Having spent fifteen years helping small businesses get off the ground before coming to Parliament, and having previously served as a Business Minister for two years, I am a passionate supporter of Small Business. It is the true engine of our local, and national, economy.

One of my central missions since becoming an MP has been to promote hard-working entrepreneurs and small business owners in our area by trying to give them a stronger voice, and the support they need. To do this, I set up my Local Business Spotlight on my website, Rural Enterprise Bursaries and my ‘The Norfolk Way’ project.

Through ‘The Norfolk Way’, I set up the Norfolk Innovation Awards to connect talented youngsters and teachers of STEM subjects with innovative businesses in our county. I also co-founded the ‘Norfolk Enterprise Festival’ earlier this year – to give small and medium sized businesses across the county the opportunity to come together in an exciting new forum to share best practice, float ideas and obtain support.

I have also been a keen supporter of our local markets, and regularly visit local businesses to hear how my colleagues and I in Westminster can help them continue to grow and prosper.

Small businesses are KEY to driving what I call a ‘Rural Renaissance’ in our area and I am delighted to be supporting ‘Small Business Saturday’ once again this year.

To celebrate, I will be out in the constituency tomorrow visiting a number of small businesses – and in the run up to Christmas, I would encourage everyone to take the time to visit and get behind their local shops and businesses.

To read more about ‘The Norfolk Way’, please click here

To read more about the ‘Norfolk Enterprise Festival’, please click here