Bellafricana published in Webinar

The power of branding, storytelling and community

Join Scott Ohene-Nyako, founder of 478 Studios, for a special workshop where he’ll share practical ways to build a brand that reflects who you are and what you do. The workshop is FREE for Bellafricana global members, while non-members can attend for just £30.

For small business owners breaking into new markets, standing out often depends on how well you create a clear and consistent brand. A strong brand helps you connect with your audience, grow your community, and open doors to new opportunities. But where do you start?

On December 11th, join Scott Ohene-Nyako, founder of 478 Studios, for a special workshop where he’ll share practical ways to build a brand that reflects who you are and what you do.

The workshop is FREE for Bellafricana global members, while non-members can attend for just £30.

What You’ll Learn:
Scott will guide you through simple and practical steps, including:

👉🏾 How to find your unique voice and share stories that connect with your audience.
👉🏾 How to identify your brand’s values and show them in everything you do.
👉🏾 How to use your personal brand to explain your business purpose clearly.
👉🏾 How to choose the right platforms to share your story and reach more people.
👉🏾 Real-life examples of brands that tell their stories well and how you can do the same.

Why This Workshop is Important for Creative Businesses
A strong brand can help you:

• Gain the trust of your customers.
• Make your products and services more memorable.
• Show the world what makes your business special.
• Reach more people and grow your community.

No matter the size of your business, this workshop is perfect for anyone in fashion, arts, crafts, or other creative fields who wants to take their business to the next level.

Meet Your Host
Scott Ohene-Nyako is the founder of 478 Studios, a global branding and design agency. He believes that good branding and storytelling can help small businesses grow and become known to a wider audience.

Why You Should Join Bellafricana
Bellafricana’s global membership gives you free access to workshops like this and connects you with a supportive community of creative entrepreneurs. You’ll also get tools and advice to help your business grow.

This is your chance to learn from experts, meet other business owners, and build your brand the right way.

Click  https://bellafricana.com/membership-package/  to join Bellafricana’s global membership or register for the workshop today!

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, bellafricana, Entrepreneurship, Growth,

A Letter of Encouragement To A “Dear Entrepreneur”

A letter of encouragement

I know, my dear entrepreneur, that sometimes the beginning of the year can stir a mix of emotions, including anxiety and fear.

I want you to know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. I’ve been there, standing at the intersection of aspirations and uncertainties. Two years ago, I, too, faced a crossroads that nearly led me to give up on my business. But here’s what pulled me through, and I believe it can be a guiding light for you as well. And that is why I decided to come up with A letter of encouragement to a “dear entrepreneur.”

1. Show Yourself Compassion:

In the pursuit of ambitious goals, we often forget the importance of self-compassion. It’s okay not to have everything figured out. Be gentle with yourself, change your perspective, celebrate your victories, and embrace the learning curves.

A Letter of Encouragement
2. Prayer and Divine Guidance:

Lean into your faith and seek guidance from God. Personally, prayer became an anchor during uncertain times. Trust in the divine plan for your life, and let it guide you through the uncharted waters.

Enter the year knowing that “God has worked all things for your good” not that He is still in the process of working it out!

Meaning: It’s not going to happen in your future, it is already DONE!

So renew your mindset to this FACT and OPEN your eyes to the opportunities around you.

A Letter of Encouragement

3. Show Up, Despite the Feelings:

There’s tremendous power in showing up, especially when the weight of anxiety tries to hold you back. Sometimes, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other opens up new possibilities. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.

A Letter of Encouragement

4. Stop Overthinking:

Overthinking is a silent thief of joy and progress. Break free from the shackles of overanalysis. Trust your instincts, make decisions with the information at hand, and allow room for spontaneity and creativity.

My dear entrepreneur, remember this; you possess a resilience that has carried you through challenges before, and it will continue to do so. The canvas of a new year is blank, awaiting the strokes of your creativity and the colors of your determination.

I encourage you to carry these lessons with you. Be kind to yourself, seek guidance, show up bravely, and release the burden of overthinking. Remember, you have the strength within you to turn the uncertainties of the future into opportunities for growth.

