Small Business Saturday UK returns to today, Saturday 5th September. The first Small Business Saturday UK took place on December 7th 2013 and was hugely successful.

Small Business Saturday UK was set up to encourage consumer spending in small independent retailers in the hope that people will see the benefits and keep it up throughout the year.

I think this point is crucial. It is great to have a day to showcase the hard work that small business owners put in. It can often be very difficult and susceptible to local changes such as a new superstore that can come in and destroy a small business. Small businesses are the foundation of the economy and make a big contribution, ensuring their sustainability and growth is of huge importance.

Chuka Umunna, Labour's Shadow Business Secretary brought the idea to the UK and identified 3 rules to make the Small Business Saturday UK work. Here's what he says they were: 

1. Be non-party political, I got in touch with local authorities and got their backing.
2. Operate from the bottom up, it wouldn't work if it was top-down.
3. Centre on small businesses, although several large businesses support it and are involved, it’s not about the large companies.

There are loads of ways to get involved as a business or a consumer. You can find out more on the Small Business Saturday UK website.

See how the rest of the country is rallying together: #SmallBusinessSaturday