Business support and minority ethnic businesses in England

Abstract

This paper considers the attitudes of minority ethnic businesses (MEBs) in England towards current business support provision. Fifty business owners/owner-managers from the Asian, African-Caribbean and Korean communities were contacted and through a semi-structured interview, were able to elaborate on their experiences, if any, of business support provision. The study found different attitudes and levels of take-up of business support across the different communities with African-Caribbeans being most positive towards any business support initiatives. Asian businesses tended to rely more on informal support networks and Korean companies were the least engaged with formal support structures and mechanisms. The findings suggest that policy makers need to appreciate the diversity of MEBs and policies aimed at helping such businesses should reflect this diversity. This research adds to the growing literature on minority ethnic businesses in the UK and has lessons for minority groups and business providers in other countries facing similar business and cultural challenges.

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