AN Isipingo businesswoman is pushing the envelope in the graphic design industry alongside her partner, earning recognition in local business awards competitions and respect from her rivals. She shares her winning formula in the hopes that other members of the community can follow their dreams and find success as well.

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Delicia Khader, 25, rose through the ranks from small-time service provider to a force to be reckoned with in Isipingo, starting out with just grit, experience and commitment.

“After getting married my husband Shaien Khader and I decided to team up, each bringing our own respective skill-set to see how far we could go. I had experience in designing tattoos while he specialised in graphic design at multiple companies. We started off with small jobs and relied on word-of-mouth and goodwill. We got our first computer from that income. A heavy focus of ours is pushing out quality work and marketing ourselves extensively across social media,” explained Delicia.

They officially launched midway through last year and they were voted best graphic designer in a community business awards function.

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Shaien added that he derived a great deal of industry knowledge from each company he worked in and shared those skills with Delicia. He also placed an emphasis on maintaining good relationships with ex-colleagues, which helps in the couple’s current workflow.

“We’ve got a big family and it became difficult when only one person was bringing in an income. This was a big motivation. I want to get to a point where I can help my mother retire and we are all living a comfortable life. I want to leave behind a family business. It has been a roller-coaster, and there are nights we sit up until 02:00 in the morning trying to figure out what to do. Eventually, through prayer, we pushed past our every setback,” said Delicia.

She advised those who want to start a business of their own to make sure they have one concrete thing that motivates them through ups and downs.

Outside of their business, which Delicia admitted has taken over their lives to a certain extent, she is a fun, adventurous person, but remains serious when it comes to family and work. Shaien is a simple, shy person who enjoys learning new things. He loves his car and going fishing.

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