Support your local shops

With just under three weeks to go until Christmas, shoppers up and down the country are urged to ‘look local’ and remember their local businesses.

Business Minister Fergus Ewing marked Small Business Saturday today (Saturday, December 6) by kick-starting his Christmas shopping at small business, Jasmine, in the West End of Glasgow.

Despite announcements made during the Autumn Statement, Scotland retains the most competitive business tax environment in the UK, with a package of rate reliefs worth around £618 million for 2015-16. Recent statistics show that our Small Business Bonus Scheme alone has removed or reduced taxation for over 96,000 premises this year. This demonstrates an increase of four per cent from last year and 50 per cent since introduction in 2008-09.

Mr Ewing said:

“Small Business Saturday is an excellent opportunity to rediscover the local, independent businesses on your doorstep - manufacturers, builders, florists, jewellers or bookshops, all of these companies keep our local communities going.

“Supporting your local economy is an important way to keep communities alive – and, with Christmas round the corner, has the added bonus of avoiding the high street crowds we’ve recently seen so much of on the news.

“We are absolutely committed to creating a thriving network of local communities all over Scotland.

“There continues to be an increase in business start-ups in Scotland – with a 23.9 per cent increase over the latest year. And we want to see that growth: the Scottish Government offers a range of support for small and medium enterprises, starting with Business Gateway and our enterprise agencies.

“Two in five premises have benefitted from the Small Business Bonus Scheme this year, and 329,000 small businesses in Scotland provide 42 per cent of private sector jobs, so it is hugely important. Our Town Centre Action Plan aims to engage with wider public, private and community sectors to make town centres vibrant places to live, socialise and do business in.

“So on Small Business Saturday I ask you to look local this Christmas – be it for gifts or for locally-sourced Christmas dinner ingredients – to support your local shops and community.”