How a One-Person Business Made It into the Top 100 and Visited 11 Downing Street
In 2014, I was named as one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in the UK as part of the first Small Business Saturday Nation’s Favourite Businesses campaign. As someone running a one-person practice, being selected was a significant achievement and led to an invitation to 11 Downing Street.
The Invitation
Being recognised in the Top 100 meant I was invited to Downing Street for a special Christmas event organised for the businesses selected. While it wasn’t a formal business meeting, it provided a valuable opportunity to network with other small business owners in the Top 100 and to receive support from the Chancellor.
Visiting 11 Downing Street
The event gave us the chance to spend time at Number 11 and connect with other business owners who had also been recognised. Below is a photo of me outside 11 Downing Street on the day.
Here is the group photograph taken during the visit. I am near the back on the left-hand side.
Media Coverage
The visit was featured in both local and national publications, including Surrey Advertiser and TaxAdviser Magazine.
A Return Visit in 2018
Four years later, in 2018, I was invited back to 11 Downing Street through Small Business Saturday. You can read about that visit here:
Returning to 11 Downing Street with Small Business Saturday
Why It Matters for Small Businesses
Being selected for the Top 100 and visiting Downing Street showed that even a one-person business could gain national recognition. It also demonstrated the value of initiatives like Small Business Saturday in supporting and celebrating small businesses across the UK.
More than ten years on, I still believe that recognition schemes such as the Nation’s Favourite Businesses campaign provide meaningful opportunities for small businesses to be acknowledged at a national level.
Watch the Event
Here is a short video from the day at 11 Downing Street: