The Portfolio | Progress Edition

The Portfolio CELEBRATING BLACK british BUSINESS TALENT IN THE LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES May 2013

the progress edition

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tHE progress edition: A warm welcome to the second edition of The Portfolio! I thought the first one was a labour of love and this really wasn’t that different! I was pleased and humbled by the response to the first edition - it definitely wasn’t expected. This meant it was important to make sure I brought fresh stories and innovative businesses to you.

So the bi-annual publication is back and even bigger than the last edition. The Progress edition focuses not only on new start ups but businesses and professionals that have taken their aspirations international. If the first edition, Unleased (www.afrobase.co.uk/theportfolio), was about kick starting that entreprenuerial spirt, this edition is about pushing past the fear to progress your business further.

The things I learnt about myself and business just through The Progress edition alone could probably fill an extra fifty pages but in essence the key thing is that your progress is limitless. We so frequently hear that our only limit is our imagination and yet we close our ears to this. Within these pages are the amazing

| editor the triumphs of businesses whether they’ve made their mark in unchartered territory or are making waves right here at home.

There’s also a special advertorial for a project that I’ve created called Worker Bee 2 Queen Bee which focuses on encouraging black mothers into business.

I hope to continue building the project throughout the course of the year so do have a look and get involved.

As always it’s important for me to hear your thoughts about the publication your positives and, more importantly, your critique. You can email me at nita@ afrobase.co.uk or drop your comments on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/afrobaseuk or tweet me @ AfrobaseUK. Thank you for joining me on this journey and do share the magazine with other people. I look forward to hearing from you.

Nita

Juanita Rosenior Editor, The Portfolio & Afrobase Manaaging Director

The Portfolio is produced by Afrobase, a boutique 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/clients

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CONT

6 BME STUDENTS LACK SUPPORT TO ENTER PR PROFESSION 8 TOP TIPS TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR 10 START UPS FOCUS: ALBERTHA'S GARDEN 14 WORKER BEE 2 QUEEN BEE: A NEW SITE FOR BLACK MOTHERS IN BUSINESS

17 GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED WITH PINTEREST 18 iNTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SPECIAL 20 DIVERSIFY YOUR BRAND LIKE tinie tempah 22 Taking business global 24 GET AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION - LEARN A LANGUAGE 26 all access nollywood: IROKO TV 30 SPOTLIGHT: CARLENE THOMAS BAILEY 32 EAST MEETS WEST: ROSE LIN ZAMOA 34 food delights - my afrofoodstore, pepper and stew & jamaican blue montain coffee 38 a triumphant force to be reckoned with: interview with jimmy akingbola

TENTS Editor & Designer Juanita Rosenior Consulting Editor Akua Gyamfi

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

Thanks to for lending an extra pair of eyes, Sherece Rainford and your social pull, Sidel Stewart Thanks to our biggest catalyst, Jericho Baruwa images sxc.hu

spotlight: janice spence mad news blog 41 Spotlight: alfred mante narrow path films 43 Spotlight: alim kamara 44 Fashion forward 46 social speaks 52 The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |5 |

BME students lack the support nee The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has released new research today in partnership with ComRes which reveals that BME students are shying away from careers in new professions such as public relations due to a lack of information and support, instead opting for more established careers such as medicine, finance or law.

In the report entitled ‘Future perspectives’, which looks at students’ attitudes towards the public relations profession, findings show that BME students are more likely than the general student population to consider a career in public relations, expressing a greater level of familiarity with the profession and a more positive view of what a career in public relations would offer.

Chair of the CIPR Diversity Working Group Cornelius Alexander said: “The positivity expressed by BME students considering a career in public relations is a refreshing finding from this report. It highlights an opportunity to increase diversity within our sector if this talent is nurtured and encouraged into employment.”

“It also brings to light a very important question: why, when so many BME students express an interest in public relations, BME individuals make up only 8% of UK PR practitioners. We need to ask whether a lack of visibility and role models is contributing to the loss of some exceptional talent, and if so, we must act now to counter the problem. The CIPR will now be leading on industry wide initiatives to ensure that young adults can look at our profession and see themselves in someone else’s shoes.”

CIPR is now calling on its 10,000 members and the wider industry to work to ensure that BME students who express an interest in a career in public relations are adequately nurtured and supported by a body of professionals who are representative of the entire UK population.

edED to enter new professions The report will now help to inform the CIPR’s strategy on careers information and provision, which will aim to deliver increased access to public relations amongst young adults from all backgrounds.

Initiatives already in place include CIPR organised university careers sessions, a career resource pack for students, and a public relations and communications presence at school career days through a working partnership with educational organisation EBSI with the first career day taking place in March at Brentside High School, Ealing.

Commenting, CIPR CEO Jane Wilson said: “Young adults in education are very reluctant to choose public relations as a career because they simply do not know enough about the profession and they are not seeing people who look like them talking about it. To ensure that we are encouraging the best talent into our thriving industry those of us within the profession must ensure that we encourage all students into the profession, and not just those who fit the existing mould.”

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Top Tips To Becoming A Successful Young Entrepreneur

by Amie Samba | Run Fun Starz Ltd CEO |Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 (Precious Awards) & Haberdashers' Company 2012 Award Winners Being new in business can be a daunting prospect and is likely to be heightened when you are young and unknown.

But as a young business entrepreneur what you do have on your side is determination and dedication. As a young entrepreneur, these two are vital ingredients to becoming successful. The fact that you are inexperienced leaves you susceptible to ‘diving in’ when making important decisions. An article by Forbes outlined excellent points on why 20-somethings are the most successful entrepreneurs. There is no set or fixed manuscript that will guarantee you success since we all have unique pathways and different strengths. Equally, it is paramount that you get the very basics correct to make your journey successful. Here are five steps I discovered and put into practice to get to where I am today.

1. Get Your Pitch Right It can be challenging to explain what you do when you begin. Nevertheless, you must be able to state it in a short, succinct and clear way. In my first months as a young entrepreneur, I struggled to get my message across. I understood exactly what my business did but the audience I was trying to appeal to perhaps did not. I was unaware of this until someone said ‘So what is it that you actually do?’ after I had already spent a significant amount of time talking. I can also remember Leigh Ashton, a sales consultant saying to me ‘Amie, you would do so much better if you worked on your pitch’.

She was right. When you meet with a client, they do not always have time to listen to your range of product/ services. So you need to be able deliver a pitch quickly. When they are interested, they will ask you to expand or for a card, leaflet, email etc. so they can follow up what you

said. Alternatively they might ask you to contact them. Either way you need to be ready and get it right.

2. Build Your Network Effectively When you first start off as a young entrepreneur, one of your obstacles is that you do not have a record which proves that what you have to offer has value and is needed. This means that having a strong network is even more significant. In business there is a saying: ‘People buy people’ and this is definitely true. In order for people to buy into you, and eventually your product or service, you need to build a strong network. A strong network could consist of individuals, companies, potential clients etc who will make it easier to reach your ideal client.

You need to build a network as part of creating and laying a foundation for yourself as a person and your busi-

ness. People are more likely to trust you and have confidence that you can deliver if they have been referred by someone they already know. Should you demonstrate to your network that your product or service can solve a problem then they will be more than happy to recommend you or share their contacts. If you form a relationship with a key player in your industry and they like you, you are instantly enhancing your reputation.

3. Regularly attend Network Events I try to attend at least one networking event a week. Find events that will be attended by potential clients, business partners and key players in your industry. Eventbrite is used by many professionals from different industries to promote events.

Subscribe to regular alerts to let you know when there is an event that

offers a networking opportunity. Also try to attend forums and conferences relevant to your industry to keep up to date with your market. Any event that allows the opportunity to network with important figures is worth attending.

4. Don’t Be Afraid To Offer Something Free Unless you are a well established and widely known entrepreneur, you should be prepared to offer something free to allow customers to sample your product or service. You do not need to give them the whole package but a small part. It is an opportunity for you to promote yourself and create leads. When you offer free stuff people are often prepared to sit up and listen. At the same time you need to determine what the benefits of offering something free will be. Do the pros outweigh the cons in the long term? If so, do it! Even if the

client doesn’t end up investing in you they could end up recommending you or directing you to those who will definitely buy from you. This is a way to gradually build your client base.

5. Understand The Culture of Your Industry Every industry has their own ‘culture’ on how things are done and set cultural norms. What is deemed acceptable in one industry or environment may not be viewed positively in another. This is life in general,however it can be easy to overlook this. Is there an etiquette you need to follow? You need to find out what they are as it could affect your progress..

