The first Small Business Saturday will take place next weekend encouraging people to make better use of the shops and services available on their local high street.
The event has been timed to coincide with what is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year as Christmas shopping gets underway in earnest.
Small businesses of all kinds across the country have been encouraged to sign up for the event – everything from small local shops. online businesses, wholesalers of small manufacturers.
It is a great way for small businesses to promote themselves and generate new business, with many of those taking part offering special deals for customers, showcase events, joint marketing with local media and much more.
Other events to mark Small Business Saturday include Christmas markets and community events, as well as special schemes such as free parking to encourage people into town centres to support the businesses taking part.
Customers are urged to support the day, not only by using local businesses on the day and beyond, but also tweeting about it using the hashtag #SmallBizSatUK and following the national campaign on Twitter @SmallBizSatUK.
Businesses taking part are also urged to post their plans for their days on Facebook.
The Prime Minister, the government and all the major political parties are endorsing the day, with government departments working with the campaign to support small businesses on the day.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Small Business Saturday matters because small businesses matter and we want to celebrate them.
“It’s just one day, but we all rely on small businesses every day. There are 4.8million small businesses in the UK and more than 14million people work in them.
“If Small Business Saturday raises the profile of small businesses it will have done its job.”