This powerful and meaningful movement is about mobilising all South Africans to support and buy from their local small businesses.
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 get his team jersey, a mom or dad put food on the table, a family pay a bond, or a student pay for university fees.
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 six years, the NSBC is very proud of the progress. It remains important to keep reminding people to get involved and support small business.”
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 today. It’s a 365 day drive that peaks on the first Friday of Spring every year, 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 1st 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 mind-set and the right thing to do.
The number one small business challenge is getting new customers, as per the 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 business. If more can support local small businesses, these small businesses will be able to build their infrastructure and employ more local people, therefore 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 to promote the cause and importantly, to lobby Government officials to enhance the every-day life of the small business community.
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, will help drive the movement and of course strengthen the small business sector.
3 ways to support Small Business Friday TODAY:
Pledge Your Support on the Official Website:
Visit www.smallbizfriday.co.za and pledge your support on the pledge wall.
Retweet, Share and Comment on Social Media:
Encourage your social media followers to support #SmallBizFriday. Retweet, Share or Comment on Small Business Friday posts on our social media channels:
- Facebook: Facebook.com/SmallBizFriday
- Twitter: @SmallBizFriday
- Instagram: @SmallBizFriday
Shop at your Local Small businesses
Go out there and support your local small businesses today and everyday thereafter.
