YHP had the opportunity to speak to Yana Johnson MBE and asked her some questions about business/entrepreneurship.

Yana is the director of Yana Cosmetic Ltd, A company she started in 2001

An award winning make up brand designed to fulfil the diversity needs of women especially those with extremely light or dark skin.

Providing, skincare and makeup and beauty tutorials online and the UK’s only Independent Premium make up line.

How important is getting a degree or going to university, some entrepreneurs are just creative from young and sometimes contemplate about going to higher education but instead want to continue with their businesses, what are your thoughts on this?

Education is important but so is being at the top of your game and also who you know ultimately. Some have taken the route academically and some practically it depends strongly on what it is they plan to do.

Sky is the limit and in any field there is always something you need to know. Education helps you to realize your potentials quickly through its measuring systems and many available resources available at hand on lists etc as well as a lot of reference material, it is invaluable and it cannot be taken away once you have it, however, practical learnt knowledge such as a skill or craft handed down it something that has an unspoken value which has been developed over time. All entrepreneurs need passion and a single minded vision to accomplish anything.

How essential is teamwork in business?

Teamwork is essential although there are many who have succeeded in going it alone. It is when you begin to impact those you need as customers or the wider market that any entrepreneur can fully realize and appreciate the need for others in their lives.
Teamwork can be your direct team making your potential come true, your inner circle of people whom you trust or colleagues who believe in your vision, all requirement a measure of motivation and to feel valued.

What is your definition of an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is someone who has an idea and pursues making it happen from conception to completion. An entrepreneur doesn’t give up, is a finisher and always sees the potential in why and how something can happen.

What are the fundamentals that make-up a successful entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs can’t help but look into things to discover ways of using or creating value. Entrepreneurs are happy in their own space and rarely need endorsement.
They are extreme and can go to any lengths to pursue a dream and have a unique ability to think very quickly many ways of achieving and objective. Entrepreneurs are not satisfied until the dream has come alive. Entrepreneurs live for seeing the potential
come true, they are driven by that feeling of the need to create and inspired by similar individuals.

What is your definition of success?

In a book that I am writing on the subject I define success as;
An event that accomplishes its intended purpose
Finishing what you started to do
The attainment of wealth, position, honors or the like

I was watching a video of you at the British Library event hosted by the British Library's Business & IP Centre, alongside Tim Campbell, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones and Charles Ejogo you spoke about people using their gifts and talents, turning it into a business, you also said that an idea is one’s intellectual property,
What are the necessary steps that you think a young entrepreneur should take in turning their idea “Intellectual Property” into a business?

Identifying the idea, writing it down and pursuing its copyright (visit British Library for how to do this) then finding a viable market and pursuing penetrating it in the many ways and forms of business start ups. Even if it has been done before, there usually is a twist or special extra that can be added to make it unique and have a ‘USP’ Unique Selling Point.

You also mentioned different areas about business in music, what advices can you give from your experience for young artists trying to break into the music industry?

Again a young artist needs to make sure their music and product is finished to the highest standard before showcasing it for a deal. I was signed up to my record deal after sending out demo’s while I was interning in New York. I sent it out and continued with my life pursuing other ideas when someone heard my demo and liked it and signed me.
In everything that I do a level of excellence has pushed me further to my goals I have had to learn my industries inside and out and I have has to perform consistently at that level, which then accumulates to growth.

Thanks Yana for your time, I'm sure the YHP Readers would enjoy your responses.

Check Yana Johnson Profile here

Contact Yana
www.yanacosmetics.com