Save the date and enjoy free parking across town centres this Small Business Saturday!

Small Business Saturday aims to highlight small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities all year round.

The national day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on all small businesses across the UK.

To help support our local businesses West Northamptonshire Council is offering free parking across Northampton town centre carparks so that shoppers won’t have to worry about the cost of parking when supporting our local businesses.

Councillor Dan Lister, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth, said: “Small Business Saturday is a fantastic way to shine a light on what a great small business offer we have in West Northamptonshire, and to show that we are truly passionate about helping our local economy to thrive, we are funding an extension to our free parking offer to Northampton town centre for this important day.

“We have something for everyone – outstanding independent retailers, creative start-up businesses, family-owned restaurants, pubs and cafes, and a wealth of visitor attractions and activity centres across our entire area.

“We want to make sure we are championing our small businesses all year round, not just on Small Business Saturday, and recognising the benefits for the whole community when everyone thinks locally and supports local employers. This creates local jobs, it results in benefits to the economy, and it helps our town centres and wider areas to thrive, benefitting everyone.

“For this reason, we are also encouraging businesses to utilise all the free support and funding available through our Economic Growth & Inward Investment Team to continue to grow locally.”

The Economic Growth & Inward Investment Team offer wide-ranging support for businesses throughout the year including:

• Business growth
• Accessing funding
• Employment, skills, and recruitment
• Help to start a new business
• A Business Toolbox packed with useful documents

We would urge all business owners to visit our Small Business Saturday page or contact us at [email protected] or on 01327 322230 to find out more.

To ensure that residents and visitors can explore every West Northants business, all employers are urged to register on the free Explore West Northants app.

The app showcases everything to enjoy all year round in West Northants, from independent businesses to cultural attractions and local events.

You can find more information and sign up to Small Business Saturday nationally via the Small Business Saturday website.