Nickie Aiken MP is encouraging small shopkeepers in the Two Cities to enter the Best Small Shops Competition, celebrating the successes of small shops and the central role they play in their local community, particularly in response to Covid-19.
The Best Small Shops Competition is open to any small shop* in the UK. The competition is free to enter and all shops who enter will also be promoted to consumers through an online Indie Retail Directory. Nickie also runs her own online business directory encouraging people to shop local.
Shopkeepers can nominate their businesses until Friday 11th September 2020 via www.bestsmallshops.co.uk. A shortlist will be announced in October with winners announced in November.
The judges will be looking for evidence of a small shop’s entrepreneurial spirit, ways that they have been innovative in their business and what they have done to have a lasting positive impact on their community.
The shortlisted small shops will then be in with the chance to win one of five awards, including the newly launched award for small shops response to Covid-19.
On the awards Nickie commented, “The Two Cities is home to so many wonderful small independent shops. Like all of us, they have faced several unprecedented challenges in recent months due to Covid-19.
“I have been working hard to support them included setting up my own online business directory to publicise businesses that were operating during lockdown.
“Many of our small businesses have gone above and beyond to serve their local community. It would be fantastic if one of our small businesses won any of the five categories. Get nominating now! Please let me know if you have submitted a nomination.”
Submit your entry now!
The entries for 2020’s Best Small Shop competition are now open. Submit your entry here.
Entries close on Friday 11th September 2020.
More entry guidance is available here.
*For the purposes of the competition, a small shop is defined as a non-corporate business selling goods or services to the public for use or consumption rather than for resale, from a business rated premises in the UK.