WSM Blog

Thoughts from an Entrepreneur

Thinking about selling online during your studies?

Hear how Azaria Anaman (BSc Accounting and Finance) developed her retail business at university. Azaria listed her business on the Wales Student Market and was a winner in the 2021 Cardiff University Student Start-up Awards.

 

What made you choose to start a business rather than looking for a graduate job?

Starting a business is something I’ve always wanted to do so now that I’ve gotten started, I thought I should take a chance on myself and see how far I can get with it, especially while I’m young I wouldn’t want to look back and regret not taking the opportunity to build something I’m passionate about. 

Did you feel nervous/anxious when going through the process? How did you overcome it?

Yes! I remember at the beginning I had a hard time just starting. Overcoming it came with attending Student Futures workshops to build confidence in both myself and my business idea and ultimately having friends, family and mentors around me who encouraged me to keep going. 

Have you received support from Cardiff University? In which forms?

I have received plenty of support from the university, especially from the Enterprise and Start-up Team who were always happy to talk things through with me and offer advice and possible avenues to explore and signpost me on to support and events. 

Do you have any advice you can give to students who are interested in starting a business?

Do it! Being young and having the chance to experiment with different things is great. You never know how far you might get with it and may discover a passion in the process and definitely build a lot of skills. And if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve given it a go! 

What is your future vision for your company/career?

For my business, my vision at the moment is to continue growing and evolving. I would love for shops to stock my products as well as more makeup artist.  For my career, I enjoy being self-employed and I hope that whatever I end up doing in the future I enjoy my job!

Is there anything you wish you had known while starting up?

How exhausting it can be. Setting my own hours, it was very easy to consume myself with a thousand and one things. But also, how enriching starting a business can be. I’ve learned so many skills and had a wealth of experience from doing this that I don’t think I could’ve gotten doing anything else.  

Running a business as a fresh graduate can’t be easy. How do you manage all of your commitments? Do you have tips for maintaining your wellbeing?

Calendar apps and planners are my friends! A lot of the time if I haven’t scheduled something into my calendar, it won't happen - this also means scheduling rest, socializing and self-care. When it comes to well-being taking breaks, have a routine and checking in with myself regularly. 

Visit Azaria’s business, Eni Lashes.