Maria Miller MP visited Petra Jewellery at Viables Craft Centre on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday UK highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities. Latest government figures show that employment by small businesses has increased by over 1.6million over the last five years.
Maria Commented: “It was wonderful to visit Petra Jewellery and see how the business has grown over recent years.
Small Businesses in Basingstoke continue to be a major source of employment and contribute significantly to the local economy. “
“It was striking today to see that all these home-grown and unique businesses at Viables Craft Centre are thriving and are run by women who have a real vision for their business. It was very encouraging to speak to Mitch Lloyd at Petra who understands both the challenges and benefits of running your own business.”
“Small business is the life blood of our town providing jobs to thousands of people locally. Local business owners work so hard to make Basingstoke one of the top ten centres of employment in the South East. “