Of course this does not mean that you should not be innovative or promote new ideas. It is a good idea to study how your industry operates and communicates with each other as well as clients. Investigate who the key players are. The last thing you want to

do is offend people or get off on the wrong foot. Failing to get this right can be detrimental to your ambitions and what little reputation you have managed to forge. A good first impression is crucial to your future success.

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START UP FOCUS

We are your average black family, with average jobs and an average life style. We try to build on the principles and foundation laid down by our parents who came over to the UK in the 50’s and 60’s.

We struggled but by the grace of God we managed to get our two eldest children through University.

We often played with the idea of creating a business that would give us the financial freedom to fulfil our dreams. We often dreamt about spending 6 months in the UK and 6 months in the West Indies or some other exotic country, spending most of our time on a beach sipping cocktails and having conference meetings with clients around the world. On a few occasions our fantasies would drive us to attempt building a business. One of our ideas was to go into people’s homes and provide them with one to one IT training. Kind of like computer driving lessons. We had a few customers but once we trained them up to achieve their goals they did not continue with us nor did they spread the word. Our business model was reliant on referrals, which did not happen. So that was the end of that business. We also started a business where we could provide a book keeping service to small businesses. That idea only went as far as doing maybe three or four businesses books and then that faded into the ether.

All our business ideas would start off ok; the problem was we had no idea about budgeting, marketing, advertising or promotions. Nor did we have that spirit of drive and perseverance. Our combined backgrounds are a software engineer graduate with a PGCE (Professional Graduate Certificate in Education) and a background in Accounting.

Things started to change when disaster struck our family. My father passed away and if that wasn’t bad enough we discovered that our five year old son had a Melanoma on his thumb which resulted in a quarter of his thumb being removed. It was only after a pioneering operation and a series of skin grafts, he was given the all clear. Although this was an ordeal for our son and our family, it was a blessing as the alternative to this operation would have been to have his thumb completely removed and replaced with one of his big toes. We were advised that in order for the skin to stretch with his normal growth it needed to be constantly moisturised. So that is what we did religiously.

Around the same time our daughter was suffering from severe eczema and everything we tried just would not work.

We tried all the typical products prescribed by the Doctor. These products would work for a short while and then the eczema would return, even more aggressively. It was like a never ending cycle. We knew something had to change but we didn’t know how to go about making that change.

The big turnaround happened after a visit to the West Indies. We decided that the family had gone through enough trauma and needed a holiday. It was on this trip to Grenada we learnt that Nutmeg is fantastic on the skin because of its natural anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial properties. We discovered this because the locals would combine the nutmeg butter with Petroleum Jelly and use that concoction as treatment for skin problems. It was as if we had struck Gold. We believe that these discoveries were by the providence of God as we could not have achieved this with such impeccable timing.

We knew that we wanted, in some way, to harness the properties of nutmeg to its fullest potential. So we purchased some nutmeg oil and butter from the nutmeg farmers and started to research how to make skin creams and other per-

sonal care products. Through our research we received many revelations, such as there is a family of preservatives that were allegedly linked to cancer because of its ability to mimic estrogens. So obviously because of what we had gone through with our son, these were ingredients we had to avoid. After more research we found out that there were ingredients in personal care products that damage the environment, damage your skin and can even damage your health.

Obviously we had to avoid products with these ingredients too as our daughter had severe eczema. All this research and findings came as a blow to us because certain products we had grown up on and become accustomed to were actually harming our bodies and the environment.

When we first embarked on this journey we had no intentions of making this into a business. Our only concern was to solve our children’s skin problems. The products we made greatly helped relieve our daughter’s eczema and we now no longer use anything other than our products.

We decided to turn what we were doing into a business when close friends started saying how fantastic our products were. At first we thought they were just being nice. We quickly realised that they were being honest because they were recommending us to their friends and so on. It was not until we were getting calls from strangers that we realised we were onto something. We were now like an authority on skincare as if we were alchemists. People would ask us all sorts of questions about theirs or their children’s skin problems. That was when the eureka moment happened. Since then we have turned ourselves into business sponges (Natural ones of course) we started attending business seminars, talking to like minded business people about various areas of business.The internet is a good source of information, however there is nothing better than speaking with a group of like minded people. We found that attending networking events have played a positive role in building our brand especially when you meet people who buy into your vision and want to collaborate with you. In addition, we are continuing to research and develop our brand. We keep abreast of the legislations and regulatory body that govern our area of business. We are constantly learning and developing professionally and personally. We have adopted the principle that we need to be continually learning and that every day is a learning process. Even our failures are achievements because we use them as leverage to improve.

Our success as a small business has come about as a result of our genuine passion to help people. We now have that spirit of perseverance and determination because we are helping people feel great and it feels great knowing you have been instrumental in that.

Our goal is to educate more people about the benefits of using natural personal skincare products We would like to give more exposure to the West Indies and their contributions to the personal care industry and have this echoed throughout Europe and the rest of the world. http://www.alberthasgarden.co.uk @alberthasgarden, The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |11 |

Arhinarmah creates beautiful handmade furniture and luxury soft furnishing which affords our discerning clients the very best in African heritage, with the quality of British manufacture and design We create unique and individual statement peices for your home that are fun, user friendly and produced to a standard that is second to none With a signature collection of cushions (available to purchase exclusively through our website), and a line of African accented furniture due in autumn 2013, we’re definitely one to watch.

Love London. Love Africa. Love Arhinarmah The luxury lifestyle brand that’s cut from a different cloth www.arhinarmah.co.uk

Pin with us: pinterest.com/arhinarmah Tweet us: http://twitter.com/ArhinArmah Like us: Facebook.com/arhinarmah.london Company registered in England and Wales: 8044794

Food for thought

we highlight some of the books on the market that could inspire you to make better and successful business choices.

The New Game Bishop Wayne Malcolm Bishop Wayne Malcolm’s book, The New Game, deconstructs the current economic situation most of us find ourselves in. Malcolm is already an acomplished and rousing orator and his written work follows in the same vain. This easy to read and informative book looks at how individuals can become self-sufficient by becoming self-employed. Malcolm provides a template for how you can take steps towards financial freedom by presenting a series of ways to generate multiple income streams.

A great read for anyone who is thinking about taking the leap into business.

The Art of Non-Conformity Christ Guillbeau For those of you that think the urge to become self employed is crazy, this is the book for you.

Chris addresses those niggling doubts you may have and also discusses how he sustains a financially stable life that accommodates his needs. One of the book’s best features is Chris’ one year self directed alternative graduate school experience which includes reading the books associated with all the major world religions and using wiki’s random page generator system to present you with new information every time you open your browser so that you learn something new. A fantastic read.

ReWork Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson ReWork is a fantastic book about breaking the conventions of business and still achieving business success.

The founders champion practices like remote working with colleagues working from home as oppose to a massive headquarters and having no meetings. Each page of the book has a different piece of advice and shows how keeping your business ‘lean’ - without certain overheads and pracitices - can lead to a profitable business.

one for the road PODCAST For those of you who like to gain knowledge on the go, you can listen or watch the latest TED TALKS using your ipod. TED is dedicated to “free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers”. TED talks cover technology, entertainment, design, business, science and global issues. They come in both audio and video versions on iTunes.

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in celebration of our mothers

K O

E H T

BO

THE

E T I S B E THE W

iNTRODUCING WORKER BEE 2 QUEEN BEE, A SITE DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING BLACK MOTHERS INTERESTED IN STARTING A BUSINESS Worker Bee 2 Queen Bee – A guide to business by African Caribbean mothers interviews some remarkable women about juggling their responsibilities as business women and mothers. The book also offers an fresh perspective on business not found in typical business books. Profiles include the UK’s only black stunt woman, Amanda Foster, Multi-award winning and the youngest black MBE recipient Justice Williams and Brand Expert Kubi Springer amongst other supremely talented entrepreneurs Constructed over a period of two years, the book was written by Afrobase founder and mother-of-one, Juanita Rosenior.

“I was inspired to start my business after I had my son but I couldn’t find anyone who came from the same cultural background that had successful ly done it besides one of our features, Jessica Huie.” says Juanita. ”I knew they were out there, unsung, and I wanted to collect these interviews for other mums to see it can be done.”

In recent months, The All Party Parliamentary Group report on Ethnic Minority Female Unemployment, has highlighted that women from ethnic minorities were likely to experience discrimination at every level of the recruitment process, making it harder for them to secure employment.

CHALL

ENGE

“The British education system currently doesn’t champion entrepreneurship and a lot of people can be fearful about striking out on their own.” continues Juanita. “Dedicated support, access to resources and proven examples of success can help women discover a new fulfilling path via selfemployment. It’s not easy but it’s not impossible either. I hope the book will be a support to others considering taking control of their outcome.”

