fashionista

DRESSED in a black skirt and a white blouse, Shamim Mwasha looks simply smart. But what caught my attention was her zebra (striped) ballerina which matched her huge cocktail ring. There is no doubt that Shamim is a huge fan of fashion. She admits that she loves fashion so much and that her life evolves around it. The 32 year old is a Blogger, boutique owner and a Web Editor. Both her blog and her shop share the name 8020 fashions. She got the name from an Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto (1843 - 1923), who came up with a theory that said 80 per cent of your results come from 20 per cent of your efforts. “I have used this theory in my business. If you put 20 per cent of effort then you’re likely to get the 80 per cent of success,” she says. A former graduate from Morogoro School of Journalism and a holder of Certificate in Journalism, Shamim has worked for IPP Media as a reporter for Nipashe Newspaper before joining Darhotwire where she is now a Web Editor. “I like browsing the internet, that’s why I love and enjoy very much my current job of web editing…and the fact that I have a blog makes it easier for me to do what I am doing because I am always on the internet.” In 2007, she opened her own boutique from the money she carefully saved every month from her salary. “I started my shop with a capital I raised from the savings. It was not easy to raise the little that I could but I am glad I was able to do it,” she reveals. Shamim has always wanted to be an entrepreneurship. “I grew up seeing how my father who was an entrepreneur ran his business and that’s where my interest originated from. The only difference is that I focused on fashion.” After opening her shop, she started a blog with the main aim of showcasing her products. And four years later her blog is one of the most visited in the country. “I have to say my blog has become an education platform for women who are keen on fashion. People always ask me, what the colour of the year is… what I should wear for my kitchen party or the wedding … what is the latest trend... the questions go on and on. I am very happy that I am able to use my knowledge on fashion and share it with others.” But who has been Shamim’s shoulder in all this? She proudly mentions her husband whom she says has been with her, shoulder to shoulder, in everything that she has been doing. “My husband has taught me how to handle the blog, the shop…he constantly gives me ideas about my business,” she says. A mother of one, Shamim has also enrolled herself to College of Business Education where she is studying Business Administration. Although her business is now booming, she admits that running a boutique is very competitive. There are so many boutiques in town but thanks to her blog, her shop has good clients. For anyone who wants to be a blogger, Shamim advises: “People should do what they want, not do something because someone is doing it. Do something that you love. I have seen a couple of blogs that try to do want I am doing but it does not work because it’s more than a job. I am passionate about what I am doing.” For the future she hopes to have her own wedding television show. “My advice to women wishing to start business is that one has to have a passion of what one wants to do. Copying what others are doing will be a wastage of time. If they are successful in what they are doing it does not mean you will be successful as well,” she concludes. There is no doubt that Shamim dreams big.

Source: Daily News, 28th April, 2010