SMALL and independent businesses in Sunderland will get the chance to take part in workshops and mentoring sessions as part of a national tour next week.
On Monday 30 October, the Small Business Saturday bus will roll into the city centre, giving local entrepreneurs the chance to learn more about the nationwide initiative which aims to increase footfall for small businesses and organisations.
Small Business Saturday will be held on Saturday 2 December, encouraging people to step away from the high street giants and instead spend their money with the smaller, local traders.
To get the ball rolling, the Small Business Bus is visiting 27 cities across the UK to help spread the word, along with giving business owners free expert advice. It will head to the city’s Park Lane area on Monday as part of the tour.
Businesses will get the chance to meet with locally-based mentors who will offer general advice and help, and will also get the chance to promote themselves across social media.
At each location there will also be the opportunity to take part in Facebook Live broadcasts which will showcase local business owners, as well as interviews with enterprise experts and mentors.
Now in its fifth year, Small Business Saturday is being supported by Sunderland Business Improvement District, which is urging local firms to take advantage of this free help and advice.
“We are thrilled to be able to welcome the Small Business Saturday bus into Sunderland next week as part of this big, national tour,” said Sharon Appleby, Head of Business Operations at Sunderland BID.
“Small businesses are part of the lifeblood of Sunderland, and we are very proud to have such a strong network here in the city. We are passionate about giving them all the support possible, and this is why this initiative is so important.
“I would urge as many of the city’s small businesses as possible to take advantage of this opportunity to gain help and support from these leading experts, and together we can make this year’s Small Business Saturday our biggest and most successful to date.”
The bus will be at Park Lane in the city centre from 10am-2pm on Monday 30 October.
Businesses looking to take advantage of the bus sessions or find out more about Small Business Saturday can sign up via the website www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com