The Portfolio

The Portfolio | October 2012 | www.afrobase.co.uk 1

The Portfolio

the unleashed edition

october 2012

inspiring

Talented

driven

GROUNDBREAKING

BUSINESS SAVVY

CELEBRATING BLACK british BUSINESS TALENT IN THE

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES

Altonative is an inclusive black membership group. We organise outings and events of black cultural interest as well as opportunities for business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Our motto is ‘So Be Dare’ which are the 3 key balances of networking we believe members need to be truly successful. Social, Business and Entrepreneurship and Dating and Relationships. Our members are ambitious, adventurous and we seek others with a similar 'joie de

vivre'.

www.altonative.com Altonatives Altonatives


Anything that is worth doing is more than likely to be considered a labour of love. The Portfolio has certainly been mine. It is an answer to the frustration I had with the fact that black businesses appeared to be missing from mainstream business publications. It seemed that the black community’s only claim to business fame is Levi Roots and I wanted to show otherwise. So this is the first step in my ‘Get Black British Businesses Seen’ campaign.

The Portfolio showcases a range of small to medium lifestyle and entertainment brands that Afrobase has seen over the last 12 months who are making a splash in their fields. I wanted to share their stories. This is not an exhaustive list but rather the start of a conversation, the opportunity for us to open a dialogue celebrating the best that black British businesses have to offer, a chance to acknowledge our achievements.

In a climate where securing work is a constant worry, I personally believe that if you have the skills, tools and support to start up a business you should. It is an exhilarating experience to be in control of your destiny. All the businesses featured within this first issue of The Portfolio show that time, dedication and belief can bring about a life changing experience. Hence its title being ‘The Unleashed Edition’. Not only are we launching this inaugural publication but, hopefully, we’ll

‘unleash’ the entrepreneurial spirit within you!

I thank the enclosed businesses and individuals for entrusting their stories to us and I hope that those who read this publication close the last page feeling inspired, having learnt something new and ready to share with others, that we really can be as successful as we choose to be.

The Portfolio is my salute to you.

Please feel free to email me your feedback about The Portfolio to [email protected]

Until the next time

Juanita RoseniorEditor, The Portfolio & Afrobase Manaaging Director

Nita

Meet the

editorcopyright Jo Smith Photographhy

The Portfolio is produced by Afrobase, a botique marketing agency for businesses from the black communities. We also work with brands wanting to reach the Black British market. From digital marketing to social media to web development and training, Afrobase provides quality marketing services to suit your business. View our portfolio at afrobase.co.uk/portfolio

CONTENTS 7 use facebook to meet business

objectives

8 TOP TIPS FOR START UPS:

SPOTLIGHT ON PR

10 TOP TIPS FOR START UPS: SPOTLIGHT ON

INTERIORS

12 ACQUIRING THE BUSIINESS MINDSET

14 START UP FOCUS: PACKED MUNCHES

16 DOING THINGS NATURALLY: ISIS MAGAZINE,

BESPOKE HAIR STYLES, LOVE HARLEM

19 SPOTLIGHT: INSIDE MICHEL o

20 A PEEK INTO THE MO-AM NETWORK

23 Tribal gem

24 pink Ribbon Lingerie

26 BRIDES OF CULTURE

28 SPOTLIGHT: SEHLIA nORTLEY

30 THE BRITISH BLACKLIST

31 EMMANUEL ANYIAM-OSIGWE

32 Spotlight: SOPHIA JACKSON


Editor & Designer Juanita Rosenior

Consulting EditorAkua Gyamfi

messages

of thanks

We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to share their stories .

In addition, there are a number of individuals who's time has been invaluable to this project.

Thank you to those who consulted on the construction of the publication:Joseph Baruwa, Sidel Stewart, Sherece Rainford, Alberta Rosenior, Elzabeth McLoghlin

To those that sent words of encouragement including Kwaku Kwapong

Thanks to our biggest catalyst, Jericho Baruwa

imagees sxc.hu, allfreedownload.com

CONTENTS

Spotlight:jAMES SHERWOOD 33IVY MUNRO 35

givE mE tap 36

dirt & glitter 38

AFROCESSORISE BY

J.M. PREMPEH 40nu people magazine 42

Download your FREE guide to making the best

of online tools

SIGN UP TO AFROBASE E-NEWS AND RECIEVE YOUR GUIDE* CLICK THE URL

http://eepurl.com/hJo5MOR SIMPLY SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR SMART PHONE

*please allow 24 hours for email containing the link


1Like similar pages...Like other Facebook pages that have a similar remit and content as yours. This keeps you linked into how they run their pages and enables you to identify any successful strategies they use and how their fans respond.Liking other pages also makes yours part of a linked network as their members can notice your page easier

and are more likely to ‘like’ and join yours.

2Collaborate with other pages... Liaise directly with the administrators of pages you have liked to agree on cross-promoting and sharing content from each others’ pages. This raises the visibility of both pages in Facebook’s activity feeds and reaches a wider audience than an individual page can, resulting in increased member count and potential customers for both pages.3Tag content shared from other liked pages...

When content is shared from other pages tag the page of origin as well, as this makes your page discernible on that page and simultaneously raises the visibility of yours to their page members. The tag is also detectable on the page’s activity feed and can consequently lead to their members and other pages they are linked to, joining yours

and raising your member count.4Share current information... Find and share articles and other news stories related to your products and services as a way of imparting further information to your page members. Similarly, current offers, discounts and the like can also be shared to keep members aware of deals they can benefit from. This helps to keep your page relevant and of interest to members, and it easily becomes a reference point for them as well.

5Create branded-image placards... Use graphic editing software to create imagery highlighting your products and services in the best possible light and share these from your page. Branding these images with your logo and hyperlink address to your Facebook page or website means that when it’s shared by

your page members, a wider audience is reached. 6Use Questions to engage members...Use questions related to your products and services on your page as a technique to stimulate conversations and discussions, helping to create a ‘community feel’ for the page as members exchange thoughts and ideas. Such interaction keeps the page highly visible on the news activity feeds, that even idle members have a constant reminder of the existence of your page and can prompt them to also engage more with it.

USE FACEBOOK TO MEET

BUSINESS OBJECTIVESWritten By: Dalian Adofo, Creative Director of Longbelly Entertainment Ltd

The term ‘social networks’ can mean businesses often underestimate the possibilities that these tools can offer in providing solutions to business needs or objectives on a global level, particularly for small medium sized enterprises with tight or limited budgets for operational needs.Setting up a Facebook page can greatly aid an individual or business in promoting their talents, services or products to a mass audience and assist in attracting new customers and sales. Raising the number of members on the page and to keep them interacting with its contents is key to successfully making them future

customers. Here are a few tips on how to maintain a page and keep its members engaged:

longbelly.co.uk YouTube longbellytv

Twitter @longbellytv

Many small businesses have the objective to raise awareness of their brands to further increase sales. The powerful yet often neglected option is Public Relations (PR) and can be achieved with a very minimal budget. Read our top five tips to help generate media attention, and mass exposure for your brand.

1) Create a story...Many people don’t realise that the press is not interested in the opening of yet another bakery or the launch event of another IT company, what does hold currency, however, is the fact that after being diagnosed with a gluten intolerance avid cake eater *Brenda created an innovative, delicious range of baked goods, for example. If you can create a story behind your brand and introduce a human interest element, the media will love you. Identify your unique selling point that makes you stand out from your competitors. Using Brenda’s example, if she then pitched her story in advance of Gluten Awareness month, she gets bonus points as that then makes the story topical and newsworthy. In a nutshell, be strategic and give the media as many “hooks” or points of interest as possible to build a story around.

2) Be prepared...Many small businesses have a great product and an interesting story but come unstuck when it comes to packaging it all together for the media. Before picking up the phone to make your pitch, bear in mind that journalists work to tight deadlines and often need all the ingredients of your story up front. This is where your press pack comes in. As you make that call, you should have the following essentials to hand, * Press release* Case study * Photographs (owned by your company and able to be republished)Therefore, if the journalist expresses

interest and asks for any of the above, there won’t be a mad scramble as you’ll be organised and prepared.

3) Know your audience...This may sound obvious, but if you can highlight a niche audience, you have the potential to be a big fish in a small pond. Identify who your product or service is aimed at and then brainstorm how you intend to reach them. What do they read? What online channels do they visit? You can create a successful campaign by targeting the right audience with a clear message that is relevant to them.

4) Get others to shout about you...A really great way to get PR to work for you is to preach to the converted. Many small businesses have happy clients who are not being fully utilised. A great way to do this is firstly via testimonials. Gone are the days when a few complimentary words attributed to *Sandra from Clapham, could be counted upon to hold weight, now a days, video testimonials are key. These don’t have to be expensive or heavily edited, but a few well drafted endorsements by camera friendly customers have the potential to really influence and can be hosted on your site and go viral. Secondly, create bonus schemes and incentives to firstly encourage repeat custom, but more importantly,to entice your clients to tell their friends and acquire more customers on your behalf. In a nutshell, incentivise current clients to become brand ambassadors for you.

