Small Business Saturday campaign comes to Inverness
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Small business owners in Inverness have been spotlighted in a roadshow campaign supporting entrepreneurs.
Aiming to support small businesses facing persistent economic challenges, ‘The Tour’ visited the city to support and celebrate the area's local firms.
The team visited several small businesses in the Inverness area, learning more about their work and their ambitions for 2024.
This included meeting mother and daughter team Marnie and Sarah Mackenzie – and their dog Charlie – who run Triquerta Crafts in the Victorian Market.
‘The Tour’ is travelling across the UK for a month as part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday which takes place on the first Saturday of December, encouraging consumers to 'shop local' and to support businesses in their communities.
Other visits on the day included women’s clothes shop Rouge Boutiques, and culinary gift store Oil and Vinegar.
Interviews held with Inverness MP Drew Hendry and Kelly Johns of Inverness Business Improvement District were also live streamed.
Maree Fowler, co-founder of body piercing and fine jewellery company Highland Hyacinth, was also visited and said: “We loved showcasing our small business with the Small Business Saturday Tour team when they came to visit.
“It's great to highlight diverse and unique businesses like ours, and be able to show we are a welcoming space, and just how much piercing studios have evolved in recent years.
"I'm sure all the local Inverness businesses would agree, a little exposure can go a long way, especially if you're a newer business!”
Supported by BT Skills for Tomorrow, ‘The Tour’ is visiting 23 towns and cities across the UK during November.
Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “We’re so glad that we could visit Inverness and celebrate all the fantastic businesses in the area.
"I’m so inspired for the year ahead after chatting to so many entrepreneurs, and very happy that we got to shine a light on their successes.
“Small business owners make up such an important part of the UK economy and their local community here in Scotland, so it’s great to celebrate them with the Small Business Saturday campaign.”
Chris Sims, managing director small and medium enterprise at BT, said: “Small Business Saturday is a fantastic initiative that empowers entrepreneurs to tackle the biggest challenges they are facing today.
"This year small businesses can access specialist mentoring and support, giving them tailored guidance on issues ranging from effective marketing to cyber security.
"As the tour enters its second decade, we are proud to be partnering with Small Business Saturday on this initiative again through our Skills for Tomorrow program, which has helped over one million entrepreneurs grow their small businesses with free digital skills training.”