May this year be a canvas painted with success, joy, and fulfillment.

With unwavering support and belief in your journey,

Ps: click here to listen to this message from me

Rooting for you always,

Bukky Asehinde (aka Creatives Mother Hen),

Founder at Bellafricana.

1
Share
MaryBarbara published in Press Release

BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

Bellafricana is pleased to announce that BONA EXPO 22, sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa! Go, Register!

BONA EXPO with her maiden edition themed  “ Mother Nature Africa”  is the Pioneer Exposition for Green Beauty Manufacturers In Africa, Africans-In-the-diaspora & a select few Internationals looking to gain entrance into the Continent.

Lorraine Dallmeier of Award-winning,  accredited formulation school Formula Botanica in The United Kingdom in her June 8, 2021, Podcast title excerpt says “ Today, for the most part, the rest of the world has little exchange with the African beauty industry apart from its commodities. But we hope this will change, and soon.”

The Botanical, Organic & Natural Africa Expo has spotlighted its vendor interests from countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Uk, Canada & USA.

BONA EXPO 22  2-day exposition will hold on the 10 & 11 February 2022 at The Landmark Centre, 3&4 Water Corporation, Oniru, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria with activities from Welcome Night Dinner, Exhibitions & Unique Experiences, Masterclasses by International Speakers, Panel Discussions, to Wrap-Up-Party.

*To know more about the event, simply click on the images*
Presenting our Country correspondents:
NIGERIA CORRESPONDENT- JOYCEE AWOSIKA OF ORIKI GROUP

ORIKI - BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

GHANA CORRESPONDENT- VIOLET AWO AMOABENG OF SKIN GOURMET

BONA EXPO 22 - GHANA CORRESPONDENT

SOUTH AFRICA CORRESPONDENT- RUBEN OKPOKO OF RUUTOS

BONA EXPO - SOUTH AFRICA CORRESPONDENT

KENYA CORRESPONDENT – ZAHRA HASSAN & FADUMA ABDI OF QASIL BEAUTY

KENYA CORRESPONDENT - ZAHRA HASSAN & FADUMA ABDI OF QASIL BEAUTY 

AFRICAN-IN-THE-DIASPORA UK CORRESPONDENT – ALEXANDRIA AGGREY OF MADAM ORI SKINCARE

UK Correspondent - BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

AFRICAN-IN-THE-DIASPORA CANADA CORRESPONDENT- OYETA KOKOROKO OF OKOKO COSMETIQUES

Canada Correspondent - BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

AFRICAN-IN-THE-DIASPORA USA CORRESPONDENT- CHRISTINA FUNKE TEGBE OF 54 Thrones 

USA Correspondent - BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

BONA EXPO 22 PROJECTION:
  • 4000 on-site attendees
  • 6000 online attendees
  • 60 brands
  • 9 Countries
  • 2 International Speaker
  • 8 Masterclasses
  • 8 Panel Discussions
  • 48 Panellists
  • 1 Wrap Up Party

What to expect at the BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

Target Audience:
  • Local Manufacturers
  • African Manufacturers
  • Africans-In-The- Diaspora Manufacturers
  • International Manufacturers
  • Retailers, Distributors, Importers & Exporters
  • Regulatory Bodies
  • Agricultural Sector- Farmers & Middlemen
  • Cosmetics Dermatologists
  • Financial Sector- Agro-Support Banks

Natural products - BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa!

Objectives:
  • Actively Engage and immerse the Green Beauty Industry & its Stakeholders in a quality, value-adding, and indelible brand experience.
  • Sensitize the public on the choice & importance of clean and safe living driving ultimately our sustainability program.
  • Re-establish our Natural Ingredients as a part of tangible African heritage, therefore, driving & creating policies to its effect.
  • Lead Generation: Increase the number of qualified sales leads across sectors.
  • Promote thought-leadership agenda and positioning for the Green Beauty Industry in Africa and her African Manufacturers as well as increase opportunities for more entrants into the Industry and Continent.
  • Drive sustainable conversations around the African organic & natural Beauty Industry in the hope that it sensitizes the discontinued use of chemical-based products.

