What kind of business did you set up and why?
I am currently running Azlyn Ltd, a reversible fashion label for professional men and women.
The aim of the business is to maintain a transparent supply chain that relates the garment to the individual who made it. Customers can trace their garment back to this person by checking the label on the outside. This will bear his/her name and an interactive biography will be found on Azlyn’s e-commerce website. Production will be based in Morocco, where Azlyn plans to engage with community members and offer employment opportunities.
We are currently working on launching Azlyn’s e-commerce site as well as our unique reversible blazer collection which are created by our excellent Moroccan tailors encapsulating the very essence of ethical production in each garment.
Azlyn’s first collection was sold in London’s dynamic Spitalfields Market on June 28th, 2012, with the support of University of Surrey and SETsquared.
StartUp Loan has approved £10,000 funding for Azlyn.
What was your involvement at the University of Surrey as an entrepreneur?
During my final year at the University of Surrey my passion for enterprise led me to take over the role of President of Surrey Entrepreneurs. As such, I helped to develop the society strategy and grow the finance. The focus was to install an entrepreneurial culture among the student body and raise aspirations, along with practical skills, to create student Startups.
My involvement as an entrepreneur also included contributing to and leading a team of five enthusiastic students while participating in the Unipopshop competition. This was organized by SETsquared Partnership and consisted of teams of six students across the five SETsquared Universities. Each team was given a £300 start-up loan and a stall for a day at Spitalfields Market. An award for the best digital marketing campaign around the event was won by my team, the University of Surrey team.
In addition, I supported the incorporation and launch of Young Enterprise StartUp programme at the University of Surrey.
During my time as President for SE I was awarded Best Enterprise Champion 2012 by the SETsquared partnership between leading research universities in the south of the UK; Bath, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and Surrey. I also collected the award for the Best Event of The Year, The 24 Hour Entrepreneur Competition, Surrey Entrepreneurs. This is a programme designed to help students bring their ideas to life and start up their own businesses. This competition gives £9000 to three different businesses. The award was given by NACUE (National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs)
What’s it like being a young entrepreneur?
Being a young entrepreneur is exciting; you never know what you’ll be doing next. It challenges you and it keeps you on the ball. The entrepreneurial spirit is something innate in you, it’s a way of thinking and it’s something you grow up with. Running your first business and making sure it’s successful in the long term is challenging especially when you are young and have no experience, but you have passion and an idea.
