microbizmatters day — 1 down, 364 to go…
Last week saw the 4th annual #MicroBizMatters Day — a day long live stream on youtube of interviews, performances, challenges, and encouragements to, for, by, and about, micro business owners everywhere (you know, micro business: those small local firms who collectively employ 1/3 of the population, make up 96% of all businesses, and such like, but yet receive hardly any government support…)
Anyways — as with last year, I (and my fez) were invited to the host venue for this year, XYZ Works in Manchester, to help co-ordinate and support the day. And now ‘normal service’ is being resumed, it’s probably a good time to pause to reflect on the day that was, and why it may be the least important day of the year for micro businesses..?
For those of you who missed the day’s broadcasts, you can catch up with the full 7 hour (and a bit) broadcast on youtube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzsYSeNjOgw&feature=youtu.be
And there were also a number of ‘bonus extras’ broadcast via facebook live over on the MicroBizMatters page there:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/microbizmattersday/videos/?ref=page_internal (where you may be able to spot me showing off my ‘red carpet socks’ and explaining why a moustache has appeared on my face…)
There’s always a lot of excitement around each MicroBizMatters Day, but I’m wondering if in the rush of the romance of it all, we risk forgetting that it may not be that important in the grand scheme of MicroBizMatters — talking with guests and visitors to the ‘broadcast suite’ on the day, i was struck by how many came to be involved through the ongoing campaigns of the movement. And its these campaigns that we should perhaps highlight more, as its these that will change the culture and landscape for micro business everywhere by being talked about every day, in ways that a single days live stream could never hope to achieve?
#PayIn30 — making sure we keep the cash flowing in micro businesses, and that our clients pay when they’re supposed to
#Indie25ER — a target of 25% of our purchases to be made from local independent micro businesses, to help strengthen their resilience as providers of local services and local employment
#NotAnSME — challenging government to do more to recognise the valuable role and contribution of micro businesses to GVA, employment, import/export, and generally doing a fair bit to keep the UK economy going!
#IGave12 — encouraging micro businesses to offer support to each other as part of building a peer-led movement
As for my own personal role on the day, I’m pleased to report that I seem to have retained my reputation for being the MicroBizMatters ‘naughty boy’ judging by others’ posts and comments about me on instagramand twitter (including my tabletop dancing…), but that the professionalism and standard of the other roadies to the day seemed to more than cover for any reputational risk my antics may have otherwise caused:
Jo Harrison — http://www.joharrison.rocks/
Gaynor Carr — http://www.thesmartstation.com/
Ed Goodman — http://www.edagoodman.com/
Elaine Clark — http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/
Marianne Whitfield — http://www.essential-business.co.uk/
Naomi Timperley — http://www.technorthadvocates.com/
Michelle Dorrell — http://www.chellesdesignernails.co.uk/
Paul Lancaster (who also sponsored our breakfast!) — https://plandigitaluk.com/
