Nadine Mustafa As part of this issue’s narrative, we want to address the topics of social obstacles and career ambitions of women in Egypt. On that note, we talked to Rania Atef, the founder of ‘I Make This’ platform, about the value of supporting women, leadership in a time of instability, as well as her greatest hopes while building a versatile network of makers, craftsmen and artists. What this platform offers is an exceptional community of creative minds, bringing valuable pieces to your home and personalized, handmade gifts for your friends and family.
What is your career background?
I’m originally a statistician! I have a master’s degree in social research methods and statistics. I worked in the development field for the first eight years of my career, then decided to follow my passion and became a child and family photographer.
How was the idea for ‘I Make This’ birthed?
As a freelance photographer, the biggest challenge was to find the right marketing channels to reach my target market at a reasonable price. I noticed many of my friends who have small businesses have the same problem. With social media being one of the most effective marketing channels nowadays, I decided to create a platform for women with small businesses to market their projects for free; I wanted to create a safe space for women to proudly showcase their businesses and receive the support and recognition they deserve.
How did you move from a mere idea to an actual business?
The concept of the group was very successful, and it grew organically to 100k in only two months. The steps we have been taking since then were actually all guided by the community; we make sure to listen to their needs and have them guide our plans. For example, our community asked for a bazaar, so we held one. Then, they felt they needed the products to be better organized, so we created our e-commerce platforms – the mobile app “I Make This!’ and the website www.imkthis.com
Who is your target audience?
We divide our target audience into two groups – makers and appreciators. The makers are a variety of designers, crafters and artists who can render anything you may need for your home, yourself, your family and for anyone you may want to gift with a special handmade item. Our appreciators are not the regular high-street callers; they are equally unique in their appreciation of beauty, art and its variant forms of expression.
How do you spread the word about what you do?
We mostly relied on word of mouth and social media. As I mentioned before, our group expanded to 100k after just one month because women invited their friends to join. Today and after one year, we have more than 250k followers on our different social media platforms and have helped over 4000 women market their businesses.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?
Covid-19! It affected a lot of small businesses and many women were struggling to maintain their businesses alongside managing online learning for their kids.
How do you balance your business with your family time?
I’m a mother of three kids, and with the current covid situation and online learning, it has been challenging indeed. My patent style, however, relies on involving my kids in most family matters. So I’ve explained to them that I’m starting a new business, which will require me to spend more time than usual working and that I will need their support. When they understand what is going on, they are usually easier to handle and it surprises me how supportive they can be.
If you could give advice based on what you’ve learned over the years, what would it be?
I would say that, for people to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself. Let your passion guide you on what you need to do. Do things with a genuine heart, because that way you can enjoy them rather than being focused on making money out of them, and the money will eventually come. Your team is your biggest asset.
