Describe what you do and your service?

Our Business is called Sudanpreneur Ltd.

Sudanprneur is a online media platform, showcasing the Success of Sudanese individuals. Providing examples and case studies of those profiles giving role models and pioneers for the new generation young & old of Sudanese to aspire to.

This is the place to provide inspiration and realise it’s not to late to chase and fulfil those goals. With interviews to get the insights behind their journey and the struggles they had to over come.

When did you start and how?

I started my first business which has evolved and morphed into the current business which runs alongside the older one in 2011.

The current idea started in October 2014. I realised for me to be a successful young entrepreneur or even business man I needed to have a mentor. However since my business was in the niece “Sudanese diaspora” sector the advice I heard from the many people I approached was to get a Sudanese mentor.

Living in London that was difficult to achieve and I realised that Sudanese people don’t understand or realise the power of mentoring or even networking.

And so Sudanpreneur was born. A website, twitter, Instagram and Facebook platform highlighting the work of successful Sudanese from around the world, whether north, south, East & west, or half-Sudanese or even quarter-Sudanese or even your adopted-Sudanese.

What challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

I have had many set backs, and challenges to disappointments and shocks, to joy and despair, to ecstasy and heart break, a lot pain but most of all I’d say the life of entrepreneur is that of loneliness.

The biggest challenge I have is dealing with failure but then I realised its a fear born from not wanting to deal with the consequences of failure, and so u fall back and I take less risks, and try and create the perfect project, but fear sharing it to avoid disappointment and criticism. I’ve had to work a lot to limit this as your creativity can get trapped in your own mind for fear of sharing and this leads to a lot of energy being wasted.

The biggest single set back was a double blow. In 2012 after working on my website with a designer and IT developer the server deleted the entire data from the server, followed by the loss of my laptop with all my backups, files, pictures, word documents. But somehow I was able to overcome that and I am much stronger because of that experience.

Your achievement?

I recently attended a short “set up your own business” course and there was a guest “motivational” speaker that came in to speak to us. He told us in most of the things you do in life success is very hard to define and measure. Teaching, social work, politics, how do you know whether you are doing well or not, whether you are successful or not. But in business it is very easy to see whether you are successful. If your making money you are successful, the more money you make the more successful you are.

If I judged my life on that criteria I would be a big failure. Haha as so far I haven’t made any money from Sudan Hub or Sudanpreneur.

This is a very difficult question. I have had a very interesting life. I have traveled a lot. I have had so many different jobs. I have met so many different people. I have had a lot of experiences. I have had so many adventures.

I have never been motivated by money and profit, but I have always had a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. I have been involved in many many many projects, helping out family, cousins and friends to set up their projects, dreams, passions and businesses. As well as setting up numerous of my own projects, dreams, passions and businesses.

I feel like Sudan Hub is an amazing accomplishment, unfortunately it is a bit too far ahead of its time and it seems to me that people are either just not ready for it, or just don’t understand it. Haha but maybe one day, which I might not live to see, it will receive the appreciation and understanding it deserves.

So I would have to say that Sudanpreneur ranks as my greatest achievement. From the beginning I have been blown away by the support, as well as how well received it has been. I hope I have been able to both inspire people as well as open their eyes to achieve their dreams. But most importantly I hope I have made people feel more proud to be Sudanese.
The one thing I do want to say, feedback is very important so please let me know your thoughts, suggestions, how I can improve. Even just a thank you, or a compliment, or a hug.

Who helped you?

Many many people have helped me and supported me as pushed me or inspired me along my six year business journey so far.

Although I’m not quite where I would have expected to be after 6 years due to unforeseen setbacks and speed-bumps along the way. I am very great full for my progress and I thank god everyday.

I could never have done this without my mom and dad, who I am sure I have probably driven crazy over this journey and my beloved sister and brother who as a family have alway had my back through the thick and thin.

Also all my professors in Uni who have laid the foundations along with everyone I met and didn’t meet during my nearly fours in Guildford.

And all my bosses that I have had during my many partime jobs and full time jobs and internships both here in the UK as well as Denmark and Sudan.

To all my friends around the world for your support and prayers, as well as all my cousins back in Sudan and wherever you may be living I really do appreciate it.

I first met Janice on a workshop on how to set up your own business in 2012 when I decided to rebuild Sudanhub again after the old website got deleted. She provided so much support and inspiration even though I was going through a difficult time and I wasn’t believing in myself. But she made sure I didn’t quit.

It was then when I felt a little bit lost in the Summer (2016) that I immediately thought of Janice, and approached her to do an internship so that I could learn ad benefit from her wisdom and she immediately was interested and asked me to send her my cv and arranged an informal meeting/interview.

I’m glad I did because I’ve been interning with her for a few months now and I’m loving it.

Many of my bosses during previous internships and jobs have also been invaluable to my steep learning curve and have helped create the small success that make persevering sticking to the long journey ahead, and there are too many to name so I want to thank you all.

And to anyone else I’ve missed thank you.