Register for the Bona Expo 22

BONA EXPO 22 sets to change the Course of Green Beauty in Africa! Go, Register!

Calling on Sponsors, Partners & Brands!

For more information, visit www.bonaexpoafrica.com 

 

  • no reactions
0
Share
Jemimah Iwok published in Articles

Chioma Ogbudimkpa knocks our socks off at this amazing webinar session

Bellafricana x Chioma Ogbudimkpa Webinar

 

Bellafricana x Chioma Ogbudimkpa Webinar

Whoop! Whoop!! Last week Thursday, we held a mind-blowing power session with the PITCH QUEEN herself. Chioma Ogbudimkpa.

Can you sense the excitement in my tone? That’s because that session knocked my socks off. Literally!

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me give you a little back story, and why I was excited.

This covid-19 period, Bellafricana is not slacking at all. We’re organizing webinar sessions with Industry experts, as well as intra-community webinars as well. These webinar arose as a result of a need to gain some insight into areas that would be of immense benefit to our members post covid-19.

One of such areas is funding. There are lots of events, funding opportunities, and so on to take advantage of. But one hindrance is usually when it’s time to PITCH your product, or idea. We realized that this is a big issue for a lot of business owners, and that was why we invited Chioma Ogbudimkpa.

 Why was Chioma Ogbudimkpa just totally perfect?

For a start, Chioma owns the famous ‘REDBUTTON’ fashion label with a strong focus on sustainability. She has won notable grants from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, She Leads Africa Accelerator and the recent ‘Friends of the Vice President’ award.

Chioma has been featured on CNN Africa, The United Nations Sustainability & Innovation Expo, Spice TV Africa and the Young African Leaders’ Initiative.

It is also noteworthy to mention that she is a winner of the African Prize of the Global Creative Business Cup and Nigeria Creative Enterprise (NICE) program 2019 -powered by the British Council.

She has showcased her fashion pieces at many international and continental fashion engagements.

Can you see why she was the right person to shower us with this knowledge?

Anyway, the D-day came, and so many participants signed up and the session kicked off. I learnt so much, but I will share just a little of these with you:

  1. Research

One word that resonated throughout that webinar was Research like never before. Research your Industry. Whilst you’re doing that, ensure that your research isn’t restricted. You want your brand to be seen on a global scale, then you broaden your research. Find out what is been done (or not ) and see how you can use that do develop a strong USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Research the organisation you want to pitch to. Research, Research, Research!

 

2. Articulate your Brand story Properly

Story telling and Pitching are two peas in a pod. To give a successful pitch, you must be a great story teller. That means you have to be able to tell your brands story as flawlessly as possible. You may ask:”What if I don’t have a Brand Story?” Well you HAVE TO HAVE one. Whether you started because you were passionate about your craft, because you needed to make money, or because you needed to do something to pass the time, you have to reach deep and think about the “WHY”. There will definitely be a story hidden there somewhere. That story is one thing your potential investor looks forward to hearing. S, you have to work on it.

3. Pitch From a Place of Value

This point can never be overemphasized. You can’t tell your audience that you’re pitching because you need money (even though in reality, that’s what you need). But let them know what your product or idea will solve, and how you’re helping them. Sustainability is the new gold, so find a way to attach your brand to one of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). It gives your brand more credibility.

 

I could keep writing, but I’ll Just stop here. How were the responses we got from the webinar?

I’ll let you see for yourself :

 

 

Comments like these give us the needed encouragement to stop at nothing to bring our audience more than their money’s worth of membership. That’s exactly what we do at Bellafricana. To enjoy more these and many more benefits that come with being a member of our amazing community, click on this link 

You can connect with Chioma here.

That’s a wrap on the amazing webinar series we had. Say tuned for more gist. Bye!

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, Clothings, News, Textiles

Kenyan Company Green Nettle Textile won a major fashion award for making fabric from nettles

Organic fibers made from nettles has bagged a Kenyan company one of the world’s top sustainable fashion prizes.

