Case studies - business support
Azukuike Ani with his artwork at the GLE oneLondon networking event at the British Embassy in Paris
Company: Azu Arts
Entrepreneurs: Azukuike Ani
The powerful designs of Azubuike Ani reminisce to an unspoilt African landscape. The Nigerian-born designer captures African life, highlighting the beauty of traditional working lifestyles in his artwork.
Like many artists, Azubuike for many years, financially supported himself by working full time as a residential social worker and pursuing art in his spare time.
However, Azubuike always dreamt of owning his own business and there comes a point in every creative entrepreneur’s life when in order to transform a hobby into a viable enterprise you need to give it your all. He began to take marketing seriously, creating a webpage to display his designs and took some premises at Brixton Craft Market. He developed a marketing technique based on networking which resulted in his being able to display his work in restaurants, businesses and studios thus receiving exposure and generating work.
In 2003 he received his first big break through a personal contact, very close to home - his brother. Azubike’s brother works as a chef in northern France, and after showing his employer some of Azubuike’s work he agreed to display some of his portraits on the walls of the restaurant. Looking back Azubuike believes this was ‘the best exposure he could get’. The success in the region led him to team up with a local supplier who developed a bespoke label for bottles of wine featuring one of his prints which he now uses as innovative corporate gifts.
After his initial success in northern France through his brother’s contacts and keen to break into the French art market properly, coupled with help from the African and Caribbean Business Network (ACBN) Azubuike participated in a GLE oneLondon trade mission to Paris in February 2007.
Alongside 14 other businesses and community organisations, Azubuike spent an intensive three days in and around Paris soaking up expert advice from international trade advisers and professional consultants, testing his market through speaking with suppliers and meeting like-minded Parisian entrepreneurs.
He received expert one-one-one advice from UK Trade & Investment international trade adviser John Gleaves at an event run by GLE oneLondon at the British Embassy and discovered how the British Government can help small businesses trade internationally.
The mission was flexible and Azukuike was able to carry out market research and arrange meetings with potential suppliers and partners. He visited a number of Parisian galleries and met with curators to explore the possibility of trading his work. Initially language posed a problem to the young entrepreneur but after attending a networking reception at the British Embassy run by ACBN he made contact with the African Business Centre (ABC) who offered to attend his meetings and provide translating services.
This trade mission was organised by GLE oneLondon in partnership with three BAME-focused organisations; the African Caribbean Business Network (ACBN), Salon Strategies and the British Bangladeshi Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) as part of a new project entitled “EQUAL 2: Minority Business Diaspora Interchange” which supports UK black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) owned businesses who are considering trading internationally.
Speaking during the mission Sarah Runge, GLE oneLondon’s International Trade Development Senior Manager, said, ‘at GLE oneLondon we believe missions of these kind add incredible value; they broaden the horizons of small businesses who are perhaps unlikely to consider international trade and greatly increase the potential for their success through the introduction to networks and contacts through cultural exchange’.
For more information about AZUARTS visit www.azuarts.com
For more information about GLE oneLondon trade missions click here