5 top tips to get ready for Small Business Saturday

We’re sure you’ve heard of Small Business Saturday. But maybe you’ve never taken part, or thought it wasn’t for you. We’re here to let you know why you should get involved, and how to get ready.

Small Business Saturday UK is a campaign that’s been running for 13 years. It’s taking place on 6th December this year. It aims to help UK small businesses thrive by celebrating and shining a light on them. Discounted products and special events encourage people to shop with small, local businesses. Here are 5 tips to help you get ready.

    1.Plan to make the day special

If you have a shop, an office or a workshop you could run an event. Offering entertainment, or some free nibbles and drinks is sure to entice people in and get them buying. Or you could plan to run a special offer or discount on the day.

    2.Shout about it

Whether you have a real shop window on your local high street, or a website, make sure you get it ready. Put a poster in your window, or a banner on your homepage, to let people know about your event or discount. Send out emails to your customer base and post on social media. When posting make sure to use the hashtag #SmallBizSatUK, or tag @SmallBizSatUK. 

    3. Make sure you're stocked up

Hopefully your efforts at getting the word out will boost sales on the day. Making sure you've got the stock you need to see you right through to Christmas is really important.

• Have a look at your sales in previous years. What sold well? What had great profit margins? When did sales peak? These insights can guide your decisions this year.
• Get ahead on delivery dates. Make sure you order what you need in good time.
• Know your cashflow. Make sure you can afford to order the stock you need.

 
   4- Give the gift of choice

You already have a fantastic range of products and services. Now make sure your customers know that you offer gift cards too. They’re a great option for when someone can't decide what to get their mum-in-law, or that one picky friend, for Christmas. A gift card means your customer won’t leave empty handed, and you get a sale.

    5. Offer the payment methods your customers prefer

Investing in the right payment solutions is important to make purchases as smooth as possible. You don’t want to lose a sale because you don’t accept your customers’ favourite ways to pay.

Debit cards still lead the way for in-store purchases in the UK, making up 44% of transaction value¹. When it comes to smaller buys under £100, over 93% are contactless¹. Online, digital wallets are now the go-to, and flexible options like buy-now-pay-later are catching on fast¹.

Our partners Worldpay are payment providers with over 35 years of experience. They’re trusted by over 1 million merchants worldwide, and they can support you with payment solutions. 

¹Worldpay Global Payments Report (GRP 2025)