I was lucky enough to be interviewed for a prime time slot on BBC Breakfast on UK Small Business Saturday 2021.
Up at the crack of dawn to be interviewed in the freezing cold I was so pleased to be given the opportunity I would have done it in shorts and t-shirt!
Small Business Saturday happened just days after the end of a second national lockdown and the big question was would shoppers return to the high street. The first Saturday is usually a big trading day pre Christmas, possibly the biggest as it's straight after November payday for many.
Speaking in the early hours before we opened I didn't know what was going to happen but I was conscious of asserting that people should shop safely, obeying the rules but I was also keen to impart that Small Business Saturday is not all about going out and spending money.
You can support small shops and independent businesses in many ways including using your voice to shout about your favourites on social media and this doesn't cost you a penny. The business will be glad of the recommendation and any tagged mentions to boost it's profile.
2020 has seen a sharp rise in internet retailing as more and more small businesses have gone online in response to the pandemic and restrictions curtailing movement and activities.
Online was certainly where I expected to see the bulk of my sales that day and it was heavily boosted by my appearance on BBC Breakfast with many first time orders from new customers. We also received many many well wishes from strangers after the broadcast it was really heartwarming and gave the whole team a good morale boost.
BBC news followed up with us after the fact to report on results and even though footfall was low we were elated to have taken more money in a single day than we had any day since the beginning of the pandemic.
Thank you so much to all our customers as well as the Small Business Saturday team and BBC Breakfast.