The 10th Small Business Friday is South Africa’s biggest small business day of the year. This powerful and meaningful movement is about mobilising all South Africans to go out there and support and buy from their local small businesses.
We are experiencing the second Small Business Friday during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of us know that the small business sector has been the hardest hit, especially those small businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors. So, we are calling on the millions of consumers to escalate their effort more than ever before, and visit and support your favourite local small businesses. Then spread the word about your experience through social media and encourage those around you to do the same.
Mike Anderson, Founder & CEO of the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC), says that entrepreneurship is one of the cornerstones of the South African economy and it is thus vital to sustain this sector: “Small Business Friday has gained incredible momentum over the past 10 years, the NSBC is very proud of the progress. It remains important to keep reminding people to get involved and support small business.”
Small Business Friday is dedicated to supporting the diverse range of local businesses that create jobs, help boost the economy, and enhance communities around the country. The movement celebrates small businesses ranging from retail stores and restaurants to guest houses and hairdressers, and everything in between.
What happens when you buy from a small business? You are not helping a CEO buy a third holiday home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy to get his team jersey, a mom or dad to put food on the table or a student to pay for university.
It has been said something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. If you change even the smallest of life's details, you have the power to completely change its outcome. Making a small change to where we spend our money can have a huge impact on small businesses and ultimately our community in the long run.
Anderson says that the NSBC anticipates enormous, nationwide support for this special movement coming up. “It’s a 365-day movement that peaks on the first Friday of Spring every year. This year Small Business Friday will be celebrated on Friday, 3 September, and is aimed at celebrating and recognising the importance of the small business community. We really want people to ‘Go BIG’ by supporting the small.”
In 2012, the NSBC launched Small Business Friday, which is now widely known as South Africa’s biggest small business day of the year. Spring brings new energy and a feel-good time of the year, so it was decided that Small Business Friday would always be on the first Friday of spring every year. The very first Small Business Friday was on 7 September 2012.
Consumers were urged to support it through a national radio, digital, social media and PR campaign. “We didn't know how big it was going to be. We were surprised how fast it happened and the extent of it. More importantly, it drove real results for small businesses across the country that day and changed the habit of many consumers forever,” says Anderson. Small Business Friday has become a social phenomenon. It has become a new mindset and the right thing to do.
The number-one small business challenge is getting new customers and boosting sales, as per the ongoing findings of the annual National Small Business Survey. The big drive was therefore to mobilise and encourage the nation to give greater support for small businesses. If more can support local small businesses, these small businesses will be able to build their infrastructure and employ more local people, therefore making a meaningful contribution to alleviating unemployment and driving job creation.
The future plan is to win even more support, not just from small businesses, consumers and activists but other larger companies it could partner with to promote the cause and importantly, to lobby government officials to enhance the everyday life of the small business owner across the nation.
To secure consumer support, was to position Small Business Friday as a national movement. Consumers needed to be made aware and understand their role: the pledge to support and shop at the small. By simply committing to a few simple tasks, it will help drive the movement and, of course, strengthen the small business sector.
Here’s how to get involved:
Sign up for the Three-Day Challenge:
Visit www.smallbizfriday.co.za for more.
Help to spread the word on social media:
Encourage your social media followers to support #SmallBizFriday. Promote the small businesses you find inspiring and enjoy supporting and give them extra exposure.
Retweet, share or comment on Small Business Friday posts on our social media channels:
Facebook: @SmallBizFriday
Twitter: @SmallBizFriday
Instagram: @SmallBizFriday
Most importantly, shop at your local small businesses:
Go out there and support your local small businesses today and everyday thereafter and inspire others to do the same.
What is Small Business Friday?: https://youtu.be/nSkDT-xIzTk.