5) Positioning, positioning, positioning...A great way to get more coverage and therefore raise brand awareness is to position yourself as an industry expert. Firstly you’ll need a credible web presence for your company, then start commenting on blogs, forums and chat rooms. Don’t use this as an opportunity

to lay on the hard sell about your service, instead provide fair, objective information. Then finally, once you’ve established a certain amount of online “coverage” you can start responding to journalist requests for expert comment. Using our previous example of Brenda’s bakery, a journalist from the Good Food Guide may want a comment about how to make cakes rise successfully, which is what Brenda will

provide, and in exchange, the publication will usually reference Brenda’s business name and URL. The benefit of this is the volumes of readers who will now be exposed to Brenda’s talents, and it even appears that the magazine is endorsing or recommending Brenda’s services. This type of exposure is invaluable, as it positions Brenda as an expert authority, which is the ideal position to be in when considering potential clients who want the best.

Finally, Don’t be afraid to get help from the professionals. If this PR thing seems too time or labour intensive, and you’d prefer to spend more time on your actual product or service, then there are numerous organisations that will lighten the load and help direct you along your media journey. If you need advice, get in touch to start the first step. Most of all, good luck!

Krystle Downie is a founder of KAPE PR which provides ambitious small to medium-sized enterprises with PR, and additional communication services, to help generate media opportunities, stimulate consumer engagement and increase the chances of success for businesses. Receive a free KAPE PR media health check for your company, and receive free tips, advice and support to help you on your way to media success. www.kapepr.com or 020 8858 9099 for further information.

TOP TIPS FOR START UPS:

SPOTLIGHT ON PR

Krystle Downie


If you would like to submit an article, are a business owner who would like to beconsidered for the next edition or would like to advertise in The Portfolio please send an email to [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch.

TOP TIPS FOR START UPS:

SPOTLIGHT ON INTERIORS Pauline Downiethe more important for beauty and service based industries. 2) Update the décor...A spring clean will enable step two to be more easily under-taken, as you can now see if instead of scrubbing, the walls are in need of a repaint. This simple step can instantly revive a room, especially if light, fresh colours are used. Now you can dress the room or premises with a few well-placed key items, a rug, lamp or new cushions can instantly update a room, and a large throw can disguise a tired sofa. It is important at this stage to get in the customers shoes and continually ask your-self throughout this process, What do I as a customer expect from my the premises of the businesses I frequent and more importantly purchase from? Now apply those standards to your own premises. 3) Sort out the storage issues...A hairdressing salon with a nail bar and an internet café in the front alongside a counter containing mobile phone covers and spare chargers. How often have we seen the problematic jux-taposition of two or more businesses under one roof? If you are supporting a multi-use business premise, it’s all the more important for you to be aware of space-efficient storage solu-tions. Utilise all areas of your workspace and ensure clients are not viewing the unmentionables that aren’t conducive to a positive customer experience. These tips are the start of a comprehensive plan to transform your business space cost effectively and productively. The initial steps may seem common sense, but research has shown that in trying to tackle our loftier, more pretentious ambitions, we often neglect the more obvious, attainable goals that we could achieve relatively painlessly and quickly. Start here and see how you go, however, if you need extra assistance, don’t be afraid to call in the professionals!Pauline Downie is a founder of KAPE PR which provides ambitious small to medium-sized enterprises with PR, business development and interior design support, to help achieve their strategic business aims.

Every business needs to create the right impression, whether you are a high street hairdressing salon or a 5 star hotel in the country, in order to attract their target market.Coupled with the correct company branding, interior design plays a key role in creating the right atmosphere for a successful retail or services business. Due to the demand on retail space and the high running costs of a commercial site, every inch has to be used effectively. This involves considering how much revenue is produced from each square meter, how people use the space, and what percentage of space is committed to behind the scene activities such as stock rooms and staff areas. There is a good reason why the most successful companies spend thousands of pounds each year to ensure that their premises accurately reflect their brand, and attracts the right customer. If you choose not to invest in this area you will be left behind. Cus-tomers can always go online for cheaper, quicker, more conveni-ent deals, so business owners should excel in the one area that the internet can’t compete in, face to face customer interaction. It is within your power to ensure that once the customer steps into your outlet, they witness an experience not found anywhere else, within comfortable, clean and considered surroundings a must. Interior designers are key to getting the most value for money and potential from a commercial space. However, if you wanted to try to implement some quick interior design practices that can have your premises looking ship shape, then read on...

1) Start with the basics – clean, clean clean! Many premises don’t actually need massive design overhauls. This may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how often ingrained grime is overlooked by owners. Whilst sometimes intentional, many business owners are not simply being lazy when it comes to workplace cleanliness, they have just gotten so used to seeing it, it no longer registers on their radar. Walls, windows, skirting boards, seating all should be regularly inspected for dirt, stains and wear and tear. Regular mopping and wiping of surfaces are all


New businesses are starting up at an exponential rate and it seems like having your own business is the way forward. In fact, the government are offering grants, funds and loans for people embarking on a new business venture. However, in the current climate, you may be wondering if this is the right time to be starting a business. I believe it is, because out of recessions many entrepreneurs are made and new businesses formed. So, if you are considering starting out in business what mind-set is needed and how do you acquire that business mind-set?

ACQUIRING THE

BUSINESS MINDSET Yvonne J Douglas


Before you do anything else you will need to prepare a self-analysis. What do I mean by this? Well, write a list of all your strengths and weaknesses. See how your strengths can be used in business and be sure to utilise them as they will certainly help your business to become successful. Now take a look at your weaknesses, consider what you can do to make these weaknesses disappear or transform them into a positive. For example, if one of your weaknesses is bad time management think of ways in which you can change that. Is there a course you can attend? Or is it something you can tackle yourself by making conscious changes in how you view and use your time. Evaluating yourself is crucial, because running a business is challenging and you will need to be strong in various areas., mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

You are your business; with that in mind, what will you be bringing into your business? Can you handle pressure? How effective are you when certain parts of your life require your attention; children, for example? Are you flexible and stable enough to multi-task? You will need the mental agility to start and sustain your business. Emotional wellness is very important. You will need to consider how well you will cope if things go wrong. How do you handle rejection? Would you take it personally? Do you fly off the handle quickly and easily? If so, then you will need to sort this out before embarking on going into business because this will spill over into your work, making it difficult for people to do business with you and for your business to succeed. You will need to learn to manage and focus on positive emotions. If you find this difficult then you may need to seek expert help. Spiritual strength is also a must because in business you will certainly need to have faith and trust. Being spiritual allows you to keep your vibrational energy on the right plane, which will help you to draw in success. Are you prepared to be rich? How do you view money? Do you have a negative view of money? For example, the love of money is not the root of all evil, contrary to popular belief. How do you respond to rich people? Are you happy for them? You should be, because that will create the right energy within you to attract money and success in your business. You need to believe that you have the right to be rich as a divine person of this abundant universe.

Never think that there is not enough business out there for you even if there are many people who run the same business as yourself. You will do it differently, incorporating your own style, expertise and knowledge; those are what you will need to focus on as that will be your unique selling point.

Do you fear success? That seems like a weird question, however, many people, on a subconscious level do, and they go about sabotaging their own success because deep down they have a core belief that they are not worthy. These beliefs and issues will need to be explored and eradicated if you are to succeed in business. Successful people invest in themselves; they consider themselves to be a resource worth investing in. Viewing yourself in this way creates a mind-set of positivity always wanting the best for yourself in order to strive for excellence. Your business is an extension of you, if you want a successful business that people will use, you will have to develop the right mind-set and be the success yourself. Do you have the self-worth necessary to embark on personal development, recognising that you are worth it?

Starting your own business means you are now the employer, or if self-employed, you will be your own boss. This means you will have to become extremely, disciplined, focussed, committed and flexible. Get rid of any limiting decisions and beliefs in order that you can commit to excellence. Keep a positive mind and practise the Law of Attraction. Mingle with business owners and learn from them, be open to ideas, suggestions and more importantly, feedback. Do not shy away from feedback as this is a key element to you moving forward not just personally but professionally. Be willing to learn as you go along and get rid of procrastination as this will stop you from doing what needs to be done. Take Action! Two very powerful words that you should always remember, each step of the way as this is something you will need to do continually. Be patient and develop resilience because the first two years will be challenging and this is where most business start-ups fail. You did not start your business in order to fail, so ensure that you have the stamina and determination to keep going, no matter what. And remember, failure is not an option, only a learning curve.

