Prada – Uvadahlia

25 year old Sabeel Butt studied BTEC Business and A-Level financial studies at college and then went on to university to study politics and law before deciding university just wasn’t for her. After completing her first year she decided not to return, she felt that she is more of a practical person and would like to spend her time and effort on something she really enjoyed. Whilst Sabeel now works in retail at a large retail outlet, she is also involved in other businesses. In her spare time she loved to bake so, decided to take a short course on cake decorating at her local college where she also completed a food hygiene course. A few years ago she decided to turn her hobby into a business and started work as a part time cake decorator. She has also recently launched her own makeup line which is quickly becoming quite a hit with local and international beauty bloggers. We talk to Sabeel about how she got started.

Zatasha: What was the deciding factor for you to leave university and pursue entrepreneurship?

Sabeel: After completing one year at university I decided it just wasn’t for me, I had no idea what I was going to do but all I knew was that I didn’t want to go to university.

Z: Was your family supportive of your decision?

S: They weren’t happy with my decision to begin with, but they all eventually came to the realisation that I was serious about not continuing with university.

Z: What would you say are the three biggest obstacles in starting a new company?

S: I’d say the biggest obstacles would be balancing growth and quality, and money management.

Z: How did you overcome these challenges?

S: The best way to overcome any challenge is by trial and error.

Z: Who inspires you?

S: My biggest inspiration is my parents who are both very hard working people and that have patience to overcome any difficult situation.

Z: How long did it take you to get your companies up and running?

S: My cake business started as a hobby and then gradually grew by word of mouth. With my cosmetics line, anyone who knows me knows I absolutely love makeup, I first made a few products for myself and posted them on my Instagram account. I received so many compliments and decided to start a business. It took me almost a year to gather and create my products and I’m still growing as a company. I appreciate all the support I have received from all around the world.

Z: Where do you see yourself and your businesses in the next five years?

S: I hope to have a successful, stable cosmetics line which is internationally recognised.

Z: What are your interests beyond your businesses?

S: I have many interests such as cooking, playing with animals and admiring nature.

Z: What personal strengths helped you in following your path of success?

S: My biggest personal strength has got to be patience, which I think I got from my parents. You have good days and bad days, but you have to learn to keep it together.

Z: How do you market your products (cakes and makeup line)?

S: I use Instagram and Facebook as a platform to advertise my business and it’s quite successful.