Most 25-year olds are still rethinking the decisions they took when they were younger, whether they were the right ones or not. Is this the right career for me?! Am I fulfilling all my potential or not?! Was studying medicine the correct choice?! etc. This was not the case for 25 years old Mayar ElHarty, Premium Plus CEO and young female entrepreneur.
Mayar shared her story on how she became a female entrepreneur at a very young age along with three advises for her fellow female entrepreneurs. She also shares her secret to a work-life balance.
Point of departure
Mayar was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, where she studied mass communication and majored in public relations and advertising. “I fell for advertising since day one in college. The concept of thinking creatively and out of the box and the brainstorming lectures were the reason why I got up and went to classes every day. Consequently, after getting my bachelor’s degree I thought it was just right career path for me.” says Mayar.
“I’m all about new experiences and broadening my horizons. You’ll always find me reading a great book or backpacking through a new country.” says the female entrepreneur.
On the other hand, Mayar considers herself “old school” when it comes to technology. “I’m not tech savvy at all, I’m only as good as everybody else in using web applications, smartphones and social media. I actually still cherish the pen and paper method” says Mayar.
Maturing to be a female entrepreneur
After graduating, Mayar started working in a nine to five job as an account manager for an advertising agency. But, deep down she always felt that she can accomplish more. At that time Mayar’s father had a small venture that offered promotional solutions through production or giveaways. Then he decided to move out of town three years ago, this is when Mayar found her chance to step in and take over.
She made major renovations to the business, what started as small module grew into a professional entity. Premium Plus now provides six advertising services: branding, social media management, printing, web design and premium giveaways.
She previously worked with Hellmann's, Unilever, Vodafone, Americana, Tupperware, Nestle, Seoudi, and many more leading brands.
“This is why we exist, to make it easier for you. To connect your brands with their audience, It is our passion to make your business a distinguished competitor.” says Mayar
Premium Plus’ edge is kicking off with their clients from the very beginning. They start by branding the business and providing everything they might need. The starter kit mainly consists of: building the brand’s website, setting up their social media platforms, and a year by year calendar of advertising campaigns. They also support the brand with hard material production such as wood, plastic, acrylic, etc. To produce indoor and outdoor signs , store displays, customized booths and everything in between. They can create summer booths, uniforms and promotional branded giveaways.
Beyond social media
The female entrepreneur believes that having a website for your business isn’t a luxury anymore. “I think launching a website for your business -no matter what its size is- is a must. Since we’re in a technologically advanced era, people go to the internet to search for brands, products, services and companies.
Premium Plus doesn’t only have a strong presence on social media, they made sure their website was equally professional. The female entrepreneur made sure the web development team revamped and renovated the website a year and a half ago.
“I use the website for displaying our services, and our clients list, and in the very near future it will be used for job vacancies as well.” says Mayar.
“My website is very important as it adds credibility to my business and enforces my company’s image. I’ve been providing my clients with GoDaddy’s products and services for 3 years. For me, GoDaddy is a stable, credible and user friendly service providers.” Explains Mayar
Premium Plus are using GoDaddy’s Professional Email service,Web Hosting and Domain name for launching their online identity . When we asked her if she would recommend GoDaddy for her clients, “with no hesitation” was her answer.
Advice from a fellow female entrepreneur to another
Mayar’s secret for finding the work-life balance for other female entrepreneurs is to try your best to manage your time by not getting distracted, never work on weekends, and plan an annual long trip. So, when it’s go time you’ll be focused, relaxed and working efficiently.
“As a female entrepreneur, I don’t strive for the perfect schedule, I rather strive for a realistic one. I believe that reaching a balance helps you achieve and succeed over time and releases the everyday stress; with that being said I’m never afraid to unplug.” says Mayar
Mayar has three golden tips for the female entrepreneurs out there whom are trying to make it.
- Stay Focused
- Strive to improve
- Don’t stop exploring
Focus
In the business world you need to accept losses, take calculated risks but always stay focused. That’s why setting a goal for your business is very crucial. Write your goals down and always get back to them, somehow, we tend to get caught up and lose the essence of what our mission and vision were in the first place.
Improve
We know that life as a female entrepreneur could be very busy, but you need to make time for reading. In case you don’t like reading opt to audio books. You’ll also need to accept feedback and criticism, because that’s the only way to improve your skills.
Explore
Don’t forget to get in touch with who you really are and stay connected to your passion. Remember that stretching your boundaries - as scary as it might feel- is what will get you places. Moreover, always work on exploring new things about yourself and keep working on that.
“I wish someone had told me that I will fall a lot, and I might run out of things to do at some point. But believe me you’ll always get back on track if you stay focused and passionate about what you do” says Mayar. She firmly believes that women are very determined, which can be both a pro and a con. A con in terms of failure possibly affecting female entrepreneurs more, though a pro due to female instinct of always trying to get back up and finding their way back on track.
Mayar’s final advice for every female entrepreneur starting her own business is to go all out and never cease any chance she gets. And to accept that failure is an essential part of success.