Yvonne J Douglas’ passion and purpose is to inspire, empower and motivate individuals to reach their full potential. She does this using her skills as an Author, Public Speaker, Counsellor and Life Coach. Yvonne J Douglas, BSc (Hons), MBACP

yvonnejselfdiscovery.co.uk Twitter | YvonneJDouglas

Fiona Timba and Sabrina Hamilton are two new entreprenuers behind, Packed Munches - a monthly subscription service that delivers classic British snacks to students studying abroad. So what’s it like to take on the business world? Here’s their story....

DreamingWe’ve always wanted to have our own business. The allure of working for ourselves, being our own bosses and calling the shots was something that we had dreamt about. For years and years, it had been merely that – a dream. A fantasy we waxed lyrical about in coffee shops and bars whilst we visualised ourselves becoming millionaires.

From time to time we even got as far as investing in a domain or setting up a Facebook page for our latest genius idea. Between the two of us we probably own in excess of 10 domains! But that was as far as we got. It wasn’t until one of our ideas was turned into a successful business by someone else that we realised that maybe, just maybe there was some weight to our words.The IdeaPacked Munches was born from one of our regular Skype chats whilst Fiona was studying for her Masters in European Law at the University Of Maastricht. Fiona was bending my ear on the trauma of not having had a Cadbury’s Wispa Bar, a packet of Monster Munch or a proper cup of tea in months. Then came the Eureka moment. What if there was a service that could deliver Fiona a box

START UP FOCUS


of Brit food essentials every month?

The KnowledgeWhen it came to setting up a business we knew absolutely nothing. All we knew was that we’d come up with an idea that we really believed in, and for us that was enough. So we set about educating ourselves. We turned ourselves into business sponges, soaking up every bit of information and knowledge we could lay our hands on. We attended seminars set up for young entrepreneurs and eaves-dropped on the conversations of successful business own-ers. Once you’ve switched your ears on, it’s surprising how much information and winning ideas people are willing to share – especially when they think the girl in the corner of the room/bus/bar/train isn’t listening.

There is nowhere that you can’t learn about business. The capital is brimming with groups, meet-ups and seminars full of British talent willing to share knowledge and encourage start-ups to go for it. You regularly hear interviews with men in suits stating that entrepreneurialism is one of the key strengths of the UK. Many even hail it as the saviour that will see the country through the economic downturn. Since starting Packed Munches we can see the truth in this. We have found the community of small business owners to be one that is open, inclusive and highly educational.

Despite the desire to set up businesses being prevalent amongst out peers, this British business community is a resource that we have seen few young black entrepre-neurs taking advantage of. The internet is a great tool for learning, but there is still incomparable value in standing in a room with like-minded people and making contacts face to face.

Making it happenThe ideas part was the fun part. Sitting down with your best friend and a couple of cocktails plotting on world domination is always a laugh. However, after that it’s time to get serious. After arming ourselves with the basic knowledge we needed to get going, we agreed from the off set to use our strengths to drive different areas of the business. Fiona has a legal background and has worked and studied in four different European countries. When it comes to knowing how to represent ourselves to our target market, I don’t question her. She is our target market; the whole business was based on a problem that she and her fellow British students studying abroad had faced so I don’t doubt that she knows best how to solve it. I on the other hand know websites and digital marketing so take the lead on the website functionality finding coders, servers and set-ting us up on social media. Once we agreed to trust each other’s judgement the whole process instantly became much easier.Through this we are able to define our roles, set weekly

targets and most importantly not feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done as we are secure in the knowledge that the other person is handling their end.

FinanceThe money issue was one that had definitely held us back before. The prospect of finding money for stock, advertising, websites etc is a daunting one that had stopped us before we’d even started. This time was different. We decided from the outset we wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible for as long as possible. This meant taking our time and building the business slowly, but making sure we owned it all. With no savings to speak of we started to build our business month by month, wage packet by wage packet. We’re sure the finance issue will have to re-ad-dressed further down the line, but for now we’re happy taking our time and staying in control The FutureWe have a long way to go, of that we are only too aware but after finally finding the courage to push ourselves off the starting blocks we are determined to see this one through.

To be the first to find out when we launch sign up a www.packedmunches.co.uk or show your support by finding Packed Munches on Facebook or @packed_munches on Twitter

Wish us luck!

START UP FOCUS

My name is Linda Graham and I am the Co-founder of ISIS Empire (the company) and editor of ISIS Magazine I co-founded the company and magazine with Nathaniel Nwosu who is also our Creative Director.Nathaniel and I both felt that there was nothing out there that informed women on how to look after and maintain afro textured hair in the form of print. For me, I think that using wigs, weaves

and braids has become a method of trying to manage afro hair so we wanted to place women of African descent back on their throne as Goddess hence the name ISIS aka Aset/Auset.

I had it all set to be a newsreader by age six then decided I would be an astronaut from ages 9-14. One day I thought I want to construct Social Policy in Africa hence the reason I found myself at the London School of Economics studying Social Policy and Criminology. However, by my second year of university I realised that writing and informing was my passion and Nathaniel realised that creative, print and web design was his. When it comes to business, if you’re just about to give up, just keep going. The end result tastes like cold watermelon in the middle of July - so rewarding.

isisempire.comFacebook | Isis MagazineTwitter | @IsisMag

DOING TH INGS

NATURALLYISIS Magazine

With a wave of black women ditching their weaves and extensions in favour of rocking their natural hair, a number of businesses have developed services catering for this emerging market.

Bespoke Hair Styles are business partners Melissa Blake and Huguette Lawson who are UK based Locticians & Natural Hair Stylists. Melissa talks about their business.

Behind Bespoke Hair StylesOur niche with loose afro hair clients is Flat Twisting. This is because there is less pulling and more fullness to the overall style. We install, maintain & style both Traditional Locks & Sisterlocks®. We also do extension (twisting & braiding) work. Our service is personal, professional private and consultative.

Bespoke Hair Styles


Our sessions are based on ‘Follicles 1st Styling 2nd’ and we don’t use heat, we use water when styling and locking, we avoid unnecessary pulling and tend to use our fingers more than combs when styling. Years back, I craved for this private, informative and consultative styling service when I had loose afro hair. I actually had given up on finding this in the UK until I discovered the Sisterlocks® service. I loved having a private one 2 one locking service where my conversations about my hair were more in depth and continual. Inspired, at first I knew I wanted us to create a Sisterlocks service, then one day it occurred to us, that there will be people with loose afros still needing a more personal, consultative and professional service, a service supporting you styling and caring for your loose afro or locked hair. Bespoke hair styles was born!

Black women re-embracing their natural hairI think it’s great! Even the discussion on whether it’s a fad or here to stay I am excited about. It enables us to articulate our choices. I would say, for me, it first was a choice to have healthier hair. Then when I realised how fab my curls were,

I began using my hair as a means of self expression. Huguette and I want to contribute to a movement into healthier living, showing that when we want to, we can rock our natural hair and stay successful in whatever we choose to pursue. Many of us are creating our own brand identity through our natural hair movement.

Stereotypes surrounding black businessesProfessionalism is expected from all groups when I am buying a service. I will show loyalty if your customer service skills are good, price is secondary. I believe with black businesses, if we linked up and supported each other more, whilst we celebrate our successes and promote new black business, we can only keep growing. The greatest challengeApart from sleep, it’s getting a few clients to understand that we are not in control of their hair and how it reacts to the elements and this is what choosing to be natural is all about. We try to say ‘don’t label’ or ‘compare your hair, if you understand through trial and error what best suits and works for your hair and understand how important water is for our hair, you will be fine’. Be open to making mistakes and accept your hair type, the

DOING TH INGS NATURALLY

Love Harlem

Love Harlem, an online store featuring a range of natural and organic hair care products, is run by two enterprising sisters, Erica “Harlem” Rutherford and Aretha “Ritzy” Rutherford. We speak to Erica....

Harlem Loves began not long after I transitioned to natural hair. I had such difficulty finding products that worked with my hair. It’s super thick, thirsty and I have an incredibly sensitive scalp. Most things I used would leave my hair super dry, matted or really irritate my scalp, so out of pure frustration I began doing a lot of research on natural ingredients and mixing my own recipes. Soon enough I had a few things that really worked for me and funnily enough that would have been it if it hadn’t been for one of my friends catching onto what I’d been making. She decided to try my olive butter and loved it so much she mentioned it to a few people. They also tried it, loved it and before long I had more demand than I could deal with given I was working full time and only doing this on the side.In the end, with the increasing pressure to supply we thought it best we properly organised things and that’s really what prompted us to start Love Harlem.

My sister, actually named it ‘Love Harlem’ to capture the es-sence of it being a gift from ourselves and one that we’re glad people have come to enjoy.Ritzy has always been more entrepreneurial than me. She comes up with business ideas all the time. It got to the point where every time she suggested something, I’d tell her to put it in a book of a million and one business ideas and sell that.

