Why I love My Business?

Assalamu'alaikum!

2015 is just around the corner.  Means it's been 3+ years since I've run my mini business.  How time flies!  Masya Allah..

Lessons learnt, experiences gained.  Alhamdulillah..

Businesses are not always lovable. Indeed, a business is like a teenager; you may not always like it, but you always love it. I love my business. Starting and running a business is a love story.

Getting your business on track is one thing, keeping it there is another.

I love my business for many reasons.  Yes, it allows me to use my gifts and live a fully purpose-filled life.  Yes, it allows me to set my own schedule.  Yes, I’ve met incredible people and have people in my life that constantly support and believe in me.  Yes, it allows me to work from home, in a home office I’m designing to uplift and inspire me daily.. Ok, no. A BEDroom office I set to laze around and do my work. 😅

Yes, it allows me to work with customers I adore (from all walks of life) and make really, really good money, doing the exact work I love, Alhamdulillah!

All of those things are wonderful.  But do you want to know the BIGGEST reason why I love my business?

Here it is:
I am the #1 reason I love owning my own business.  Hands down.  The MAIN reason.
When I look at my fellow muslim friends and families, I pity them. I always wonder, is there not enough nice and decent clothings? Or maybe it's not to their liking?

I remember getting a dress I chose online as my birthday present from mum. The lady I liased with was very helpful and inspirative. Back then in 2011, online businesses wasn't so much an in thing. In that moment I knew I couldn’t leave the idea as that.

Well, at a relatively young age of 17 too, I thought it would be great to have my own wardbrobe revamped. Choosing what I love and just be myself! That’s when I knew I had to take my destiny in my own hands, take my big leap of faith, with the support of my parents and best friends (you know who you are!), and start from zero experience, zero capital and give my dreams a chance.

And I’ve never regretted it.  Not once.
Over the years this BIG REASON of mine has inspired me to work diligently to get and keep my business on the right track because doing so means I DO get to spend my time benefiting myself, and others as well. I must admit that over these 3 years, I met different souls, all of which have the same aim to achieve salvation, insya Allah.

Haifa Areta is my little one. My baby. She inspires me to express myself in a unique way only some would understand.

I'm throwing this question to the floor.
If you were the one in my shoes, what inspired you to start your own business?  What was the flame that captured your awareness in such a great way your thoughts about your life and your possibilities have never been the same?
You have your own BIG REASON.

But if your business isn’t on track you’re sacrificing your big reason and at the end of the day that’s not OK.  Big reasons and dreams… they latch hold of us and will never let us go until we make them a reality.

Here's 50 other reasons why I love my business:

1. I wake up without an alarm clock (I don't really need an alarm clock, my mum is one.. hehe)
2. I get all the glory and all the blame.  It’s simpler this way.
3. I can work from home, from bed included!
4. I have pride in my company.
5. I can take hours for lunch and prayer break.
6. When my Mom calls, I can talk to her forever.
7. When a friend calls, I can chat like nobody's business.
8. I can do personal errands when the streets and stores are not busy (I kind of hate queueing.. so don't make me wait)
9. I can pay my personal bills anytime I want to.
10. I can eat at my desk any time I want.
11. I can leave 'the office' and not tell anyone where I’m going.
12. I don’t have to work with people who aren’t nice.
13. I can set the dress code.
14. I can work on my business and still keep my job. (if I like it..)
15. I can work in and learn about computers, marketing, sales, cash flow management, and taxes without these being my core competency.
16. I get to decide when a client becomes a personal friend.
17. I can go to as many or as few training seminars as I choose.
18. It’s a great way to self-discovery.
19. I can upgrade to a new computer or a new software when I need to.
20. I am not required to take a vacation, I'm always on a vacation.
21. I can go paperless (save the Earth! You don't wanna know how much paper goes wasted in offices each passing minute)
22. When I’m blessed with a new client, my income increases.
23. I’m not paid by the hour, I’m paid by the result.
24. It doesn’t matter when I get into the office in the morning, or if I am not in at all.
25. I can design my own business card.
26. I’m emotionally connected to my work.
27. I get to decide the mission, values and vision for the company.
28. When I want to spend money, I don’t need anyone else’s permission (I never do..)
29. I get to choose how I do my work.
30. I don’t have to rush during office hours.
31. I can take a nap in my office.
32. My opinion counts.
33. I can save all work for at a time in the day when I’m at my physical best.
34. I don’t dread Mondays.
35. I can create new challenges (I love healthy ones!)
36. I have time to eat healthy, eat more! Eat eat eat~
37. There are no limits to my working hours.
38. I can work from almost anywhere.
39. The customer is not always right, and that's what Islam taught us.
40. I can foster my creative side.
41. Stress becomes a teacher, not a captor, because I have more control over what causes the stress.
42. I can create jobs.
43. I have control over my company’s ethics.
44. I can practice the Islamic way of handling my business.
45. I decide when I want to take my business to the next level.
46. I control my company’s office culture and decide what’s acceptable behavior.
47. I control the thermostat (like I always do..)
48. I can try new ideas (I have tones of it!)
49. I inspire people around me (I think. Because one by one, they all starts their own business..)
50. I have all the time myself too~

Well, now that I have my reasons listed... it's time to take Haifa Areta to another step in 2015 insya Allah; the management process~

Till then, take care peeps!

Yours sincerely,
'Izzah Syauqina