Last night Kanya King MBE, CEO and Founder of the MOBO Organisation, took the stage in the British Library before heading to another in a series of events leading up to one of the biggest British awards shows of the year – the MOBOs. The Business & IP Centre at the British Library and the MOBO Organisation joined forces to bring together a panel of leading lights in the creative industries, including June Sarpong MBE, Yinka Ilori and Levi Roots, who shared their groundbreaking stories of what can be achieved with the right attitude and determination.

 

Credit: Luca Sage

 

The event was part of MOBO’s ‘Rise With Us’ Season, taking place this month, designed to recognise the achievements of diverse artists, designers and entrepreneurs and inspire the next generation of up and coming talent.

The panel shared their individual stories of starting up and gave some invaluable tips for people wanting to follow in their footsteps.

 

Kanya King MBE

Credit: Luca Sage

 

Kanya started the MOBO Awards from her bedroom in 1996 to give a platform to emerging talent who would go on to achieve global success. Now MOBO, one of the most recognisable brands in British music, helps create more opportunities for exceptional talent across all of the creative industries; in her own words ‘Inspiring a generation who dare to dream’. Success wasn’t without its barriers for Kanya. While she had passion and determination she also had no contacts in the music industry, no money and most people told her it wasn’t possible. Finally she got her break when a meeting with an LWT Executive resulted in a broadcast slot with Carlton Television. With only six weeks to pull together the first MOBO Awards, and with many people still doubting that an audience would be interested in celebrating diverse talent, the odds were against her. However, that first show was a hit and, now in its twentieth year, the MOBO brand is bigger than ever.

Kanya gave some tips to the entrepreneurs in the audience including: be passionate about what you do and make sure to prioritise - focus, focus, focus. Her advice is that you don’t always have to get it right, you just have to get going and persistence is key – ‘never give up on your dreams’. She didn’t get where she is today because of talent but because she refused to give up.  She emphasised that much more can be achieved when you have a team around you that is united in your belief.

 

Yinka Ilori

Credit: Luca Sage

 

Yinka Ilori is a London-based designer specialising in up-cycling vintage furniture, inspired by the traditional Nigerian parables and African fabrics that surrounded him as a child. When he started off as a designer he felt that there weren’t a lot of black designers and there weren't many people for him to relate to. He wanted to give up many times but his family were consistent in their support for him and told him to keep going.

Since starting up, he has exhibited internationally in solo shows, runs regular workshops and is involved in many projects. One of his most recent projects is partnering with the British Library shop as part of the current West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song exhibition. Yinka came to the British Library when he was starting up to do research in order to find his unique selling point to build his brand. His main piece of advice for entrepreneurs? Remember to tell your story how you want to tell it.

 

June Sarpong MBE

Credit: Luca Sage

 

June, one of the most recognisable faces of British television, is also the Co-founder of the WIE Network (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise). WIE is dedicated to women in leadership and it’s not surprising June is involved when she said that fight for empowerment and equality get her out of bed in the morning. She is driven to empower everyone in society to be the best we can be and believes it leads to a stronger economy, safer planet and overall a fairer and better world. Speaking at the event, her mandate was clear: we have to ensure women and those from diverse communities are empowered.

June's number one piece of advice was 'before you start to worry about what other people think about you, worry what YOU think about you!’ Like Kanya she also emphasised the need to learn to control your thinking, have a goal and focus on it.

 

Levi Roots

Credit: Luca Sage

 

A MOBO nominated reggae artist, a pioneer in Caribbean food and culture, Dragons’ Den star and with a new ‘rastarant’ opening soon, Levi shared his story about starting his Reggae Reggae sauce in his small Brixton kitchen and giving back to the community by visiting hundreds of schools, universities and prisons each year as part of his School of Life tour. His journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur was shaped by his experiences. His advice for entrepreneurs is to work with someone who knows more than you – a mentor. But his biggest piece of advice? Be true to yourself.

 

Credit: Luca Sage

 

As June said at the event, ‘It’s a very exciting time to be creative in Britain’ and we couldn’t agree more. If you are starting, running or growing a business and need some help, check out our week-long series of events coming up in November for Global Entrepreneurship Week. 

 

 

Join the MOBO Season #RiseWithUs

 

Growing a business isn’t easy. Moving into new markets, developing your brand, and protecting your intellectual property require determination, hard work and support. Which is where our Innovating for Growth programme comes in: a free three month small business support programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund and run at the Business & IP Centre at the British Library, it provides expert advice and support for businesses looking to grow in areas including strategy and sustainability, branding, intellectual property, marketing and product development.

