For our third and final article celebrating this year’s Small Business Saturday (you can read the previous two articles on the Insights section of our website) we visited businesses in County Durham, Gateshead, and Sunderland.
Joshy Jin, Managing Director of WowzaBox in Team Valley, Gateshead, shared his views on the role small businesses play in the economy. Claire Smith, Company Director at Coconut Travel Limited in Peterlee, County Durham, spoke to us about the importance of small businesses to local communities. And Mandy Brown, owner of independent furniture store Harrison and Brown on Holmeside in Sunderland, shared her thoughts on how small businesses can support each other to create thriving high streets and town/city centres.
Small Business Saturday - 06 December 2025
Taking place every year on the first Saturday in December, Small Business Saturday (06 December 2025) is a day where small businesses in the North East, and all over the UK, have their moment in the spotlight. The annual campaign celebrating the country’s small businesses is a day where people are encouraged to show their support for small businesses by spending and shopping small, and helping spread the word.
Celebrating the North East’s small businesses
Joshy Jin is Managing Director of WowzaBox, a chef prepared, East Asian meal kit business that delivers across the UK. Founded in 2022, the company has grown rapidly and is fast becoming the go-to brand for Asian cuisine. The company has expanded to include Wok Manifesto, an asian street food cafe on Ridley Place in Newcastle upon Tyne.
“Small businesses are as important as big businesses when it comes to the success of the economy. SMEs tend to create more jobs (as an overall percentage) too.
“I’ve found the business community in the region to be very open and supportive. I’m always open to sharing ideas as people did the same for me when I was starting out.”
Claire Smith is the Company Director at Coconut Travel Limited, an independent travel agency run by a team of specialists that plan personalised itineraries in destinations across the world.
“For me, small businesses are built on people - real families, real passion, and real graft. When you support a small business, you're helping someone keep their dream alive. In my case, Coconut Travel started at my dining room table, and every single booking helped me grow into a shop on the high street. Supporting small businesses isn’t just a transaction, it’s trust. It’s believing in the person behind the counter, not just the logo. And honestly, every sale still makes my day.
“Small businesses are everything to a community like ours. We’re the ones who open early, stay late, put money back into local events, sponsor football teams, support schools, bring life to the high street, and create jobs for local people. In our region, small independents are the economy. Without us, the towns feel empty. When a small business grows, it has a knock-on effect, creating more footfall, more confidence, more pride in the area. We're the heartbeat of the community.
“To support small businesses like ours, it’s not always about spending big. People can help us in so many small but powerful ways. Talk about us to your friends and family, share our posts on social media, visit us in the shop and ask our advice when booking a holiday. Something as simple as sharing a Facebook post can reach hundreds of people we’d never reach on our own.
“When people choose to book with us, especially when they could easily click online, that loyalty is priceless.”
Mandy Brown is the owner of Sunderland furniture store Harrison & Brown. The eight-year-old business spans five floors on Holmeside in Sunderland city centre, and sells a wide range of furniture, sofas, beds, cabinets, and accessories.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our local communities. They keep our high streets alive and vibrant. When people choose to buy local, they’re helping their local community. Here in Sunderland, independent businesses are a major employer in the area, and collectively we all support the wider economy and other small businesses by spending money locally. When I’m buying anything, I always try to buy and support local first.
“The most obvious way people can support small businesses is to spend with us. But when that’s not possible, even just recommending us makes a huge difference; spread the word about the independent business community.
“Starting and growing a small business can be tough, but the business community really pulls together in Sunderland. I recently took part in a ‘Digitise the High Street’ programme, and we all still meet up to talk shop and share ideas and learn from one another.”
How you can support Small Business Saturday
Whilst Small Business Saturday is celebrated on the first Saturday of December each year, it’s also a year-round national movement spotlighting small businesses that make a big difference to our communities and economy.
You can support Small Business Saturday by:
- Shopping local when you can.
- Spreading the word about your favourite small businesses and helping people discover them.
- Taking part in initiatives like Small Business Saturday that help small businesses thrive.
If you’d like to help people discover your favourite small businesses in the North East, use the hashtag #SmallBizSatUK on social media or tag the North East Growth Hub on X and LinkedIn.