Small Business Saturday - 1/12/23

On Friday (1st December 2023), Alan Brown MP demonstrated his commitment to supporting local businesses by visiting enterprises in preparation for Small Business Saturday (2nd December 2023).

The representative for Kilmarnock and Loudoun chose to focus on businesses on the town’s Hurlford Road (Riccarton), providing a firsthand look at their operations.

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign designed to highlight the success of small enterprises and encourage consumers to embrace local shopping, thereby supporting small businesses within their communities.

During his visits, the MP specifically highlighted the recently opened business space at the former Ritchie Ltd premises, which now houses several new and small businesses from the town. This strategic choice aimed to draw attention to the dynamic and diverse entrepreneurial landscape thriving within the town.

In preparation for the main event on Small Business Saturday, the MP took the time to visit a variety of establishments within this business hub, including; Sorted.iT, Hair By Amy C and Annandale Home Improvements.

Commenting, Mr Brown said:

“Small Business Saturday gives us the chance to celebrate the top-class local enterprise we have on our doorstep.

“As MP, I do my best to engage in supporting and championing our local businesses. The recently established space on Hurlford Road was an ideal spot to focus on, given its freshness and diverse range of enterprises.

“I attended an electronic repair technician (Sorted.IT), a hair stylist (Hair By Amy C) as well as a home improvements and double glazing specialist – this personifies the range and different types of businesses I visited.

"Listening to the startup stories from local businesses is always truly fascinating. I hold nothing but admiration for those who take the plunge and venture out on their own. Seeing these businesses thrive is absolutely fantastic and I am confident they will only continue to progress.

“With the build-up to Christmas well and truly upon us, now is the perfect time to go out and support small businesses within our constituency and give the local economy a boost.

"It is important to celebrate small businesses and the integral part they play in our community – they are about far more than profit. They provide much-needed services and goods; they offer employment and training; they boost the local economy, and they have a major role in rebuilding our town centres.

“I want to give a massive thanks to Liam (Sorted. IT), Amy (Hair By Amy C), and Garry (Annandale) for taking the time out of their extremely busy schedule to chat with me. I look forward to seeing their businesses prosper further in the future.”