The combination of the pandemic and the imminent exit of the U.K. from the European Union has made … [+] many British businesses vulnerable. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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As if things were not bad enough, with the U.K.’s government announcing fresh restrictions in an effort to stem the advance of the long-anticipated second wave of the coronavirus, research published this week reveals many of the country’s businesses to be in pretty bad shape. The report by Goldsmiths, University of London in partnership with the technology company Microsoft finds that more than half of organizations surveyed have seen a decrease in revenue this year compared to last year, with more than one in five experiencing a drop greater than 15%. The same proportion had to scrap an existing business model within days of entering the lockdown announced in March, with 45% of leaders questioned expecting their current business
Despite international travel complexities, Dimitri Alejo, 31, decided that the pandemic was the perfect time to explore new opportunities. Alejo, who is from Colombia, started his MBA program at Michigan Ross a few weeks ago after numerous delays getting to Ann Arbor because of travel restrictions. He said that because of the pandemic many of his friends who intended to study in the U.S. scrapped their plans.
“If you are in the moment right now where everything is shut down, it’s a perfect moment to prepare and grow yourself,” Alejo said. “It’s a moment where you can grow and learn, meet new people and have experiences.”
Alejo said he left a good job as brand manager for Uber because he wanted to go “beyond making profits” and help companies influence positive change for society. His MBA concentration is social impact with technology.