Green Nettle Textile was this year awarded almost $170,000 as part of the $1.1 million Global Change Award, a fashion innovation challenge initiated by H&M Foundation in collaboration with management consulting firm Accenture and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Described by some as the Nobel Prize for sustainable fashion, the award seeks to disrupt the fashion industry by choosing early stage ideas and incubating them towards the goal of an environmentally-conscious, circular fashion instead of a wasteful, linear model.

This year, the competition received 6,640 entries from 182 countries, with a tremendous increase in entrances from emerging markets. Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa were among the top 10 nations that submitted entries for the award.

Green Nettle won the award along with four other firms that made expanding children’s clothes (United Kingdom), a biodegradable vegan leather (Peru), a digital system that helps make garments recyclable from sketch to scrap (Germany) besides a toxic-free membrane for outdoor wear (Switzerland). Besides financial support, the winners will also get access to a mentorship program that will take them to markets including Sweden, Hong Kong, and the United States.

[yotuwp type=”videos” id=”zsUfKXHienc” description=”off” effects=”video_box=ytef-grow”]

Using nettles in producing fabric was astute given that the plant grows in Kenya and is used for nutritional and medicinal purposes. After the Kenya Bureau of Standards certified the plant in 2009, farmers in Kenya started betting on its newfound commercial capabilities. Green Nettle Textile is now proving an extension of that dynamism, hoping to grow the stinging plant in barren areas to make an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fabric and create income for farmers.

As clothes become cheaper and more disposable, the fashion industry has explored how to create clothes for rapidly growing populations while protecting the planet. The overproduction and overconsumption of fast fashion have especially come under criticism—including how eco-friendly is clothing from the chief GCA award sponsor H&M. There have also been concerns about how much energy and water clothing production consumes, besides how much industrial waste factories release into oceans, rivers and natural habitats. Environmental groups like Greenpeace have, for instance, advocated for companies to change their customers’ mindsets and to design clothes for long life.

In Africa, where there’s a nascent manufacturing and fashion industry, local designers are not just challenging reductive ideas of what makes up “African” fashion but also where to source materials from. Last year, Rwanda raised tariffs on used clothing and footwear from the US as it positions itself to become a significant exporter of clothes. Yet funding has proved critical for these designers and manufacturers, an issue creative funds like HEVA want to change.

To further support companies like Green Nettle, H&M Foundation this year partnered with crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to not only get more people to back the winners but also raise awareness about sustainable fashion worldwide.

This article was originally published on qz.com

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in africa, Events, News

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program 2019 With A Focus On Women Owned Businesses

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened its application portal for the 5th cycle of its $100million Entrepreneurship Program, open to all African entrepreneurs. This year, one of the goals is to increase participation and representation from women-run businesses in Africa as well.

Statistics have shown that only about 38% of applications to this program are from women, and the foundation is working hard to increase the number of applications from women owned business.

The program is open to any African who has an innovative business idea or a business in existence that is less than 3 years old in any sector.

If selected, business owners will join the Foundation’s current 4,470 TEF alumni and will receive non-refundable $5,000 seed capital,access to mentors, top-rated business training, access to a network of African entrepreneurs and opportunities for them and their business to share a global stage.

 

For more information on eligibility, funding, judging criteria, and application process, click here or APPLY RIGHT AWAY on TEFConnect here: www.tefconnect.com.

Deadline for applications submission is March 1st 2019

 

  • no reactions
0
Share
Subscribe to our newsletter Now!

Join the Bellafricana Community of audacious, driven and courageous creative entrepreneurs

BELLafricana logo yellow gold

At Bellafricana our aim is to help you connect with creative, unique and quality African owned businesses.

We believe that every creative entrepreneur has a potential to grow sustainable global businesses. Bellafricana understands the challenges and is honored to be a part of the Creatives’ dream. Their dream is our dream

This is Home to creative entrepreneurs

Facebook-f Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin

Explore

quick links

Contact

STEPS TO MAKING

Massive Progress in your Business

Subscribe to get the free guide and learn step-by-step exactly what you need to achieve your goals.