Siwar’s journey with Shorouq
Siwar has been a certified yoga teacher for a few years now. For her, helping people improve their overall health and providing them with a retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is fulfilling. Plus, teaching yoga isn’t exactly a 9–5 job, so talk about the ultimate work-life balance!
However, after the outbreak of COVID-19, things were no longer white sand beaches and namastes for Siwar. A government-enforced lockdown meant she could no longer give classes at the yoga studio where she was employed. And, for the first time in a long time, it was now Siwar who needed help finding her inner zen.
Siwar, who had grown accustomed to practising yoga only when teaching it, decided to roll out her yoga mat one more time for a class of one — herself. She took a few moments to disconnect from everything and allowed herself to worry about nothing. After meditation time was over, Siwar took one last breath in and out, picked herself off the mat, and regained clarity!
She thought to herself: who said yoga classes had to be given in person? Just like her students paid to attend her classes at the studio, they can pay for a weekly or monthly membership to access her live and online yoga classes!
Siwar felt pure excitement until it dawned on her that providing services in return for profit counts as a business, even if she’s operating the business from her home.
Yes, Siwar had always been entrepreneurial, but that didn’t mean she knew what steps to take next. Feeling like she had hit a brick wall, she called her close friend Farah to share her recent troubles.
Farah, who had previously joined Bank al Etihad’s Shorouq Comeback Program to restart her career after taking a voluntary break, had some pleasant news to share.
A mentor from the program Farah kept in touch with, mentioned how the bank introduced a legal advisory service precisely for that next step Siwar needed help with. All she would need to do is apply online. Once she did, she could get up to 4 hours of free legal advice from an expert who could walk her through how to establish and register her business.
Siwar didn’t need any more convincing. She was rushing to end the call so she could go online and apply! But before they said their last goodbyes, Farah suggested that Siwar also check out Shorouq Connect.
As Siwar was skimming the Shorouq Connect web page, she realised that registering her business was just one aspect to consider. She hadn’t thought — or rather didn’t know — how to articulate her business mission in a way that would resonate with more people. Not to mention how to manage her business’s cash flow. So, she decided she would apply to Shorouq Connect too.
After all, these were uncharted territories. And if Shorouq Connect could give her access to a team of experts who can guide her on her business journey, she wasn’t saying no.
Once Siwar started attending the talks and workshops that Shorouq Connect offers, she noticed how her knowledge about starting and running a business improved. With her mentors by her side, Siwar launched her business!
She contacted her former students to let them know they could sign up for her online classes, and many did. She also introduced people to her business over social media by sharing short clips of what her yoga classes are like. And, before she knew it, she had over 100,000 followers!
Siwar is still a yoga teacher. But today, she’s helping others find their inner zen through online yoga classes from her beach-themed bedroom!
So, what’s stopping you? Make your tomorrow more successful with Shorouq today!
