Leeds businesswoman urges shoppers to help small traders survive this Christmas

Lynne, who runs two online businesses from her home in Bardsey – Oriflame and Quirky and Quaint – said Black Friday and the festive period should not just benefit High Street retailers and online giants.

“There are so many small businesses in this country at the moment,” she said, “and every sale means so much to us. We put our heart and soul into what we’re doing but sadly, if we don’t get the sales, we can’t survive.”

Lynne said often small retailers offered quirky, original products that shoppers can’t often find, enabling them to gift a far more personalised and thoughtful present.

Her comments come as it was revealed that more UK businesses closed since records began in 2002, surpassing the number of new start-ups founded for the first year since 2010.

Office for National Statistics figures show around 4,470 businesses in Leeds ceased trading in 2022 – up from 4,105 the year before. There were some 810,316 new businesses launched in the financial year ending in 2021.

“During the pandemic, lots of people realised they’d had enough of doing something that simply paid the bills,” added Lynne, “and they decided to branch out on their own, doing something they love.

“Like me, they’re living the dream – but it’s one that can only continue with people’s support. The cost of living crisis need not be the end of the line for many of us if people decide that they will shop local and support their small traders.”

Lynne, 55, was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in September.

She said that running her own businesses has given her the flexibility she needs so that she can attend appointments and work when she feels well enough, and around her treatment. She added: “It helps that Jeremy Hunt announced a range of tax cuts to aid businesses in the autumn statement but at the end of the day, it’s quite simple – we need people’s support to keep going.”