A Culture of Success
Meet Rani Bilkhu, Director of Cultural Insight UK Ltd
Two years ago, Rani Bilkhu was a mother of four living on benefits. Now running a successful enterprise, she is proving you don’t need top-level qualifications to create.a business. As Rani’s example shows, what you do need is determination and a product or service that you understand.
The Inspiration
There were three main reasons why Rani wanted to set up her own business. “Firstly, as a mother of four, I had to find work that would fit around my children,” explains Rani. “I also believed that I would be able to earn more by having my own business than if I was in an employed role. Finally, I wanted to get off benefits and give my children a better lifestyle."
Because Rani had been on state support, she needed to find a way of setting up a business which didn’t require much start-up capital. So Rani had a business idea based on her understanding of multi-culturalism and the issues it can create in a community – something she is very passionate about. She was born in Birmingham and her volunteer work in Mental Health, Youth Offending Teams and Slough Faith Forum, had given her deep insights into this subject.
Since June 2006, Rani has been trading as Cultural Insight UK Limited. Her company offers training and consultancy in cultural awareness to individuals and companies, covering the three main faith groups of India and Pakistan: Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. The training enables people to develop key knowledge skills which, in turn, result in a productive and healthy working environment, greater communication, high retention of staff and positive engagement with the Asian Community.
Getting Started
Rani had no previous experience of running a business and received enormous help from her local Enterprise Gateway, a business support organisation available through Business Link. “I tried working from home to start with, but found I couldn’t really concentrate on work there, and it didn’t make me feel professional,” admits Rani. "Then I found that the Gateway was offering workstations to rent. Once I started working from there I was far more focused and effective. From the moment I parked my car and walked into the building, I’m in the mindset of Rani the Businesswoman.”
As well as a base to work from, the Enterprise Gateway gave Rani a wealth of other benefits, such as training courses in business skills, networking opportunities and mentoring. “They took me through the whole process of setting up a business step by step,” reveals Rani. “That made it less daunting and built my confidence.”
Based on her initial success, Rani has started to develop her business further. She now finds she is getting some business growth through recommendations from existing clients. As well as cultural awareness training, Cultural Insight has branched out and is now offering training in Equality and Diversity, as well as publishing a children’s book, a resource pack for children and a ‘Cultural Intelligence’ Best practise book. As well as running a successful business, Rani has been the subject of a documentary made by the European Social Fund, covering her steps from mother to business woman, a case study for The Learning Skills Council, a case study for SEEDA, and working on a BBC video nation documentary.
Rani's Top Tips
- Be very clear about what your idea is and make sure you tell people, it may lead to opportunities - but also don’t be afraid to diversify your business
- Take advantage of free business support and advice. Being taken through the whole process of setting up a business step by step makes it less daunting and builds your confidence
As a SEEDA Women’s Enterprise Advocate, she is frequently asked to comment on a wide range of topics by local and national media. Rani says “As a busy mum with a successful and growing business, I hope I can inspire other women that race and gender don’t have to be a barrier to achieving your goals.”
