Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laila Khater. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laila, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

As life is leaving marks on me, I’m doing my best to leave mine on it. I’m hoping that people will remember me for my determination and not allowing the surrounding circumstances to stand in my way. I want them to remember me as a humble example of goals achiever. I try to encourage people around me to awaken their passion and follow their dreams and to believe that they can do it, one step at a time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been into arts and crafts for as far as I can remember. It all started with the influence of my mom as a child. I grew up in a large family, where my mom had lots of responsibilities. But that did not stop her from finding her passion and improving herself in it. I remember how she used to create stunning flower bouquets made out of ceramic that she used to make from scratch, it was mesmerizing to see her work on these bouquets.

Getting into the small business world, It started when I made a gift (shadow box) for a very special person and when people saw it, the first comment was you should be selling these, they were impressed with the quality and the idea. And that was my 1st step into establishing my own small business that I run from home. Later on I started selling using social media platforms, until I finally opened an online shop. Now I ship across the states and Canada, and looking forward to start shipping worldwide in the future.

I work with different materials, from cardstock to wood to create my products. I’m specialized in making personalized gifts, and custom-made small décor items for different occasions.
I really want my customers to fall in love with the items they order from my shop. I always make sure to understand the idea they have on mind for what they are ordering, this requires constant conversation and I always share a picture before I start on their order for approval. And I think they do appreciate that.
One of the challenges is finding more time to work on the growth of my business, but I’m sure it will get better with more time management from my side.
I’m happy and proud of this journey so far, and can hardly wait to see what the future holds.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I would say high quality products with reasonable prices.

How did you build your audience on social media?

It started mainly with my local friends and family members, many of them got items for themselves, and also ordered personalized gifts for out of state friends and family members who were very happy with what they have received and started following my accounts. One piece of advice would be to focus on your own growth, and stay away from comparing your progress with others. Remember, the factors involving their business are different from yours. The best comparison is when you compare your own small business to what it was yesterday, not to what small business is today.
Also, do not worry much about the number of followers, content and consistency matters the most.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/CisforCrafting
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cisforcrafting
• Other: www.pinterest.com/cisforcrafting