My name is Aina Hussain, I am 20, almost 21 and studying Nutrition.
My sister is Zahra Hussain, 24 and a pharmacist. We set up this together but all credit for the name 'The Pinned Veil' has to go to my eldest sister Zainab!
What gave you the idea to set up an online hijab store?
The idea to set up an online hijab store initially came as friends and family members used to frequently ask us where our own personal hijabs were from and if we could purchase some for them also. The main aim when setting this up was to aid muslim women in covering up and making them feel happy and comfortable in doing so - and doing all this without breaking the bank! Basically we wanted to provide a service which offers stylish, modern pieces at an affordable price. We have always been interested in fashion and particularly in hijabs so we see this more as a hobby, something we enjoy doing, rather than a job or a business.
How did you go about starting up The Pinned Veil?
Initially the first step was sourcing products that we liked. I would say this is probably one of the most difficult parts as there is a lot of choice and competition out there. Next was coming up with the name, logo and type of image we wanted for our company.
How important is it to have more muslim women being self employed or starting a business?
Very important! Numerous ladies/girls have said to me they would love to do something like this and my answer has always been - what's stopping you? Everybody has their own talents and hobbies and although people may be thinking 'there's already somebody else doing that', so what! Each person has the potential of creating their own niche market. I agree business is not for everybody and that is completely understandable but for sisters who want to start something, ask Allah (SWT) and go ahead, the satisfaction you get out of it will be well worth it inshAllah.
What are the future ambitions for your company?
I think the main thing currently is that we are in the process of setting up our own website Alhamdulilah. Once this is up and running it will make things easier for sisters to order and for us also, as ordering can be done at the click of a button. Furthermore..hmmm.. only Allah (SWT) knows! We have various ideas we would like to implement but currently our aim is to focus on what we are already doing and do it well inshAllah. Having your finger in too many pies can get messy! What advice or encouragement would you give to other sisters who are thinking about or in the process of starting their own business?
First of all ask Allah (SWT) for help as ultimately HE is the only one who can provide it. Plenty of Dua's - when we first set up a sister told me to recite Surah Waqiah.The Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘Whoever recites surah al Waqiah at night would never encounter poverty’ [Ibn Sunni 620] He (pbuh) also said, ‘Surah al Waqiah is the Surah of Wealth, so recite it and teach it to your children’[Ibn Asakir]
Setting up a business is by no means an easy task. It takes time and patience. Setting up 'The Pinned Veil' was a lengthy process as both my sister and myself were working and studying so finding time was one of the hardest things (and sometimes still is!) I think organisation is key. And remember 'Rome wasn't built in a day' - you will always have visions of what you would like to do but take things one step at a time or it can be overwhelming going straight in at the deep end, it definitely is an on-going process.
Setting up a business is by no means an easy task. It takes time and patience. Setting up 'The Pinned Veil' was a lengthy process as both my sister and myself were working and studying so finding time was one of the hardest things (and sometimes still is!) I think organisation is key. And remember 'Rome wasn't built in a day' - you will always have visions of what you would like to do but take things one step at a time or it can be overwhelming going straight in at the deep end, it definitely is an on-going process.
Has the review on iHijabi influenced your business in anyway? If so how?
When the sister behind iHijabi told me she was going to do a review, I assumed it would be a short paragraph briefly explaining things. When she sent me the link and I saw how in-depth it was, and how quick she had done it, I realised how wrong I was. Since the review Alhamdulilah we have had more fans on our facebook page and more enquiries.
We would LOVE to hear from you, afterall we are doing this for you guys - so any suggestions, thoughts or feedback, feel free to contact us inshAllah.
Lastly - just want to thanks sister behind iHijabi for taking the time out to do this, not only for The Pinned Veil, but the whole blog. It is a wonderful idea that is beneficial to sisters globally and inshAllah she gets many rewards for it :)
GIVE-AWAY
If you've read my review of the pinned veil you will know that I have recently become obsessed with jersey hijabs =S and because I love them so much I have collaborated with sister Aina from the pinned veil to give you the chance to win a jersey hijab. Here are the rules of the competition/giveaway:
1. If you're on facebook you must 'like' both pages for 'The Pinned Veil' and 'iHijabi' and/or 'follow' the blog if you're a blogger
2. Write a paragraph of 100 words on 'hijab' (it can be anything to do with hijab e.g. poem, personal experiences, a review of your fav hijab etc) [note: they must be your own words and not copied from somewhere else]
3. Send that paragraph to ihijabi@gmail.com along with your name and country.
The top 5 entries will be uploaded onto the blog, and the winner will be chosen by you on the iHijabi facebook page once the top 5 entries have been chosen. (The most 'likes' will be the winner iA)
The deadline is midnight Friday 15th April 2011 and the winner for the competition/give-away will be announced on Wednesday 20th April 2011 inshaAllah. So get writing I wish you all the best iA (= Assalaamu alaikum!
The Pinned Veil facebook page
iHijabi facebook page