Lawyer and consultant become entrepreneurs
As an undergraduate, Asma Heerji Bhai never imagined that her career would mimic her family business. Graduating with a Business degree, she became a consultant. But from an early age, she had been exposed to her family's watch business, in existence since the 1960s. She and Rozmin Ladha, a practicing attorney, and Asma's sister-in-law talked about a new watch concept. In 2016, with millennials as their target, they began a new company, 1302, a number that reflects their birthdays.
The vision for this company was to create a stylish, minimalistic, unique, exclusive brand that is affordable for both women and men. Within their product line, the greatest success has been Apple wrist bands which are conveniently available on their website and on Amazon. Rozmin manages legal and marketing while Asma focuses on design, website, and accounting. They have continued to diversify their market, with Asma and her husband, Aamir Bhai, launching AKA Wedding Ventures in 2017, offering wedding décor.
Sharing their success is important to them and Asma and Rozmin donate 5% of their profit from 1302 to the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), a non-profit relief organization. With a mission to tackle hunger, NTFB provides more than 190,000 meals each day for hungry children.
During adverse situations, Asma remembers a favorite quote from Vivien Greene, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” This is a constant reminder to her to seize the moment and make it an opportunity. Asma’s pearl of wisdom for others is, “Be inspired, get inspired and stay inspired!” Currently, she is serving on the Council for the Central US as a member for Capacity Development and TKN.
A Better Platform for Merchants
Fattmerchant founder, Suneera Madhani, created a new platform for businesses, to provide a simple subscription-style pricing structure with more transparency for payment transactions. Merchant services companies were considered to charge excessive fees and were difficult with which to work. She realized the potential for this unique market niche.
An Orlando-based company, Fattmerchant, enables small business owners to help improve their overall payments experience. It utilizes technology allowing retailers and restaurants to accept payments using physical terminal and point-of-sale integrations. It also supports online businesses with shopping cart capabilities. With online invoice and billing solutions, it also provides digital freedom to on-the-go businesses with a mobile application.
Since its inception, Fattmerchant has handled $1 billion in transactions. Suneera has won several awards, including Payment Source's 2018 Most Influential Women in Payments, the 2017 Women World Award, the 2016 Women Who Mean Business Owner of the Year, and the Orlando Business Journal Award for Innovations and Technology, to name a few.
Entrepreneurs can find it challenging to balance family and work, especially women. "It takes constant effort and requires efficient management of schedules, prioritization of goals, and to say ‘no’ to things that are not essential," says Suneera. Advancing technology can impact businesses significantly, and "Solving customers’ problems requires a broader vision when designing a product or service," she notes, adding, "One of the biggest challenges that a start-up entrepreneur faces is the word ‘no,’ the fear of failure, so surround yourself with people who believe in you."
Suneera’s advice to women entrepreneurs is, “don’t be afraid of tapping into your resources. If you know your strengths and weaknesses when starting a business, you can find people who can complement them. Reach out to your network and connect with other women. You never know what could become a potential new partnership or opportunity."
Success in the Beauty Business
While competition may be apparent in every shopping mall, wherever there are women there will be a need for salons. Rozina Piredina's journey began at the age of 16 when she decided to pursue her passion, even though her family wanted her to enter nursing. After studying cosmetology in Pakistan, she was recertified in Los Angeles. She became renowned in Asian communities for her threading technique to shape eyebrows and remove facial hair. She began working from her apartment where her clients used to crowd her entrance, so she rented a spot at a salon to serve clients.
One day, she noticed a rental site available. Impressed by Rozina's youth and passion, the leasing agent offered her three months of free rent, which jump-started her entrepreneurial life. Since then, she has created a loyal clientele, receiving awards from Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Koretz, and from Artesia City Council Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj. She has helped other aspiring women through her apprenticeship program to enable them to practice cosmetology and has been a mentor to six budding entrepreneurs, whom she has trained and assisted in opening their own small businesses.
At age 55, Rozina provides in-house classes and certifies students in threading technique, and has her own beauty products for eyebrows. She also engages women through the Regional Occupational Program, which provides low-income families with educational skills to secure employment. Her advice to women: “Pursue your dreams and make it happen!”
Each of these women used a potent potion of passion, persistence, and patience, targeting different markets but using their skills and innovation to compete and be successful, a winning combination that should encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs.