I’d always been more focussed on a journalism career and it

wasn’t until Love Harlem that everything about starting in busi-ness really fell into place for both of us. What’s exciting about it is that it’s really pulling in all our other interests as well, video, photography, textile design even my love of writing are all being used which is great!

Launching the business has without a doubt been both our great-est triumph and challenge. Trying to start a business whilst work-ing full-time and self-funding is not an easy thing to do at all. It’s a lot of hard work and late nights. So when we were finally able to launch on June 20 2012 after 5 years, it was a massive deal for us. Especially once we started getting in those first few rounds of customer feedback and they were as happy as we hoped! Oh my goodness, that just made everything worthwhile. One of our favourite business quotes by artist Stewart B Johnson:“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves – to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today.”

loveharlem.comFacebook | loveharlemTwitter | @loveharlemukYouTube | loveharlem

fuzz in your hair is normal, the curl you have is unique to you. When you copy a style it will come out looking different as your hair is unique to you. We must stop using Caucasian terminology and ideology to describe our hair. Our challenge is showing you how to own your beauty with your own unique African Hair.The futureWe would love to do confidence building programmes for black & mixed race school children, sharing with them practical ways their hair can be used as a form of self expression without changing their curl pattern. Showing them that they can be more or equally successful being healthy and this includes how they choose to wear their hair. It’s all about giving them a positive start. Showing them, healthy living starts first with their mind, whilst their bodies will reflect truly how they feel about themselves.Facebook |bespokehairstyles Twitter |HairByMH


SPOTLIGHTGospel Music & Media Specialist.

Managing Director, MO Entertainment Worldwide, specialising in Production &

Distribution of TV Programming & Talent Representation

INSIDE

I’ve been a Christian for many years now and I’ve really loved and enjoyed gospel

music for as long as I could remember. I used to sing at church when I was in my

teens (don’t tell anybody!) but as I got older I realised that I wasn’t that great

a singer. I also knew that I wanted to be involved in gospel music professionally; I

just didn’t know where I fit in.

I went on to Med School, which was what I was pursuing at the time. When I

got in, I became very frustrated because it became abundantly clear that I was

in the wrong field. Not because I wasn’t good at it, because you could be good

and even successful at doing the wrong thing. But for me, my heart wasn’t in it.

I dropped out and took up an internship at Christian TV station, Revelation

TV. While working there, I learnt a lot of about myself; that I am a good TV Producer and also knew how to sell/

promote artists. I wanted to use these skills to assist the gospel industry so I

formed MO Entertainment Worldwide.

I realised that many gospel artists didn’t have the right representation they

needed to further their careers. I began to work with a few of them and things

went on from there. We pride ourselves in working with the

very best so whatever their style may be; you can expect a great, captivating performance. Even more importantly,

our artists carry a life-changing message of hope, inspiration and salvation.

I’m very pleased to have accomplished

producing my TV show and independently distributing it to over 60

countries around the world. [The show has reached over 1 million viewers] I’m

also very pleased to be representing major artists like Donnie McClurkin (3x

Grammy Award Winner), Deitrick Haddon (1x Grammy Award Winner) and Mali

Music (Akon’s first gospel artist).

I have 3 key support systems in my life, God, my mother and my business partner.

They all support me in different but crucial ways. Without God, this would

be impossible. Without my mother, this would be painful. Without my business

partner, this journey would be very lonely.

We want to launch the record label arm of MO Entertainment Worldwide

by 2013 so we’re working on that. We also want to continue what

we’ve started and take gospel to the mainstream and UK gospel to

worldwide recognition.

officialmichaelo.comFacebook | TheOnetoOneShow

Twitter | @MichaelOTVYouTube | MOWorldwide

M I C H A E L O

I am a presenter as well as graphic/web designer. I also model for various fashion brands like, Punkyfish, Rokstedi, Pastry Shoes, Baby Phat.I run a female lifestyle website for black women called www.mo-am.com and have a YouTube channel also called moamnetwork, for my natural hair journey, beauty reviews, fashion, tips and advice on career etc. I work with my super talented business partner photographer and video director, MR X, who also has his own website and channel with super amazing in-depth tips and techniques for photographers and videographers.

The MO-AM Network is unique and has been so well received by the ladies it caters for. It’s been overwhelming hearing from young women, what a blessing The MO-AM Network has been, as they finally have everything in one place dealing with the issues women of colour deal with and are entertained by.

I think we all dream of running our own business or being the boss. I was no different, though I guess I was a little naive about the amount of work it actually takes to do so. I always fancied running my own business so I give all praises to The Most High for making it possible.

I am also incredibly lucky to have a mentor who has schooled and guided me all the way. MR X has incredible vision and drive, which I need. You have to decide whether you’re a leader or team player. Too many people want to be a leader but lack the quality and drive it takes to lead not only themselves but also others. You have to be humble and honest about your skills to be successful. Find someone you can learn from, put in time and be consistent. Learn by immersing yourself in your project and be realistic about how long it takes to grow and establish yourself, Invest in yourself and others will take you seriously.

I had good work ethic but was pretty scatty to begin with. I had to learn to be focused, consistent and have a plan. Again, all thanks to MR X who has worked in the entertainment industry since he was a teenager, so you can imagine the wealth of knowledge he has! Also having a strong belief and following the teachings in the Bible helped me grow most as a person, the most valuable lessons have come from there, believe me.

I’m not going to lie [that race and gender doesn’t make business

She is the Scottish -Nigerian fashionista with the UK fashion industry at her feet. Founder of online magazine, The MO-AM Network, Peeks has become an online sensation building a following of over one million followers on YouTube alone.

A PEEK INTO THE

MO-AM NETWORK

Mr X, Peeks Business Parter


Mr X, Peeks Business Parter

challenging], of course it does. We have to work two or three times harder than everyone else to fight for a position. What we have managed to do at Mo-Am is use our race to our advantage. I incorporate my culture into my work, as does MR X.

Because of the position of many black businesses in the western world it can be very difficult to start a business and make it a success. The society isn’t designed for us, so what we think we must do is design our thinking around other cultures, which rarely seems to work. Then we get stereotyped that the black community doesn’t make money. I still don’t understand how the Asian/Indian community are predominantly selling back to us our own hair and cosmetic products in the UK, this is a multimillion industry so clearly there is money to be made in the black community. Maybe we can learn something from this and embrace who we truly are because that’s when the magic happens.If you’re going to work at something for the next however many years it best be something you enjoy or it won’t work. If

you can’t find a mentor, look at the blue print of people who inspire you, read their story and see how you can make that work for you. Be consistent, have a plan of action, learn all you can and invest in yourself, buy equipment if you need it, you must take risks to see rewards. Also please be prepared to make plenty sacrifices; you need to dive fully in if you want to see things move. This means forgetting holidays, socialising with friends etc because whilst you’re doing that, someone who is hungrier than you is working ready to take your spot, that’s the reality folks!

mo-am.combro.mo-am.comYoutube | moamnetworkTwitter |@moamnetwork


Abiola, a 22 year old Sociology & Criminology graduate and Lulu, a 21 year old Business Marketing graduate are the founders of Tribal Gem.

TRIBAL GEM

Tribal Gem was started in September 2011, rather spontaneously. We hadn’t planned for years and years to start a fashion label at all but its creation was mainly a result of our shared infatuation with African textiles and prints, in part because of our African backgrounds. On the whole, the penny dropped for us that the availability of good quality, affordable, ready-made African print garments were not in the market.

The process has been a giant learning curve; we are still finding our feet but with each development we are wiser and, though neither of us having any fashion industry experience, we’re somewhat comfortable in our naivety in that it allows us to enjoy what we are doing. We get to explore the process of setting up an emerging brand freely and unbound by the prescription of those before us or competing with us.

L: Previous to Tribal Gem I had always thought about the prospect of running my own business but I hadn’t formulated business ideas. There is something

about working for myself that has always enticed me. A: I never really considered starting my own business, however, I have always had an entrepreneurial streak which I believe I got from my mother who always has two or three business on the go. I guess I was always going to start my own business at some point, because I love being busy and occupied, especially if it is something I am passionate about like Tribal Gem. Operating in general is challenging, given our non-fashion backgrounds it is bound to be so. However, we thrive on it and love the journey of tapping into our own cultures and sharing our love for African culture, print and fashion

There is a stereotype that black businesses do not support one another, but we are seeing how false that stereotype is – we’ve received so much support from other black businesses and entrepreneurs It’s overwhelming. It completely shatters the ‘crabs in a bucket’ stereotype.

[For those wanting to go into business] Go for it! If cautious, see if you can run your business in a pilot way, on a small scale to test its feasibility before investing money and time into it but without a doubt pursue the opportunity. There are so many resources available to put you on the right path to starting up. Not having run a business before is no longer an excuse for not trying

Our current collection is available for sale on ASOS Marketplace. Search seller ‘tribalgem’ Instagram/Twitter | @TribalGem Facebook |tribalgem Tribalgem.blogspot.com Tribalgem.tumblr.com


My name is Camille Johnson, I am a confessed workaholic, who is ambitious, thinks outside the box and challenges everything. My friends would say I am a happy positive person who is crazy about sport.

