Support Female Entrepreneurs in Palestine

My name is Maysaa. My soap business, called "Tubasee Soap," is named after my hometown. I make and sell handmade soap using herbs and natural ingredients such as olive oil, lavender, rosemary, sage, camel milk, and goat milk. I started making soap in 2009 after I participated in a training lead by NICCOD, a Japanese non-profit organization, where I learned how to produce soap using natural ingredients. After the training, I gradually started to experiment with producing different kinds of soap and trying them on myself. I immediately noticed that my skin looked and felt much healthier after using the natural soaps compared to the more commercialized and chemical products upon which I had been depending for so long. I decided to turn this skill and discovery into a profitable business and took the first step by joining the 2012 Fostering Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East (FWEME) program at Tomorrow's Youth Organization (TYO) in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

I always knew that I still needed to improve upon my business management and marketing skills. I found the opportunity years later when I joined TYO’s Advancing Palestinian Women Entrepreneurs (APWE)  project in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The project offered a chance to step back and evaluate how my start-up was doing and improve some of my business practices. A few months into the project, I used my business plan developed through APWE to apply for a scholarship and was selected to join the Active Citizen Summit 2.0, a three-week trip to the US to gain more business skills and study new techniques in soap production. Looking back on the trip, I can see what a profound impact it had on me both personally and professionally. It boosted my confidence and self-esteem and it also helped me to see how my small idea and micro-business could transform into a much larger and more prosperous business. I came back to APWE even more eager to learn.

It is hard to point to one single way in which I’ve benefited from APWE; there are so many ways that I have changed. Before joining the program, I was much more focused on the quality of my product and the production process and less on how I myself, as the business owner, promoted my product. Through the APWE marketing and branding intensive, I began to understand the importance of product marketability. I learned that certain marketing strategies – such as how I present my soap to new customers, my business logo, the tagline, and having professional photos of products – could all help to grow my customer base and increase sales. During the mentorship module, I asked to be matched with a graphic design and photography mentor in order to improve my photography skills and capture professional shots of my products for advertising. The photography techniques I learned were very simple, but have made a huge difference in how my products look in advertising. I immediately noticed that I was able to attract new customers. The demand for my soap products increased significantly once I started sharing my improved product photos.

Fellow entrepreneurs frequently ask for suggestions about how to start up or strengthen their businesses. I always encourage them to reach out to TYO and to sign up for entrepreneurship programs. I know that the programs will put them on the right track towards realizing their strengths and gaining the business practices they need in order to turn their dreams into a reality.