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At BetterShared, we noticed a need for equality in the art world. After working near many private art galleries in London, we witnessed that over several years the representation of ethnic minorities was non-existent. So, starting with one exhibition showcasing African artists in 2016, BetterShared has evolved into an online marketplace, boasting some of today’s most exciting artists from Africa and the diaspora.

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BetterShared now ships art prints from emerging artists from Africa and the diaspora worldwide. With zero upfront costs and fair commission rates for artists, BetterShared has experienced growth of 140% from 2020 to 2021.

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Growth Mindset

We’ve always thought, that if you don’t like something, be the change you want to see – this is exactly how we started BetterShared. Initially, we held face-to-face events, but the challenge was that for an exhibition space holding the work of 25 artists, we received applications for 150 to exhibit. We knew that the demand was there for this offering. So in 2020, we made the decision to pivot to an online platform, enabling us to sell at scale and reach global consumers.

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We heard about the MSDUK Innovation Challenge and organised to speak to their office; we seemed better suited to the Accelerator programme. Moreover, the MSDUK Accelerator Programme fitted well with our scale-up plans, so we applied and were accepted. We started the programme in October 2021 and finished in January 2022.

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Business Matters

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As a scale-up business and CEO, I found MSDUK’s Accelerator programme a great time to review my existing business, reflect, and stress test any future ideas. We worked through everything from sales processes and pitch techniques to planning for our next scale-up phase.

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The whole Accelerator Programme process was incredible; we learnt so much. The support network was terrific throughout the process, and the insight from other businesses in the cohort was invaluable.

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Taking Ownership of EMB

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The most valuable lesson I learnt from the Accelerator programme was taking ownership. This relates to taking ownership of the fact that you are an EMB (Ethnic Minority Business) and leveraging that for the good of your business. For example, many larger corporates now have ESG policies on including diversity in their supply chains which can be a perfect match for an EMB. However, you can only really embrace that if you take ownership and are proud that you’re an EMB.

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Another invaluable lesson was navigating large corporations as smaller businesses. Since joining MSDUK, we now have a better understanding of how to work with corporates and their procurement processes. However, due to the size of corporates, it can take a long time to win a contract, so much patience is required. 

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Corporate Contracts

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Working with MSDUK has helped us expand our network. As a result, we are now surrounded by people around us who want to bring diversity into their businesses.  

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Our next steps are expanding further into the US market and beyond. We’ve also recently expanded into the corporate art rental market, where organisations rent artwork from us to demonstrate diversity within the workplace and hospitality sectors. We’re working with some big names such as Uber, and we are also working with some excellent African Cuisine restaurants in London that wanted their walls to reflect food choices.

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Working with MSDUK has opened our eyes to help take our brand further afield, and they have opened doors for us. We want to onboard more artists, which is starting to happen, and we can’t wait to share their work with the world.

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If You’re Thinking of Signing up for MSDUK

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I would say take time to listen and learn. As a scale-up business, an essential part of our journey has been reviewing and reflecting, learning from our peers on the Accelerator Programme and adjusting some of our existing processes.

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Working with larger corporations, it’s essential to realise that these things take time due to their sheer size. But, these corporates want to work with us, so we will reap the rewards if we are patient.

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I would recommend working with MSDUK for any start-up or scale-up EMB; the lessons you’ll learn will set you up for success.