I decided to set up Pink Ribbon Lingerie following my mum’s Breast Cancer surgery and her negative shopping experiences over the years.I love lingerie and from shopping with my mum I was disappointed to discover that the lingerie options for someone who has had a mastectomy can be quite limited. The best options can be found online, so unless you are internet savvy and have loads of time to surf the net looking for products, you may be unaware of what is available.

So we started Pink Ribbon Lingerie to offer a greater ‘one-stop shop’ platform for providing functional, luxury, sexy, lingerie, sleepwear and swimwear for women post surgery.

I also started my own Business Consultancy in September 2012; working with creative brands that dare to be different! I work with them strategically to help them reach their full potential.My ethos in life is about giving back and doing what makes me happy! I like to help people and I like business, so it made great sense to start ‘MCJ Consultancy –

My background is in buying and merchandising within the beauty industry, so it wasn’t as daunting for me as would be expected. The key thing for me was that I wanted to make sure I brought the right collections. I did a lot of research and I got help from an ex-colleague and friend who is a lingerie buyer. We went to the trade shows together, it was great experience for me to see what brands were offering and going with an expert gave me the opportunity to learn so much.

My mum started her own business when I was 12; my great uncle and grandfather both had their own businesses; so I guess I grew up with it.... “It’s in the blood as they say”

For us it is really important to break the barriers of any negative stereotypes of black businesses and Pink Ribbon Lingerie is here to meet the needs of all women following Breast Cancer surgery by ensuring that we provide an excellent service. It is also important for us to educate and raise awareness of being ‘Breast Aware’ within the black community.

Getting initial funding was impossible, as banks were not keen to support such a stock intensive business, so we were unable to start the business in 2004 as initially planned, and started it in 2010. We left things for a few years until we were able to self fund ourselves, it meant making a lot of strategic business changes and starting off smaller. Now I see that this decision was more statically viable for us and I am grateful to be in a position to own the business outright.

[Now I am my own boss] I am much happier; being my own boss really suits me.

PINK RIBBON LINGERIE

I’d really like to spread the word about a new iPhone and Android app called ibreastcheck.com that teaches women how to be ‘Breast Aware’. It allows women to set-up regular reminders on their phone. I really advocate this app because women need to regularly carry out breast checks, and only 2% of women in the UK know what to look out for, and only 50% of women in London attend their breast medical screening appointments.

Brides of CultureAbi, a PR Professional by trade and Kemi, a software tester by profession have taken their love for weddings to create a definitive portal for future brides to be. We talk to them about their journey

Why did you decide to start the Brides of Culture? Abi: I am of Nigerian heritage, and having got engaged in 2008, I wanted my wedding to reflect my background. When I started to plan my wedding in 2008, having bought the easily accessible magazines, browsed various websites and attending the usual wedding exhibitions and shows, I realised that there was very little inspiration or information in the mainstream to help me add the cultural touches I wanted to my wedding, I had to really rely on word of mouth from friends and family. My experience made me realise that many other people must be having the same trouble, so I thought that an official channel was needed to make planning a wedding with a cultural twist much easier. My sister-in-Law Kemi, and I initially started bridesofculture.com, which is an interactive website which provides information on various areas of planning a cultural extravaganza, and then we decided to take it a step further with wedding exhibitions, which showcase a large variety of services and products for multicultural weddings.Kemi: When Abi initially started planning her wedding, she had the framework for an idea that will help her, as well as other brides-to-be in similar circumstances, make the planning process easier and also add an

element of fun. We brainstormed about the best way for us to do this and decided to come up with a group on Facebook, a channel we are both regular users of, and after a few dud attempts of coming up with a name, Brides of Culture was created, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Being a bride is such a beautiful experience, tell readers how Brides of Culture enhances that. Brides of Culture’s Bridal Exhibitions completely caters for multicultural couples, and not only enhances the usual wedding planning experience, but the added cultural touches often provides an education to those who were not too familiar with their culture, and to those that are, is also a great way to see a range of professionals in a structured environment. We house a unique range of providers, along with the traditional western options, and thus offer a wonderful mix of photographers, cake makers, caterers, traditional wear designers and gele designers, to name but a few. This blend of western and tradition under one roof is really quite unique!

What has the process been like running the event? We love being a part of the planning process of the best day of someone’s life. A wedding will most likely


be the biggest event that takes place in a couple’s relationship, and to be able to help in essentially making dreams come true, even just a tiny part is so fulfilling. This is emphasised by all the emails/tweets/Facebook messages of appreciation we receive from numerous brides-to-be who have attended our exhibitions or even just surfed our website. It’s a lovely feeling to know that we helped them in some way.We also love seeing the end product after the months of hard work. A successful exhibition with happy clients who sign up on the spot for the next event! It’s a great testament to us doing something right.

Have you always wanted to start a business? We both have very entrepreneurial spirits, and have independently had various ideas for starting a business, none of which we ever followed through with, largely due to lack of passion in the area. We have both always loved weddings, even getting married ourselves, so when we came up with the idea of Brides of Culture, we ran with it!

Who is your greatest support? Aside from our spouses, we are each other’s biggest support. We both have strengths which really complement each other and we also seem to instinctively know when the other needs a gentle nudge or words of encouragement. What has been your biggest achievement? We have so many things that we see as being great accomplishments so far on our journey! We have been lucky in that each exhibition has been a great achievement, as each has been even better than the last. Autumn 2012’s event saw nearly 1000 people

registered

to attend- we have grown leaps and bounds since our first event 3 years ago! Securing partnership with the Crowne Plaza Hotel for our exhibitions, is another great accomplishment.We are also really proud of the wedding industry icons we have had the pleasure of working with so far, people like, Yemi Osunkoya of Kosibah, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium and Cedar Events. We are really excited to see what else is still to come!

What is your opinion of the stereotypes that surround black businesses? That’s such a good question, as there are so many!To be honest, it’s sad to say, but for the most part they can be quite accurate. We are however, increasingly meeting business owners who dispel the typical stereotypes, which is so incredibly encouraging, but the overwhelming majority unfortunately do tend to live up to them. It’s such a shame as black businesses have so much to offer, but without the right mind set they will only be able to get so far. We do need to adopt a new way of thinking, and can certainly take some aspects from our western counter parts. As we continue on our business journey, we look forward to continuing to work with professional black owned business, and also hope to see plenty who approach their business with complete reliability and professionalism. What has been your greatest challenges? Our main challenge when we first started out, was firstly making our target audience aware of our existence and in turn ensuring a good turn out to our events. Secondly, cementing our name within the wedding industry, among fellow professionals. Wedding professionals, who are essentially our clients, need to not only be aware of us, but must also be able to whole heartedly trust that we have their best interests at heart. We want them to be able to rest easy that signing on to partake in a Brides of Culture exhibition is a great way for them to not only grow their business, but to also network with other experts. What is next for you and the Brides of Culture brand? Do you have anything else to add? –Aside from our next exhibition which will be taking place in London in Spring 2013; BoC has so many plans for the future. We want to continue to grow from strength to strength. We would love for Brides of Culture to be the first point of call for any multi-cultural couple planning their wedding in the UK. We aspire to be as big as and as respected as the mainstream exhibitions out there. Aside from exhibitions, we also plan to launch a high quality

wedding magazine which will be available to the masses.

bridesofculture.comFacebook | Brides of Culture Twitter| BridesofCulture

Film Producer & Screenplay Writer

I got my first camera when I was about ten, and started shooting my own version of Moesha [laughs] I think I played most of the characters. My little sister and my big cousin also made cameos. I run a company called Kingdom Entertainment Group, we specialise in producing film and run

Kingdom School of Arts which is a Drama School based in Kentish Town.

My career in the film industry chose me. it just seemed to be there laid out for me. This is what I wanted to do, so I naturally submitted to what I love.

I don’t want to say [being a black woman in the industry] it is hard and deter any other black women that want to get involved. It’s a state of mind, at the end of the day. In this day and age, it’s always going to be easier for some people, the industry as I understand it is run by white middle aged men, but I don’t see myself being a black woman as a liability. I think that is a very dangerous and victimizing state of mind.

I always see my being a black woman as a blessing, and for me, on a personal level and a business level, knowing what it means to be black, knowing what it means to be a woman, (and I learn more about these things every day) and trying to be a better human being, full stop. You can’t really dwell on ‘woe is me’ ‘it’s so hard’ because you’ll just end up defeating yourself before you’ve even run the race, projecting your own insecurities on yourself. Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest women in the world and she is a black woman in the entertainment industry. So, what could be my excuse?

