A local small business located in Bedworth Civic Hall was visited by Craig Tracey, North Warwickshire’s Member of Parliament, for Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is an initiative to encourage people to shop locally, promote local businesses and the work that they do. Now entering its third year, SBS is the UK's most successful small business campaign. Last year, 16.5 million people shopped in a small independent business, spending more than £500 million on the day.
Travel Finesse was recently set up by Caroline Bentley-Showell who had previously worked at the Co-op Travel in Bedworth. When notice of closure was given of the Co-op in Bedworth in August, Caroline approached the Freedom Travel Group for support of her setting up her own independent travel agents. Travel Finesses opened its doors on the 1st of October.
Caroline approached NBBC for permission to use a section of the Civic hall, she has since taken on two former Co-op Travel employees and is looking to take on another staff member in the New Year.
Craig Tracey MP, a previous local small business owner and Chairman for the Parliamentary Group for Women and Enterprise, commented:
“It is fantastic that Caroline has used her initiative, experience and skills to start up this new business in Bedworth Town Centre. It is uniquely located in the Civic Hall and I am pleased that the business is doing well. Travel Finesse is a fine example of what Small Business Saturday is all about; local businesses like this one are vital to our economy. In our Parliamentary group we are looking at ways to encourage more women to run their own business, Caroline is leading the way.”
Caroline welcomed the local MP to her new business and explained:
“I have worked in the industry for many years and have gained a lot of knowledge, I am ABTA & ATOL registered which allows me to create individual package holidays for customers and always delivers a personal service.”
There are now a record of 5.4 million small businesses in the UK, providing jobs for about half of the private sector workforce across the country.