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Showcasing the best of British micros this Christmas & into the New Year

Micro businesses aren't just for Christmas, so here are 5 top tips for year round micro magic.


I wanted to write about micro business at Christmas for obvious reasons - now is a great time to get out there and make sure your hard earned pounds are going to people, places and planet through micro business. But...I also include New Year into the mix, because it's then that micros really need support and nurturing.


So here we are, 2 weeks out from Christmas 2024 and, no doubt, your social feeds have been full of reasons to 'shop small' and support little, independent businesses. Yes. This is vital.





What we now need to do is turn that spotlight towards 2025 and all year round prioritising of micro businesses in Britain. As we have said so many times before, micros are those businesses with 0-9 employees and they are not, in fact, small. Small businesses are those with 10-49 employees - a huge difference. Micros make up the biggest portion of private enterprise in Britain (98%) and are in every community, town, village in the UK. It is our mission to support micros all year round. If we try to estimate life without a vibrant micro community, we would quickly miss our essential services like electricians, plumbers and more, but we would also miss indie cafes, stunning holiday cottages, bakers, artisans, producers, gift shops, freelance experts, therapists, coaches, freelance physios, independent journos, writers, photographers, dress makers....yes, the list is pretty much endless.


So how can we ensure that we're spreading our micro business support a little wider than just the last fortnight before Christmas?


  1. Share your shopping habits. I love to proudly say where I bought gifts or got great services when I'm shopping with micros. If I buy handmade, I add information into the gift, when I use a micro frellancer, I tag them into what I share. This small, but powerful action helps normalise shopping with micros & choosing micros. It signposts those who are still in love with the convenience of online shopping with the biggies and need confidence to make a few more leaps into a new way of spending money.

  2. Up your voucher game. Who doesn't love a voucher for something gorgeous to look forward to into the New Year? I'm not talking a slightly depressing gift card for a major name, but more of your hand written promise of something lovely. Heading to our Simply Club Directory you'll notice we showcase places to stay, retreats, courses and more. All make ideal gifts for memories to be made in the future.

  3. No happy dances here. Shopping with a micro is often characterised as a 'happy dance'. Frankly, a phrase I really dislike. Not because your purchase doesn't make someone happy, but because your spend is a vote. It's a vote for your future, the future of your high street, your community, your neighbours. Understand that every single penny spent this way changes something. Understand what that change is to help commit to how you frame spending habits for the coming year.

  4. Get your list on. In world of real overwhelm and content overload, it's tricky to stay connected with businesses you come across but can't then remember at the crucial buying moment later in the year. Establish a system where you store all those gems you stumble across along the way, so that you have the ideal solution to hand when the time is right. Think Notes on your phone, a notebook in your bag, photos of names in a folder or a saved list on your socials. This way you are countering the big ad budgets of big brands and getting to where you really want to be. Of course, we can highly recommend keeping Simply in your starred websites list as a growing 'one stop shop' for micros in Britain.

  5. Think bigger than gift shopping. There are tons of reasons to shop micro, too long to list in this post, but zoom out a little in your life and figure out what else you need and use that could be brilliantly delivered by a micro business. Maybe you're a business owner looking for web work, freelance support or coaching. Are you hosting an event and need photographers or print materials. Do you want to make sure your spend is as sustainable as possibe? All these needs can be met easily by micro experts who can offer some of the best transparency, service and expertise around without the shadowy protection of a big brand that fails to live up to its promise.

  6. A bonus treat. Finally we are giving you a hug of encouragement with our Christmas Giveaway. One lucky person will be able to spend £100 on up to 5 of our member businesses. Enter now and the draw takes place on Froday the 13th at 5pm.



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