You can find out more about Worker Bee 2 Queen Bee on the books official website

www.workerbee2queenbee.com FIND US ON: Facebook | www.facebook.com/workerbee2queenbee Twitter | www.twitter.com/WB2QB

COULD YOU INSPIRE OTHER MUMS TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS? tAKE THE WB2QB CHALLENGE! All you have to do is film a video of yourself answering the following question and share it with me by either tweeting @WB2QB or post the video to the Worker Bee 2 Queen Bee Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/workerbee2queenbee).

The question is: What made you choose to be self-employed and what advice would you give to other mothers who want to do the same?

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‘The only thing that should be separated by colour is laundry’

Greeting cards Dad

available for personalisation and purchase at www.colorblindcards.com from

£2.99

Earn money selling Color blind Cards with our brand new Community Trader scheme.

Email info@colorblindcards.com for info pack!

Get Your Business Noticed with

Written by Alicia Thornthwaite, Operations Manager, AfroDeity Ltd Pinterest is the newest Social Media phenomena which has gained popularity amongst a host of demographics such as mums, brides to be and even industry professionals such as architects. It is essentially an image bookmarking service and it is a great place to visually engage your customers. With the release of Pinterest for Business (business.pinterest.com), here are a few reasons your business should be ready to use Pinterest to increase your presence, both offline and online Show off your products - Be creative and highlight your products to your customers in a different way. Let your customers know about your products and the various ways they can use them. Create interesting boards that people will want to look through.

Build Your Brand - Effectively use Pinterest to enhance the customer ex-

perience of your brand and all it has to offer. The key word is visual, the content required for this social media platform is something people will want to look at and pass onto others.

Make sure your logo is seen Run Competitions - Let your customers pin pictures of themselves using your products or service. Potential customers can then see them using these products/ services and it may encourage them to try it out for themselves. Give a prize for the best or most creative picture.

Lead Generation - with Pinterest for Business, you can now let people know where to find you on other social networks, on the web and in real life (Google Maps).

Collaborate with other Businesses - Follow others with similar boards and make new contacts. You may find that inspiration you were looking for or a business you could partner with this way. You can also find services to enhance your business like fulfillment or PR.

Tell Your Story - The currency of commerce in today’s market is trust.

People want to trust the brands they buy from. What better way than to show your customers the people behind the brand and the service, Pin pictures of your office space or of the people behind the packing and the accounting. Let your customers know more about you.

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS I

wITH THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNET, BUILDING A GLOBAL BUSINESS IS EASIER THAN EVER. tHE PORTFOLIO LOOKS AT BRITISH PEOPLE EITHER WORKING ABROAD OR WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS TO BRING THEIR SKILLS TO THE WORLD

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Diversify your brand like tinie tempah British Hip Hop artist and South London boy, Tinie Tempah, stormed into the charts in 2010 with his crossover single ‘Pass Out’. Though he could have easily been dismissed as another young black man with deluded hopes of grandeur, his distinct lyrical style stopped everyone in their tracks - setting him aside from his peers from the offset. Since then, he has gone on to grace the covers of numerous magazines including GQ, start his own fashion line, Disturbing London, release a book and more in just under two years. His appointment to the Men’s London Fashion Week committee has highlighted Patrick Junior Chukwuemeka Okogwu’s -and Dumi Oburota, Tinie’s manager and business partner - brilliant strategy to evolve the perceptions of a genre.

The key to their efforts is that whilst we haven’t heard from Tinie in a while, he continues to diversify his brand and keep in touch with his fans as they eagerly await his next album.

So which of their stand out practices can be applied to your business?

Collaboration A review of Tinie Tempah’s music collaborations show that his aim was always to defy the conventional.

From his collaboration with artists like indie/electronic star Ellie Goulding to his continued relationship with the highly sought after producer Labrinth to his number one single with dance DJ’s Swedish House Mafia, he is all things to all genres.

The Lesson: Be true to your business ethos, the key products/services and morals you stand for but do not be afraid to show new audiences how your business can be accessible and relevant to them.

Step outside the product box Shoes, bars, books, clothing. Tinie Tempah has produced goods in all these areas and has seized the opportunity as soon as it has materialised. To expect a British ‘urban’ artist to launch a clothing line at the prestigious Selfridges would have been unheard of prior to the launch of Tinie’s Dis-

turbing London brand. Today’s artist knows that it is not enough to rely on your ‘9 to 5’. A little subsidiary income also goes a long way.

The Lesson: Whilst it is important to establish yourself in your market and create a strong foundation, do try other niches. Partner with others that have the skill sets you need to make your break away project a success and invest in developing multiple business and income streams.

Take your brand international In a world where the Internet makes it possible to connect with anyone anywhere, your business is automatically global unless you choose not to put the infrastructure place or decide to focus on a particular region.

As is the case with most British artists, Tinie has ventured onto US soil and worked with the likes of singer Kelly Rowland and rapper Wiz Khalifa.

The success of his being able to work with top names in the US market came from the fact that Tinie headed across the pond with a stack of achievements and investments in his back pocket, undoubtedly making him a bankable asset.

The Lesson: Having Tinie Tempah’s platform is not a necessity, though making connections are. The growth of your business is dictated by your

vision for your brand and your ability to take a risk. With research into the market that has a focus on whether your product/service will translate across cultures, your business’ earning potential is increased exponentially by utilising global opportunities.

Tinie Tempah’s ascent is exciting to watch as he as his team continue to defy stereotypes in business and music. There is no reason why your business couldn’t be adopting a similar model to assure your brand’s development This article is a part of Afrobase’s #GetMarketingReady! campaign.

The six-week series of marketing tips and advice to make sure you’re marketing ready in 2013 can be viewed on www.afrobase. co.uk/news! Have a comment about the article or tips of your own to share? Why not comment on our Facebook page or tweet @ afrobaseuk with #GetMarketingReady in the message.

international special

picture courtesty of contactmusic.com The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |21 |

gl ob al

ta k Bu ing sin es s

international special

Wirtten by Alicia Thornthwaite, Operations Manager, AfroDeity features natural Caribbean inspired products for hair and skin in the UK and EU. AfroDeity is a small family business founded by a mother and daughter. We are women of Caribbean descent living in the UK and are tired of searching for effective natural products for our hair & skin type. Our aim is to offer a large variety of high quality, new natural and organic Caribbean inspired products to our customers knowing that the natural products of the Caribbean have been used for generations for longer hair and softer skin. We only sell products we use ourselves.

With the arrival of the internet, social media and easier global communications, working internationally can become important not just for large multinational corporations but for small businesses too. The manufacturing facilities that were available in the UK up to 40 years ago have now been outsourced to India and China. As such, working with companies both here and abroad is a reality for many smaller business entities.

Building Up Trust To start with, it was difficult to ascertain whether the companies we had contacted were genuine or not.

It was possible that you could hand over money to the voice on the end of the phone and either not receive any goods at all or receive inferior goods. For a small business, several trips a year to the Caribbean or America would not be possible and meeting a potential business partner in the flesh did not always mean that they were trustworthy.

To make this work, we had to get to know the legal framework of the

country we were dealing with. We formulated contracts and although these can be broken, it was a good idea to have an agreement of our working relationship on paper. If possible, we did a credit check on the company and a good internet search.

Ebay, Amazon and Alibaba have feedback systems and we checked that the company we were working with had good reviews if they had internet presence.

We exchanged money through PayPal. Although this was more expensive than a bank transfer it was safer and we did not have to give out any card details. If we were working with a bigger company it was easier to establish a relationship with them, but for a small start up like ourselves, I would recommend several phone conversations prior to handing over any money and we would never work with cash (direct money from your account) .If you find a good supplier hang onto them. We were very fortunate to work with many small independent companies with a similar ethos to ourselves.

Before getting started it is a good idea to contact your local trading standards office or Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) to ensure you have the correct paperwork or licenses.

Get the right insurance It is important to get insurance to cover your assets moving between countries. We arranged our own shipping and were able to find insurance that covered us from the moment the products left the supplier until they reached our warehouse here in the UK. We have had shipments with 1000 damaged/ broken glass bottles or wet electronics which were not covered by the carrier. Insurance can be important in situations like these.

We also partnered with a great shipping company that had several shipping agents around the world and had agents close to all the destinations we needed products to be shipped from.

It definitely has not been smooth sailing but as we grow and learn working with companies outside the UK has gotten easier.

Check the Legal Paperwork CE Markings, Cosmetic Safety Assessments are just some of the legal red tape that you may have to navigate if you import products into the UK or in order to export them.

