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Big Impact, Small Business: Celebrating MSME Day at Co-Creative Connection

  • Writer: Rose Hill
    Rose Hill
  • Jun 27
  • 3 min read

Today marks Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) Day, a day to recognise the vital role that small businesses play in economies, communities and social change all around the world!


At Co-Creative Connection, we’re proud to be a small business with a big mission: using creativity to build stronger, more connected and more inclusive communities. And on a day like today, we want to take a moment to reflect on what it really means to be a small business with social purpose, the joys, the challenges, and everything in between.


 A group photo of diverse people celebrating in front of a colourful mural wall. The wall features geometric patterns in blues, pinks, and yellows, along with the City of London logo, Higgins logo and CCC logo. People are raising their hands in celebration, with adults and children of various ages present, including someone with a stroller.
Higgins Partnerships &  The City of London York Way Estate Mural, Islington 2023


Small But Mighty


MSMEs make up over 90% of businesses worldwide, and we see why. We’ve been able to stay flexible, responsive and rooted in the values that matter most to us: co-creation, accessibility and care.


Being a small team means we can work closely with local communities, adapt quickly when challenges come our way, and build real, lasting relationships with the people and places we collaborate with. It also means every decision we make, from the partners we work with, to the materials we use, can be aligned with our purpose.


A woman with braided hair working at a desk during a workshop. She is drawing on paper. She's wearing a black top and jewellery, with a laptop open nearby, as Rose, founder of CCC, works on it in the background. Art supplies and colourful materials are scattered on the wooden table surface.
Higgins Partnerships &  The City of London York Way Estate Mural, Islington 2023


Creating Social and Environmental Value


At CCC, we don’t measure success purely in profit. We look at the impact we’re making:


🎨 Transforming grey spaces into places of joy and pride through murals co-created with residents

🤝 Bringing people together across ages, cultures and backgrounds through inclusive workshops

🌱 Prioritising sustainability by choosing eco-conscious materials and designing projects that leave a legacy, not just a moment

🧠 Championing accessibility and neurodiversity - including through Rose’s lived experience as a dyslexic founder


Every project we take on is an opportunity to make creativity more inclusive, more collaborative, and more reflective of the real people and communities it represents.


Two girls painting an orange brick wall outdoors. One person in a grey puffy jacket and another in a bright green shirt are working together on the painting project. The girl in grey is looking forward and painting while the girl in green looks off to the side while laughing. Urban buildings and green vegetation are visible in the background.
Populo Living, Carpenters Estate 2024


The Highs and the Hurdles


Running a purpose-led small business isn’t always easy. Like many others, we’ve felt the challenges, from navigating funding cycles to wearing multiple hats in a single day.


But the wins? They’re powerful. Seeing someone who’s never picked up a paintbrush beam with pride at their contribution. Watching connections grow between neighbours who hadn’t spoken before. Helping local people feel seen, valued and celebrated in their own environment.


And then there’s the wider recognition - from winning the Community Arts Award at the 2025 Community Rail Awards, to being shortlisted for the Mission Impossible Award at the Small Awards 2025! Plus being able to grow partnerships with housing associations, councils and other changemakers who believe in what we do.


 Rose, wearing a pink sleeveless dress, holding a glass star-shaped award trophy. She's smiling broadly at the Community Rail 2025 awards ceremony. The background features dramatic blue and purple lighting effects, and other attendees can be seen in the background, seated at tables.
Community Rail Awards, 2025


Why This Day Matters


MSME Day isn’t just about statistics, it’s about people. It’s about recognising that small businesses like ours are doing vital work: shaping culture, strengthening communities, and challenging the idea that “business as usual” has to look one way.


We’re proof that you can run a business with care at its core. That creativity can fuel connection. And that even small teams can help build a more inclusive, vibrant and hopeful world.


A young man with curly hair laughing while sitting at a table with art supplies. He's wearing a dark camouflage-style jacket and is engaged in a creative workshop. There are other boys seated next to him.
Finsbury Park Station & Arsenal F.C Islington, Hackney & Harringay 2023/2024
A woman with glasses and a bob haircut painting orange designs on a brick wall. She's wearing a black bomber jacket and jeans, sitting beside a Dulux Trade paint bucket. Urban buildings and greenery are visible in the background.
Populo Living, Carpenters Estate 2024

Looking Ahead


As we grow and evolve, we’re holding onto what matters most: our values, our communities, and the belief that real change is made through collaboration, compassion and creativity.

To everyone who has supported us, from participants to partners to fellow small businesses, thank you! And to every other MSME out there doing things differently: we see you. We’re proud to be one of you!


💜 Here’s to small businesses with big impact.


Want to find out more about what we do at Co-Creative Connection? Find out here!


A large colourful CCC mural on the exterior wall of a building. The mural features geometric patterns, hearts, and various designs in bright colours including orange, blue, green, pink, and yellow. Text reading "Peabody" is partly visible, and people are gathered beside it below viewing the artwork.
Peabody & The Sundial Community Centre Mural, Tower Hamlets 2021







 
 
 

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