Era, a small business in Brighton started in 2014 by two friends with a passion for vintage furniture has been named among the 100 small businesses in the UK to be celebrated by Small Business Saturday, the UK’s dedicated day for small businesses on December 5th.
Era, which sources vintage furniture with a focus on mid-century design and eye-catching collectibles, will be among those featured (one per day) for the 100 days leading up to Small Business Saturday itself. Last year’s Small Biz 100 also attended a Christmas Fair staged in Downing Street and attended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. Founders Simon and Sam travel the country in search of once loved but now neglected pieces, salvaging them and then taking them back to their workshop to restore them.
Co-founder Simon Jones says: “Small Business Saturday plays an important part in encouraging potential entrepreneurs to take the plunge and do something amazing. It offers a platform and a reassurance that there is support out there on a wider scale and that by helping each other out a small business can grow and be sustained. We are coming up to our first anniversary in business and this gives us the support and encouragement we need to stick around for another year and beyond.”
The campaign exists as a nationwide promotional and marketing tool for small businesses, something for business owners to join up with and use for the benefit of their own small business. It is free to participate and all and any small businesses can get involved, from one-man bands, through to a high-growth office, and from tradesmen to social media gurus. In addition to the campaign itself, the team also delivers help and advice alongside opportunities to connect with other small businesses.
“The first Small Business Saturday last year was an exceptional example of collaboration and co-operation with small businesses teaming up in communities around the UK,” explains national campaign director, Michelle Ovens. “Although the campaign focuses on one day, the goal is to have a lasting impact on small businesses by changing mindsets, so that people make it their mission to support small businesses all year round. Most people in this country own a small business, work for a small business or know somebody who does, so supporting a small business on Small Business Saturday is absolutely personal."
