When a customer pays you late, it is an inconvenience. When it happens again and again, it can sink a business. New research released this week for Black History Month suggests Black business owners in the UK are carrying far more of that weight than their peers, and that it is holding growth back.
The findings come from Foundervine and Wray & Nephew, who are marking five years of the free Wray Forward programme with a first-of-its-kind conference on 30 October 2026. If you run or are starting a Black-owned business in Birmingham, here is what the research says, why it matters, and how to use the support that is on offer.
What the New Research Found
According to coverage in The Voice, the research surveyed 546 business owners in August 2026: 290 Black and 256 non-Black. The gaps are stark.
- Late payments: 55% of Black respondents reported late customer payments, compared with 38% of non-Black respondents.
- Size of the debt: 60% of Black respondents were owed £1,000 or more, compared with 27% of non-Black respondents.
- Paying for help they could not afford: almost a third of Black respondents paid for support they could not comfortably afford.
- Missed opportunities: 27% missed out on funding opportunities, and 29% delayed growth plans because of a lack of support, advice or connections.
These are survey results from one study, so treat them as a strong signal rather than the final word. But they match what many of us already know from experience: when you have less financial cushion, a late invoice hurts more.
Why Late Payments Hit Black-Owned Businesses Harder
Cash flow is the lifeblood of a small business, and many Black founders start with less to fall back on. Wealth gaps mean fewer family savings, less property to offer as security and less room to absorb a £1,000 invoice sitting unpaid for 60 days. Earlier Foundervine and Wray & Nephew research, published in 2024, found that 73% of Black business owners found raising funds challenging, compared with 46% of non-Black owners. When borrowing is harder, late payment is not just a delay. It can be the difference between paying your supplier and not.
The knock-on effect on growth
The same 2024 research found that 77% of Black business owners lacked confidence to take their business to the next level, and that they were more than twice as likely to struggle with business structuring (25% vs 10%) and accessing mentorship (23% vs 8%). Put together with the new figures, the picture is consistent: the barrier is often not the idea or the work ethic. It is access to money, advice and networks.
What Is Wray Forward?
Wray Forward is a free programme launched in December 2021 to support Black businesses across the UK with knowledge, ownership and growth. It is run by Wray & Nephew with Foundervine, the organisation co-founded by Izzy Obeng. According to The Voice, it has supported more than 2,750 businesses and delivered over 226 hours of free training in five years, with £35,000 in grants since 2021 and a further £15,000 due this year. (Foundervine’s 2024 announcement quoted a higher number of entrepreneurs supported across the programme, so figures vary by source and period.)
The Wray Forward Conference, 30 October 2026
- Who it is for: any Black entrepreneur over 25, at any stage of business, according to the programme page.
- Workshops: six sessions led by industry experts covering brand partnerships, community building, legal and finance, and scaling, plus personal development.
- Speakers: Sharmadean Reid gives the keynote, “Culture as Currency: Building Scale & Loyalty in the Modern Economy”, and Krept leads “Retail Reimagined: AI and the New Consumer”.
- Location: the programme page lists London. Check the sign-up page for the venue and times.
Pitch & Rum Punch Nights
The programme also runs pitch nights where early- and growth-stage businesses pitch to expert judges, with prizes of £3,000, £1,500 and a £500 People’s Choice award. The 2026 dates listed are 8 July, 2 September and 2 December, so the next one is on 2 December. Register your interest through Foundervine.
The Wray Forward Powerbook
The 2026 Powerbook profiles 25 Black UK entrepreneurs. Read it as a set of real examples of founders who have grown revenue, hired staff and raised money, which is useful if you are weighing up your own next step.
Before you book: we found no application deadlines on the programme page. Sign up early through the Foundervine link on the Wray Forward page and confirm all details with the organisers.
Protect Your Cash Flow: Practical Steps for Birmingham Founders
You cannot control whether a customer pays late, but you can make it less likely and less damaging.
Before you take the work
- Agree payment terms in writing. State the due date, not just “30 days”.
- Ask for a deposit or staged payments on larger jobs.
- Check new customers. A quick credit check or reference is worth the ten minutes.
When you invoice
- Invoice immediately on delivery, with clear bank details and a purchase order number if the customer uses them.
- Diarise follow-ups for the day before the due date, the day after, and a week after.
- Keep every message in one place so you have a paper trail.
If payment is late
Under UK law, businesses can usually charge statutory interest and fixed debt recovery costs on late commercial payments. Check the current rates and rules on GOV.UK (“Late commercial payments: interest and debt recovery”) before you send a demand, and include your right to charge them in your terms from the start. Most disputes end with a polite, firm reminder, so begin there.
Build the Support Around You
- Sign up for the Wray Forward Conference and pick the workshops closest to your biggest problem, whether that is legal basics, finance or scaling.
- Prepare a pitch for the 2 December pitch night. A rehearsed three-minute pitch also helps in every funding conversation you will have.
- Find a mentor. The 2024 research showed Black founders are far more likely to struggle to access mentorship. Ask people in our community; many are happy to help.
- Share your payment horror stories. Knowing which customers or sectors pay slowly helps everyone avoid them.
- Get your accounts in order. Clear records make any grant, loan or investor conversation faster.
What This Means for Black Business Owners in Birmingham
Birmingham has a deep bench of Black-owned businesses in beauty, food, fashion, media, construction, childcare, tech and professional services. Many of us sell to other businesses, to schools and councils, or to larger firms with slow accounts departments, and that is exactly where late payment bites. Many of us also work alone or with one or two staff, which means no finance team to chase invoices.
The research is a useful tool in itself. If you are applying for a loan, a grant or a place on a programme, being able to say that your sector and community face measurable payment and funding gaps strengthens your case. If you are talking to a bank, ask directly about overdraft or invoice finance options, and compare offers from more than one lender. If you sell to larger organisations, ask early about their payment run dates and how to get onto their supplier systems.
The conference is also a chance to meet Black founders from outside the West Midlands who have solved the problems you are facing. A single conversation about how someone restructured their terms, found a mentor or won a pitch prize can save you months. And if you come back with something useful, share it with the Birmingham community so the benefit travels further than one person.
The Bigger Picture
Free programmes cannot close the racial funding and wealth gap on their own, and nobody should pretend they can. But when Black founders are given the right people and opportunities, the results speak for themselves, as Izzy Obeng put it after five years of Wray Forward. The sensible move is to use every free resource available while we keep pushing for fairer access to finance, fairer payment practices and better data on what Black business owners face.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wray Forward really free?
The programme page describes it as a free programme. Confirm any costs with Foundervine when you sign up.
Do I have to be in London to benefit?
The conference is listed in London. The programme supports Black businesses across the UK, so check which sessions or pitch nights can be joined remotely.
Can I apply if my business is brand new?
The conference is open to Black entrepreneurs over 25 at any business stage. Pitch nights are aimed at early- and growth-stage businesses.
Join the Conversation
Has a late payment ever put your business under pressure? How did you deal with it? Share your story, ask for advice and find people to travel to the conference with. Join the Black Owned Birmingham Facebook group and let’s build together.
