Abstract

The 21st century has brought new digital opportunities involving the integration of human and technological capabilities for more efficient products that meet the needs of today’s society, which has revolutionised traditional interdependencies among businesses. Despite the opportunities presented by digitisation, many minority-owned businesses struggle to adopt a digital business model in the United Kingdom. Therefore, this research aims to understand black female entrepreneurs' digital readiness in the United Kingdom. The study explicitly explores cause-and-effect relationships using a mixed method approach – semi-structured interviews and the Fuzzy DEMATEL method. In so doing, we gain a deeper understanding of the specific challenges and barriers affecting the digital readiness of these entrepreneurs. The output of this mixed-method study will provide practical insights for policymakers, which is instrumental in designing inclusive policies and strategies focused on enhancing the performance of ethnic minority-owned businesses and the long-term national economic impact.