Sabera Kara : Kara Kalligraphy

From a young age I have always been interested in art and design, practicing whenever I could. Always coming top on creative subjects at school I was determined that this was what I wanted to do for a living, this is my passion!

From school I went on to study a foundation degree in Art and Design while maintaining a household and a small family. I gained new skills and this fed my passion for art further more. I was certain that I wanted to go back to university to complete a full degree in Applied Arts but having my second child changed all of that.

But this didn’t stop me from turning my idea into a business. Although, in the initial stages, my main concern was finance but since getting support from the Women’s Business Development Agency I have overcome that barrier. Lack of confidence is a problem for me and still is but by attending more networking events and workshops I think that is slowly fading away.

“Since my initial contact with WBDA I have received many one to one sessions with my own business mentor, Michelle Grindley, who has helped me in countless ways,” explained Sabera,” I have had guidance on how to complete a business plan, access finance and specialist support, free workshops and courses, and most importantly all the information I needed in order for me to start my business. Michelle helped me get on the right track by pointing me in the right direction of where I should be going. And I thank her very much!”

Now I have launched my business called Kara Kalligraphy - specialising in Islamic art and calligraphy. To start off with I designed a series of calligraphic lettering which was a cross between Arabic and English; it looks like it is Arabic but is actually read in English. I make hand-made cards and paint canvases which are personalised with the calligraphy. Customers may choose what message and/or name and design that they want on their products. I offer a personalised, hand-made service which I think is quality. I am looking into introducing new products in the near future such as glass painted frames, t-shirts and mugs which can all be personalised.

At the moment I am finding that my main problem now is my time; I don't have enough of it. Drawing the calligraphy onto the cards is very time consuming and I am unable to fulfil large orders. I am looking into printing parts of the designs so that this will cut down in production time. I have also started to keep a 'realistic' schedule, allowing me enough time to get important things done during each day.

Thanks to WBDA I have changed my outlook on business and the future. I have a more positive outlook on my business and feel that if I put the advice and information I have received into practise, I will do well for myself!

If you would like any more information about my servcies please email me on saberakara@yahoo.co.uk