#SmallBusinessSaturday

Miranda, Graphic Design BA

In and around º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ there are a lot of small local business that we can support. Some have been around for years, others are relatively new to the streets of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.

When looking on the Small Business Saturday website, one of the two of the small businesses in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ that I am familiar with is Tylers, which is situated in the Carillon Court. It offers a wide range of gifts, jewellery, and kitchen utensils. Upstairs is a café, and as it is Christmastime, the Christmas shop is open upstairs, with decorations and ornaments.

The shop Tylers in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ town centre. The shop has a glass windows at the front with the word 'Tylers' written in white on a black background above the windows.

The second business on the website is The Studio which is at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ. They support graduates with a business idea and provides them with the resources to achieve their aim and business proposal. A business that has evolved form this initiative is A dozen eggs. I have been lucky enough to have been taught Foundation Art and Design at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ by two of their directors: Fran and Jo. This Graphic Design business has grown since their graduation and support from The Studio.

When wandering around º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to see if I could find some small businesses that I liked and have visited, it was fairly easy to pick out a few of my own favourites. Cino Café was my first visit. In the upstairs section of Carillon Court is this local Italian Café. The staff are really friendly and talkative and it is very popular with the locals. Certainly, it would be a good recommendation for students in the week who are looking for a cosy place to have a coffee and study in a different environment. There is access to the Carillon Court Wifi and you sign in with an email address and you’re ready to get going.

A sign outside the Italian in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ which lists food items that they serve handwritten in a list. They are breakfast, panini, ciabatta, pizza, pastas, lasagna, and soup. The sign also has an Italian flag drawn on it and a green and red wreath hung on it to the right side. ‌

There are a lot of little gift shops in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, so if you are looking for something for family members or something for yourself, then there are lots of options. Paperweight on Devonshire Square is one my favourites. It has lots of little gifts such as jewellery and little bags and purses with adorable prints.

If you are looking for somewhere to have a quick pamper, if things are getting too stressful and you want to treat yourself to a massage or facial this month, then Browns or Beautique are the places to go. Both are fairly popular so it is good to get yourself booked in early, but they offer the most luxurious treatments to help you to de-stress after a hard week or revision session.

The shop front of Paperweight, a local shop in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ town centre. It has a glass window at the front and a gold banner with the name 'Paperweight' above the shop.
‌

As an art student, I couldn’t finish this blog without mentioning the art and crafts shops. Churchgate is the perfect location to find everything craft. Quorn Country Crafts are perfect for people into textiles, fabric and sewing and the range of fabrics and patterns is outstanding. For art students, Articrafts, again on Churchgate, is brilliant and has an extensive range of papers, paints, paintbrushes and other materials you might need. It is a relatively large shop as it extends right to the back of the building, so don’t be discouraged by how small it looks on the outside. Well worth a visit in my opinion.