About #SBS
#SBS is one of the leading small business networks in the UK.
Small Business Sunday, shortened to the hashtag #SBS on social media, was created by Theo Paphitis in October 2010.
Theo is best known for appearing on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. He is Chairman of Ryman, Boux Avenue, Robert Dyas and the latest acquisition London Graphic Centre.
"My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS award from me on Twitter and Instagram becomes part of a friendly club."
Historically, each week Theo has rewarded small businesses that tweet him @TheoPaphitis and describe their businesses in one tweet including the all-important hashtag #SBS.
From Sunday 6th March 2022, Theo introduced #SBS to Instagram, allowing small businesses to enter by posting or commenting about their business whilst tagging @theopaphitis and using the all-important hashtag #SBS.
Only tweets and Instagram posts/comments made in the time slot between 5.00 PM and 7.30 PM each Sunday count.
Every Monday night at 8pm, Theo announces his favourite lucky six who are then re-tweeted or re-posted. As he has a large social media following, this provides a massive boost to the chosen winners. They also gain access to a network of like-minded small and micro businesses in the UK.
The benefits range from increased social media followers, positive media publicity and crucially for many, increased sales. Of course, none of this is guaranteed as it is largely down to perseverance and hard work. A smidgen of luck comes in handy, and as Theo says, you get out what you put in!
Theo Paphitis “I admire people who have passion and energy. If you cannot bore your friends to death about your own small business then something is seriously wrong. I was struck by the number of business owners on Twitter who wanted to tell me about their new products and services. Small Business Sunday was born so that people have a specific time slot to tweet and can pitch their ‘sell’ directly to me.
My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club. Like-minded individuals can share successes and learnings. This website will give a valuable profile to the winners chosen to date and should help those who have not yet won but want some tips on how to do so. You will find news about the latest winners plus events and activities of interest.
I know I have been lucky in business and I am keen now to spread goodwill to others, of course not forgetting that very often, you make your own luck by making use of every opportunity.
What does #SBS mean to our winners?
