Member Article

Swansea housebuilder recognised for contribution to small business

A director of a family run property development and house building company from Swansea has been recognised by a nationwide small business campaign for the contribution he has made to his local small business community.

Ben Francis of Hygrove Homes was named by the Small Business Saturday campaign as the recipient of the inaugural Francesca Kemp Community Award as a special black tie dinner in London this week. The event was raising funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital in memory of Francesca, another Small Business Saturday champion, who passed away last year.

Small Business Saturday is an annual, grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, campaign that puts small, independent businesses in communities across the country in the national spotlight, culminating in the UK’s dedicated day for small businesses on December 3rd but with the objective of encouraging people to support small businesses all year round.

“The Small Business Saturday campaign benefits hugely from a dedicated group of small business owners around the country to champion the campaign on our behalf in their communities,” explains Campaign Director Michelle Ovens. “The energy, enthusiasm and commitment shown by all of them is invaluable to us and is one of the reasons why the campaign works so effectively for small businesses. Ben Francis is a fantastic example of this commitment, working incredibly hard to support his and our communities. We were delighted to were delighted to recognise his contribution at this special event.”

Ben says:

“This award came as a complete surprise but a total honour. Small businesses are an integral part of communities like ours and to do what we can to give back to the community and use the opportunities that the Small Business Saturday campaign provides to help our fellow small business owners is a worthwhile and hopefully valuable thing to do. We need strong and successful small businesses to support both local and national economies.”

Small business owners from across the UK attended the special event, which showcased the diversity, innovation and enthusiasm inherent within the UK’s vibrant small business sector. Small businesses attending included Red Herring Games, a Grimsby-based murder mystery games and event management company; Hove-based gift & jewellery business Ellie Ellie, Wrightstart, A Derby-based driving school; Sugar Buttons Creative from Norwich, which specialises in artistic, painted and sculpted cakes; Sales Coaching Solutions from Chippenham, which provides a consultative approach to training and coaching; West London marketing consultancy Marketing By Minal; Happus; Revival Retro, a Central London retro-style boutique, and Recruit Packs from North Wales, which provides tailored packs for all of British Army, Royal Navy and RAF training centres.

“This was a great opportunity to meet up with other small business owners,” explains Imogen Davison from Sugar Buttons Creative. “Sharing ideas and support is so important when you are a small business. Working from home on my own can occasionally be a bit lonely. This support from other small business owners is invaluable.”

“ When I started my business, I made my mind up there and then get involved in any way I could. Being part of something that provides so much value was a no brainer for me,“ added Minal Patel from Marketing By Minal. “When the invitation dropped into my inbox, I knew I had to go. Not just because it’s for a good cause, but because I’m now one of the small businesses Small Business Saturday celebrates.”

Rowena Howie from Revival Retro said:

“I am involved because business is, at its heart, about people and Small Business Saturday is a great way to connect people. Businesses like Revival Retro need the grassroots support of Small Business Saturday to help us attract new customers by reminding the public of the value of shopping at small independent stores such as ours.”

And Alison Edgar from Sales Coaching Solutions and The Entrepreneurs’ Godmother commented:

“As a small business owner myself, I feel it’s important we build a community to support each other. This event not only gave us a chance to celebrate our success but also the life of my lovely friend Fran”

Now in its fourth year Small Business Saturday is a great nationwide promotional and marketing tool for small businesses. It is totally free to participate and any small businesses can get involved - from one-man-bands, through to a high growth office, and from tradesmen to social media gurus. In addition to the big day, the campaign also delivers help and advice alongside opportunities to connect with other small businesses. Last year an estimated £623 million was spent with small businesses across the UK on the day – up £119 million on last year and an increase in spending of 24%.

Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010 and it remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small. The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation. The campaign is also supported by PRS For Music, TalkTalk Business, Vistaprint, Post Office, Clear Channel and STIHL. Logos, digital banners, a social media guide and toolkits will be available to download from the website www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com and can be displayed online or on premises. Businesses around the country can also upload information to the ‘My Small Business Finder’ on the website (www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com) on what special events or promotional offers they will be running for Small Business Saturday.

More information on Small Business Saturday can also be found on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturdayuk) and Twitter feed (@SmallBizSatUk).

Ends.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Howard Robinson .