Customs and Duty (starts at 20% in the UK, check the country taxes for exports) Legal Responsibilities and Fees (documentation necessary to bring certain types of products into the country or to export them)

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Avete mai preso in considerazione l’apprendimento di una lingua straniera?

Haben Sie überhaupt erwogen, eine Fremdsprache zu lernen?

GET aHEAD OF THE COMPETITION LEARN

A LANGUAGE

Avez-vous jamais envisagé d’apprendre une langue étrangère ?

Je, umewahi kufikiria kujifunza lugha y kigeni?

Alberta Rosenior is a languages tutor with over 30 years international teaching experience.

Having taught and studied on three continents, Alberta has consistently been at the helm of teaching people the joy and importance of languages. Here she talks about why adding a language to your arsenal of skills is vital.

When doing business abroad, it is easy to take for granted that everyone will speak English making your life easier but what if the simple fact is, they don’t? Learning a language is a skill that is not only attractive to employers but also a great life skill that you can use in a range of scenarios.

Why languages important Learning a language and the culture behind that language is not only a great skill if you want to apply it to business but also great to be more understanding of the world. Languages like French, for example, is spoken in over 40 countries across the world with Spanish not far behind. I think that as a business person nothing gives you that speical edge over the competition than being able to converse in the same language. It breaks barriers. My passion for languages comes from the fact I wanted to be able to work in a diverse range of countries.

Learning a language: - Expands your view of the world - Helps you to build practical skills - Helps you to gain a better overall experience when visiting a country that speaks your chosen language - Opens up career opportunities It’s never too late to learn No matter your experience of languages you can always learn a new one. The key thing is to be dedicated and focused on results. . Business doesn’t have to be your only reason to take a leap. Learning a language for pleasure can be a great hobby. Anyone can learn a language.

Why learn with Alberta As a language tutor with extensive experience, I work with a variety of age groups to ensure they’re getting the very best out of their lessons. I do a range of sessions at affordable prices. Whether you want to learn as an individual, in a group, online or have physical one-to-one sessions, I can take you from a novice to a fluent speaker!

Sessions are also available for students at GCSE level with key revision sessions held around examination and during holiday times. With the introduction of the English Baccalaureate to the UK’s secondary schools and more primary shcools introducing languages into their , languages will become a Find out more about my services at http://www.spectrumteaching.com. Readers of #ThePortfolio can request a free 30minute taster session worth £30 and receive a 10% discount when you book a block of 5 lessons.

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NOLLY ALL

HIS MOTHER'S LOVE FOR NOLLYWOOD BEGAN jASON NJOKU'S BUSINESS, Who knew there was a business to be built in Nollywood? When I moved back home with my mum, flat broke, 29 years old and with a string of failed entrepreneurial attempts behind me, I certainly had no idea of the opportunities out there in the world’s second largest movie industry. I hadn’t lived with my mum for a decade – when I left for university in 2001, she watched Eastenders. When I returned in early 2012, she was hooked on Nollywood, as were my aunties, cousins, family friends…. The Nollywood bug was everywhere but the DVDs, notably legal ones, definitely weren’t.

My mum asked me to get her some new movies – instinctively, being the Internet nerd I am, I went

online. No luck. You couldn’t buy guaranteed legal DVDs and you couldn’t watch the full movies online. I found this odd as it was patently obvious that these movies were crazy popular.

Question – how can something so popular be so inaccessible?

My curiosity saw me jump on a plane to Nigeria and do some digging. On arrival, I immersed myself in Alaba Market, outside of Lagos, where the raw & brutal hustle of Nollywood business is carried out – where the marketers are, where the money is made, where the decisions are taken is where I needed to be. I spoke to everyone – producers, pirates, VCD publishers, actors – you name it, I sought their input.

It was obvious from day one that Nollywood didn’t have the layers of bureaucracy that you might expect in more mature movie industries. This made access to key players easy – the trouble was that there are a lot of key players in Nollywood – over 300 production houses.

On the ground, speaking to these guys, it was obvious that they had not considered the Internet as a means of revenue generating distribution.

So I started buying the online licences to the movies, with the proviso that the platform would be allowed to exclusively stream the movies online for the duration of the licence. The first incarnation of the website, Nollywood Love, looked nice but we got no traffic. Literally, none at all. It was a serious blow for us. People just didn’t

international special

YWOOD ACCESS

WHICH NOW HAS OFFICES ON THREE CONTINENTs. JASON SHARES HIS STORY know about us. So we had to reassess and, thanks to a business connection, struck up a partnership with YouTube to become the official distributor of Nollywood content. The site took off almost overnight and the traffic coming to the channel was phenomenal.

I won’t lie, I was genuinely shocked not only at the number of people coming to the site, but where they were coming from (the US & UK were no real surprise, but the number of people logging in from Canada, Italy and Malaysia were) and how long they were staying on the site – around two hours at a time. This is virtually unheard of for any website. But the data doesn’t lie and we were able to convert this traffic into revenue through advertising, with the company becoming profitable in a matter

of months, despite the expensive overheads of setting up a business in Nigeria.

Internet businesses survive on innovation and momentum – we had the innovation, which was to solve the issue of distribution of Nollywood movies, now we needed to maintain the momentum. This came with a filmed interview with CNN and a piece by the blogger Sarah Lacy, on TechCrunch. It was read by a US-based hedge fund called Tiger Global, who got in contact to say they liked what we were doing and could we have a conversation. They were impressed with what we had achieved in so little time, they knew we had vision and drive and they saw the potential for us to grow from a reasonably successful YouTube channel to a hugely successThe PORTFOLIO| MAY

ful stand-alone platform. The potential for growth in the market, the fact that we were the first to market and the passion the team exuded for this small enterprise led to two rounds of investment totalling $8m. Instead of buying myself a yacht and a mansion, the funds went straight into the core of the business; content. Without it, we are nothing. Content is king and this is what differentiates us from other sites that have since cropped up; we have more movies than any competitors and we’re adding to our library all the time.

The ecosystem of Nollywood is shifting, with more emphasis on and, importantly, more money going directly to the producers, who in turn are ploughing more money into improving the quality of the films. And quality 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |27 |

films are going to satisfy an audience – a global audience at that - that craves new movies with big stars and bigger budgets.

Whilst I reiterate that content is king, it needs to be partnered by access and that’s what we’ve done in the last two years with iROKOtv; we’ve set the content free by opening it up to a Diaspora audience, showcasing it on a super-sexy, easy to navigate site and giving it a proper value that pre-2010 did not exist.

Backed by an awesome team in London, Lagos and New York, we’re solving problems of access, monetisation and value of content. Over the past two years, we have carved a niche business proposition that opened up a movie industry that was pretty much unheard of in the West. Don’t

get me wrong – there have been some serious challenges to overcome.

Internet and office space in Nigeria is expensive, and we’ve invested heavily in infrastructure, the best staff and legal fees to fight the movie pirates.

But the opportunities have outweighed these challenges. Africa is an exciting market to enter as an entrepreneur and do business – the people, the ideas, the enthusiasm for change combined with age-old African hustle is awesome and the continent has given me everything I have today. http://www.irokotv.com

If you would like to submit an article, are a business owner who would like to be considered for the next edition or would like to advertise in The Portfolio please send an email to info@afrobase.co.uk and a member of our team will be in touch.

The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |29 |

carlene thomas bailey Journalist Carlene Thomas-Bailey is a journalist who writes for newspapers and magazines, about everything from women’s health issues to new bands to listen out for.

She has written for The Guardian, The Observer, Asos, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Look magazine and Time Out

The start of a beautiful career I was handed a leaflet at my after school club about a wonderful organisation called Children’s Express, now called Headliners., and decided to give it a go. Children’s Express was all about encouraging young people to be part of the newsgathering process and current news debate. So rather than just be the story, we created the stories for big media organisations from the BBC to The Guardian on everything from teenage relationships to provisions for kids on council estates.

international special We reported and interviewed other children, created video and even radio/audio packages. I had the time of my life doing this, and built a really strong portfolio in my teens, so when I graduated university and applied for the Scott Trust Bursary award [this is a great award, and helps people of colour break into journalism] to study a post-graduate diploma in Newspaper Journalism, I was in a strong position. After winning the bursary I studied at City University, and in my holidays I had work experience at the Guardian. I soon managed to talk myself into a full time role there.

The move Stateside I made the decision to come to New York and write after a holiday I had in 2009. After a few years in my staff role at the Guardian, I went to LA to see a friend of mine who was a foreign correspondent for Press Association. I loved her job, it combined everything I wanted: travel, sun, chasing the story and living in a new city. So I looked into how I could do something similar in New York, where I had friends and family.

