Saturday is mentioned.
Championed in the UK by Chuka Umunna, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, and already supported by the Prime Minister and the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, this non-political campaign will highlight small business success and encourage consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities.
Small Business Saturday UK initiative has attracted the support of leading business organisations including the Association of City and Town Management, Federation of Small Businesses, Association of Convenience Stores, Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association and Ingenious Britain, as well as corporates like American Express, O2, Aldermore Bank, Make It Cheaper and prominent entrepreneur James Caan.
Mr Umunna explained:
There has been enthusiastic support from local authorities, which are critical in bringing local community activities to life on Small Business Saturday itself.
This is the day not only to celebrate the contribution local, small, independent businesses make to our economy and encourage people to buy from them but to highlight what they add to our communities so that we continue to support them all year round.
Mike Cherry, National Policy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses explained:
We are supporting Small Business Saturday to highlight just how important small businesses are to our communities.
Small Business Saturday is a good way to get the message to customers that using these high street retailers will benefit the local economy. Indeed without their help these important drivers and suppliers of goods and services in our daily lives may just disappear.
American Express founded the hugely successful ‘Small Business Saturday’ initiative in the U.S. in 2010 and is an active supporter of the programme in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.