Sometimes opportunities pop up that weren’t part of your plan but they can be used to help shape an individual person. That happened this year for me – an opportunity came up which frightened me to bits at first. I gave it my all and went for it. Tomorrow’s not promised, so long as you’re still focused on your goal I’d advise anyone, myself included, to always pursue what is in their heart or what will challenge them and make them grow.

My biggest achievements are those seemingly small private victories that make everything else possible, like silencing that voice in your head that tells you can’t do it, letting go of the past, overcoming fears that I had, and this is something I do, or have to try and do every day. I’m far from perfect and falling in love with myself, flaws and all, has been my biggest and most beautiful achievement. It’s always financially difficult starting up, so I faced those challenges initially. Also, for a lot of creatives, it sometimes takes a while to find your style of business, to learn that business is not as daunting as it may initially seem and that you can actually invest a lot of that creative energy into your business.

kingdomentertainmentgroup.co.ukFacebook |kingdomentertainmentgroupTwitter |@kingdomentgroup

Shelia

Nortley Credits include:Eddies Bar (2003),

Scars [2006], Insomnia [2006],

The Hydra (2008), The Pick Up (2010),

Special Delivery (2010), Drink, Drugs & KFC (2010),

David is Dying (2010), Zion (2011),

Illegal Activity (2011), The Chrysalis (2011),

Sable Fable (2012), The Charlatans (2012),

Limbo (2012).

SPOTLIGHT


SPOTLIGHT

I decided to start the British Blacklist because I felt and if you do an Internet search it’s proven, that there’s nothing documenting the achievements of black British people in the arts and entertainment world under one collective hub. As someone who has worked in various areas of the entertainment industry, from Fashion and beauty, to film and TV, to print and online media predominantly with black British people, whenever I wanted to research a person’s achievements, get an informative biography or even a decent photo image I often found it quite difficult to find competent information.

So I decided to do something about it. Initially The British Blacklist started out as just a simple a-z of British Black Actors and Actresses, but as you can see from the site it has evolved into so much more because so many of our entertainers’ work lives cover so many different areas of entertainment.

An important part of my concept’s evolution is the documenting of British Black authors and a place to find British Black literature that with the demise of book shops, and with many of the existing book shops not categorizing Black Authors within their own section (we can debate whether or not this is a good thing or not at another time) but as a result of this I think it’s very hard to find books by Black British authors especially those who aren’t mainstream approved.

Another important addition to The British Blacklist is a place to remember and acknowledge our actors and actresses of long gone generations who came up against a much harder time for black people in the industry and laid the foundation for the new generations to have it that bit easier, but have in some cases been forgotten.

All businesses run by anybody or race, have their good and bad eggs. Black businesses are the same but are not disproportionately bad. In my whole career I’ve worked with solely professional and co-operative black businesses. My opinion of this is that there is a stereotype which needs to be blown up and forgotten about. It’s a serious case of misinformation which has been brainwashed into our psyche which has allowed those black businesses who do fail in their delivery to make excuses and tarnish the rest of the decent black businesses with a negative reputation which has been difficult to shake off.

Everyone should use The British Blacklist, exactly how they see fit. There are no rules to this site. But what I hope to

provide to various users, is a place to find Black British entertainment legacies. A simple up to date database for people looking for a certain someone to feature in their project or work with. An up to date profile of black British people in the entertainment and arts to be used as a way of self promotion, and a place for people to keep informed about developments within the black British entertainment and arts worlds.

To be launched November 2012Facebook | British BlacklistTwitter | @BritBlacklist

The British Blacklist

Akua Gyamfi is a journalist, researcher, script consultant, editor, and creator of

The Portfolio Exclusive


Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe

Founder of the British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) & chairman of BUFF Enterprises

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?My name is Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe, I'm a British-born Nigerian entrepreneur and I'm the founder and director of the British Urban Film Festival (established July 2005). Why did you start the British Urban Film Festival?I decided to set up my own film festival in response to the lack of profile that fellow peers and acquaintances desired. As a result of its key pledge to screen films free of charge, BUFF has played its part in developing and attracting audiences who have shown both passive and active interests in this genre.

Have you always wanted to start a business?Yes. There’s no greater motivation than realizing that the buck starts and ends with you. What has been your biggest achievement?Convincing my ‘traditional’ Nigerian parents that I was onto a good thing! What has been your greatest challenge?Convincing my ‘traditional’ Nigerian parents that I was onto a good thing! What is your opinion of the stereotypes that surround black businesses?It’s not about having having an opinion about the so-called stereotypes that surround black businesses. At the end of the day, the key is all about surrounding yourself with good people, people who buy into you straight away and vice versa. Your reputation is your most valuable asset.

In business, which is worse, failing or never trying and why?Failing. Everybody has standards that they aspire to, but the trick is never to aspire to anyone else’s.

What is next for you?Ideally a week off. In reality though, if you desire for success then prepare to be a prisoner of it. For me its all about the next British Urban Film Festival and the next one after that and then BUFF 2015 (the 10th one)

Do you have anything else to add?

I wouldn’t advise anyone to take the path that I’ve taken, not unless you're ready to stare down the barrel every single day and that you have complete and utter confidence in your ability to demonstrate your passion for whatever it is you put your mind to. Carpe diem!

britishurbanfilmfestival.co.uk@buffenterprises

L-R Emmanuel pictured with Broadcaster and Journalist, Jasmin Dotiwala, Sus Actor,, Ralph Brown and Screen Nation Founder, Charles Thompson MBE

SOPHIA A JACKSONEditor/founder Afridiziak Theatre News & director, Afridiziak Gifts and Occasions

What has been your greatest achievement to date?I love that my brother, Basil Lumsden, web developer for Afridiziak Theatre News and I have been able to work together on Afridiziak Theatre News. We’re a great partnership. I was featured in the 2010 Black 100+ exhibition for my contribution to theatre - that was a real honour to be amongst my peers on that level. Interviewing Professor Wole Soyinka and Dr Maya Angelou are also highlights of my journalism career. You have become a powerful and trusted contact within your field, what is the key to building successful relationships? Thank you. I think having a ‘scratch my back; and I’ll scratch yours’ mentality can go a long way when you’re in business. Also be professional, passionate and trustworthy when dealing with customers and clients.

Have you always had a desire to run your own business? I knew that I would run my own business from an early age but I didn’t know what it would be. Initially I wanted to set up a business which would be a platform for independent African-Caribbean retailers which has taken years to come off the ground. In the meantime Afridiziak Theatre News came about because I saw a gap in the market.

What challenges have you faced? It took a while for some organisations to take Afridiziak Theatre News seriously as a credible media outlet but now

we are well respected. Where as before some PRs would give us review seats in the lap of the Gods now we sometimes get the best seats in the house. My brother and I worked on revamping Afridiziak Theatre News at the start of 2012 and that has had a positive impact on the brand. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards within a business and forge ahead with your plans? Every day I have to make decisions based on risks and rewards – it never ends but that’s what keeps running your own business challenging and exciting. What is next for you? Look out for the launch of Afridiziak Gifts and Occasions online boutique selling African-Caribbean inspired gifts for all, which is launching this autumn. This is my second business and I am launching this with my cousin, Deanne Rowe.

afridiziak.com/theatrenews afridiziakGO.com Twitter | @afridiziak

Sophia Jackson is an entertainment journalist.. She launched Afridiziak Theatre News in 2008- the UK’s only website dedicated to ceelebrating African Caribbean Theatre with listings, news, reviews and interviews.

Sophia with reknowned author Wole Solinka (Left) and Hollywood Actress, Whoopi Goldberg (below)

SPOTLIGHT


JAMES SHERWOOD

and Disney. I would say I’ve sourced 90% of my own work but it seems there is a clear ‘glass ceiling’ in this industry, especially when it comes to the mainstream gigs! I always used to ask how many more clones can T4 have on their sofa?

Stereotypes surrounding black businessesWe don’t help ourselves - There are too many organisations/individuals who do take too lax an attitude to work which leaves the rest of us battling against those stereotypes. Don’t get me wrong, I mess up, but it hurts me when I do, whereas from others I hear too many times ‘sorry about that... you know how it is’ No, I don’t!

The futureWell, I’ve just sent my new showreel to a few agents with an email asking about this glass ceiling I sit below but on a positive there’s plenty to look forward to on Afrobuzz with events such as The Screen Nation Awards and the MOBOs coming up, and a Police initiative I front is touring the country as we speak so look out for me!

www.jamessherwood.net

Freelance presenter/producer of flagship entertainment show

Afrobuzz, Vox Africa

I studied a 3 year performing arts degree at Middlesex University and after graduating in 2005 I thought I may as well try out the audition circuit seeing as I’d just spent the best part of 20,000 pounds on my education!!! A few advert

and short film appearances later someone suggested presenting and thankfully I’ve been lucky enough to carve out a career for myself. (That is of course the extremely condensed version of events!)

