Hello Ladies, in today's Business Profile, we are featuring another fascinating Business woman. Aliya Boranbayeva is the founder of a High end Scarf Label, ABO London. Her amazing Business story may motivate you to start your own business! We really hope so.
1/ Please tell
us what is a typical business day for you?
I get up quite early,
have a cup of coffee, check the news, emails and my plan. I have a plan where I
put what I need to achieve throughout the year and then months and weeks and
even days. It is very helpful and makes my routine very organised. These days I
work from home which is convenient and relaxing, because everything is handy
and I can do many tasks straight from my bedroom table. I try to do a bit of
social media in the morning which is very important nowadays. I usually have a
meeting or go out throughout the day to check some places.
2/ What made you
start the business and how did you get started?
I have a background
in media, marketing and business development. I worked in different industries
like oil&gas, finance and technologies. At the same time I always did
paintings and had a strong desire to create something. In my last job I was
doing so well so I thought well I could do well for myself and my business. I
left my work and talked to my friend and we decided to start a business together.
I always wanted to be in the art and fashion world so in a way was my friend.
We decided to start making accessories, then we started using my paintings and
make printed fabrics. Then we would make scarves from this fabric. We also had
an idea to make everything in the UK and make ethical products that should
be Eco friendly and skin friendly. The ABO London brand was created. We
launched the first collection of scarves and that was pretty good, then later we
launched cushions. All it happened last year. Later my friend decided to do
something different so now I am completely responsible for the development of
ABO London brand.
3/ What would
you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?
It is a small and new
business, but so far it has few achievements. When we started the company we wanted
to make it as ethical as possible. That is why all our
fabrics outsourced and printed in the UK, then all scarves and later
cushions are finished in the UK. ABO London has been recognised by
the Ethical Fashion Forum, the industry body for sustainable fashion. ABO
London became one of the finalists of SOURCE Awards 2012, the Global Awards for
Sustainable Fashion as a Brand to Watch. In our first year of trading we got
stockists in the UK, Japan and Hong Kong.
4/ What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?
Running a business is like a roller coaster, you can have very
exciting moments as well as very low moments. One of the biggest challenges is
to stay motivated and keep going. It can be hard but you have to do it. In my
case it is all due to will power and self control. At the end I'm fine because
I believe in what I do.
5/What are your future plans for the business?One of my main motto's is to Think Big! So I
would like to develop the brand organically inside and outside of Europe. I
also would like to add more accessories to the product line. I would love to
see ABO products in large department stores from Hong Kong to Brazil.
6/If you had to do it all over again, what would you do
differently?
I would probably keep my job as a part time without completely relying
on my savings. Sometimes it takes ages to make that first profit and it takes
time to build a brand.
7/ Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow
their dreams?
Because they have talent, strength, passion and all abilities to follow
their dreams. They just need to believe in themselves and be motivated. It is
exciting to start and run a business, it is rewarding, because you create
something great. It is lot of hard work, but it will pay off one day.
8/ What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business
in your industry?
Listen to your guts and not someones negative comments. Stay
focused on what you want to do and what to achieve. Everything is possible and
that's in your power. I never give up and I never let anyone or anything get in
my way. I use the power of positive thinking to tackle challenges so they don't
defeat me. So stay positive and focused.
9/What or who inspires you in business and why?
I'm inspired by business women like Deborah Meaden, Karren Brady, Tamara
Mellon and many others who don't give up and creative in many ways to grow
their businesses.
10/What is
your favourite inspirational quote?
I have a dream and
never give up.
www.abolondon.com
Email : info@abolondon.com
Twitter: @ABOLONDON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ABO-London/
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