On arriving, there were so many cultural things I hadn’t prepared for. Yes Americans speak the same language, but so many British phrases are lost in translation, and the way I ask for something, be it the accent or the word itself throws people so much. Also the attitude is so different here, British self-deprecation is not understood at all. Underselling yourself or down playing your accomplishments so as not to look boastful, instead translates as a lack of confidence.

UK vs US New Yorkers are workaholics, I can email publicists and people in media at 11pm at night and get a response in minutes, it can be great but I wonder if they are going to sleep with Blackberry’s next to their bed.

Within the media companies I see a lot of young people and friends advancing very quickly up the company ladder landing lots of junior editing positions at a young age. Also for people of colour

there are so many opportunities.

Last year I went to the National Association of Black Journalists [NABJ] annual conference in New Orleans, and I couldn’t believe how many black people were with high positions in media companies, it was so inspiring! There is a feeling in the UK, within media and entertainment circles, that one black person has to retire before another one can have a shot and many successful black media personalities and actors have left the UK for America because of this. In an interview with Hannah Pool in The Guardian in 2008 comedian Gina Yashere described it like a “nightclub policy: one black comedian comes in as one goes out” http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/may/15/comedy. television While I think things are changing, the US is still way ahead in this regard.

journalist] and network all the time.

Network with writers, network with editors, build contacts, look at magazines study them and send pitches to the person on the masthead for the relevant section I think that journalism opportunities are getting smaller across the globe, though newspapers are booming in countries like Latin America because it’s an emerging market.

That said America is bigger it has 50 states, so you are not limited to just one city, say moving to London and battling it out to write for a smaller number of publications. All that said I think people make opportunities, if you are looking for easy, don’t be a journalist. And don’t think that it’s all Sex and The City glam, it’s hard work, there are opportunities but you have to go out and get them, and let people (read employers) know who you are.

Opportunities for black journalists in the UK I think it’s interesting because journalism, in the traditional media sense, is getting harder to enter I think just because of the economy and the challenge of getting people to read print editions. There’s a smaller pool of jobs being advertised, publications disappearing and staff jobs diminishing. This does mean there is a lot of work for freelancers and I think that new media is booming. There are so many more sites that you can write for now, though I’m not sure how great the pay is. Also they are some new publications coming out- Arise magazine for example is great, I love it.

I think with everything you have to make your own opportunities, join a writing club, build your portfolio [and this doesn’t have to mean spending lots of money, use your phone to make video interviews, review a local gig and try and sell it to a local paper, get books from the library about what it takes to be a

Coming to New York has been a big achievement, being a writer, becoming friends with journalists I admired as a kid and whose bylines I would read religiously- dreaming of meeting them one day. Interviewing high profile celebrities like Lenny Kravitz, musicians and actors. I’d still like to write a book one day…that’s my biggest aspiration.

A piece of advice ALWAYS TRY, but never go in with the mindset of - ‘Oh I might fail, but at least I tried’ that’s a negative thought process. Go for anything with your best foot forward, love it, enjoy it and learn from it.

Enjoy the career path you choose. I chose journalism because I saw too many people getting on the tube, looking depressed to go to do jobs they hate every morning. I didn’t want that to be me.

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international special

EAST MEETS WEST Rose Lin Zamoa is a true examle of bringing new services to the market. Rose started Jamaica Me Crazy, an African-Caribbean restuarant in the most unlikely of places, China.

A flavour for business I originally went to China to study mandarin back in 2007. I love learning new languages and the plan five years ago was to lean three language abroad and return [to the UK]. Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Swahili.

I thought it was a good idea to start with the most difficult one first.

During my studies I use to cook for my classmates on the weekends and one day, after a BBQ party at uni, some of my friends requested for a regular delivery of food and it grew from there. I love food and the art of blending spices to me is both therapeutic and very enjoyable. As a little girl I enjoyed cooking with my Grandma who taught me how to blend spices.

Anyone can do it I believe business people are created. I think everyone is capable of running their own business. It just depends on your knowledge and dedication. My last job was at Burger King back in 1999. Since then, I have tried developing my own business and learnt much along the way.

My family have always been behind me. Especially my mother with her repeated words of encouragement.

Over the years I have made some expensive mistakes in the past which I now realise is my biggest achievement so far. It has taught me priceless lessons. If only I could go back in time with today’s knowledge.!

Setting up the business in China by far has been the greatest challenge. The are many implications to setting up and running a successful business in Beijing.

Anyone running a successful business in an icon to me because its a difficult industry to operate and be successful Before going international...

Before trying to enter an international market, I think its necessary to do all the research before hand.

Understanding the destination of your business is probably the best thing you can do for yourself and your business.. Also I believe that learning the local language helps understand the people. I’m planing to visit Taiwan to determine whether the locals will welcome my Afro-Caribbean style of state.

The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |33 |

food delights

Esther Josiah founder of My Afro FoodStore; an ecommerce site that exclusively sells African and Caribbean foods with nationwide deliveries across the UK. Where did the concept for My Afro FoodStore come from?

As a working mum. time is my most precious commodity. There never seems to be enough time in the day, so I regularly shop for everything I need online. I have always loved African and Caribbean food but living outside London meant it was often difficult to get them. I found online shopping extremely useful so I decided to create a platform where people like myself can easily buy the foods they love from the comfort of their own home.

The initial idea for My Afro FoodStore was online shopping – buy your African and Caribbean food on the website and we deliver it to your door. It took two years from conception to launch and during that time I was able to shape the idea into what it is now.

Why did you feel this service is important?

There is an upward trend of people moving out of London for various reasons – affordable homes, to start a family or for work purposes. As this happens, the African and Caribbean markets become inaccessible.

There is also a trend of people spending more time at work or both parents in the family working, with less time to spare. Online shopping becomes a necessity.

For me, My Afro FoodStore offers much more than the obvious shopping convenience. When it comes to world foods, African and Caribbean cuisine seems to be lagging behind. Some brands like Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae and Encona have been able to break into the mainstream but generally African and Caribbean food is not readily adopted or understood by the general public. My goal is to create a platform where African and Caribbean food can truly shine by showing the world how to prepare delicious, wholesome meals and by assisting small African and Caribbean food brands to reach the market.

What has been the response of your patrons?

Amazing! We’ve had 100% positive feedback from customers.

At the start, a lot of people were not sure if they could trust us or had a misconception that our service would not be up to scratch. After the first order, customers are generally pleasantly surprised and most of them would either post a comment on our Facebook page or email us to tell us just how happy they are with our service.

Who is your business icon?

My husband and my mum are my biggest business icons. My husband started his IT Company at the age of 21 with little or no support but has managed to make a huge success of it. His drive and support encouraged me to start My Afro FoodStore. My mum is a business woman through and through and has been involved in everything from textiles to property and food. Over the years I have watched her build many successful businesses from scratch.

Have you always wanted to start a business?

Yes. Prior to My Afro FoodStore I was already working on another business idea but decided to put that on hold to launch My Afro FoodStore. I was fortunate to work in a career I enjoyed but I always knew I wanted more. I love the challenge of running my own company and trying to make a success of it, it’s a lot of hard work but worth every second.

Who is your greatest support?

My husband has been my greatest support, he has always believed in me. He’s also very frank and has no problems telling me when I’m off the mark.

What has been your biggest achievement?

Launching My Afro FoodStore. I now work full time on the business and other related projects but prior to the website going live I had a full time job working 8 to 5. It was a major challenge getting the business launched, there were days I worked 20 hours stretches but it was all worth it. I am very happy with what we have achieved so far and what we’re set to achieve.

What has been your greatest challenge?

Juggling multiple tasks and roles. I have been involved in pretty much every aspect of the business and that requires good time management to ensure nothing suffers. I have had to learn how to make the best use of the time I have.

What is the best piece of business advice you could give or have been given?

Be your biggest motivator. If you have an idea you have to run with it. Don’t give yourself excuses why you can’t achieve your goal instead, find reasons why you can. The moment you begin to doubt yourself is the start of failure, so stay positive http://www.myafrofoodstore.com The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |35 |

RACQUEL mafura Started Pepper and Stew Ltd to make African food quick and easy for all consumers.

Why did you decide to begin Pepper and Stew?

I saw a gap in the market. There were hardly any companies trying to bring African food to the mainstream and Africans in the Diaspora don’t have a tendency to try African foods outside of their country of origin.

So I wanted to make it easy for Africans and non-Africans who don’t know how to make these dishes.

Have you always wanted to start a business?

