A young African-Australian female entrepreneur, Omnia Suleman tells Afraa Kori about her supportive community and new e-commerce business.
1.What do you like most about where you live?
Maribyrnong is a beautiful neighbourhood. We have access to local restaurants and cafes, within walking distance, and a friendly neighbourhood with a diverse community. I also really enjoy walking/running along the Maribyrnong River with my dog – Lola.
2. What is one of your greatest achievements?
I am very passionate about wellness and health. It has always been a goal to develop a platform to encourage and empower women to be intentional about their health journeys. I wanted to build a brand that caters to all women, especially marginalised women, that is centred around empowerment and inclusion. Runway Active was launched and operates out of Melbourne as an e-commerce business.
3. What have you done well with your business? What is your greatest strength?
My greatest strengths that I’ve been able to utilise in the business are my collaborative and networking skills, in working with other small businesses to build brand awareness and create content. Being intentional and inclusive with brand content and collaborations to ensure true representation that is in alignment with the values of the brand.
4. Why is community important to you as a small business owner?
Runway Active prides itself in being able to actively engage with community in its short life spam. We have collaborated with local cafes, assisting in promoting and marketing, as well as sporting clubs, encouraging community engagement and participation. At
Runway Active, prioritising relationships and community is paramount, this is demonstrated through meaningful engagement, and nurturing connections.
5. What impact do you want to have on your community?
Through my business I endeavour to inspire and empower all women in the community to prioritise their wellness and adopt a holistic approach to wellbeing through education.
6. What are the biggest challenges you face as a business owner daily?
As a business owner increasing brand awareness and marketing continues to be one of my biggest challenges. Organic marketing via social media has been our main form marketing thus far. I am currently undertaking studies and researching different marketing strategies to hence my social media and marketing skills. Balancing Runway Active, my day job, and life in general has also been challenging. I have navigated this by allocating two hours a few nights a week and one day during the weekend to work on content, research, engage in collaborations and complete orders. This allows me to time manage and still engage with family and friends, self-care activities, whilst continuing to also focus on my health journey.
7. What does success look like for you?
Success would be to establish a prominent presence in the fitness and fashion industry by creating an inclusive space that embraces all women, and a business that is also recognized for creating initiatives centred on promoting well-being.
