Royal Revellers Urged To Support Local Small Businesses

Revellers have been urged to use the Royal Wedding to help their local small businesses through the current economic uncertainties.

The Forum of Private Business is calling on those celebrating the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton today to provide independent traders in their areas with a much-needed boost by spending their money at privately-owned shops, pubs and restaurants.

The Forum believes the mood of national celebration surrounding the wedding, coupled with the recent spell of good weather, should create a welcome upsurge in trade for smaller businesses in the tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail industries.

The not-for-profit small business support organisation is also arguing that a rise in business for firms in these sectors may help to offset the disruption small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wider economy have suffered this month, due to the unprecedented run of bank holidays.

The Forum has been calling for increased positivity and confidence – together with more support for SMEs – through its new campaign, Get Britain Trading. Get Britain Trading aims to help kickstart the economy back into life by creating the right conditions for smaller firms, which make up around 98% of businesses in the UK, to flourish and grow, thereby creating more employment opportunities and greater prosperity for the nation overall.

The Forum’s Head Of Campaigns, Jane Bennett explained: “Having so many bank holidays so close together has caused a lot of disruption, even to firms which have carried on working through them, due to key staff, trading partners and customers taking the time off.

“However, it’s important to remember that there is an upside to the situation and many small firms in the leisure, retail and hospitality sectors stand to benefit from the current mood of national celebration surrounding the Royal Wedding.

Miss Bennett added: “They don’t need to be anywhere near Westminster Abbey to benefit either – people are planning celebrations up and down the UK, particularly given the sunshine we’ve been enjoying recently, so there’s lots of scope for small businesses to do what they do best and use their entrepreneurial spirit to make the most out of the situation.

She concluded: “We’re not calling for people to boycott big businesses – we’re just hoping that the sense of national unity and celebration surrounding the royal wedding will encourage people support local enterprise at every opportunity and in doing so, help to create prosperity and jobs in their communities and Get Britain Trading.”

(BMcN)