Yes, it has always been a dream of mine. I believe most people dream of having their own businesses so they don’t have to work for anyone.

Having my own business means if I am successful I get to pursue other things I have always wanted to do things like travel all over Africa researching all the wonderful food from the continent.

Who is your greatest support?

My partner George, it gets difficult at times, as there are many setbacks but

he is there to keep me focused.

What has been your biggest achievement?

Winning the prestigious Great Taste Awards on our Egusi stew in our first year and also winning a bursary for next year at the main summer BBC

Good Food Show 2013. I feel this demonstrates African food has the potential to be a mainstay in the British Food industry What have been your greatest challenges?

Juggling between full time work and the business. There is a lot of hard work and endeavour needed to push through and keep the business going.

Do you think the British public are ready to embrace our West African tastes?

We believe they are. Most cuisines have been explored and people always want to see something different. We are bringing cuisine from all over Africa, from hot and spicy to mild and sweet flavours.

You featured on Living TV’s Cooks to Market - How has that helped propel your business forward?

The programme helped to bring our brand out. The whole reason why we started the business was not only to make African food quick and easy for people of African -Caribbean origin, but to mainstream Britain as well. When we were contacted regarding the show, we couldn’t miss the opportunity. This has helped people from all backgrounds in the UK to know, recognise and love the brand and the food.

What is the best piece of business advice you could give or have been given?

My advice is if you think you have a good business idea go for it. Do the research, trial it and then go for it. http://www.pepperandstew. co.uk

tous davy From Finance to coffee? Tous tells us why the bean has become his business focus at Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee After graduating from University back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, I started off as a financial analyst for a global utilities provider. Whilst there, I was sent on a few postgrad finances courses but I got bored so I left and took up a job at the now-defunct Touch Magazine, the UK’s biggest independent urban music and lifestyle magazine during the ‘90s.

I stayed in print publishing for 10 years or so working as a consultant for brands such as Bacardi, Adidas and the BBC as well as doing a lot of on-camera and on radio work. However, the industry changed and I fell out of love with my hobby. Following that, I moved into web and then mobile publishing and retailing. Building websites and platforms for companies such as Vodafone and 3 Mobile. But guess what? I got bored. Ha. Why Coffee I had always loved coffee and my regular travels to the land of my father, Jamaica, prompted me to launch a business promoting the island , its beauty and the diversity of its natural wealth. From there I started to import Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

Coffee is an extremely sexy commodity. The smell alone arouses the senses.

Everyone loves coffee or knows someone that does! As the world’s second most traded commodity after oil and the most consumed after water, it was a bit of a no brainer. Added to that, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is regarded objectively as some of the world’s best, which only served to spur me on.

I spoke to my Uncle in Jamaica who owns a plantation and persuaded him to let me distribute his coffee in the UK and EU. It is a globally registered trademark and

has to be grown at altitude, around 2,500 feet and above. It is grown in volcanic/ nitrate-rich soil. It is intensively and rigorously checked. It grows longer than most coffee 9-11 months as opposed to 6-7 months.

The Arabica bean gives more flavour than the Robusta variety. The Coffee Industry Board (CIB) of Jamaica licence every bean. No CIB logo...then it’s only a blend. All these factors and more collide to make arguably the most delicious cup of coffee you’ve ever had the good fortune to taste...

A typical day.

As i I sell 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and rum and fruit cake via my website and Amazon, I spend typically 2-3 hours every day at the post office mailing my products out internationally.

One-two hours speaking to my clients, restaurants and regular customers, and answering their queries.

I am also constantly aware of what my competitors are doing and am constantly on the lookout for new markets in which to sell as well as currently hunting for a physical base so it’s pretty full-on.

For as long as I can remember I’ve run my own businesses even while employed on someone else’s ticket. As stressful as it can be, I enjoy finding solutions to everyday problems whether selling coffee or building websites.

My two boys Noah (11) and Theo (9) are my greatest support alongside my The PORTFOLIO| MAY

dad, mum and my three brothers.

They are my biggest critics too. Also, I can’t forget my ‘brother from another mother’, Simon.

My biggest achievement and challenge?

Without doubt my two children.

The business continues to grow but that’s just gravy. That is, if ‘it all ended tomorrow’ I’d still have my boys. As for business, you put the work in and you generally tend to get the results out. Cashflow! Hahaah. I fly in coffee every 7-10 days from Jamaica and have a number of restaurants and clients who mail order directly so product is being purchased constantly. Distribution security was an issue as I suffered a slight disruption in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Why? There was no power on large parts of the island for weeks.

As for financing in general, seriously, I didn’t even bother approaching the banks for funding. Family and friends are just fine. Find someone who believes in you and then work on refining your business ideas.

Don’t ever let the doubts and limitations of others detract you from your path. If you believe it, then you will achieve it. It may take time but learning that organic growth is as good as exponential increase has been an interesting lesson for me. http://www.JamaicablueMC.com 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |37 |

photo credit david james bevan

A TRIumphant FORCE TO RECKONed WITH TriForce Promotions was created to exist to serve and support talent and work with large organisations that want to reach out, or individuals making their way within the industry.

CO-FOUNDED BY holby city and rev star, JIMMY AKINGBOLA, TriForce leadS the way for diverse, multi-cultural productions and social events, opening the doors of the entertainment industry FOR those serious about their talent and career within the industry. THEY'RE proud to have an ethos of progression for a broader demographic than is represented in current media.

Though Triforce is an events and promotions company, you also support emerging talent through a free platform called MonologueSlam UK. Why was this an important addition to the brand?

MonologueSlam UK was an important addition because it matched our TriForce ethos of “exist to serve and support talent” out of all of our events this is one where we are able to give over 20 talented people a free platform in front of some of the top industry professionals to showcase their craft. In some ways MonologueSlam UK is like all our TriForce events rolled in one.

Fraser [Fraser James co-founder of TriForce] and I believe in helping fellow actors. We have both worked in the business for over 10 years and are acutely aware how hard it is for actors to maintain regular acting work. We felt a TriForce family/community was important and extremely necessary in these times of arts funding cuts and subsequently less work.

What are your thoughts on opportunities for actors of colour in the mainstream media?

This year there has been a lot of media attention on the amount of black actors moving to LA. David

Harewood and Patrick Robinson have expressed their views on opportunities for black actors in the UK and I agree with some of their views. Yet I do think it’s about making your mark here and in LA it’s not about disconnecting ourselves from UK. I believe we should all be trying to help change the business here like the actors who have gone before us. I want us to leave a legacy and to be a part of the positive change.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the industry?

I would say go to drama school and get training that will enable you to survive in this tough, tough industry. At the end of the day, you want to be around for the long term so learning acting techniques is important. Don’t forget who you are though….your personality is important and will help you to secure work too.

Things have moved on for actors of colour but there is still so much more work to be done. TV is definitely not diverse enough although Holby City is miles ahead of every show and channel in the UK when it comes to opportunities for actors of colour. If you speak to my acting friends who are of Asian, African and Caribbean descent, they will tell you that they still get seen mostly for parts of colour which is a shame because most parts are for white characters; it would seem that sadly if you don’t fall within that specific race specification, then more times than none, casting directors won’t require actors of colour to walk through their doors.

What has been TriForce’ s biggest achievement?

The fact that we have been going since 2007 is a massive achievement.

There are a lot of companies that have been and gone since we have been around. We feel proud that we have grown each year and actually assisted so many actors to secure jobs or have them seen by agents. Feels nice to have contributed to the positive change in some individual’s lives, What has have been Triforce’s greatest challenges?

One of our biggest challenges has been operating without funding, money and help. For four years there were only three of us working for TriForce. Now we have doubled the team. Also we have never had our own building so changing venues for our events can be tough.

The PORTFOLIO| MAY 2013 | WWW.AFROBASE.CO.UK |39 |

What is the best piece of business advice you can give?

Whatever you do you have to love it 100%, live and breathe it. Be prepared to let it become a part of you or don’t do it.

What is next for the brand?

Well, TriForce is stepping up a gear - not content getting actors seen and meeting people in the UK, we’re giving actors not one, but two opportunities to be seen by a Hollywood producer through our Master classes! We are also looking to launch a version of MonologueSlam UK in Manchester and we are looking to put on our new play KeepSake by Fraser Ayres so watch this space. Oh and if

you’re a supporter of the industry and like what we do, please connect with us on Twitter and Facebook in addition to coming down to MonologueSlam UK and our other events, it’s all about supporting British talent! We’re here for you!

One of our favourite questions, which is better in business and in life: failing or never trying?