Pictured above: Victoria Eggs used the Business & IP Centre to grow her business

Recently Innovating for Growth businesses came together to celebrate their completion of the programme and the progress they had made on their business growth. The programme has, to date, assisted just under 240 businesses and helped them collectively to generate more than £14m in Gross Value Added for London. Innovating for Growth participants have also won an impressive roster of awards, from Overall Best Business in London to Great British Entrepreneur Award, and the project itself was a finalist in last year’s RegioStars Awards ‘Smart Growth – SME Innovation’, the only London project to be nominated by the Greater London Authority.

Pictured above: Rose Hill grew her business with the help of our Innovating for Growth programme

At the Innovating for Growth showcase event Amelia Rope of Amelia Rope Chocloate, Jo Ayoubi of Track Surveys and David Showell of Cycle Confident Ltd gave some advice for those looking to start and grow a successful business:

From Amelia:

• Test your market with any new concept before you put a lot of money into it
• Get out there, meet people, chat about your product
• Get out of bed with a mantra of Go. For. It.
• Mistakes happen, accept them and just work at avoiding the same mistake when it presents itself to you again

From Jo:

• Stay in touch and in front of your customers and contacts; send them short, regular emails (not sales emails). There are lots of competitors and it's easy for people to forget about you.
• Never burn your bridges: even if you're hurt or upset, don't fall out with people. You'll probably bump into them at some point in the future.
• Be curious about things that are happening outside your business, as you may find new ideas and ways of staying ahead of your competition that way.

From David:

• Take time to recruit (hard as it may be).
• Accelerate your selling when you are growing. You are doing something right so don’t slow down, even if operationally you may be stretching yourself.
• Accept growth is a relentless task at all times creating challenges and opportunities. Rise to the challenges and take the opportunities. That is what entrepreneurs do. 

Experiences of growing a business

During the event some of the businesses told us about their experience of growing a business. A common theme among participants was the need for clear, constructive guidance and support, and the opportunity to network with other small businesses trying to develop and expand.

 

“Overall, we've had a really positive experience of the programme. We were delighted to have been chosen to take part and we've taken away some great ideas. We're feeling excited and inspired about the future - a bit like we've fallen in love with our company all over again. We've also met lots of like-minded business owners that we're going to stay in touch with, so that we can keep sharing our experiences and supporting each other.” Cristina Harvey, The First Word

 

“Innovating for Growth has given us a wealth of knowledge across key areas of business. We've been given the tools to help our business grow from market experts and were busy implementing what we've learned. I've also had my eyes opened to the incredible information resources that the library offers. It's an outstanding programme and resource and we feel lucky to be part of it."Dominic White, Ovio.

The Business & IP Centre was launched with the aim to support businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors grow their organisations by using our valuable resources and expertise and working with a network of trusted partners. Innovating for Growth has been delivered with thanks to the GLA, ERDF and our deliver partners: ABA, asb law, Gearing Up, Makersco and Red Ochre. 

Innovating for Growth is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund  

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To celebrate our new exhibition West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song, furniture designer Yinka Ilori will be speaking at our Inspiring Entrepreneurs event on Tuesday 27 October on how to set up and grow your business.  His stunning chairs are featured in our West Africa exhibition Shop. We asked him a few questions.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Yinka Ilori and I am a furniture designer/artist based in London. I tell meaningful yet humorous stories through furniture using traditional Nigerian parables that I grew up with as a child. I love colour, chairs and storytelling!

Where do you take your inspiration from?

I take my inspiration from traditional Nigerian parables, storytelling, colour, music and people. The most enjoyable part about my work is that it allows me to travel to different countries, so I am constantly inspired by all these elements which then enables me to come back to the studio and put back into my work.

Can you tell us about how you’ve worked with the Library

I have worked with the British Library on a few occasions and the first was when I was launching my brand Yinka Ilori. I came to the British Library Business & IP Centre to do some research on my market, understand my industry, my competitors and who was buying furniture!

There were a lot of key things I wanted to research and there were so many books and online resources with statistics. The research provided me with the information I needed in order to find my unique selling point and have a powerful brand.  I did lots of research while writing my business plan in preparation to present it the Prince’s Trust; the Business & IP Centre came in at a pivotal time, in the early stages of my business.  It’s been really great working with them and the members of staff were really informative, helpful and polite.

Can you tell us about your involvement in the West Africa Shop display?

To have my work displayed in the British Library Shop as part of the phenomenal event West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song is magical. To have my work presented as an installation for this event fitted perfectly, as my work encompasses the themes ‘word, symbol and song’, so when I received an email about the collaboration I believed it was meant to be. I am really looking forward to seeing this open, and listening to some great speakers one in particular the prolific speaker Wole Soyinka and also looking forward to the Felabration event too! Fela Kuti's music is phenomenal; I call him the master of words and word play.

What’s next for your business and how are you planning to grow?

