An independent boutique shoe shop, with outlets in Prestatyn and a newly-opened shop in Rhos on Sea, between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno, has been named among the 100 small businesses in the UK to be celebrated by Small Business Saturday, the campaign that culminates in the UK’s dedicated day for small businesses on December 3rd.
Elevate Your Sole offers a wide selection of shoes for women and men of all adult ages. From the quirky, vintage styled Ruby Shoo to the fantastically comfortable Rieker shoes, owner Hal Holmes-Pierce aims to create a truly individual experience for his customers. Now, the shop will now be among the select number of businesses to be featured by the Small Business Saturday campaign one per day for the 100 days leading up to Small Business Saturday itself.
In late 2012 and having enjoyed a successful career in the merchant navy as a senior navigation officer, Hal decided it was time to shift his attention to his passion for shoes and business. He discovered a gap in the market for an independent shoe shop in his hometown of Prestatyn. He found an old bakery turned clothes shop that had become available in the middle of the high street that had plenty of character and meshed perfectly with his vision. Three years later he has a loyal customer base and has recently opened his second shop.
“It’s extremely important to make the local community aware of the range of beautiful independent shops on our high street,” explains Hal.
“The shop is an extension of me and I have made every effort to ensure that my personality shines through. From plastering the walls to laying the floor, I have fully immersed myself in the world of shoes and business. All 519 styles of shoes and accessories that are currently on offer have been carefully selected using the core principles of quality, comfort and individuality.”
Small Business Saturday is already the UK’s most successful small business campaign. This is the fourth year of the campaign, which last year saw £623m spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday, an increase of £119m or 24 per cent on the previous year. The campaign trended at number one in the UK on Twitter on the day with more than 100,000 campaign-related tweets being sent. Over 75% of local councils supported the campaign, giving considerable national reach into local communities.
The campaign is a great nationwide promotional and marketing tool for small businesses. It is totally free to participate and any small businesses can get involved – from one-man-bands, through to a high growth office, and from tradesmen to social media gurus. In addition to the big day, the campaign also delivers help and advice alongside opportunities to connect with other small businesses. In short, Small Business Saturday exists to support, inspire and promote small businesses.
“The British public has a great affection for small businesses and we continue
to see that grow year on year. Small Business Saturday is an exceptional example of collaboration and co-operation with small businesses teaming up in communities around the UK,” explains Campaign Director Michelle Ovens.
“Although the campaign focuses on one day, the goal is to have a lasting impact on small businesses by changing mind-sets, so that people make it their mission to support small businesses all year round. Most people in this country own a small business, work for a small business or know somebody who does, so supporting a small business on Small Business Saturday is absolutely personal.”
Small Business Saturday, which is a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010 and it remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small. The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation. The campaign is also supported by PRS For Music, TalkTalk Business, Vistaprint, Post Office and Clear Channel
Logos, digital banners, a social media guide and toolkits will be available to download from the website www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com and can be displayed online or on premises. Businesses around the country can also upload information to the ‘My Small Business Finder’ on the website (www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com) on what special events or promotional offers they will be running for Small Business Saturday.
More information on Small Business Saturday can also be found on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturdayuk) and Twitter feed (@SmallBizSatUk).
