Many of you know we’ve long been supporters of small business here at Shake. Employ less than 50 people? You’re small too – and proud I hope! So I was delighted this week to be announced as the region’s Small Business Saturday Champion.

The Nottingham Post did a great article about it which you can read here.

All businesses start off small. Some grow enormously, yet many still pack a big punch whilst retaining a small team. When I set up Shake Social it was just me and a laptop at my kitchen table. There are now six of us in our Lace Market office and we’re still growing. We work with businesses big and small but there’s a real excitement about working with a small business and seeing them succeed and develop in to something larger. So I’m genuinely thrilled to be one of 15 entrepreneurs championing Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for communities, businesses and consumers to show their support for small businesses. The focus may be that one day in December (it’s happening on December 3rd this year), but in reality there are a raft of events and opportunities for promotion throughout the year.

Last year my colleague Moya and I were invited to Downing Street to meet George Osborne. We took the opportunity to talk about businesses in Nottingham to him. I also teamed up with local MP Lilian Greenwood to visit Jason Marks Ceramics – a local ceramic designer making tiles for The Crown Estate & Louis Vuitton from his small Lenton based business. This year we’ll be focusing on other ways we can support businesses – with training, workshops and social media.

I’m also Chairwoman for the Federation of Small Businesses for Nottingham and both roles mean I’m keen to hear from small businesses and keen to help. Please feel free to share your news, your ideas and your events with me so we can support where we can.

– Kate Tyler, Director of Shake Social Ltd, Small Business Saturday Champion & Chairwoman of the Nottingham FSB