Biggest achievementMy biggest achievement is definitely surviving in such a competitive industry - I’m blessed to be able to pay the bills doing what I once only dreamed of... I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and interview some of the most successful people in the world and sometimes I do have to remind myself of those ‘money can’t buy’ moments..

Opportunities for presenters from the Black communitiesI was only discussing this the other day - unfortunately it seems that presenters of colour still only get the niche opportunities. I’ve spent the last 5 years being told there’s no work out there and times are tough (which they are) but in that time I’ve still managed to source my own work for the likes of LOVEFiLM

Watch Afrobuxx every Mon-Fri 19.30 GMT on Vox Africa ((SKY 218)

SPOTLIGHT

Asher Ethnic Books an oasis of African, African-American, Caribbean and Black British literature

Be Inspired Asher Ethnic Books is an accessible on-line store that sells books written from a black perspective, whether the author is African, African-American, Caribbean or Black British. Whatever your reading style we know you will enjoy our diverse selection of books across a variety of genres such as contemporary fiction, poetry, history, biographies, classic black literature and much more! Would you like us to find that special book you have been searching for? We also offer a book finder service for free!

http://asher-ethnic-books.myshopify.com/Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 7967 8838

Contact


IvyMunro is an online platform (named after my Nan who passed away in 2004) It focuses on creatives doing super-cool and innovative things under the radar. Many times the term ‘creative’ is associated with the arts, music and celebrity, but it goes so far beyond that. Creativity is present in every field, in every capacity and we’re primarily focused on bringing new people and new ideas to the forefront. Last year we launched an events division, allowing us to transport our online offering into a live setting and not knowing exactly how to position our portfolio of events in the current market, we decided to erect a new conferencing genre entitled the ‘Pop Conference.’ Quite simply put, a Pop-Conference is an interactive discussion & entertainment assembly merging specialist knowledge, popular culture, entertainment and digital.

I always wanted to do what I loved for a living, but I didn’t necessarily know what that would look like. I’ve always been a digital junkie and always loved executing live events. I knew early on that I wanted a high degree of creative control and since I’ve always done my best work at the most ungodly hours, I tend to favour unconventional ways of working over traditional 9-5 practices. So it fast became apparent a 9-5 wouldn’t meet these requirements in the long-term.The IvyMunro & Paul Carrick Brunson

partnership is definitely our biggest achievement to date.In 2011 we produced our debut commercial discussion platform in partnership with Paul’s boutique matchmaking/relationship coaching service - OneDegreeFrom.Me. The discussion focused on the broader scope of conversation around personal and professional relationships our community needed at that time, so we aptly entitled it - The Big Conversation. The exposure helped thrust both our respective brands in the UK limelight and set the tone of Pop Conferences to come.

Certain stereotypes surrounding black-owned UK businesses have tainted the term “black-owned” as it’s now used to somehow suggest being less-than.I do believe there are a handful of black-owned organisations that intentionally and repeatedly exhibit wanton disregard for minimum standards because they either do not realise, or just do not care about the consequences of diminished credibility on our wider business environment. Yes, we all fall victim to the inevitable faux pas but without honest evaluation and learning from past mistakes, a few can easily jeopardised many. This is especially true where investment opportunities

are concerned. On the flipside there are many examples of credible black-owned businesses operating in continuous excellence and I believe part of that comes from simply operating as a business first. The fact that I happen to be black has no bearing on the way I conduct business.

IvyMunro is just the first step towards my first goal. The focus right now is on the Pop Conferences and expanding the online team. The enormity of the dream is of gargantuan proportion but I’m not trying to rush ahead of God’s plan. I’m just

enjoying the journey.

ivymunro.com@ivymunro

IVY MUNROTayo Arewa, is a HR Manager in the Digital Advertising field by day and founded IvyMunro.com in 2009. She’s the brand’s Online Editor and Event Producer

I started Give Me Tap shortly after finishing my PHD in Mathematics at the University of Manchester. It came from my desire to help people gain access to water both here and abroad. The reason I was experiencing not having access to water here in the UK was because I’d started a training programme called ‘T90X’ in order to get a six pack. I was playing a lot of sports, drinking a lot of water and getting rejected continually by different restaurants and cafes when requesting some tap water. It was from that I thought there’s got to be a better way to get water. So I thought about speaking with cafes to get refills from them and at the same time from the sales of Give Me Tap’ bottles so we could support water projects in Africa.

The concept started in October 2009. When I thought of the idea, I went to a university tour for a business competition I’d entered Give Me Tap into, it was ranked 14th. I remember going to my mentor and asking him what was it exactly about Give Me Tap that wasn’t viewed highly because I thought it was a good idea and would solve a lot of social problems. He said to me ‘I challenge you. If you think this is going to work, go out there and prove me wrong’. I love challenges like that so I went away and developed a website within two days (I’m a computer scientist and a mathema-tician).

I launched the website and then started going to cafes and restau-rants asking them if they would sign up. I managed to find a cafe called Herbivores, next to the library at the University of Manches-ter and this lady Leslie was just amazing and said she’d help and support our movement. From there things just started to pick up. I applied for some funding from a company called UnLtd and they

gave us £3000 to get the business going. I went to the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs in April 2010 and met with a company called Shell Livewire who were asking entrepre-neurs to pitch. So I mustered up the courage, spoke to them and, fortunately in the end I won! It was amazing to get voted for by the audience and that catapulted everything. I must have won about 30 awards since that day.

It’s been an emotional, explosive and fun journey to the point that I got to go to Namibia to complete our first water project. That really reaffirmed all the work I was doing, why I was work-ing hard, juggling my PHD with my business. I love my business, I enjoy maths so it was nice to do the business and get away from my PHD sometimes but it got to a point where I was having too much fun with the business and was neglecting my studies. It took one of my mentors to refocus me so I stopped Give Me Tap for about four months and worked solidly on my PHD before picking it up again.

We have a lot of funding and the awards have brought recogni-tion and press so we’ve probably featured in every national newspaper and that’s been critical in getting more people aware of what we’re trying to do.

When I started Give Me Tap my parents didn’t really know what I was doing. As far as they were concerned I was at the Univer-sity of Manchester studying for my PHD but they started to see me winning awards, money coming in, people thinking it was a great idea. I think they were still thinking I should get a profes-sion. ‘You’ve got a PHD why don’t you going into banking or go

GIVE ME TAPEdwin Broni – Mensah is the founder of social enterprise Give Me Tap. Patrons are encouraged to purchase a ‘Give Me Tap’ bot-tle to receieve free refils at participating outlets. The money from the sales then go towards water projects in Africa


Edwin Broni – Mensah is the founder of social enterprise Give Me Tap. Patrons are encouraged to purchase a ‘Give Me Tap’ bot-tle to receieve free refils at participating outlets. The money from the sales then go towards water projects in Africa

us to do another 3- 5 water projects over the next year and that’s a massive deal for us. It’s just great to see massive corpo-rate organisations supporting our initiative and movement.

I own a black business and so does my sister and I think within our community there just needs to be more support of black businesses. There’s a belief that if you work with another black business you’re automatically entitled to discount and the qual-ity won’t be as high. Those things damage us as a community. When we come to work together we should pay whatever the price is of that service and it should be delivered to the best standard possible and I think that’s something that will come over time.

My greatest challenge has been managing my time so that I can take advantage of opportunities. The very fact that everyone drinks water means that there are so many things that I can do. However, I don’t have infinite resources and it’s one of the big-gest challenges I face as opposed to external things.

If you’re already run-ning a business that’s amazing because that is the hardest bit. I would recommend doing a lot of reading because entrepreneurship is hard. It’s easy to look at these other organisa-tions and think it’s easy to get to where they are and it is not a joke. There are a lot of things I know now that I didn’t know a couple of years ago and I have learnt through experience, reading business books, having mentors and just enjoying things.

www.givemetap.co.uk

into something relating to your degree’. I think more and more Give Me Tap is helping my parents see a different way of working. I’m an entrepreneur and my sister is also an entrepreneur as she started an events website called Shoobs.com, so we’re both showing our parents a new way of employment. When my parents came here they worked really hard in employment and they didn’t have much so I can understand why they were keen for me to get well educated and get a profession. And it has helped me. Getting my PHD has opened up so many doors and it allows me to do so much more. I am glad my parents pushed me.

When I was 7 years old I wanted to create video games. I didn’t really think about being an entrepreneur I just want-ed to make computer games so that’s why I did computer science, a PHD etc. It was only in 2006 when one of my friends asked me to join his company that I started to see entrepreneurship in a different way. You get to dictate how you want to run your business and it was nice to man-age and shape your own way in life. Give Me Tap grew into something massive and I’m just proud to be the leader of it. When I set it up I didn’t think it was going to be a business, I just set it up because I thought I could solve a social prob-lem and it was really encouraging to me that other people thought it was needed and necessary.

