When you buy from a small business, you’re not helping a CEO buy their third holiday home, you’re supporting the local economy and helping a group of real people to pay their bills. Back in 2013 my dad asked me to give him a hand at his jewellery company after falling short staffed. I worked full time at his Birmingham office during the day and then worked at COS in the Bullring in the evenings and weekends. I’m not sure how I had the energy but I’m glad I did as it was the amalgamation of the two that led to the creation of V. My admiration for COS’s ethos of timeless and affordable classics, and the realisation that no one was applying this to jewellery at the time and we had the perfect platform to do it. Over the past 9 years we’ve built V from the ground up ourselves. We’ve had zero investment - not even a single bank loan and now Covid threatens that for our team of 8 and so many other businesses like us. That’s why this Christmas it’s so important to support the dreams of small companies who strengthen and diversify our communities. A few of our favourite fellow Birmingham brands are @theden_home @nails.bab @bloom_collective @harvest_skincare @latticiaorganics @sugarplum.bakery – we welcome you to tag your favourite small businesses below! We also know it’s not just small businesses that are facing the daily struggles of Covid-19, it’s more or less everybody. So sign up to our newsletter and keep an eye out for upcoming discounts that make all the difference. #VbyLauraVann #shopsmall