Britain's black-owned businesses will play a major part in the 海角视频's recovery following the pandemic.
Up and down the country black entrepreneurs are making waves in the business world, despite continuing to face persistent disparities in comparison to white counterparts amid the Covid crisis.
In 2021, BusinessLive will be bringing you the stories of some of the companies really making an impact.
READ MORE: {}
There are now no black directors in top roles on FTSE 100 boards for the first time since 2014, a damning new report has revealed. Former equality chief Trevor Phillips described the findings as “flesh on the bone” of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests.
The report has emerged during Race Equality Week - a 海角视频-wide initiative, uniting hundreds of organisations and individuals in activity to address the barriers facing race equality in the workplace.
“As we emerge from the crisis, we must ensure that our economic response reaches everyone equally and equitably," said Sado Jirde, director of Black South West Network, which has carried out research into the impact of the pandemic on black and minority ethnic business leaders.
In a bid to do its part to help support the growth of the 海角视频's black economy, BusinessLive has launched a campaign - called #IAMBOB - and a monthly newsletter for anyone wanting to support black-owned companies.
It is part of the work BusinessLive is doing to represent all the communities it serves and highlight the importance of black-owned firms to Britain’s recovery.
Most Read
As part of that campaign, we are shining a spotlight on some of the fantastic black-owned businesses to watch - and support - in 2021.
Soul Cap, Leeds and London
Friends Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen, 31, grew up without learning to swim.
In 2017, they joined an adult swimming class together and met a woman with Afro hair who was struggling with the size of her swim cap. The pair said they realised, after speaking to family and friends, there wasn't a solution for swimmers with Afro, dreadlock, or voluminous hair – so decided to create their own.
The duo had to adjust and adapt the business in the wake of Covid-19, but said they saw it as a chance to explore new opportunities too.
“We have looked further into the future of retail platforms for our business and as an ecommerce business,” explained Toks. “It was a great chance to focus on our social media, content curation, outreach and form new partnerships.”
The pair are busy building their product range and plan to invest into “important assets” in 2021.
“With the year started with harsh lockdown restrictions again and swimming pools being closed, we really see this year as our time to work behind the scenes and level up Soul Cap as a brand,” added Michael.
Don’t miss
“We want to be a swim brand for all, which continues to break down barriers, caters to all sizes and where swimmers can get all they need in one place.”
Letasi Design Studio, Bath
Comfort Badaru Smithson launched her handmade batik fabric business during the first lockdown in March last year.
The architect and mother-of-two, who moved to the 海角视频 three years ago from Uganda, says her company has grown from "strength to strength" in the last 12 months.
This fabric is produced and handmade by women in Tanzania and Uganda who have mastered the technique of batik - a form of wax-resist dyeing applied to cloth.
"We have had a lot of appreciation and customers for the unique fabrics as well as the handmade products. The two most popular ones being the Letasi signature summer dress as well as the Letasi headbands" she said.
In August last year, Comfort also launched an African-inspired craft subscription box - Fundi Box - which, she said, has "an ever-growing" Instagram following.
"When I moved to 海角视频, I made a deliberate decision to be a stay home mother and put my career as an architect and urban manger on hold.
"But even while I was being mum, I needed an avenue to keep myself busy and have some me time. So I decided to use the time to nurture my love for creating and making beautiful things. I taught myself how to sew and the more I created things the more i just wanted to keep going. And that is how the two businesses were born."
Matugga Rum, Livingston
Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa make artisan rum from their Scottish-based distillery.
The husband-and-wife duo draw inspiration from their Ugandan and Jamaican family heritage - and have won numerous awards.
The pair started the business in London, but after Paul - a chartered civil engineer - started a masters degree in brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University.
Last year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Matugga paused rum production and began making hand sanitiser for healthcare and community workers, according to BusinessLive's sister site .
The company raised more than £3,000 for the production through a crowdfunding campaign.
“Finding a novel way to tweak our production line to support our NHS heroes on the front line is the least we can do in such uncertain times," said Jacine, who was named Start Up of the Year at the .
The Glowcery, London
Roshanne Dorsett came up with the idea for her sustainable vegan skincare brand The Glowcery while she was at a local fruit and veg market in her hometown of Luton.
A vegan herself, she decided to make her products using fresh, cold-pressed fruit and vegetable ingredients - and launched her business during the first lockdown in March 2020.
She currently sells skincare products through her online shop but is hoping to expand to hair care, feminine hygiene, lifestyle items such as natural candles, and superfood supplements in future.
According to Roshanne, 2020 was a surprisingly good year for the business.
“I think with everyone spending more time inside it created this surge of interest in people looking to get to know themselves and to take more care of themselves,” she explained.
But, she admits, she did find it hard to stay positive. “You accept that there are going to be challenges and risks that you need to overcome [when you launch a business] but 2020 was a whole different challenge.”