FAILING! Makes you better and stronger! http://www.triforcepromotions. co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

janice Spence Founder of Entertainment blog, Mad News Blog

Can you tell me your name and a bit about yourself?

My name is Janice Spence, I am a South London girl and the founder of UK based blog Mad News. I also juggle blogging duties with holding down a busy 9-5 job in the glamorous world of Healthcare media. Before I started Mad News I used to write short stories and contributed articles to several print publications and websites including BET.com.

Where did the inspiration for MadNewsUK.com come from?

The inspiration came from American entertainment blogs that started popping up during the mid-noughties. I loved blogs like Perez Hilton and Sandra Rose because they reported entertainment news in a fresh, hilarious and fearless way. Those blogs along with a few others inspired me to join the party in 2006 and I haven’t looked back since.

readers could freely share their views in relation to the topics of day. I also wanted to give those who don’t know much about events happening outside their own countries an insight into social, cultural and political events happening here in the UK. Have you always wanted to start a brand?

No. When I first set up Mad News I never thought of it as being the start of a brand. It was just a side hobby and something I really enjoyed doing. I still feel that way now.

Who is your inspiration?

My mother and father. They both left Jamaica and came to Britain in the 1960s, worked hard for decades and are now able to enjoy the fruits of their labour...and Oprah.

What has been your biggest What were your aspirations when you achievement?

One achievement that really sticks started? out in my mind is passing my A-Levels To have fun and to make Mad News the ‘go to’ blog in the UK. I wanted to provide after being told by my Deputy Head readers with the latest in entertainment Mistress that I should consider dropnews along with my own unique take on ping my chosen A-Level subjects, events, and to create a forum where my leave school and sign on to the YTS

scheme (Youth Training Scheme). I remember my dad going BALLISTIC after I told him what she “advised” me to do. Hahahaha. I was then later awarded a prize for my achievements. It was a £10 book voucher but I don’t think I ever used it.

What has have been your greatest challenges?

Keeping calm whilst others are losing their heads around me, both in my professional life and personal life.

What do you consider to be the key to your success?

My regular blog readers. They take no prisoners and I love the banter and debate that they each bring to the table. And I will also say my honesty, shining a spotlight on the weird, wonderful and just plain ridiculous, my habit of questioning and laughing at almost everything that the entertainment industry tries to sell us and my dry (some might say caustic) sense of humour.

What is the best piece of business advice you could give or have been given?

Work hard, stay focused and don’t follow the crowd. http://www.madnewsuk.com @madnewsblog

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SPOTLIGHT

I am a filmmaker. Well, a storyteller that happens to be handy with a camera and an edit suite.

Narrow Path Films is a production company. The name came from a poem I wrote entitled ‘The Narrow Path’, which was about overcoming unforeseen circumstance to going on to achieve. It’s now integral to the ethos of the company. Narrow Path Films makes short films, and documentaries.

I’ve always been quite entrepreneurial. In primary school I sold perfume (samples) to the girls for 50p a go. I got my first job working in a fairground at aged 11 and I used to sell compilation CDs in college. So going forward I always had ambitions to run my own company, and now I am fortunate enough to be in the position to do so.

I’ve always been a creative, pretty much from when I could stand on my own two feet. I’ve always enjoyed reading, writing and telling stories.

This progressed to acting in school, and media in 6th Form where I first learned the art of storytelling for camera and the filmmaking process.

I have the tenacity to work through difficulty (The Narrow Path!). I’ve

always wanted to work for myself and I have a vision that I feel is achievable given providing the means and support is are in place. It was so tough and disheartening leaving university with a degree in Contemporary Film and Video and experience working for several production companies (including the BBC) but not being able to get a foot into the industry.

My greatest support is my missus. Not negating my family, of course, who have let me work on my vision rent free! But I would have to say my girlfriend. She’s been there when I was frustrated, when things weren’t going the way I wanted, when I needed to vent, when I need financial assistance, and when things got better. She’s a star, I’m blessed.

My business icon is Edwin Broni-Mensah, he was in your last magazine.[www. afrobase.co.uk/theportfolio] I could’ve said Richard Branson or somebody like that, but Edwin is my friend. We lived in the same student complex at University so I’ve seen the growth of his company, and watched his determination and single mindedness get him to some amazing places, and effect some positive

change. Usually when I’m struggling I call on him for advice, which has given me much encouragement.

My biggest achievement has been the growth and recognition of Narrow Path Films as a brand in 2012. I’ve put in a lot of work on the social media sites, made many connections and collaborated with some fantastic emerging talent. As a result I’m pleased to welcome my new resident reviewer Albert Yanney to the team, with more bloggers and reviewers to follow.

My greatest challenge has been making things happen on a shoestring budget. Anything internet based is costs nothing but time, and if you organise effectively then time isn’t an issue. However some of the productions that I’ve completed have been challenging financially.

Don’t wait on starting your own business if that’s what you are passionate about. Do your research, and go for it. http://www.narrowpathfilms. co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

EDUCATOR, RAPPER AND HUMANITARIAN, ALIM KAMARA TELLS US MORE ABOUT HIS CRAFT Tell us about the history of storytelling,,.

This is the original most sacred art form and means of communication aside from sign language. It’s a time of gathering, reflection and mystical morals. It kept us out of harms way and made us smile.

How did you decide that the creative arts were the career for you?

From MJ steps to getting leading roles in school I wanted to share on stage. I didn’t always do well at school when I was growing up in Serria Sierra Leone, so my uncle would teach me how to memorise things. When I got to London, scripts were easy. Although I did drama in school, I was paranoid that I would be letting the family down if I pursued that path, so I started to write in the comfort of my home. Jotting injustice was how it begun.

At uni I took a storytelling module and that’s when memories came back of stars, firewood, peanuts and elders sharing knowledge, history and wisdom.

What really shocked me though was that none of the students in the class had heard of Kwaku Anasi, the spider man also known as the trickster. I asked myself well who is now responsible for taking on the role of passing on these tales. Alim Kamara the storyteller was born.

You also do a lot of work within

the community, both in the UK and abroad, share with us what inspires you to do this...

If it were not for people who supported me in my community I would not be where I am. Plus mum plays a huge part. Mum is always doing for others; the functions were always at the house. She taught me the importance of family and community.

You are part of team that works with a lot of young people, what do you think we could be doing as a community to reach out to our young people?

Make Time: Spend time with them. We used to have one TV In the house so everybody had to sit in the living room and watch whatever was on TV. We had family shows that made us laugh together. Today every room has a TV so it causes separation. So the first step is starting in the home. From there you gain a better understanding of how to deal with the rest of the world.

What do your family think about the work that you do?

Ha…That’s a funny one. African background! It used to be frowned upon.

As in ‘Why doesn’t Alim go and get a proper job?’ Today things are slightly different. I really had to show and prove.

It’s sad to think not many have that zeal to go against the grain.

Who is your greatest support?

MUM – spelt with capital letters.

The people around me inspire me too. I have a small but close circle of people around that I keep and that keep me close to me and who keep me well grounded.

Also going and doing talks in the community; there is nothing like speaking in a school and a young person saying I did not think that I was capable but now I know I can. Or even I was thinking of committing suicide but after hearing you that is not on my mind anymore.

What has been your biggest achievement and challenge?

Finishing Uni with a first class honours in Creative and Media Writing after changing course twice.. My challenge has been dealing with the death of my father whom I never knew, I used to have fights in school if you even mentioned him it did not matter if that I did not know him. At the same time I kept it bottled in and that caused a lot of problem. I guess the writing/rapping became my venting space.

What is the best piece of advice you could give or have been given?

You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started in order to be great. http://www.alimkamara.com @alimkamara

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fashion f

tHE FASHION NDUSTRY IS NOTO CRACK BUT WE'VE SPOKEN TO THAT ARE TAKING THE FASHION

forward

ORIOUSLY TOUGH TO A COUPLE OF BRANDS N WORLD BY THE NECK!

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Simone Williams When was the first time you discovered your talents as a designer?

My granny and aunt also design and make clothes. Growing up I used to watch them make garments and it inspired me. I used to design clothes all the time, and made my own doll’s clothes from an early age. I have always been extremely passionate about my craft and I decided I wanted to be a designer from a young age. My love for it led me into the business.

What black There in the If this

are the opportunities like for women in the fashion industry? are opportunities for black women industry. You may face difficulties but is what you want you should go for it.

What has been your biggest achievement?

Being part of the Kulture 2 Kouture Fashion event a few years back which was supported by then Mayor of London Ken Livingston, it was a brilliant showcase and platform for BAME designers.

What have been your greatest challenges?

