When Ranjit Jhita first approached CIDA for help, he couldn’t understand why his new business offering quality design services at subsidised rates to the voluntary sector was struggling to get off the ground. A graphic designer of 15 years, his creative credentials were impeccable. Managing a successful start-up within a new market, however, demanded a whole new set of skills.

“When I started my own company I just thought everything would fall into place,” he recalls. “But it didn’t and I couldn’t see why.”

Ranjit, 37, set up East London-based design agency Wonderfuel in 2002. Specialising in print and web-based media, he boasts several household names among his clientele. But when he contacted CIDA in spring 2004, he was failing to attract a regular flow of work from the voluntary sector.

As a new company, Ranjit’s first port of call was CIDA’s Creative Industries Start-up Adviser, who immediately identified a weakness in his business plan. At the time, Ranjit was thinking about taking on a full-time employee. It was, he now realises, a mistake waiting to happen.

“CIDA stopped me in my tracks,” he smiles. “They opened my eyes to the fact that I have a really fluid company, which means I can keep costs down. Taking on permanent staff would have been a big error.”

Today, Ranjit splits his working week between home in East Ham and a studio in Clerkenwell. He only employs staff for specific projects, which means he can offer quality graphic design at competitive prices.

CIDA’s advice extended to all areas of Ranjit’s company, from his long-term business strategy through to practical bookkeeping tips.

“I’ve never been very good at paperwork,” he says, “but CIDA helped me to realise how important it is to manage the practical side of running a business. If that’s not working, you won’t even get a chance to be creative.

“I also needed someone who could step back and see the bigger picture,” he adds. “And since I’ve implemented the changes, my business has improved very significantly.”

Ranjit’s relationship with CIDA didn’t stop there. The creative director still calls CIDA whenever he needs a second opinion or extra advice. In addition, CIDA has helped him to make valuable contacts in the voluntary sector, an area in which he is now looking to specialise. As a result, he has a healthy client base, and feels much more in control of his company’s direction. Ranjit has recently produced the Balack History month brochure for Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham.

“CIDA has definitely helped me to look forward,” he says. “Before I was wracking my brain as to why the business wasn’t working. Now I am confident about the future. I’m feeling really free.”

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