My whole family help me a lot and are inspirations to me, they work really hard. My parents, my dad especially has worked so hard and I just have that work ethic. In terms of support for my business I speak to my sister as we go through the same ups and downs both being entrepreneurs.

My biggest singular achievement is helping 1500 people get access to water. Nothing could beat that. When I went to Namibia and I could see that just from a short few months of work in the UK could change the lives of so many people it was just ridiculous. It’s my biggest achieve-ment and my businesses biggest achievement. There are also some great milestones like having Pizza Hut on board, we’ve got another water project on the way and we’ve just done a deal with a corporate that’s going to allow

Dirt and Glitter is an exciting new brand creating custom designed soap with intoxicating and bespoke scents. Each soap has been designed and handcrafted from scratch by the talented freelance make-up artist, Sareta Gabriel. The brand reflects her trademark sense of originality and the unorthodox. The range for both men and women includes soaps that are shaped and smell like lollies and cupcakes, sexy

gun soaps, zombie brains, images of lions, and army men, encased in delicious smelling soapy goodness.

We caught up with the entrepreneur to get the lowdown on the brand!

DIRT & GLITTERHAND CRAFTED BATH AND BODY COSMETICS

Why did you decide to start Dirt and Glitter and where does the name come from? I decided to start up Dirt & Glitter as my soap making (relaxing) hobby grew out of control. I loved making and creating new de-signs and ended up with LOADS! I decided to sell some for a church fate and they did quite well and thought- hey- why not make soap for a living! I’ve always LOVED glitter, whilst working on shoots as a make-up artist I was nicknamed “The Glitter Queen” which is why Ke$has lyrics in Blow “dirt and glitter covered the floor” stood out. I had a name and logo before I decided it was go-ing to go with soap!

Why did you choose to enter the beauty industry? I studied fashion styling, hair & makeup at The London College of Fashion, I had a passion for designing and making things from day one. I loved fashion & clothing so did a degree in Fashion design and technology. Alongside that I worked for MAC cosmetics and loved the creativity & the people- so when I graduated I decided to move back to London & become a freelance Make-up artist. I met lots of fabulous people, stylists, photographers & models- I LOVE cosmetics. The natural progression would be to have my own make-up line, however, I’m quite hands on. If my name is on it- I want to be involved with the manufacturing- I want to know how it’s made and what’s in it- in fact- I want to make it myself!

Give us a little insight into your typical day. A typical day starts off with checking online sales, making those items & shipping them out. In between I’ll be online checking out new trends and researching. I have a few interior trade shows coming up, so I’m excited about attending those & look-ing at new bathroom interiors- I expect I’ll be inspired by what I see

Have you always wanted to start a business? I’ve always wanted to work for myself, I’ve done the whole retail thing and hated being forced to sell. Having my own business has always been on the agenda, it’s just ironic that my business is sales based!

What has been your biggest achievement? The business itself is a great achievement! I can’t believe I get to do something I enjoy on a daily basis, people actually buy what I make! I still get butterflies when orders come in, I dou-ble check just to make sure it’s not a hoax.

What have been your greatest challenges? Pulling everything together on such a small budget has been a challenge- photo shoots, videos & models cost a lot! With contacts that I made through doing make-up I thought it would be easy, especially as I’ve done a lot of favours in the past- however I got lots of silences, no replies to emails, etc- but I carried on, found a FABULOUS team and we did it! Great models, hair stylist, nail tech, videographer & photographer in one. Blessed. All can be seen on my website- I give thanks!

What is next for you and the Dirt and Glitter brand? Expansion. I want to expand what we have to offer- bath bombs, accessories, gift sets and more! A Dirt & Glitter store is also on the list. We’ve done a couple of giveaways in clubs- I’d like to do more- take Dirt & Glitter to some festivals and do something ridiculously messy, glittery & dirty there.

www.dirtandglitter.co.uk

DRESS THINGS UP THEAFROCESSORISES WAY


AFROCESSORISE BY

J.M. PREMPEHAfrocessorise by J.M. Prempeh creates African inspired fashion and home furnishings. Here founder J.M Prempeh discusses the businesses conception...

I started Afrocessories out of frustration. My son was born with a medical condition called Sickle Cell and the stress of juggling work and my son’s medical condition with no family around us, as a single mother has been a nightmare. I’ve had several different jobs and often times employers are very unsympathetic with you and how many times you need to take time off work. This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to start my own business, I had a shop before for about 8 months and due to the recession it didn’t work out so I closed it.

And so I spent the past two years at home looking after my son. Being a gradu-ate I felt very depressed staying at home, but I knew better than to put myself though the stress of juggling another job. I decided to write a children’s adven-ture book based on my son, he is such a unique and gifted child. The cold damp winter months got worse and one day I was feeling so down I packed my laptop and left the library and went to a small tiny dressmaker’s shop. I had this nostal-gic feeling, almost tear and I realised the shop reminded me of home. It brought memories of my last trip to Ghana. I spent a lot of time with my dressmaker. I bought a cover button tool and that’s how Afrocessories by J.M.Prempeh began.

The type of woman/ man who buys Afrocessories is one who is in touch with who they truly are. Someone who is quirky, funky, sassy and classy.

My typical day usually starts off with me untangling myself from my son,(nearly 8 years old and he still finds his way into my room every single night!) I take him to school and go for an hour walk, though we live in the countryside I drive every-where so I try to do some walking whenever I can. I come home, take a shower dress up and go to the production house which is my dining room. Though I work from home I still take time to dress up and look professional. I need to do that, for myself and also for my son when I pick him up from school. After picking my son up from school I feed him and get back to work for a while or close for the day.

The greatest challenge for me is travelling from Shropshire to London to do shows. It was a decision I had to make very early on. I became very self-conscious whenever I went to the market or a craft show. I was always the only black face there. I was constantly being looked at as if I was some kind of a new species recently discovered! Many of us look for work out there, but I believe at times we need to look within, instead of looking for someone to offer you work look to see what you can offer the world.

Facebook | Afrocessories by J.M Prempeh

Twitter | @maame_prempeh

NU People Magazine is a bi-monthly magazine featuring lifestyle, music, business, arts and cultural Issues. Unlike the rest of the publications out today NUPeople is aimed mainly at the African- Caribbean community and anyone else who has any interest in the community’s lifestyle and culture. We speak to founder P.Y. Adjei. NUPeople Magazine will showcase the endeavours of various aspiring and inspiring black people, providing a light to the many entrepreneurs and inspired individuals who aren’t able to work in the same commercial avenues as their counterparts but are equally as driven and would otherwise struggle to get the kind of exposure the magazine will provide. We aim to make NUPeople a brand that is immediately associated with black lifestyle in all aspects, whether fashion, music, arts or business and to discuss and raise awareness on topics of conversation pertaining to people of African-Caribbean descent.

The idea to create the publication started about 2 years ago. It started off as a magazine for the underground music and poetry scene, It evolved as a lifestyle magazine as I got more into it. Doing my research I realised that we only had a bunch of music and hair magazines. I figured we needed something that can bring everything about us as a people together in one magazine.

Our greatest success to date is actually just doing what we set out to do. I always say everyday is a success to us because we are still doing it and we are getting there. The exposure and financial gains will be a bonus. Touching people and getting people out there is the success we truly look for.

Amazingly, the biggest challenge is trying to help others. It gets most frustrating when we are contacting people who need the exposure proposing a feature and they turn around and ask you “who else are you featuring?” who is on the cover? And so on. It’s as if they are waiting for Look magazine or one of the bigger publications to scoop them up and look down on what we are doing. It’s a shame, they will be the same ones asking for features when the magazine gets bigger and it will be a different ball game then, sadly.

My favourite stereotype is the “Black people don’t support our own businesses” stereotype. I find it slightly true but a motivation at the same time. I do believe we can do more as a people to support our own businesses. However, I also do believe that as a business or a person if you deliver a product or a service that really is needed and relevant and you do it with originality and purpose that people will accept and see the vision you have. They don’t have to accept it just because you are the same colour as them. And that is what we are trying to do with NUPeople mag. Bring that originality to our readers.

You do not know your potential until you are in a situation where your potential career goes hand in hand with your dream and quite frankly your financial livelihood. When you finally realise that you have the potential to build a business there is nothing better. No job promotion can compare to that in my opinion. That means you have created a legacy that will possibly live after you are gone if done properly. In employment, you will be replaced when you are gone. Harsh but truewe want all people of African and Caribbean descent to be inspired by seeing people that look like us doing a lot in life, bring discussions in the open and have fun while doing it. I always say... It is no use trying to CHANGE THE MASSES at all but it is well worth every effort aiming to become the catalyst that inspires the PEOPLE.

nupeoplemagazine.comTwitter | @NUPeopleMagUK

NU PEOPLE

MAGAZINE


Date post:	11-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	afrobase
View:	214 times
Download:	2 times

The Portfolio

Documents