Small Business Saturday and a Christmas message we should all heed
Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Scottish economy and many are in real trouble
Today is Small Business Saturday. To some, this may sound like a diminutive event, but it is a very big deal indeed, particularly in Scotland.
In March this year, there were an estimated 384,280 private-sector firms in Scotland, of which a whopping 98.3 per cent were officially classed as “small”, meaning they had up to 49 employees. So, it should be clear to everyone – most especially those who walk the corridors of power – that small businesses are the bedrock of this country’s economy.
Following the recent UK Budget, Guy Hinks, of the Federation of Small Businesses, urged the SNP to use the extra £820 million that the Scottish Government will now receive to “breathe life into our high streets and town centres by lowering business rates for particularly hard-pressed sectors”, such as retail, hospitality and leisure.
But we can all do our bit. With Christmas approaching, buying a present from a local business, rather than an online retail giant, would be a ‘gift’ for your own local economy and Scotland as a whole, as well as for the relative or friend who receives it.
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