Small Business Saturday Blog

Small Business Saturday is pleased to announce its champions for the 2017 campaign!The Small Business Saturday Champions are previous members of the Small Biz 100 that help to promote the campaign in their local areas, broadening the reach of the campaign and strengthening their local small business community. They are already hard at work planning B2B events, Christmas markets, live-streamed interviews and much more! Please contact comms@smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com if you would like to connect with a champion in your area.Lee Parker, Parker Sourcing, Greater ManchesterYvonne Gorman, Essential Print Services, DerbyshireAlison Edgar, Sales Coaching Solutions, WiltshireBecky Sebright, Lady Bakewell Park, EssexAlice Malcolm-Green, Wick & Tallow, Greater LondonAdam Balfour, Buffoon Film & Media, Neath Port TalbotElaine Pritchard, Caittom Publishing, StaffordshireRich Brady, Recruit Packs, DenbighshireKarina Pedomo, Quick Brown Fox, Greater LondonFaye Dicker, Freelance Mum, SomersetRussell Pullan and Albert Chau, Fifth Dimension Chocolates, Greater LondonSara Parker, Face for Business, LancashireRuth Pringle, Pringle Accountants, LancashireBala Croman, The Chocolate Cellar, MerseysideGail Bryden, JustBe Botanicals, City of EdinburghAlistair Bell, Muddy Farm Models, County AntrimRowena Howie, Revival Retro, Greater LondonPrecious Jason, Etieno Skincare, Greater LondonSanjay Aggarwal, Spice Kitchen, BirminghamJo Smedley, Red Herring Games, LincolnshireClaire Hearn, Rose & Olive, KentHayley Williams, Keystone Marketing, OxfordshireLiz Wilson, Ma Baker, Greater LondonSam Hale, Advance Performance, CambridgeshireColleen Wong, TechSixtyFour, Greater LondonMartha Keith, Love Give Ink, Greater LondonCarolyn Frank, Libby Butler Jewellers, YorkshireRachel Gilbertson Roxiie's Treasures Liverpool

Reducing the cost of energy bills was big news during the recent General Election campaign with both the Conservatives and Labour setting out plans to cap prices in their manifestos. However, it may well be some time now before those changes filter through to benefit small businesses.Whether you’re running a workshop, office or retail unit, utility costs can mount up for small business owners who are keen to make energy savings. According to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, SMEs already spend £15bn a year on energy.The good news is that there are some straightforward ways to reduce your business energy costs. Here are some tips to get you started…Chill out Check that your heating and air conditioning aren’t set to the same temperature and on at the same time. Heating and lighting swallow up energy! The settings on the two systems should be around four degrees apart. Thermostats should be set lower in corridors and store rooms than in offices. It’s also worth paying attention to the layout of your workspace to make sure radiators aren’t being blocked by furniture and to make the most of natural light. Moving the furniture around could make a big difference. Thermal tape can be used to draft proof single-glazed windows and door frames.Conserve your energy Make staff aware that you’re keeping an eye on energy consumption and encourage them with a polite reminder to ‘turn of the lights’ when they leave in the evening. Simple steps like switching off lights in spaces when they’re not is use can save over £100 a year. You could use this saving to change your lights to energy efficient ones such as LED light bulbs rather than halogen or fluorescent light sources and save even more cash whilst helping the environment!Energy proof your technology Energy saving measures can quickly become habit with some thought and discipline. Turning off unused mobile phone chargers and switching off your GPS and Bluetooth can make a difference. Did you know that 46 per cent of electricity used in offices is outside of standard operating hours? Make sure that monitors, copiers and vending machines are also all switched off when not in use.Shop around Loyalty, ease and a lack of time can all be reasons why many of us avoid switching energy suppliers, however there are big savings to be made for small business owners who change their suppliers to access a better tariff. Whilst it might sound like a headache, it’s a quick and easy process if done through a broker and the average company could potentially save up to £1000 a year off their bill if they compare business energy. Comparison websites are a useful online tool for finding the deal that best suits your needs and can save you money.Upgrade outdated equipmentReplace energy-guzzling equipment with star appliances. For example, heaters and air conditioners that are not working at maximum efficiency can draw unnecessary power and end up costing your business money.About the author: Steph Salusbury is the Channel Manager for Insurance and Energy at Businesscomparison.com. Steph has vast experience within the energy industry, previously working at Moneysupermarket.com for 9 years on sales, operations & commercial. Businesscomparison.com is a free online comparison site for small and medium sized businesses to compare deals on energy, finance, business bank accounts and insurance.

Today we speak to Claire of The Fairy Tale Fair, a 2014 Small Biz 100, about how she goes about creating her Brighton based craft fairs...

