Back Northampton's independent traders on Small Business Saturday this weekend

Now in its fourth year, Small Business Saturday is a national campaign which highlights the important contribution small businesses make to the UK’s economy.

The leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Jonathan Nunn, and members of the borough council cabinet will be visiting independent traders across Northampton on Small Business Saturday on December 3.

And they will be focussing on about 30 of the 115 businesses that have received one of the borough Council’s Business Incentive Scheme grants to support them to grow and thrive.

Since the Business Incentive Scheme was launched in 2014, Northampton Borough Council has supported 115 businesses with grants totalling more than £980,000. This has resulted in the creation of 564 jobs and leveraged over £5 million pounds in private sector investment – as well as filling empty units across the town and helping to create a vibrant local economy.

During the day, Councillors will be visiting businesses of all sizes types and ages, and in a couple of cases taking a sneak peek at those that have not yet opened their doors to the public. And Cllr Tim Hadland will have the honour of carrying out the official opening ceremony for the new, state of the art, Barbarella Hair salon in St Giles Street.

And as on every Saturday, Northampton Borough Council is offering free parking all day on December 3 in all multi-storey car parks, to encourage shoppers to visit Northampton.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “In Northampton, we have some really excellent small businesses run by passionate people who are making an enormous contribution to the local economy. Independent reports consistently say that Northampton is a great place to establish and grow a business and I am proud that the borough council is playing an extremely active part in supporting them.

“I am really looking forward to going out and about on Small Business Saturday to see how our grant scheme is directly helping small businesses, and to find out what more we can do to make Northampton as business-friendly as possible.”

A spokesman said during the current financial year, the borough council’s Business Incentive Scheme has supported 31 businesses, committing more than £300,000 and creating 238 jobs.