The founder of a Welwyn Garden City business has received a boost from retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis.

Gloria Holmes, owner of GH Virtual Assistant, tweeted Theo about her business during Small Business Sunday and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his near half a million Twitter followers.

The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 3,000 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed shopkeeper Theo re‐tweeted Gloria Holmes’s message to his almost 500,000 followers. They are also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners.

GH Virtual Assistant offers support with business admin, including contacting prospective candidates, following up enquiries, sending emails and creating spreadsheets, plus conducting research and creating engaging content on social media to boost a company's online presence.

Gloria said: "I started my business during the pandemic and am always on the lookout for ways to promote my business. I heard about Theo’s initiative and it is great to have support from Theo and be a part of his community.”

Small business champion Theo, the chairman of Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.

"My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Gloria every success.”

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.