WISE Profile: Heba Daghlas
From Burqa - a village near Jenin - Heba Daghlas, 30, is another one of our returning businesswomen from cycle one’s Fostering Women Entrepreneurs in Nablus (FWEN) for our phase two project, Women’s Incubation Services for Entrepreneurs (WISE).
Despite having only completed the ninth grade, Heba's strong sense of courage and ambition led her to start her own embroidery business. Initially embroidery began as a hobby for Heba, but when she realized her potential she joined the FWEN program at TYO in 2012 to begin her journey as an entrepreneur. Two years later her products now range from embroidered accessories and dresses to tapestries, home decor, and special orders as well. She sets herself apart from similar businesses by fusing together traditional Palestinian embroidery with modern designs.
Having perfected her art and business plan, Heba's current biggest challenge is securing investors to help sustain her business. With limited profit, Heba continues to work from home and invest her own savings to continue manufacturing her products. Furthermore, her lack of financial resources also limits her from marketing her brand in order to garner more support and clients. In spite of these difficulties, Heba chooses to forge on and is confident WISE will support her in finding the solutions she needs to succeed.
Heba sees the following as her top areas of growth from the start of FWEN in 2010 until now:
- Confidence
- Independence
- Becoming more outgoing
Her advice for budding entrepreneurs is:
Have confidence in yourself and your ideas, and make sure to have fun while launching your business. It can definitely be challenging, so make sure to take one step at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
Heba's determination has allowed her to beat the odds of coming from a disadvantaged background, and she maintains this persistence. Stay tuned to learn more about the progress that she makes in the coming year with the support of WISE.
-Lila Lila is a Fall 2012 intern.