Not much can stop determined entrepreneurs from starting a new business from the ground up, even during such challenging times as a COVID-19 or its ensuing fallout.
The pandemic has proven a huge challenge for businesses, with 396,155 UK firms closing in 2020 according to the Office for National Statistics, as business owners struggled to cope with restrictions and lockdowns.
The Federation of Small Businesses expects that an additional 250,000 small businesses could fold by the end of 2021.
And yet, despite the challenges, 407,510 new businesses were formed during 2020. Matt Smith, director of policy and research at the Centre for Entrepreneurs, predicts a “record number of new businesses” will also emerge this year.
Businesses that were able to fit their goods and services to the current circumstances by moving their operations online or opening up delivery services, for instance, have been the ones to grow and flourish.
This will remain the case for entrepreneurs in the second half of 2021 and beyond, after restrictions and social distancing rules in England ended on 19 July 2021.
Meanwhile, with Government financial support still in place but tapering off, some entrepreneurs might in fact benefit from starting sooner rather than later.
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Disclaimer
The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the Author and other professionals may express different views. They may not be the views of Lambert Chapman LLP. The material in the article cannot and should not be considered as exhaustive. Professional advice should be sought in connection with any of the issues contained in the article and the implementation of any actions.