Team behind Small Business Saturday bus to offer free mentoring in region

SMALL BUSINESS Saturday UK, the nationwide campaign to support and promote the UK’s small businesses, will be rolling into Leeds today to offer free mentoring.

Now in its sixth year, the Small Business Saturday campaign bus will travel more than 3,000 miles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, visiting 30 locations over 25 days.

A spokesman said: “The Small Business Saturday Bus Tour is an important part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday, taking place on December 1.”

Michelle Ovens MBE, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “We are excited that the Small Business Saturday bus will be stopping in Leeds and championing small businesses throughout the local area and providing a listening ear and a chance for mentoring. With the North having one of the largest increases in small business start-ups in recent years – a lot of them in Yorkshire – the city is a perfect place to celebrate this success.

“The tour is not just open to businesses, it’s open to everyone – every individual who can take a moment to appreciate the farreaching impact small businesses have on their community.’

Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst MP, said: “With more than 1,000 starting up every day, the UK’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy.

“The Small Business Saturday bus tour showcases the vital contribution they make to our economy and communities up and down the country.

“I would like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the tour and the day itself.”

The Small Business Saturday bus will stop in Kirkgate Outdoor Market, Ludgate Hill from 10am to 2pm today.

Local small businesses can book a mentoring session through the Small Business Saturday website – https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/