In conversation with Jen of Black Culture Market

“Being an entrepreneur has many triumphs and challenges, it's important to learn from the difficult times and understand that it is a part of the journey…”

- Jen

Image: Black Culture Market

Jen is an entrepreneur and the founder of Black Culture Market. She is passionate about brands, products and mushroom recipes. She is an avid traveller and loves exploring different cultures.

Tell us about your business, how did you come up with the idea or  concept?

Black Culture Market is a social enterprise that celebrates black culture and commerce. The initiative gives entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean descent visibility for them to flourish. The Brixton-based event currently runs quarterly and aims to make diverse and cultural products more accessible in the retail industry. However, there is more to Black Culture Market than just an event, the value goes far beyond its pop-up weekends. At the core of its offering, the platform brings the opportunity for great systemic advancement for African and Caribbean communities and those seeking to develop their businesses. No less, it also positively impacts the people of Brixton and its visitors from across the UK. Black Culture Market is focused on creating value, developing entrepreneurs and increasing opportunities to scale. With just 0.24% of capital in the UK going to black entrepreneurs (just 0.02% to black female entrepreneurs) access to early-stage capital is limited. Black Culture Market aims to change this by creating actions which bring power and autonomy, encouraging communities to shop small with black-owned businesses. The impact these businesses have in a space such as this market, where together they are stronger, will make a difference for generations to come. I founded the organization in 2018 as part of a series of events for Black History Month that year. I came up with the concept as I wanted to not only support black businesses but also wanted to find products that represented African and Caribbean culture.

What are your brand values and what is your ethos?

The brand values of Black Culture Market are to help close the racial wealth gap by supporting black-owned businesses with a platform in the retail industry. Black Culture Market exists to help level out the playing field and enable black businesses to build sustainable enterprises. Our aim is to create more jobs and opportunities and inspire more ownership in the community.

Were there any obstacles you faced whilst creating and growing your  business, if so how did you overcome them?  

The obstacles I faced whilst creating and growing the business were and still are having lots of ideas but not necessarily the capacity to execute all of them. I’ve overcome this by prioritising, doing what I can do with the resources I have and working with volunteers. I also go to many workshops and webinars to increase my skill set.

Did you have a mentor or support structure in place when you founded  it?

I didn't have a mentor or a support structure as such when I founded Black Culture Market (mainly because I didn’t start it as a business). I founded the initiative from a place of wanting to support black-owned businesses and wanting a space where Black Culture and products could be found and easily accessible. I’ve learnt as I’ve gone along and since its inception, I’ve sought guidance from various coaches and educational platforms.

What’s been the most rewarding moment of your journey as a founder?

The most rewarding moment for me on my journey as a founder has been the freedom to create something and see my ideas come to life. It’s also very rewarding receiving testimonials from people that visit the event and are so inspired by what they see has been created. Seeing the traders and entrepreneurs grow and develop themselves and their businesses is also really rewarding and great to see in the community.

What’s been the biggest lesson – about yourself, your abilities or just  general life lessons – you’ve learnt since starting your business?

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that action is key, you can plan all you want but you just need to do it and improve from there. Use what you have and that’s enough, the rest will sort itself out. I have also learnt about the multiple skills I have and building a business from the ground up has increased my confidence and drive.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I have received is to take responsibility for yourself and your decisions (that’s the only way to have better outcomes) and in business it's normal that 50% of things will not necessarily go the way you want it to, it's a numbers game so you have to keep going.

How do you find the work-life balance? What strategies and routines do you have in place to cope with the work-life balance? If you worked for someone else previously, how does it compare?

Work life balance can be challenging when you work for yourself especially because you should be doing what you love and enjoy so it can be hard to switch off. Some of the strategies I have in place is that I have a studio/office outside of my home to work. I believe that it is really important to separate spaces and leave your work at work. I also try to travel as much as possible and get out of my immediate environment to take a break (including not looking at emails etc). It can be very difficult as I juggle many different roles. Things still have to keep moving. It’s very different from when I worked for others as it was very easy for me to book annual leave, put on my out of office and not think about work for two weeks.

Would you recommend any resources that have been useful for you  when starting/running your business?

There are so many excellent resources in the UK for starting your own business. The Princes Trust is great, the British Library, Digital Boost, Enterprise Nation and platforms like Black Culture Market when you have a product and are ready to start talking to customers and testing your product.

Image: Black Culture Market

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to start their own business?

If I could give advice to anyone wanting to start their own business it would be to follow their passion, don’t get side tracked and work on having a mindset of resilience and perseverance. Being an entrepreneur has many triumphs and challenges, it's important to learn from the difficult times and understand that it is a part of the journey and always seek opportunities  - they are there for everyone.

What do you love about London?

What I love most about London is that there is so much to do. I love the different cultures and different areas and it’s always developing. It’s really easy to get around by public transport or even walk.

What is next for Black Culture Market?

Next for Black Culture Market we are going to continue growing the platform and support more businesses including expanding our offering on multiple channels.

Website: blackculturemarket.co.uk

Instagram: @blackculturemarket

Facebook: blackculturemarket

LinkedIn: Black Culture Market