As business owners across the country prepare to celebrate ten years of Small Business Saturday on 3rd December, Louise Brogan, owner of LinkedIn with Louise, a global LinkedIn marketing agency for professional services, is leading efforts to encourage the public to support the campaign, and other small firms across Northern Ireland to get involved.
Louise has been a longstanding champion of the campaign and has joined efforts as a ‘Small Business Saturday Hero’, raising awareness of the campaign across NI. She has been a ‘Small Business Britain’ champion and ‘local hero’ for the past three years, supporting the campaigns, hosting free webinars, contributing to government and roundtable discussions. In 2021, Small Business Saturday also named Louise its ‘Small Business of the Year’.
In recent days Louise was recognised for her dedication to helping NI’s small and independent businesses to thrive at a Royal reception in Buckingham Palace that recognised the contribution of small businesses to the economy of the UK. The reception brought over 400 economy ministers, small business owner and ‘high profile’ entrepreneurs such as Dragons Den’s Peter Jones and Mary Portas ‘Queen of Shops’ together. However, only ten ‘VIPs’ were invited to receive an audience with King Chares III, Prince Edward, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, of which Louise was one.
Commenting on the importance of Small Business Saturday and her recognition from King Charles III, Louise said, “Small Business Saturday spotlights the important role that small businesses play in our communities and showcases the love that people have for local firms. It’s a vital campaign that makes a big impact all year round. Support from the public for small firms is absolutely essential, particularly as business owners all over the country face a challenging winter ahead.
Louise continued, “Small, independent and local businesses from all industries are the life and soul of Northern Ireland. My own business started out small and with the right help and direction, it is now thriving and growing year after year. Helping other small businesses to do the same is my passion. Being recognised for this personally by our new King and extended members of the Royal family is a highlight in my career so far, and one that I will be telling my children and grandchildren about in years to come.”
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and to support businesses in their communities. The iconic campaign is celebrating its tenth year in the UK this year, with principal supporter American Express. Over the time the campaign has run in the UK it has engaged millions each year, with billions spent with small businesses on Small Business Saturday.
On Small Business Saturday customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, from independent shops and restaurants to small service and b2b based businesses like accountants and digital marketers. Many small businesses take an active role in promoting the day by hosting events and offering promotions.
If you are a small businesses and are interested in speaking with Louise, she is hosting a meetup for small business owners on Friday 2nd December in Ulster University’s new Belfast campus. Find out more here – (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/small-business-saturday-belfast-networking-small-biz-clinic-tickets-453846135007). You can also find out more about Small Business Saturday here – https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com
