VistaPrint, the design and print partner to small businesses, has opened applications for its Small Business of the Match initiative in partnership with Liverpool Football Club.
To date, VistaPrint has placed the spotlight on, and supported, over 36 small businesses through its partnership with Liverpool Football Club.
Any UK small (up to 10 employees) business can apply to enter the competition, and the 15 businesses chosen as winners in the 2023/24 season will receive:
- Hospitality tickets to a home match including access to the Legends Lounge.
- Private transfers to and from the match.
- A chance to advertise their business on the pitch-side LED screens during the match.
- A tour of Anfield stadium.
- A personalised LFC shirt with their business name on the back.
- The opportunity to be a part of future LFC and VistaPrint initiatives.
Over the course of the Small Business of the Match initiative, over 8.5 million viewers have seen previous Small Business of the Match winners showcased on pitch-side LED screens during Liverpool matches. One local barber’s found that their business went up by 20 per cent over the two months following their selection as the Small Business of the Match. Furthermore, the number of people who downloaded their app also increased by 20 per cent.
Jessica Sharpe, owner of former winner To the Moon, a Liverpool retailer of candles and home fragrances, said: ”I’ve noticed an increase in social media following since winning the Small Business of the Match. I have lots of LFC supporters as followers and it’s nice that they’ve shared my win within the community.”
Sabine Leveiller, marketing director for Europe at VistaPrint said: “The role of small businesses in our economy is huge, and the impact each and every small business has on its local community cannot be understated. At VistaPrint, we want to make small businesses feel as big as their impact on everyone else around them.
“Our Small Business of The Match initiative provides small business owners with a marketing opportunity they thought would be reserved for the big businesses of this world, whilst celebrating them as people also. Moving into the 2023-2024 season, our team want to uncover even more unique stories and spotlight both Liverpool’s and the wider UK’s small business heroes.”
Ben Latty, commercial director at Liverpool FC, added: “The VistaPrint Small Business of the Match initiative is incredibly impactful, and has made a big difference to the many small businesses involved so far. I’m very proud that Liverpool FC can continue to work alongside VistaPrint to put a spotlight on businesses that sit at the heart of their local communities.
“In particular, we are keen to shout about businesses that align with The Red Way, our club-wide sustainability programme and commitment to building a better future for our people, our planet and our communities.”