She says it would be a “dream come true” to see her products stocked in some high street stores.
Blak Wave, Bristol
Blak Wave was set up by Michael Jenkins and Dr Mena Fombo in 2019, and is the only black-owned television production firm out of 140 in Bristol.
In 2020, the company secured four one-off and one mini series commissions with BBC, C4 and ACE, as well as two partnership deals with the British Film Institute to develop more black filmmakers.
It was also selected for Channel 4’s Emerging Indie Fund, which is designed to help small, new or emerging independents to break through key stages of growth.
According to its Facebook page, Blak Wave will be working with the broadcaster on some “new and fresh ideas” in 2021.
The company is also hoping to hire a new production manager and a development producer over the coming months, it said.
Okiki Skincare, Kent
Okiki Skincare was founded in 2016 by Antonia Ogunsola and her mum, Ade, who make natural, handcrafted products including soaps, lotions and candles, but pivoted from a side business to a full ecommerce company in 2020.
According to Antonia, Okiki was set up as a way to pay homage to her West African heritage - and connect with her Grandma, who used to make soaps in Lagos, after she passed away.
The biggest challenge after launching the website last year, she said, was stock control as she didn’t anticipate the demand. Getting access to certain products, such as shea butter and cocoa butter, said Antonia, was also difficult.
“It takes anywhere between four weeks to nine months to make some of our soaps,” she explained. “We implemented effective stock management and production control so we would make soap every week and increase the quantity we made at any one time.”
But since the business has moved online Okiki Skincare has experienced a boom in demand.
In 2021, Antonia and Ade are planning to introduce two new soaps to the range, including one launching in March, new candle fragrances and more eco-friendly packaging.
Madia & Matilda, Gloucestershire
Shalize Nicholas founded her zero-waste luxury sustainable clothing brand after spending time working in the fashion industry after university.
Madia & Matilda upcycles old material and turns it into new designs, which are all handmade. The business also offers an alterations and repairs service.
Founded in 2013, the company now supplies major retailers including Silk Fred and ASOS Marketplace, according to BusinessLive's sister site .
With movements such as Greta Thunberg’s ‘Friday for the Future’, shining a spotlight on climate change in the last couple of years, many consumers are turning to more sustainable brands - such as the one Shalize has established.
"Just by listening to the stats, and reading more and finding out about sustainability, you will learn how badly we have damaged the planet in the past, so it makes you not want to do it in the future,” Shalize, told Gloucestershire Live.
In 2021, she is hoping to launch a rental service to allow customers to hire sustainable clothes for special occasions.
Fanbytes, London
Timothy Armoo is the 25-year-old chief executive and co-founder of Fanbytes, an influencer marketing agency that uses social media to help brands connect with new audiences.
He set up his company, which is based in Old Street in the capital, in 2015 while studying at university. It now employs more than 30 people.
Concerned by brands playing lip service without making any real change, Timothy's business decided to start financing free marketing campaigns, worth £100,000, to budding black-owned businesses to help them 'level up' and kickstart the next generation of black business leaders.
Timothy is also behind the 海角视频's first TikTok influencer house - called Bytehouse - where a group of young people live together and create content for more than 18 million fans.
Myana Naturals, Swansea
The Swansea-based start-up was founded in 2019 by Dr Youmna Mouhamad, who has created an applicator to help with the maintenance of Afro hair.
Dr Youmna is a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise fellow who used her knowledge in the field of printing and coating, to develop the Myana Naturals applicator.
In 2020, she was awarded an Enterprise Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to bring the applicator to market.
Youmna is planning to launch her product to the 海角视频 market in the spring of 2021.
She is also the winner of the Women in STEM category at the Womenspire 2020 awards, which recognise the achievements of some of Wales’ most remarkable women.
Devacci, London
Gerald Manu started his entrepreneurial journey in 2013 when he was just 15.
He was at secondary school in Croydon, South London, when he began selling crisps and drinks to friends. “I was selling snacks to my classmates and I started thinking, ‘what can I do that can bring value?’
“I was really creative and loved fashion, so I designed a t-shirt, got it printed for £10, using the money I had made from the crisps, and sold it for £20. That’s when Devacci started.”
But it was while at De Montfort University, while studying business and marketing, Gerald realised he could be “onto something big”. He spent his days cold calling hundreds of retailers - and building his network from scratch.
"I would always ask them for feedback when they said no and take that on board - so I could come back better."
Gerald sent some of his designs to TK Maxx - and said it was "a dream" when he was offered a chance to trial some of his designs in store. Fast-forward to 2020, and Devacci is now a wearable tech fashion brand and is stocked in TK Maxx across the 海角视频.
His plan for the future? To build a charity for people starting out in businesses, especially in South London, who don’t have help - and offer business resources, mentors and investment.