What’s next is to grow my business internationally and tell my stories worldwide. We need to remember no one can tell our stories better than ourselves as we have lived and seen it through our lenses. I will be looking at possibly having my first pop-up shop soon, so watch that space and also look out for more collaborations.

My advice for anyone starting a business is to head to the Business & IP Centre and research your market and your competitors. Remember work hard, persevere and be nice, because it doesn't cost a thing!  

 

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A A K S was founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi with the aim of creating sustainable jobs in Africa and introducing the world to weaving techniques used by the women of Ghana. Handcrafted in Bolgatanga, A A K S creates bags in styles that maintain the spirit and durability of their ancestral counterparts, characterised by bright exuberant colours. 

A Ghanaian native after a time in London, Akosua graduated from Kingston University London with a BA (hons) fashion degree and amassed an impressive resume of fashion industry experience. Whilst in London she used the Business & IP Centre’s workshop programme and networking opportunities to help build her experience and business acumen. She continues to attend Business & IP Centre’s webinars online from Ghana, where she is now based.

Since launching early this year, A A K S has been shortlisted as an emerging designer from Africa by Vogue Italia, has panelled for the Guardian UK Small Business Network and now stocks her bag collection in Anthropologie amongst other retailers. 

Credit: Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

We got in touch with Akosua to ask her some questions about her experience of starting a business.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

I grew up around basket bags as a child in Ghana, I used to give them as gifts and also use them for storage. I remember having a lot of ‘I wish it was more like this, I wish it was more like that’ moments - I wanted it softer, almost foldable and also more colourful with blends of colours which were tasteful and modern with a beautiful finish and detail.

Building on this idea I started researching bag designs and fibres and found a lot of attractive benefits which were in line with the vision and ethos I had for my dream brand. I established A A K S after seeing a gap in the market for beautifully handcrafted bags. I knew I wanted to go out on my own and pull together all my passion and talents to create something unique that would be fulfilling both personally and professionally, so I embarked on my journey to Ghana to make this happen.

What planning did you do before starting up?

Prior to starting, I did a lot of design research into different types of weaving around the world, I studied fashion so I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve three dimensionally and creatively. I visited the British Library Business & IP Centre to be able to learn about the business side of my work and the team were of great help in directing me as a startup business on essential topics such researching into a new market, e-marketing, intellectual property rights and finding information on my competitors. As a creative person, I initially lacked this information and skill which are now part and parcel of my business.

Credit: Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

What is unique about your business?

We strive on being a transparent, sustainable brand that designs small capsule collections so we can focus on quality and authenticity. All our bags are handwoven by craftsmen and women using organically sourced materials. Our weavers are directly paid fair wages and their skills are greatly enhanced. In the long run, we hope that our brand will go someway to contributing to the revival and sustenance of weaving as a thriving art.

What challenges or obstacles have you had to overcome?

It was challenging at the start to identify the community that could bring my ideas to life, then when I stumbled across the community of weavers with the right skill set, we couldn't communicate due to a language barrier. Weavers only spoke a local language, so I had to use drawings and hand gestures at the start and later found an interpreter. This challenge was overcome quickly when I started learning the language from the weavers and we are having a joy of a time working together.

Credit: Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

What is the most rewarding/challenging aspect about your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is being able to work for myself and building a strong sustainable brand in Africa that is recognised worldwide. The challenging aspect is not having much time in the day to get things done quickly. Since our work is done by hand, everything takes days to complete, but this is the beauty of our brand - and our product – and we make sure we communicate this to our clients.

Your bags are handmade by artisan weavers in Ghana. How important is working with local producers to your business? 

Weavers bring a new light to my brand. Their skills are harnessed to produce top quality products and they are earning a steady income from doing what they love. Words such as 'empowerment', 'passion' and 'lasting' describe what I feel these group of artisanal weavers bring to each creation of our bags and the preservation of their art. Working with the weavers has also impacted my life and I hope my work can encourage weaving to be valued as a major income earner for many in the cooperative.

You are involved in all steps of the production process. How do you balance design work with overseeing the business end of things?

It’s very exciting to be involved in the design and making process of each bag, but sometimes it can get overwhelming to balance it with other aspects of the business as I work singularly with the weavers. I make lists which is a great productivity booster and allows me to set times in the day to do my accounts, write emails and also find time to do creative work.

Credit: Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

Come along to our next Inspiring Entrepreneurs event which will celebrate the contributions of Black British entrepreneurs and creative talent in the UK with a panel including: MOBO CEO and Founder Kanya King MBE; June Sarpong MBE, TV presenter and Founder of Lipgloss Productions; Yinka Ilori, Designer and Levi Roots, Reggae Reggae entrepreneur and MOBO nominated musician.

Sally Jennings on behalf of the Business & IP Centre

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