This Saturday is a chance to support the small businesses livening up our streets Michelle Ovens As fewer lights twinkle on Britain’s high streets, and individuals tighten their belts anticipating tough times ahead, small businesses are unsurprisingly fearful of what winter will bring. It’s not the backdrop we’d hope for to mark a decade of Small Business Saturday tomorrow, but it underlines the ongoing importance of supporting the UK’s 5.5 million [...]
Bumper Black Friday and cyber Monday sales are a relic of old consumer habits Not for small businesses For small businesses, the weekend of bumper sales from Black Friday through to Cyber Monday is not just a race they cannot keep up with, it is a race right to the bottom. No wonder most independents are not taking part. The now classic Black Friday sale is big on discounts and small on nuance. [...]
Freedom Day is forcing an unnecessary burden on small businesses by removing all legal Covid rules Boris Johnson is forcing an unnecessary burden on small businesses July 19th is coming up fast. So-called “freedom day” is here, unburdening society from the constraints of the last sixteen months and opening up the gates to a wondrous new beginning. Except if you are a small business, that really is not the case at all. The concept of freedom day, is in itself, misleading. Many [...]
Covid-19, a year on: What small businesses have learnt March 24, 2021 In this series, City A.M. looks back at the last year of the pandemic and Covid restrictions and takes stock of its impact on industries and issues at the heart of British society. Read more: Read the full Covid-19, a year on series here. Some you win, and some you learn. Small businesses have certainly been “learning” [...]
Female entrepreneurs are breaking down doors and lighting a path March 18, 2020 International Women’s Day, which took place less than two weeks ago, always provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that business has made towards gender equality. Over the last decade, I have seen an increase in opportunities through a tidal wave of new businesses led by women, driven by a growing trend towards people [...]
DEBATE: As discounts get out-of-control, is there a case for retailers to ignore Black Friday altogether? November 21, 2018 As discounts get out-of-control, is there a case for retailers to ignore Black Friday altogether? Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, says YES. Black Friday started off as a day when consumers could enjoy making great purchases, but now it has just become a day for deep discounting – and that is incredibly damaging to small [...]
