Small businesses wish it could be Christmas Everyday

As almost one in five small businesses say they won’t survive 2022 without a bumper Christmas, the importance of festive trading can’t be underestimated.

To raise awareness of the issue, we formed our very own Small Business Choir and re-recorded Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.

Read about how we re-recorded the Christmas classic and find out why it’s important to support small businesses not just during the holidays, but all year round.

• Christmas Everyday – supporting small businesses beyond the holidays
• New research reveals 26% drop in Christmas tree sellers
• What is the fastest growing small business industry in the UK?
• What is business insurance?

Small businesses wish it could be Christmas everyday

A strong festive season is crucial for many small businesses, with more than a third of those we surveyed saying they make over 20 per cent of their annual revenue between Black Friday and 24 December.

What’s more, 60 per cent say a good festive season would be a lifeline for their business as they continue to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Small businesses told us that some of the biggest challenges they face this Christmas include:

• attracting customers
• earning enough to stay in business
• the impact of continuing supply chain issues

Introducing our Small Business Choir

The Simply Business Small Business Choir includes a range of businesses from across the UK, including:

• a father and son-run brownie company
• a lifestyle store with a luxury ethos
• a family-run fusion grocery store
• a beautiful and sustainable fashion brand
• a building firm established in the 70s
• a dance school for people of all ages
• a green-fingered company connecting people to nature
• a building company fusing modern and traditional values
• a local cafe in the heart of London
• a cooking school supporting people of all ages and abilities

Learn about the Small Business Choir below. Meanwhile, our behind the scenes video has more insight from small business owners on the importance of festive trading, as well as the passion that underpins their businesses:

John and Leo Lashley – Brooklyn Brownie Co., Northampton

John and son Leo founded the Brooklyn Brownie Co. in Northampton during 2019. Starting with local deliveries, they went on to receive worldwide demand for orders.

The business has extra significance as Leo's mother took her own life days after Brooklyn Brownie Co. was set up. Working on the business together has helped the family to get through an extremely tough time.

Antonia Sanchez-Toomey – Tailor Made Living, Enfield

Tailor Made Living is a lifestyle store offering a fresh approach to shopping with a collection of unique gifts, homeware, and fashion accessories.

Its everyday luxury ethos is all about bringing some magic into the small moments in life and celebrating the everyday. Whether you're choosing a gift for a friend or picking up a new addition for your home, shopping their curated range is a treat.

Anne and Lewis McGregor – Cinnamon Leaf, Tottenham

Nestled in the heart of Tottenham, Cinnamon Leaf is a family-run, fusion grocery store offering organic, whole, and Afro Caribbean foods.

They wanted to create a store that highlights the wonderful world of healthy alternatives, while including foods from their cultural heritage rooted in West Africa and the Caribbean. As well as selling ambient produce, Cinnamon Leaf has an in-store café, serving specialty coffee, freshly baked breads, and cakes.

Karishma Gupta – Satatland, London

A qualified fashion professional with over 10 years’ experience, Karishma previously worked with apparel and textile manufacturers in India, Bangladesh, and the Middle East.

She’s seen how rivers have turned toxic and land is being devastated for clothing that’s not worn more than twice. Because of this, she founded Satatland to fulfil her dream of creating a zero-compromise fashion brand that’s beautiful, sustainable, and ownership-free.

Graham Warden – Glenward Builders, Essex

Starting out as a sole trader in the 1970s, Graham Warden founded Glenward Builders. Over the years, the company has sub-contracted with local companies and carried out local authority contract works.

It’s a bespoke family business with an experienced team, completing building projects all over East London and Essex.

Darja Bardo - Dancewithus dance school, Stratford

Dancewithus is a dance school in Stratford, East London. Its team consists of professional choreographers with on-stage experience from across the globe.

It offers professional and recreational dance classes for adults and children in a fun and encouraging atmosphere.

Darren Henderson and Ben Nel – Botanical Boys, King Cross

Botanical Boys was established in 2016 as a project to run terrarium masterclasses. By August 2019, Darren had opened up his first shop in Coal Drops Yard, allowing him to expand his botanical offerings and focus on connecting people to nature.

Whether it’s building a terrarium or supporting local African villages with a range of natural products, Botanical Boys are helping people to make a difference.

Patrick Henry – P.R. Henry Building Ltd, London

Patrick has a true passion for building before business and that’s reflected in his work.

He balances traditional and modern work ethics, with a focus on communication. He loves what he does and gets the job done. To Patrick, detail is everything.

Sema Firat – Roni’s Cafe, Farringdon

Roni’s is a family-run cafe situated in the heart of the city, offering dine-in or takeaway services.

Sema and her team make sure London’s workers don’t go hungry with an array of delicious sandwiches, paninis, and salads, served from breakfast through lunchtime.

Natasha Hayworth – Cakeybakeydoodaa, Essex

Natasha started Cakeybakeydoodaa in Romford, Essex, at the beginning of March 2020. The business developed after she combined her passions of supporting adults with learning disabilities and making celebration cakes.

She now teaches all ages and abilities essential life skills through making, baking, and creating healthy dishes and cakes.

Meet the friends of Simply Business

As well as some inspirational small businesses, we invited some friends of Simply Business to join the festive choir, including:

• Carina Lepore – winner of BBC’s The Apprentice in 2019, co-owner of Dough Bakehouse in South London, and Business Boost 2021 judge
• Mo Kanjilal and Allegra Chapman – winners of this year’s Business Boost competition, and co-founders of Watch this Sp_ce, an inclusion and diversity consultancy
• Tony Robinson OBE – author, multiple business owner, and vocal champion of the self-employed
• Larissa Cooper – owner and Creative Director of Rowan Bay, a woven baby wrap company, and winner of our Business Boost competition in 2020
• Selina Flavius – founder of Black Girl Finance, the UK's number one financial coaching company for black women
• Merlie Calvert – CEO and Founder of Farillio, an award-winning tech startup in the business and legal services sector

“Small businesses have shown resilience in abundance”

Our UK CEO, Alan Thomas, who also appeared in the Small Business Choir, commented: “While much of the UK prepares for a period of well-earned festive cheer, the feeling among small business owners is likely to be rather more sombre this Christmas.

“Few have been harder hit in the last two years. They’ve faced the pandemic head-on, navigated supply shortages, and adapted to a new normal. They’ve shown resilience in abundance and done all they can to stay afloat.

“It’s vital we support small businesses this Christmas – and if anything, the pandemic has served as another reminder that we should be supporting them all year round."

How are you feeling about festive trading so far? Let us know in the comments below.