Story: John Mellor
A highly motivated 26-year old has broken out of the cycle of temporary contracts and unemployment by setting up his own soap making business, working from home.
Nigerian-born Uche-chi Zabdi-el came to the UK with his parents when he was 5 years old. His father was in the Merchant Navy and the family settled in Liverpool where Zabdi-el was educated, obtaining A-levels in Maths and IT. Finding employment at that time was not easy and he had no alternative but to take up temporary contracts in marketing with T K Maxx, first in Liverpool, then in Cardiff. After moving to Page Hall, Sheffield in 2006 he worked in telesales with Voice Marketing. Zabdi-el told me:
“When this contract came to an end I was unemployed for 6 months. Talking to an advisor at the CAB I mentioned to him that one of my hobbies, from schooldays, was soap-making. He said, ‘Why not try setting this up as a self-employed business?’ This idea led me to contact a lady in Scotland who had set up a similar business, after redundancy, and was able to give me the help and advice I needed. I order all the materials on line and carry out the process at home. I produce star-shaped, black, transparent tablets of soap which is the unique selling point.”
He kindly provided a sample for me to try and it certainly feels good to use. The name of the company is the ‘Black Star Soap Co’ and after only a few months, it is already having considerable success in finding new outlets, both on-line and in the retail sector. The ‘stars’ are available in a range of different fragrances and are advertised as ‘anti-wrinkle’ and suitable for all skin types.
He hopes that his success will inspire others of his age to launch out in the business world. Zabdi-el says,
“Its repetition that leads to belief, and once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
Black Star Soap Co
Contact details: blackstarsoapco@gmail.com Mobile: 07796 587 840
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