Britain's most inspirational small firms of 2022 named

This year’s most inspirational British small businesses have been revealed by the Small Business Saturday campaign, as it marks its ten-year anniversary with a call for the public to support small businesses in the community and shop small.

Baby group booking platform Happity and online butcher The Black Farmer founded by Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE, are among 100 small businesses profiled in this year’s SmallBiz100 line-up, which showcases the best of Britain’s vibrant small business community.

Now in its tenth year in the UK Small Business Saturday will return on 3 December 2022, with a mission to support and celebrate the UK’s 5.6 million small businesses, particularly as they face mounting economic challenges over the winter.

“The fantastic small businesses featured in this year’s SmallBiz100 sum up the extraordinary contribution that small firms make to our economy and local areas,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK.

“We brought Small Business Saturday to the UK ten years ago as there was a huge need to celebrate the amazing achievements of the fantastic small business community and offer them support through a raft of challenges, and this mission could not be truer or more vital today.”

“With small businesses facing incredibly tough times, and many still recovering from the pandemic, it is absolutely critical that the nation gets behind these businesses.”

Happity is an online baby and toddler class booking platform and was founded by Sara Tateno and Emily Tredget.

Business from the SmallBiz100 line-up will be placed under the campaign’s national spotlight each day as part of the official 100-day countdown to Small Business Saturday.

And first to be featured is Chester-based cocktail bar and eatery The Suburbs, founded by Kingdom Thenga who also runs a string of other local ventures and has taken a lead on community initiatives during the Covid-19 crisis and the Ukraine humanitarian appeal.

“We’re thrilled to be recognised in the Small Biz 100,” said Thenga. “It is an extremely tough time for small businesses and having support from the community really means a lot. Being highlighted by a positive campaign that celebrates all the wonderful things about being an entrepreneur is such an incredible boost for me and my team.”

Also included in the line-up of small businesses are Dorset based ice-cream maker Baboo Gelato, Glasgow furniture restorer Lady Griddlebone Vintage Originals and Monmouthshire compostable packaging supplier The Pure Option.

A grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, Small Business Saturday first came to the UK in 2013 has grown into an iconic campaign celebrating small business success and encouraging consumers to ‘shop local’ and support businesses in their communities.

The campaign was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, and the company remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK.

On Small Business Saturday customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, from independent shops and restaurants to small service and b2b based businesses like accountants and digital marketeers. Many small businesses take an active role in promoting the day by hosting events and offering promotions.

Baboo Gelato is one of the firms being celebrated by the Small Business Campaign.

Over the time the campaign has run in the UK it has engaged millions each year, with spend on the day topping over £1 billion.

Small Business Saturday attracts huge attention on the day itself, with an impact that lasts all year. Last year the campaign trended at number one in the UK on Twitter, with the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition and the Mayor of London among those publicly supporting the campaign. Over 90% of local councils also supported the campaign.

Dan Edelman, General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express said: “This year’s SmallBiz100 showcases the dynamism and determination at the heart of the UK’s small businesses. We’re proud to champion them through Small Business Saturday as well as our Shop Small campaign, returning this winter, which incentivises our Cardmembers to spend with local independent venues, right across the country. This year we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of this vital campaign and look forward to shining a spotlight on small businesses and the dedicated people running them.”

To get involved in Small Business Saturday UK visit – https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com