As a devout Muslim young woman, Ippy needed a wardrobe that was more modestly styled
than the clothes offered at most American stores. She noticed that there were few
places for the Muslim families in her hometown to shop for appropriate women’s clothing.
Learning to sew when she was 10, Ippy began sewing fashionable Muslim clothing for
herself and other women in the community. Word spread about her unique yet appropriately
modest clothes, and women in her community began requesting Ippy’s designs. In early
2004, she enrolled in a neighborhood entrepreneurship program called, EYE - Expert
and Youth Entrepreneurship, and she turned her passion for sewing into a viable
business. Ippy now sells her Muslim and contemporary fashions online and in her
community and has plans to go to business school and someday open up her own store.
Q: Why did you choose a clothing business, was sewing a passion of yours?
Ippy: I’ve always loved to sew, my mom taught me when I was 10 years old. When I
was 13, I began sewing for my mother’s friends. When I was 15 I was encouraged to
take a business class called EYE, Experts and Youth Entrepreneurship at a local
college. I was already sewing for people and I just decided to make it into a business.
I entered a business plan contest and I placed second! I also got a $500 prize.
Q: What were some of the challenges you faced in starting your business?
Ippy: It’s a lot of work since I was still in school and mixing my business and
schooling and homework. It takes a lot of dedication, but if it’s something you
want to do and you’re passionate about it, you are going to do it.
Q: What kept you going when there were challenges?
Ippy: My family, they back me up and encourage me and keep me going. Plus I love
sewing so even though it’s hard work it is something I love to do.
Q: Did you get help or advice from other people?
Ippy: Through the business and entrepreneurship programs I’ve been a part of such
as a Merrill Lynch program called ICIC, I’ve met a lot of successful business owners
who give you all kinds of advice and become mentors. They give the simple advice
that they’ve been in your position before when they were young and it’s hard but
if you don’t give up you gain a lot from the experience in the end.
Q:: How did you finance your start-up business?
Ippy: There weren’t many starting costs since I already had a sewing machine and
my customers purchase their supplies. But I did get a better sewing machine and
half of the cost I paid from the money I’ve earned from my business and one of my
aunts gave me $100 to go towards it.
Q: What do you like most about running a business?
Ippy: It’s fun creating new designs. It’s fun to pick a design from the back of
my brain and come up with new styles and to see how happy my customers are with
the designs that I pick out for them.
Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned through your experience as an
entrepreneur?
Ippy: Never to give up. If you want to succeed you can’t give up. You can keep trying
and you may fail but you learn from your mistakes.
Q: What kept you going when there were challenges?
Ippy: I think one of my mistakes was telling customers that yes, I can finish their
outfit when I was getting too many customers at the same time. I was like, ‘oh I
can’t do this anymore!’ But my family told me you can do it and with their help
and my passion for sewing I kept going. I did end up meeting my goals and satisfying
my customers.
Q: What would your advice be to other kids thinking of starting businesses?
Ippy: It is very, very important to run a business that is something you like to
do, it has to be about passion. You can’t just run a business and go for something
that is going to make a lot of money; it has to be something you like to do so that
you can do it for a long time.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share about your experience as an entrepreneur?
Ippy: Make BIG dreams and I mean big worldwide. Don’t settle to sell just within
your city. Don’t settle for anything, dream big and go for your goals.
