With American Express leading a national advertising campaign, things are getting rather big for Small Business Saturday.

Events across Kent this weekend follow Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the latest US imports to bother UK consumers.

Yet rather than lining the pockets of huge retailers, this time shoppers are being urged to head for independents to buy a few Christmas trinkets, stopping in a family-owned coffee shop on the way round.

As ex-serviceman Kelly Farrant has discovered, it is also a chance for non-retail businesses to generate a bit of publicity.

The 25-year Army veteran set up his pest-control company Pest-Tech a month ago, operating out of his home in Vinters Park, Maidstone.

He took to Twitter to advertise discounts on his services for companies and consumers signing up before the close of the event on Saturday, December 6.

“You never know what impact it will have,” he said.

“I was trying to see if my social media actually had any impact. It was a bit of an experiment but I had quite a few retweets. I jumped on the bandwagon and it’s really good to see it’s working.”

Small companies in Faversham have got on board for the second year running by offering non-retail firms a ‘shop window’ at an expo in the town centre.

It has been organised by Jude Sach, a small business owner whose administrative support company Sach Virtual Assistance – like many others – does not have the permanent marketing power of a shop on the high street.

Mrs Sach said: “As a small business which isn’t in retail, it is nice to have a shop window so people know you are there.

“It is a chance for small businesses to work together to achieve public knowledge. We don’t have the marketing resources on our own so by sharing the cost we can get ourselves out there.

“The day reminds people of the impact of working with small business. Setting up the event we asked local designers to make flyers and a local printers to print them. It is a chance for local business to collaborate and work together.”

The Small Business Expo at Creek Creative in Abbey Street has been supported by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Swale Borough Council.

The council decided not to charge motorists to use their car parks on the day and will offer free parking after 2pm daily and every Sunday in the run up to Christmas. Dover District Council is also offering free parking on Small Business Saturday.

Swale’s cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Mike Cosgrove said: “We have tailored it to make small business more competitive when many residents go outside the borough to shop.

“We have a whole range of businesses but a large proportion employ less than 50 and a many of those less than 10.

“We think the day is a big opportunity for small business to thrive so we want to bang the drum and give them the opportunity for different sorts of support, such as mentoring and marketing.”

"We don’t have the marketing resources on our own so by sharing the cost we can get ourselves out there..." - business owner Jude Sach

One company offering small firms opportunities is the Workshop, a business hub in Folkestone.

It is hosting an open day for freelancers, small business owners and startup companies looking to rent space and get support. Visitors will get a tour of the building and its facilities.

Manager James Avery said: “This is an ideal opportunity for those interested in starting a business or perhaps moving out of the home office to begin a new adventure ready for the new year.

“Our tours provide business owners, with the ability to see what it would be like to work in an innovative environment and how they can develop their business with a helpful and friendly atmosphere.”

For details of what is happening on Small Business Saturday, visit www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com