Small Business Saturday falls on 2 December this year across the UK and Horsham District Council is amplifying the national call for us to use local small businesses when shopping for Christmas.
You can get involved across the District by voting for your favourite Christmas displays, buying local and if you are a business owner, book onto the latest free local skills development workshops.
To mark the annual campaign this year, Horsham District Council is highlighting all the amazing Christmas windows and displays that make visiting our towns and small businesses such a magical experience. You have until midnight on 8 December to reward our businesses’ creativity by voting for your favourites from across the Horsham District at: https://www.horsham.gov.uk/business/buylocal
The availability of locally produced Food and Drink has never been wider in the Horsham District this Christmas, thanks, in part, to the Council’s Sussex Six initiative which has seen some 50 local retailers, cafés and restaurants pledge to stock six or more locally sourced products. To enjoy more local produce on your Christmas menus, at home or when you are out and about, check out https://sussexfoodanddrink.org/
The Council has also launched the 2024 edition of their popular Business Training Programme, offering opportunities for all local small business owners to access a fantastic range of free workshops that can build skills and knowledge that can make their businesses even more successful.
Places are available now in limited numbers so interested businesses are urged to visit www.horsham.gov.uk/btp as soon as possible to learn more and book online. The Council is also renewing its participation in the West Sussex Business Hub, providing a focal point for online upskilling and networking for independent businesses across the County.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for the Local Economy, Cllr Ruth Fletcher is urging the public and businesses to ‘Spread some cheer and buy local this year’ saying:
“Our independent businesses make a huge contribution to our communities and local economies, and we support them as much as we can with campaigns like these, so do please support them too.
“Spending our money locally ultimately helps us all and will help to ensure that our towns and villages remain the vibrant hearts of our communities that we all want to sustain, so please ‘choose local food and drink, buy local and gift happy’.
“As a council, we prioritise skills development to give our small business owners the tools to adapt to change and improve their resilience. Our free bespoke Business Training Programme is built based on feedback from businesses regarding what they would find most helpful.
“It’s fantastic that we can offer free access to such a comprehensive programme of support in these challenging times and I hope that local entrepreneurs will recognise its value and sign up to take part.
“The fact that these workshops are all being delivered by local business experts demonstrates just how we put our own ‘Buy Local’ strategy into action.”
A previous participant in 2022 business training programme commented:
“I'm finding my feet with my business and the Council’s courses have been really helpful in shedding light on what I need to know.”
New courses start in January 2024 and will be delivered by a consortium of locally based business experts using a blend of online and in-person formats as appropriate to the topic. All of the courses will be easy to access, alongside an expanding range of local business support resources, via the new West Sussex Business Hub and the Council’s business web pages. Places are limited so interested businesses are urged to find out more now via www.horsham.gov.uk/btp