Noor Unnahar, founder of Noor’s Place and Noor’s Blog Designs, is a young entrepreneur based in Karachi, Pakistan. Alongside pursuing further education in the fields of business administration and finance, Noor has ambitions of making positive social change through her journalism.

I thought being an entrepreneur was mainly the work of white collar professionals until I got into it myself and realized entrepreneurship wasn’t something for a specific group. It was all about being you and pursuing your business goals. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

My journey as an entrepreneur began when I started blogging and generating income from adverts. Afterwards, I became a graphic and blog designer, which gave my little business a boost. It was amazing, I was merely a teenager but I was transforming into an entrepreneur. A young entrepreneur!

However, the real struggle started soon after, I had to manage and maintain it. I had to manage life, studies, blogging, designing ALL at once. It was overwhelming! Blogging and designing wasn’t a full time job but my studies were. I would drag myself from my books to my laptop every day.

On one hand, I was happy with being an entrepreneur but I was also putting myself under pressure to find a balance, which at first wasn’t working out well.

Through the support of friends, along with the online clients and blog readers, I gained useful feedback through their appreciation for my work and this made running my business easier. Being an entrepreneur, it’s my experience to share your problems with others. It won’t only relieve yourself but you can also get a handful of tips from experienced people. At 16, I didn’t really know many business strategies that others might use.

I also learnt from my experience not to compare myself to others in a negative way. Rather than seeing the differences in our creativity as discredit to my work, I have learnt to appreciate creative differences and draw inspiration from others.

I believe young entrepreneurs can often feel that they need a guide when entering the world of business. What I feel is important for other young entrepreneurs to remember is that it is okay to learn about business as you go. You do not have to have all of the answers straight away.

It has been two years since I started my blog ‘Noor’s Place’ and it has taught me some lessons I would never have learnt otherwise.

1. Learn from others. Don’t be shy to ask for help when you’re stuck for inspiration or need some good advice.
2. Network with other entrepreneurs. Ask them how did they start? What was their experience? They may be able to share something useful from their journey into business.
3. Invest in good marketing. When you’ve launched your product, give it a boost with supportive marketing, such as purchasing advertisement spaces on related websites or blogs. Alternatively, use social media promotions as seen on Twitter or Facebook.

If you’re a young entrepreneur, don’t be afraid to speak up and embrace your creativity. Work with dedication and make your own opportunities.

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