“SWEET DREAMS”

“Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.”

Mehwish Zulfiqar – Owner of MehwiLicious

Though, these days life is full of sadness and the world gets darker by the minute,  but still there are people who believe in pursuing their dreams and fill sweetness in other lives, entrepreneur Mehwish Zulfiqar and her shop are a good example of this. “To fill Sweetness in Everyone's Life is the main mission of my struggle”, said Mehwish Zulfiqar.

Basically, after earning her honors degree in Mass Communication from Jinnah University for Women, she landed in an entrepreneurial career in the year 2011. As she always believed "To be your own boss is better than to work under a boss." Therefore, she herself started an online page named MehwiLicious on Facebook, where she takes orders and supple cakes/cupcakes on demand.

Telling about how she landed in an entrepreneurial career, she said “I am baking cakes for about 4 years, then I started to take more and more interest, visited other pages, read blogs and watched tutorials, all the stuff fascinated me." She further said,  "My family backed me to start this 'You’re so good baker you should start your own business'. I took this seriously and one day I made my page.

Furthermore, she told that the total start-up investment of her business was around Rs.20, 000, which she got from her family and from her saving also. “Recently, I took 5-2 orders per week as I can't handle more than that right now,” she said. And for her Facebook is the main marketing tool, moreover, she also uses Twitter and Pinterest as well and definitely word of mouth works best.

And on her page she catered cakes for numerous events such as birthday parties, Wedding Anniversaries, Graduations, Birthdays, Eid, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day and Other Miscellaneous Event. While, people mostly come to know about her page through Facebook, clients, family and friends and once they come to her page than the creamy, light and delightful cakes makes everyone's jaw drop and they can't help ordering it.

Chocolate Fudge Cake---MehwiLicious

Sports Car and angry birds’ special.
Everything is edible.

On answering the question about why did she opt this field, as she is a Mass communication degree holder, she said “I think it is hidden talent that one’s should aware of, so I studied mass communication and eventually found my hidden talent. Both are related to creativity side. So I chose baking.”

As she is running her own business and are solely responsible for each and everything i.e. Profit loss, likes and dislikes therefore she takes great care from quality of the cake to its presentation. As she said, “There are many people who are doing this business and also a lot of good bakeries do offer such kind of stuff but it’s about taste, creativity which has to click the clients.”

Apart from it she also faces challenges as an entrepreneur, as she said “People think baking is as easy as cooking or other stuff, therefore sometimes they ask to make me things less than my cost price which really makes me upset. So, People should need to realize that it is an art and it takes hours to make with lots of expensive ingredients and tools.”

Moreover, she gave golden advice to all entrepreneurs who have just landed in this field, "Never compromise on the quality. How much different you are in your field you are successful. Baking is all about being creative, imaginative and it is the taste which eventually has to be perfect and matters."

After all,  it’s rightly said that Successful people don't do great things, they only do small things in a great way. Basically, they commit to take personal responsibility for their success and set high goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. Now, I just hope that someone will learn a new way of life after reading it... :)

Also to seek sweetness in your lives don’t forget to link up!!

https://www.facebook.com/mehwiliciousdiary

"DISABILITY IS NOT A DISMAY"

A very pious, hard working and cooperative person, who always meet people by paying Salam and say JazakAllah even if he earn a little amount of money, who is he? Can you guess is he a shopkeeper only, who is satisfied with his income at all or everything is a piece of cake for him? No, he is basically a 32 year old handicap guy Muhammad Ali, who apart of doing Bachelor in Mass communication also does a part-time job at Karachi University to bear his expenses.

Basically, Mr Ali is among those persons who are somehow disabled in their life but nothing can stop them to achieve their goals and despite of physical impairment, they made their life lightened with the mental strength and personal intuition. “To live a felicitous and especially prestigious life is the main essence of my struggle”, he stated.

On asking the question about the cause of disability he said, “Due to the attack of Polio in childhood my legs were paralysed and this makes me dependent on a wheelchair for throughout my life.”He added, “But I don’t depend on others for any kind of financial aid as my Prestige is more important than my life. Also I don’t compromise on my self-respect and for me it is better to die instead pan handling in front of others,”

Telling about his family background, he told “When I was only 15 years old my parent had passed away. However, I have 2 siblings who are spliced and live in Lahore. While, from last 6 years, I have been living in the Staff Club with my Aunt, who is like my Mother.”

He further said, “The source of my income is this small stall (stationary) which I place near the Silver Jubilee gate from 8 am to 2 pm. Initially, I started on a small-scale i.e. from Rs. 400 only. But now it is somehow extended and today I have stuff of Rs 20,000 to 25,000. I feel glad that now by the grace of Allah I am able to buy a three-wheeler bike from my earning.”

While, talking about his academic achievements, he said “I have done my metric and inter privately, then I enrolled in 2012 evening program at the department of International relation and after completing my one year in that department I transferred to the Department of Mass communication BS 2nd year and still I am a studying in the BS 2nd year. ”

He also praised the behaviour of Karachi University staff in these words, “The members of the University always cooperate with me and basically they are like my family members. In addition, students considered me as their elder brother and take suggestion from me on their academic matters.”

Apart from the praise, he also expressed his views on the lack of facilities provided by the KU to disabled students, “It’s very sad that in such a big University there are no ramps or separate transport facility available for us. But, I have decided that InshaAllah in my department I will make an inclined plane in front of the Department as for riding a wheelchair. Also, I personally talked to the Chairman of my Department Dr Tahir Masood in this regard who also agreed with me and InshaAllah in the near future you will see it.”

Telling about his future ambition he proclaimed, “InshaAllah after doing my Ph.D in Mass communication I will apply for a scholarship to go abroad for studies. So, I will achieve my passion with patience. While, the personality which inspire me the most is scientist Stephen Hawking, who is also disabled like me but never let his disabilities to come in his path of glory.”

Moreover, he gave golden advice for the upcoming generation, “Every human, whether disabled or not should works hard on their hidden abilities and don’t go for a short cut. Also, always put your trust in Allah, as Disappointment, hopelessness should not daunt us if Allah helps you.”