The Impact of COVID-19 on BAME Owned Businesses in the UK

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, many businesses in the UK temporarily closed with the majority of businesses that operated during the lockdown doing so at a reduced capacity with lower turnover. This would have had significant implications for BAME owned businesses because they are traditionally concentrated in sectors that were particularly affected by the pandemic and lockdown such as retailing, restaurants, fast food provision, and personal services. Furthermore, research shows that BAME business owners are less likely than non-BAME business owners to engage with mainstream business support because of ethnic enclaves dominating their attitude towards institutions and government schemes, along with the absence of trust. This research will investigate the specific challenges that BAME business owners faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, the strategies that they used to keep their businesses afloat, and how they engaged with financial and regional support.