Small Business Saturday UK is due to take place on 5th December this year. For the those who are not familiar with this concept, it is a day on the first shopping Saturday of December, every year when small businesses can shout about who they are and what they do, encouraging consumers to shop locally and support those enterprises in their communities.

Launching in the UK in 2013, it has gone from strength to strength with this year promising to be the largest yet. However, while this is great news for the local high street, what about those small businesses who don’t fit the classic retail mould? What about those B2B or Service provider businesses who play such a crucial role in local economies? How can they get involved?

Why take part?

Local economies have come to prominence over the last few years due to the Northern Powerhouse initiative, and the most recent announcement on Business Rate devolution is due to give even more power to local councils and therefore, local business leaders.

This renewed focus on the 99% of business that make up the UK SME Business community is key for economic recovery moving forward and this day seeks to champion all that they can provide.

B2B enterprises and service providers are the engines that drive economic expansion and so they should be championed too, alongside the high-street retailers.

Small Business Saturday will raise awareness of all small independent business, whatever their specialism and will allow them to demonstrate to others exactly what they can offer.

How can you take part?

So what can you offer? You may not be able to offer tangible products, but that may not actually be what your customers want. Love Energy Savings, a B2B energy tariff comparison service, recently ran a study looking at what would retain customer loyalty and interestingly, 61% of B2B customers, and 60% of B2C customers, actually preferred discounts over gifts. This automatically opens doors to those businesses without a high street presence.

Small Business Saturday is also an excuse to supply something which money can’t buy, namely expertise and advice. For those in the B2B space, knowledge and experience is invaluable to those entrepreneurs and start-up companies who may wish to expand. More established small business can really help champion their peers here by hosting seminars or tutorials on this day – and as it is on a Saturday, there is no excuse not to attend!

A B2B Case Study

So it all seems great in theory but how can you make it work in practice? This is where a case study comes in handy.

This year, Love Energy Savings are taking part by offering a £50 cash back offer to those businesses who switch their energy tariff as a result of comparing prices with them on the 5Th December.

Alongside this tangible gift, they are also keen to share their knowledge on how switching your energy tariff can lead to long term savings for small businesses.

For example, did you know that 40% of small business haven’t switched their tariff in 5years? In the domestic sphere this is almost unheard of!

For SME’s high energy bill costs can be raised even higher by a lack of awareness and this is what Love Energy Savings want to use their voice on Small Business Saturday to fight against.

What can your business use its voice for?

Every business has a voice that they can use on the 5th December. Maybe you are experts in cyber security and you can raise awareness of technology available to help business protect themselves? Maybe you are a training provider and you want to shout about how better training can transform a business? The possibilities are endless.

If you have missed your chance to sign up this year then use the examples of other small businesses taking part to organise your plan of attack for next year. Preparation is key!

Use the day to make the most of what other B2B businesses are providing, take advantage of the training days that may be on offer, and of the deals being provided. Take note of any gaps in current offerings and look at where you could fill in, learn from the experiences of others.

Where is the benefit?

There are the always benefits to small businesses on days like this.

As mentioned above, the main benefit taking part in Small Business Saturday can provide is an opportunity for local businesses to make themselves known in their communities. This is not restricted to B2C retail but can expand to B2B companies if they take the time to recognise their speciality and share their knowledge.

This day also encourages cooperation and mutual support meaning B2B businesses have a real part to play. The day is just as much about consumers as it is for the businesses, but if your consumer is a business then you are perfectly placed to take part.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support your small business peers and come to the day with something to offer and know that you will get more than that in return.