The Legacy of Asian Retail Businesses in Derby

I wish to share some thoughts with you regards a conversation I had with a fellow retailer from a neighbouring community of South Derbyshire, and an old school friend of my father's. In a nutshell, it concerns the current situation amongst many family businesses established from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, from South Asian backgrounds; many like ours, that started off as small shops, that have been operating for years. The issue arises where many who established these small family businesses, are now having to either sell their shops and businesses, or close them altogether, as they reach the end of their working careers, and nobody within the family wishes to carry on the legacy of the family business. I find this situation regrettable and lamentable, as many of these hard working and entrepreneurial individuals, that worked hard to provide for their families, and built successful businesses, will now be confined to the pages of history. As a history enthusiast, my Masters Dissertation titled 'The Development of Asian Derby 1951-1991', explored how our community settled in Derby, what their experiences were like, and if one day I get the chance to continue my research; this is one aspect I would very much like to explore further. Namely, is the legacy of those before us being lost, as the younger generation are more and more opting to pursue professional vocations, and are less and less attracted towards the rigours of business and entrepreneurship? Does the rigours of shop life and the sacrifices one has to entail with regards to personal time, put most off? I would very much like to hear what others think of such an opinion.