Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Smart Lady : Teamwork makes the dream work

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RAHMA AL KALBANI -


Taking their inspiration from the adage, ‘There is strength in numbers’, a group of Omani women entrepreneurs have joined forces to market their products and services under one umbrella.


‘Smart Lady’ is a common brand under which a total of 31 entrepreneurs have rallied together to offer a wide array of products and services, spanning fashion, accessories, cosmetics, perfumes, garments, event management services, photography, bridal services and so on.


It’s the first initiative of its kind in the Sultanate and a paradigm that promises to inspire other Omani women to emulate.


Spearheading the ‘Smart Lady’ project is Asma al Tobi who has established the brand in a small shopping mall in Al Maabela in Muscat.


“We launched the project in December 2016 initially with 23 different products and services through our website and by using various social media platforms.


But after the launch of the brand in May 2017, we were able to attract more customers.


Our group also grew to 31 Omani entrepreneurs, enabling us to lease dedicated premises in this mall,” Asma told the Observer.


At the heart of the project is a goal to encourage and support Omani women entrepreneurs by providing them with a platform to market their products, participate in local and regional exhibitions, enable them to give expression to their talents and aspirations, and most importantly, open up a new income stream for them.


But it wasn’t entirely smooth-going, says Asma.


The members had to overcome their own self-doubt in the viability of the project, especially because of the novel nature of the project.


Lack of funding was also a problem — a challenge that she managed to overcome by encouraging budding entrepreneurs like herself to join her start-up. In the end, Asma succeeded in bringing together 31 Omani women without seeking a percentage of their profits.


Going forward, Asma plans to relocate ‘Smart Lady’ into a large mall and open it up to more aspiring women entrepreneurs. “We welcome any woman to be part of our ‘Smart Lady’ family,” she said.


According to Khadija al Alawi, a founder-member, the project also aims to offer free training and guidance to young women in areas such as project planning, e-marketing, business identity and as on.


Samia al Mabsal, a fellow member, added: “This project gave me an opportunity to promote my products locally and regionally, and gave me a platform to exchange ideas and experiences with my fellow entrepreneurs, and I’m very grateful for this.”


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