Today I want to say thank you!
Thank you so much for supporting and buying products from our small business and thank you for believing in what we’re doing.
I started Akamuti 12 years ago, with a passion for natural products and a dream to make a living by trading responsibly. I was (and still am) very passionate about our ingredients and remain just as committed to telling the story of the people who grow them. I believed that the people who provided these ingredients deserved to be paid a fair price, and I felt that the environment they came from should be respected. As an aromatherapist, I knew that natural ingredients could deliver great results, if they were allowed to shine, rather than being smothered by synthetics.
For me, being 100% natural is the only way to be.
What I didn’t know was how many other people would feel the same way! Natural skincare wasn’t really talked about back then, and a lot of people thought I was mad for trying to compete with the ‘big boys’. Thankfully, you’ve proven that there are an awful lot of people out there who think like I do. Akamuti is now 12 years old. We’re still a small, family run business, and we’ve kept firmly to the ethics and ideals that we started with.
But today isn’t just a thank you, it’s a shout out to all the other small businesses around the UK (there are more than 5 million of us!). Saturday 5th December is Small Business Saturday. It’s a day to celebrate small businesses and what we contribute to the economy. And it’s a day to encourage shoppers to choose independent retailers when you’re buying your Christmas gifts.
Obviously all businesses are different, but we believe that small businesses are, on the whole, pretty great:
We care about the people who work with us.
Small businesses are often much closer to suppliers and employees than a big company. For a big business who is 100 times removed from the people who grow their ingredients, or sweep their floors, it’s much easier for them to turn a blind eye to poor wages or dangerous working conditions. Akamuti is a family business. There are just six of us, dealing with everything from creating and packaging products, to making sure that the website runs smoothly and orders get sent out. We’re all in this together, not bowing down to some never-seen millionaire CEO! And we go to great lengths to make sure that the people who grow or gather our ingredients are paid fairly and treated well.
We know where every ingredient comes from.
Go on, ask me! I could talk to you all day about our rosehip seed oil or our African black soap. To me, they’re not just face-less ingredients, they’re valuable natural treasures, grown and crafted by passionate producers across the planet.
We are committed to quality.
In Akamuti’s case that means handcrafted skin and haircare, using the best ingredients we can find. We create products that actually work. We don’t dilute them, or bulk them up with unnecessary fillers. No added water, no nasties…
We pay our taxes!
Small businesses don’t tend to exploit the tax loopholes that many giant corporations take advantage of. (While I’d love a holiday, Akamuti has its registered office in the UK, not a tax haven.)
We keep money in the community.
When you buy from a small, British business, you’re helping to keep money in the UK. We don’t have to pay our profits out to foreign hedge funds, and we don’t have offshore accounts. You’re helping the Akamuti team to take care of their families, and for that we are truly grateful!
We offer great customer service.
We don’t have any shareholders to keep happy, so we can prioritise the needs of our customers. To a small business, every customer is important, so we want to keep them happy. In our case, that means replying to emails promptly, sending products out quickly, and generally treating people exactly how we like to be treated. We are here to serve.
Want to support a small business this Christmas? We have lots of gifts to choose from. Take a look at our Christmas section, our gift guide, and our special offers. For other gifts, why not visit your local farmers market, or a craft fair? Take a look at some of the artisans selling through Etsy, Folksy and Facebook. You might also want to visit the Small Business Finder, to find businesses local to you. Every penny you spend helps to keep them in business.
Happy shopping!
To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we’re offering 15% off everything until midday Sunday! Just use SMALLBIZ in the coupon code box.