The current pandemic has hit business’ hard with thousands of individuals being made redundant or placed on a furlough scheme. Freelancers and business owners have not been left unharmed. This young entrepreneur profits from the pandemic by switching from finance to floral designs.
The young man from Broughton like many other residents in Salford lost the ability to enjoy his everyday activities such as catching up with friends and going to the gym.
Despite a global pandemic a brave young man decided to step out and start his own business. After he was unable to find a job due to the lockdown Daniel Iqbal, 21 decided to take matters his own hands and became his own boss.
The entrepreneur had previously invested into the stock market and forex trading for extra money however by April 2020 the trading market had crashed, and Daniel knew he would need to take up a new challenge to keep himself occupied and help provide for his family.
Whilst many other young individuals were content watching Netflix, Daniel had other plans.
“By the first lockdown I had already set an idea in mind, just because of Covid does not mean the world stops there are still birthdays, anniversaries and religious events to celebrate”
Daniel, the eldest of three creates all his flower designs and ornaments using recycled materials and creates every detail by hand.
“Premium flower bouquets can be specifically ordered but the main idea of our business is that the flowers are eternal and don’t die.
“I found myself surrounded by sadness and loss during the first few months of lockdown, everyone was depressed and lost – including myself.”
Daniel discussed how the lockdown affected his mental health and he felt he needed to keep himself occupied.
“I missed my friends and family a lot and my mum and I began sending handmade flower displays, this is when I realised such a small act can bring a lot of joy.
The business does not require any qualifications so Daniel decided to use his creative nature to profit during the pandemic.
“With every business there are difficulties, I learnt this from my previous experience with trading. You win some and you lose some.
“Our online orders are not as popular as our local orders. We always have neighbors ringing up asking for a unique design for their partners, mothers, and friends.”
He is benefiting from the boom in shopping close to home.
Motivated by the encouraging comments from family and friends, and with lockdown measures not being lifted anytime soon the 21year-old was driven to become more optimistic and more imaginative with business ideas.
Daniel was inspired by his mum who encouraged his business idea and helps prepare and create orders.
“With a team of two we found ourselves having more time to create freely and open accounts to share our products on Etsy, Facebook and Depop but now we find ourselves more popular within our local community and take orders through WhatsApp.
Like every business during the pandemic the duo faced difficulty early on as they struggled with managing online orders and marketing.
Daniel added: “Although we are nowhere near where I wanted to be, I took the leap and every day I am learning something new.”
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