Here are some answers to common questions about applications:Who can apply to be in Small Biz 100?Any kind of small business can apply! Whether it's retail or online, professional services to personal training- all kinds of UK small businesses can apply.It says "error" when I tried to register with my email address on "Apply for Small Biz 100"Please make sure that your email address is right (it's happened to all of us!) and that you have both read the T&Cs and checked the little box to say you are happy with them.If it's still not working, please send a screen shot of the error to comms@smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com and we will help you from thereI registered with my email address on "Apply for Small Biz 100" but didn't receive an emailPlease check your spam folders- it's quite common that we're hiding in there. If it's been a couple of hours and you haven't received an email- please let us know via comms@smallbusinesssaurdayuk.comI can't log in with the email address and password that I registered with!Please ensure your password is correct- our password system is case sensitive.I finished my application to be in Small Biz 100- but want to change something. Is this possible?Although it is possible to log in and change parts of your application before the applications close on July 17th, we recommend that you don't. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis as they come in, so it's better to give us your best side of your small business on your first go.What is My Small Business Finder?My Small Business Finder is a tool for consumers and small businesses to use on Small Business Saturday and the surrounding time. It will enable you to enter a postcode & see the small businesses in that area. In addition, it will also allow you, a small business, to enter a promotion or deal or offer available to celebrate Small Business Saturday. It's just our way of trying to connect more customers with small businesses, and of course more small businesses getting to know each other. Nearer the time, we will let all our networks know via social media when they should be thinking about My Small Business Finder.

Hello!We're thrilled you're interested in applying for the Small Biz 100 in 2015.Our online application process is really simple- but here is a step-by-step process to save you all some time.In our portal we have: Small Biz 100 & My Small Business Finder.Small Biz 100 is the opportunity to apply to be one of our 100 small businesses profiled in the 100 days before December 5th: Small Business Saturday. It is absolutely free and any kind of small business can apply.STEP ONEGo to our website, and click on the Small Biz 100 tab at the top. You will then see this and you need to click the big blue 'Apply for Small Biz 100' button.Fill in your company email address (a confirmation email will be sent here so make sure you can access it right away). Also have a look through our standard T&Cs to make sure you're happy and tick the box, and click Register.Once you're happy with your password, please click Set Password.STEP FIVENext you will get to this page:

• Profile Tab
• Account Tab
• AND My Small Biz 100 Application

Making a video is a great way to promote your small business. You introduce yourself to your customers and the viewers can get a good sense of the business style, your products and your personality.This year, for The Small Biz 100, we would love for you to make us a short video to go with your application.Making a short video is straight-forward, with heaps of benefits. This YouTube video from BTube should inspire you to get started, and below we share some tips. From beginners to pros- anyone can do it!Step one: the right stuff for filmingDon't panic about the need for fancy equipment - these days most smartphones have great cameras and plenty of storage space for storing your video. Keep the camera steady with a tripod, propping your phone on a table, or digging out that selfie stick for shake-free content. You could also use the webcam on your computer or laptop to record.If you have a digital camera, these will allow you to record a video, so play around until you find technology that is most suitable for you, your business and your budget.Step two: the contentSpeak up! We want to hear what you have to say about your small business, so make sure to speak clearly and encourage anyone you interview in the video to do the same.Take inspiration from BTube's video with 'cut-aways'- different shots of your small business or products with audio narration over the top talking about your small biz story.Take your time, with a few different takes to make sure you capture everything you wanted to. It's supposed to be fun, so enjoy interviewing your employees, your customers or showing your products.Step three: upload, edit, tweakEach camera, smartphone or computer will differ slightly, but once you're done with filming you need to get the video files onto the computer.To edit your video, like BTube say there's plenty of free editing software available. For PC users, Windows Movie Maker, for Macs there's iMovie. Work with what works for you & if in doubt, search online. There's hundreds of easy step-by-step articles to help you along the way, offering reviews of the different free software and tutorials.It's also a great opportunity to ask for favours from your friends, family or colleagues who may know a thing or two on editing and making videos look great.As BTube's video says, YouTube has plenty of audio files available for incorporating into your video, so make the most of all the free tools out there.Step four: upload!If you haven't gone one already, set yourselves up with a YouTube channel. Make sure you include all your small business details in the channel page with a link to your website, Twitter and Facebook page.Give it a snappy title, make sure to use the most of the tags at the bottom of the video editor so your video comes up in as many searches as possible. Don't forget to set your video setting to 'public' once you're ready to share it with the world.Once it's up on your YouTube page, share it via Facebook, Twitter and if possible embed it on your own website. Most importantly- send it to us with your Small Biz 100 application!Remember, if your business is chosen as a Small Biz 100 this year, we will use your video to promote your business, so it's a great opportunity to show us & our followers what you're doing.We can't wait to see your Small Biz 100 application videos!