Small Business Saturday is set to hold “the UK’s first online roadshow” to support small businesses across the country affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
From 2 November 2020, Small Business Saturday will hold daily ‘virtual visits’ to small businesses and communities in over thirty locations across the UK, offering a programme of locally targeted online advice, workshops and mentoring.
The online roadshow will include free virtual mentoring advice on a range of topics, from digital marketing, to time and money management. Live interviews and workshops with local businesses, experts, dignitaries and supporters of the campaign will also be streamed via the campaign’s Facebook page, along with a daily ‘Happy Hour’ giveaway broadcast.
Small businesses can also book virtual one-to-one mentoring sessions with local experts via the ‘My Business Section’ on the campaign’s website.
Director of Small Business Saturday UK, Michelle Ovens, commented: “This year has been incredibly tough for small businesses – financially, operationally, mentally and emotionally. This means our mission to support and celebrate small businesses across the UK becomes even more vital and ambitious.
“While we’re obviously sad not to be visiting small businesses on the ground, we are excited to use online to reach more people than ever, and bring small businesses and their communities a tremendously useful package of support. This is all part of our promise to make this year’s Small Business Saturday the best and most important one yet.”
The virtual roadshow will form a central part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday on 5 December, where customers across the UK are encouraged to support all types of small businesses, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores, with many small companies taking an active role in promoting the day by offering discounts and hosting events.
Also, the campaign’s 2020 Small Biz 100 will profile 100 of the UK’s “most inspiring small businesses” to mark 100 days to Small Business Saturday, as part of its mission to support and celebrate British small businesses.
The Small Business Saturday UK virtual tour schedule is as follows:
Monday 2 November Inverness
Tuesday 3 November Fortwilliam & Oban
Wednesday 4 November Edinburgh
Thursday 5 November Hartlepool
Friday 6 November York & Pateley Bridge
Monday 9 November Manchester
Tuesday 10 November Belfast
Wednesday 11 November Ironbridge & Cannock
Thursday 12 November Rugby & Blaby
Friday 13 November Loughborough & Nottingham
Monday 16 November Haverfordwest
Tuesday 17 November Cardiff
Wednesday 18 November Bath
Thursday 19 November Cheltenham
Friday 20 November Banbury & Towcester
Monday 23 November Bodmin
Tuesday 24 November Plymouth
Wednesday 25 November Dorchester & Southampton
Thursday 26 November Portsmouth & Chichester
Friday 27 November Brighton
Monday 30 November Guildford & Aldershot
Tuesday 1 December Leighton Buzzard & Letchworth Garden City
Wednesday 2 December Central London
