Plans Unveiled to Support Ethnic Minority Business Owners in Torbay

TDA, on behalf of Torbay Council, have announced plans to support the growth and prosperity of ethnic minority business owners in the Torbay area.

A dedicated network group for the ethnic minority business community will be established, enabling businesses to come together to network, discuss issues and solutions to support business growth.

The newly formed network will bring together business owners from these communities to benefit from peer support and provide a platform to explore business opportunities, such as skills development, business investment, resource sharing and supply chain improvements.

The initiative is one of the key recommendations outlined in a recent report carried out by Diversity Business Incubator (DBI) on behalf of Torbay Council. The main aim of the research was to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing ethnic minority-owned businesses and people from those communities who aspire to grow or start their own businesses in Torbay.

The research highlighted various challenges facing businesses such as staff and skills shortages and the impact of economic uncertainty, but many ethnic minority-led businesses stated that they want to grow and would welcome support to develop. This research by DBI on behalf of the Council and TDA came about as a result of the Council’s own Torbay Racism Review, launched in September 2020.

After two years of engaging with local public, private and voluntary sector partners and hearing personal testimonies of people from ethnic minority groups, the Review presented its initial findings and recommendations at Cabinet in August. You can find out more about the Review on the Torbay Council website.

Councillor Swithin Long, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing, said: “We are committed to supporting the diverse communities here in Torbay so that we can ensure a strong, inclusive, and more prosperous area.’’

Councillor Darren Cowell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, added: ‘‘The recommendations from the report will be a fantastic opportunity for the Council and TDA to support local businesses and improve on how we work, engage and build trust and confidence with ethnic minority-led businesses.”

Councillor Jermaine Atiya-Alla, Chair of Torbay Racism Review, said: “The findings and recommendations of the report provides a great opportunity to support the diverse business community in Torbay and help those thinking of launching their own business.”      

To find out more about how TDA is supporting ethnic minority-led businesses in Torbay visitwww.investintorbay.com