We speak to over 5 positive thinking entrepreneurs on how they plan to help lift the economy post the Covid-19 crisis. These inspiring young personalities are making huge differences to their local, national and international supports.
Shelina Permalloo
Owner and Executive Chef
Post Lockdown vision:
Lockdown has been a challenging time for many but particularly for those in hospitality where often we were the first industry to be shut down and or rigid restrictions placed on our operations, conversely, eating out during the covid pandemic has actually become one of the safest things to do with only 2% of transmission happening across the sector. We are used to operating with high food and hygiene standards so it wasn’t arduous introducing even more cleaning. We have had over 5500 customers through our doors with not 1 case of covid amongst staff or customers. In order to keep our spirits lifted during lockdown we wanted to give back to the local community and we decided to prepare 1500 meals for NHS staff, key workers and homeless shelters, it gave us the opportunity to come together as a team and cook together again and lift our spirits as well as humbling us because the reminder was that no matter how bad our personal situations felt there is always someone who is worse off than you, and it was a message that I wanted to remind our team and myself of.
As we are now presented with our second lockdown I have learned that having a positive approach and outcome is the only way to get through it, keeping organised and keeping to a routine as much as possible is the best coping mechanism. I have also learnt that if you need a large slice of double fudge cake with cream, then you are afforded that indulgence at any time during this period you can deal with the consequences another time!
Suleman Raza
Founder
Post lockdown vision:
Spice Village’s group vision post-lockdown is to continue leading the hospitality industry while creating intriguing food stories for our clients, crafting exceptional events at Iconic venues by adapting the latest trends. Our award-winning team will continue offering healthiest British Pakistani cuisine to titillate the gastronomic senses of our customers at exceptional value while cost-effectively creating luxurious and unforgettable events through efficient planning and seamless event management services.
Spice Village Group will continue to promote eco-friendly practises and zero waste policy and encourage other food businesses to source 100% of meat, poultry and vegetables from British farmers, growers, and suppliers to promote and contribute into the British Economy. We also want to continue supporting and give back to our local communities. ,
We aim to be the market leader in the Asian catering industry and grow our business with the same integrity we used to craft our recipes. We are encouraging innovation, creativity and originality within our organisation to achieve our targets. In the year 2021-2022, Spice Village is all set to expand in the UK and other European countries with an international network of franchises.
Farzana Rahman
Founder
Post lockdown vision:
The speed and severity with which the CoVid19 Pandemic hit was something no one could’ve prepared for and for The DesiDoll Company the timing couldn’t have been more disruptive. It hit China, our main production centre, right at our busiest season; pre Ramadan.
With no time to think, I had to refocus not only production deadlines and cashflow but also our supply chain. Retail and wholesale died overnight. Moving from a B2B to B2C business model (and an online one at that) in a matter of days was probably one of my greatest business challenges, but one that Alhamdullilah saved my business from devastation. Now looking forward focus will be on strengthening our online sales platforms, direct customer interaction and enhanced services ,boosted by a ever increased social media presence with the aim insha’Allah to be on an equal footing with our wholesale business, should god forbid, anything like this happen again.
Javed Khan
Entrepreneurial charity CEO
“Charities face a ‘perfect storm’ of growing demand for our services and reduced resource – which is set to intensify during the recession.
“More children are likely to live in poverty, to enter the care system and to struggle with mental health problems – with BAME communities particularly at risk.
“My focus is on continuing to support the vulnerable children and young people who need us most, in the face of a £50m loss of income.
“However, our goal is not just to ‘recover’ from this crisis, but to work towards ‘resurgence’, generating innovation, creating children’s services that are fit for the future, and working creatively with partners in Government, business and the charity sector to improve the life chances of vulnerable children. “
Ishfaq Farooq
Director
Our business mission post lockdown was to continue to grow and serve delicious food all centred around our ‘British Asian story’.
We continue our mission to become a national brand which told our British Asian story through food, design and the joy of eating together.
We want to continue to inspire others and support our communities, We’re inspired to build on the pioneering migrant spirit of those that journeyed before us, and pass on something positive to those that come after us.
We want to nurture our team and help them be the best they can and help spread the message of ‘Savouring the moment’ with loved ones.
Mylahore will continue to evolve and strive to give our guest the ultimate British Asian kitchen experience.
Owner
Sunnamusk
Post vision lockdown:
I think this pandemic has certainly changed our outlook on how we view businesses and customers. The pandemic has brought most businesses to a standstill which has taught us better how to work with our teams on a very personal level, to keep businesses afloat and to keep fighting through this battle with COVID19. At Sunnamusk we are certainly blessed to have team members on board, who were willing to put their life on the line to protect the business and ensure that we come out the other end successfully, which initially seemed like a dark tunnel.
We worked tirelessly through days and nights to adapt our business for a more e-commerce friendly business, which kept us going and I think the vision stays the same. We will aim to be a more tech-friendly e-commerce business which has the advantage of operating even throughout a crisis like this. It is a challenge with a business that involves smelling fragrance but Alhamdulillah we were able to overcome some of this through many different strategies implemented for our brand new website which launched in November 2020.
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The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