There is not enough support from the government. I feel as though there is about a 10 to 1 chance of actually getting any support that is currently available. I have found it hard and sometimes I have to work long hours. The business is more manageable now however as I have a business partner, Ronke Lawal who helps with the business.

What is the best piece of business advice you could give or have been given?

My advice to those who are willing to put in the hard work and long hours, is to do as much work experience as possible so you that you can succeed in this industry.

It may not be easy but it’s worth it in the end.

What is next for you ?

To be known for creating beautiful clothes for women all over the world. My legacy to be a consistent and passionate designer. So I will continue doing what I do but do it even better as each year goes by.

fashion designer and stylist

Dionne Gooding

shoe and handbag designer

How did Dionne Gooding Shoes come about?

Dionne Gooding the brand came about by me customising shoes from adding crystals, studs and removable clips.

I was a regular shoe shopper in my university days but always changed up my shoes to suit my own personal style. From adding crystals, studs and removable clips.

Once I graduated and went on to work, my work colleagues and friends would often ask me to customise their Tamara Mellon Co Founder of Jimmy shoes. After a year or so of customising Choo Ltd. Tamara created a successful for friends and colleagues, I decided international luxury brand by teaming to turn it into a business. up with Bespoke shoe maker Jimmy Choo.

Why did you choose shoes as your passion and what industry experiWhat has been the key to your sucence did you have previously? cess?

I chose shoes because like most ladies I The key to my success I would say is love them! Plus I was never completefirstly to have a passion for something ly satisfied with the style in the stores and to believe in your own conviction. so decided to create my own designs.

Then of course, it’s hard work; being I studied Mixed Media Textiles at Uniwilling to work for what you believe versity then went on shoe making and in, being determined and remaining shoe designing courses at the London positive throughout; even during the School of Fashion. difficult times.

Describe a typical day...

A typical day involves updating stock on my website and social media sites.

I also reserves specific days to visit boutiques in and around London to promote my designs and I am continuously working on new design ideas; sourcing fabrics and so forth.

Who inspires you both personally and professionally?

Personally my inspiration comes from family members who are interior designers, milliner and jewellery designers.

One of my professional inspirations is

What has been your greatest triumph?

My greatest triumph has to be getting my first collection produced earlier on this year.

What has been your greatest challenge?

As a naturally creative person, my greatest challenge was learning to adapt the creative thinking of a designer, to incorporate thinking of my creation as a business.

business?

My advice to anyone starting a business is to plan properly and spend wisely.

It takes time, but once the planning is done, you are left with a working model as a guidance to your business.

What is your opinion on how we can strengthen the black pound?

In my opinion the way to strengthen the black pound is for us to learn to work together, support and promote each other’s businesses. This way we keep the bulk of our monies in our communities; invest in buildings, education and so forth to develop future generations. Also to create positive and progressive black business conferences; where successful businesses mentor and promote developing businesses.

What is next for your career?

It is my ambition to develop my brand.

I plan to have my brand in more stockists worldwide and to collaborate with other designers.

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Nicholas “Supanova Dex” Amfo Founder of the clothing brand One Diverse Fashion (ODF Clothing)

What inspired you to start ODF? I decided to create the brand back in August 2007. The collection is inspired by society and how young people express themselves through clothing as a generation. The aim is to portray confidence, positivity and motivation throughout the nation following a classic style with influence from the 1980s.

You’ve also branched into clothing for kids, tell us more about it...?

Our goal is to make sure that children are as comfortable as possible in every environment. This means we never compromise on style or performance when it comes to the kids! We make sure that our kid’s clothing gets all the same great features and benefits as our adult’s clothing.

fun and the glamour associated with the fashion industry. I knew exactly what I wanted and had the understanding that I was the only person that could make it happen with the vision I had in mind.

tune with your target audience.

What is the best piece of business advice you could give or have been given?

I would say that hard work is your single biggest competitive advantage.

Who is your greatest support?

You must remain dedicated because God because without His mercy none the fashion industry has a lot of ups of this would have happened. My and downs and anyone who decides family have been extremely supto do this will have a great deal of portive always pushing me especially responsibility during the times when I wanted to give up. They were my back bone. The What is next for you?

ODF team members are of great sup- This year we aim to launch our chilport to one another always encourag- dren’s clothing line which will include ing and bringing ideas to the table. an extensive boys and girls range, The customers who continue to buy including newborns. The children’s the various ODF clothing collections collection will imitate the older I can’t thank enough for their support styles, but with a more fun and playbecause they are the ones who keep ful twist. We aim to make the collecus going, keep us on our toes, maktion affordable, making the brand a ing sure we remain current and meet great place to start for dressing your their creative personalities. child. As part of our ongoing strategic plans ODF aims to be the world’s What has been your biggest most well-known brand, with many achievement? celebrities and sporting personalities I would say that my biggest achieve- alike endorsing the collection. From ment was being nominated for a sportswear designed for casual trainSpirit of London Award, which ofing or high powered performance to fered the privilege of meeting with jackets and shoes, ODF will have it the Prime Minister David Cameron at completely covered.

Downing Street.

Why start an independent label and not work for one of the larger companies?

Starting an independent label was more beneficial for me because I was able to experience the growth and development within the brand. This includes me embracing strengths as well as the flaws! Also working for a large company gives you limits which are usually hard to exceed, the advantage of starting an independent label is that you can control your decisions and also What has have been your greatest push the company towards the right challenges? decision.

Trying to be different, stand out from Have you always wanted to start a competitors. You have to ask yourself “do I have anything unique to offer business?

Yes I’ve always been attracted to the the market?” in order to remain in

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s o c i a l

s p e a k s

we conducted a discussion on facebook about whether there a difference between a Black owned business and a Black Business and whether thiese terms are still relevant?

“When was the last time you heard White owned Business? Where did this black owned non-sense or black non-sense came from? i guess we have People who are too consciously black that they forget to be relevant first then identity second. i run many businesses and not one has a label black on it except that the CEO happens to be African period.” - DB Lively Reads The terms aren’t important to me personally because my target market isn’t primarily black. I think that it’s just stating a fact but it does depend on the business & target market. For my business, if I had to choose a term then it’s more important that I’m a female business owner, even though I’m equally black and female.

Business is business but I personally would like to see more successful businesses owned by black people - C. Morris A question after my own heart. I do not co-own a black business , simply a business. This is because like Sharon stated, we do not specialise to something that only black people can patronise. In fact, there are very few products that marginalise the black race in this way outside of beauty products. I deplore the term and do not believe in the concept. I do agree with the concept of people with a similar set of beliefs and peerage networking together. This may visually appear ‘racially motivated’ but I think is cheap and naive to not consider other more meaningful economic, creative, factors that bind those people together.... - Handson Family There’s nothing wrong with the term “a black owned or African owned business” in my opinion. It just means the owner is African haha. I would never describe my business/company as a black business...cos it’s NOT, but it is OWNED by a black man. Obviously we only use these terms cos we’re in the UK or the US. I’d never dream of saying black owned in Nigeria cos the context is totally different - B. Ovba “I believe the real relevance is whether it be Black owned, run or just marketed to (yet owned by others who are not “Black”), does it invest back into the black communities economy so the pound circulates many times within other black businesses before leaving to invest in other run/owned businesses and other communities? If it does, this in turn creates more of an economic boom for more black businesses.

Does this black owned/marketed business look to tackle the disproportionate rate of unemployment among all the sections of our community/social group who have all been dramatically affected by unemployment? If so, this in turn has a greater impact on the housing that can now be afforded, education that people can now have access to and general well being that is sort after economically, which in the long term projects your own business growth because you now have a growing populace of sustained wealth that can reinvest in supporting your business so everyone ends up being relatively empowered.

If the business can do some or all of this regardless of wether it’s”Black” owned or just “Black” marketed this is what puts the “Black” into Black business! This is what makes it relevant using the term Black because it is recognising and altering the economical social status quo of a racial group, which unfortunately, is a national reality in this country. Wether we as individuals choose to learn or/and recognise it or better still, do something about it, is another matter! This is the work ethos I apply to my business that I own...people can then choose to label it by how it’s defined by its actions!” - T. Hakim I believe there is a difference between the two however they can be combined to be one. Just as the title suggests, a black owned business is a business that is primarily owned by black people. However, black people do not necessarily have to be their main target audience. Whereas a black business tends to sell products which are mainly targeted at black people but owned by non-blacks, for e.g. Beauty supply stores tend to be mainly owned by Asians but targeted mainly at black women. Our company is a bit of both. We are black owned and a black business as our services is a money transfer service that transfers money between Europe and Africa - Pay Afrique

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