Ugonna Hosten is a Criminology graduate turned designer.

In 2008, she left her job as a civil servant, where she had worked for 4 years. Leaving something that she was so familiar with required a lot of faith, careful thought, research and support from her friends and family. It then took Ugonna a year to realise what she wanted to do with her career, during which she realised that she needed to work in a field that she was passionate about.

Ugonna began by conducting market research, and went to the Business and IP centre at the British Library, which she found to be very supportive. She used the information to construct a business plan, then raised funds and registered herself as self employed, before starting to trade.

“It is still early days to assess the success of the business in financial terms” says Ugonna. ‘As a new business, success at such an early stage for me is establishing the name of my company and getting my foot through the door. I would say that I am gradually building my brand awareness; I think financial success will come after.”

“The best advice I can give would be that market research is key. Also, having a good business plan is fundamental, as it is the blueprint for any successful business. Patience and passion is what sees you through the challenges. Whether I was re-drafting a pattern at 2am in the morning or searching for a suitable UK manufacturer for my products, the fact that I loved what I was doing made it that much easier for me to go that extra mile.”

In five years time, Ugonna looks to have a recognised brand and to have expanded the business into clothing and print design. Ugonna’s work won an Award for Creative Enterprise at Artsmart 2011 (well done!).

Ugonna is a CIDA Citizen and will be receiving support from us as her business grows. If you want to become a member of The CIDA Network, email us today!

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