Coming from a small town like Sargodha, Imtiaz’s success can be contributed to her ability to overcome her fears and follow her passion no matter what. There was a time when Imtiaz was ridiculed for her bold decisions. However, now that she has succeeded, she has become a source of motivation for many others.
After her divorce, Imtiaz worked for five years at a social welfare school located near her house so that she could be financially independent and raise her daughters well. She imparted training on embroidery in the school.
Five years after her divorce, she remarried. Understanding her passion to work on her own, her husband encouraged her to rent a shop in a local market. Imtiaz started selling embroidered clothes and cut pieces, but the revenues remained dismal initially. To cover her shop’s expenses, she then started selling rice from her shop as well.
Eventually, her clothing business developed a stable clientele, and Imtiaz decided to transfer her set-up to main Anarkali Bazar, Sargodha. With a bigger shop in the main market, the biggest challenges were to pay the shop’s monthly rent and filling it up with the right inventory. Following the advice of her acquaintances, Imtiaz came across Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited (KMBL) loan scheme. This was exactly the support that she needed to kick start her shop in the new locality. With financial backing from KMBL since 2006 to date, she has remained focused on expanding her business.
Currently, Imtiaz distributes plain cloth to more than 35 local females for embroidery and then sells it from her shop. She has now moved her shop to one of the famous business hubs of Sargodha city and has also employed a female on full time basis.
Today, Imtiaz is a successful entrepreneur creating employment opportunities for the community and inspiring many people to do the same.