We were one of 100 small businesses from around the country invited to Downing Street on Thursday for a reception to mark the UK’s fourth annual Small Business Saturday on Saturday December 3rd.
Sarah Wren, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS), joined other small business owners at a reception at No.10 Downing Street attended by the Small Business Minister Margot James.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for us to celebrate the success of the UK’s 5.4 million small businesses – from family run restaurants, to innovative tech start-ups, to local corner shops. I’m delighted that we had such a great representation of firms here in Downing Street to mark this event and recognise the prosperity they bring to the UK.”
Reinvesting all profits to develop services to help vulnerable people stay independent at home, HILS were named among the 100 small businesses in the UK to be celebrated by Small Business Saturday, the campaign that culminated in the UK’s dedicated day for small businesses on December 3rd.
Sarah Wren, Chief Exec. of HILS, said: “Small businesses are the mainstay of our economy and our communities, providing local employment as well as accessible products and services on which people rely,” “We now serve over 10,000 people each year across Hertfordshire, and employ 200 local people. Being part of the Small Biz 100 provides a fantastic opportunity for us to tell people about the services we provide to help people maintain their independence.”
Small Business Saturday, a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, places small, independent businesses in communities across the country in the national spotlight. Its aim is to prompt people not only to spend money with small independent businesses in the run-up to Christmas but also to create a mind-set to support them all year round. Small businesses around the UK have planned events, promotions and other activities to attract clients and customers to them not only on December 3rd but also beyond. The campaign team has also completed a five-week nationwide bus tour to all regions in the UK to promote Small Business Saturday locally visiting 29 towns and cities in 27 days.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, said: “The UK’s 5.5 million small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating millions of jobs in communities across the country and helping to build an economy that works for all. “I am proud to be joining Small Business Saturday in championing them, and would encourage as many people as possible to get out to their local high street this weekend to do the same.”
