Q: When you arrived here what was your main role?

A: It was setting it up and mostly designing and choosing the kind of the jewelry and stuff. So like I said I wanted something a little bit different and not too bland but something to bring in, like something eye catching stuff so the whole designing of it, like usually used to get the bog standard just slap boards and everything just pinned up so we wanted to something a little bit different just to attract the eye. I mean the theme was Aladdin’s cave so we just kind of put things around there’s no real order to everything. You just walk around and it caught everyone’s eye.

Q: Of course yes. I think going down this road I’ve been slightly more attracted to this type of window shop because there’s the bling on the floor (laughs) and bling all around. I think you have managed to find the right details to s attract people to come in.

A: Well that’s what the aim was because personally for myself I’m not very good at searching through stuff.

Q: So you need everything to be displayed.

A: Yes and I need something that catches the eye that attracts me from the inside.

Q: So what do your clients think you, your services, do they think you’re very nice, your services are good compared to other people?

A: Yeah we get a lot of compliments. I mean I don’t want to sound overly or up myself but yeas we find that a lot I mean in regards to our customer service and that’s what we train our staff for. I think that’s probably the most important thing. And that is the thing that is lacking around the local area is the customer service and the lack of knowledge of what the customers want. So you know if you go to a shop and man’s sitting there he has no idea what a woman’s needs are in regards to clothes and accessories, they just open a shop and in regards to just the business and making money. And I think it’s important and that’s the most important thing is to know what your customers want and provide that customer service and we feel over the last, like three years, I’ve found, I mean even now if we offer customers, you know if we tell them if we haven’t got something there’s a certain shop down the road that might have it, they’ll be like “oh no, we like to shop here, we like your customer service”. Even with girls here, the girls who work here on the weekends they get compliments here for their customer service. It’s a really important factor I think, especially as a way of moving forward, and being different to everybody else and to stand out.

I think it’s experience as well. My degree is in business management and then I’ve had a lot of customer service experience in regards to working in other retail stores, you know, while I was in uni and college and I think that really helps with the insight kind of thing and helps me to train my staff as well so I think having the experience is really important as well as quite a few people might not have any experience in customer service or retail or running a shop but just open and then you do find it difficult afterwards to be able to push through, you know the times like the crisis, with the financial crisis we were having and stuff and it’s little things like that that help you push through, and stand out.

Q: If you compare yourself to other sales women or sale men on this road, a lot of people had it through the family training and very few have done studies like you have, do you think it has brought an extra thing to your shop then?

A: I think so definitely, in regards to managing it and building it because you can either stay at the same position that you opened in for a few years and not be able to, you know, not be able to improve the business at all. But when you’ve insight into this thing because you know managing the whole business in regards to the finances, the accounts, and just the general running of the business I think you need to have that type of experience and that drive really and that’s the only way to improve the business otherwise you’ll stay the same and there won’t be any change in your business and you won’t have no need to improve, it will just stay the same. Next five years somebody comes in and the shop’s exactly the same …

Q: Of course yes

A: But yeah with the experience when you’re working in the environment like retail and stuff you appreciate the fact that things need changing and things need to move with times as well so I think yeah, it’s definitely important.

Q: What about the future, do you fancy, I mean is this your only shop or do you have other ones?

A: At the moment I don’t want to put my fingers into too many pies but yeah, my partner has opened a dessert shop just across the road. I love baking so I do some baking for them as well so…

Q: So you vary your skills I see …

A: Yeah. I can’t stick to one thing (laughs). That’s my problem.

Q: So when did that open up?

A: That opened in October last year.

Q: Excellent, great. So does he deal with that or do you bake?

A: He does the running, and I do part of the baking like specific items, yeah, but my brother’s also there, he’s the main chef there.

Q: Ah Excellent.

A: Yeah (laughs) We’re spreading across the whole of lady pool road.

Q: That’s good. So you’re staying in the theme of the family businesses on ladypool road and expands…?

A: Yeah, it’s something different though again I think there was a need a proper dessert place rather than sitting in a restaurant and having your bog standard Asian desserts there so we do the whole lot there, the English desserts and everything. Yeah

Q: That’s great. So if you need help here do they come across and help you or?

A: No it’s usually me helping them (Laughs).

Q: So you go over the other side?

A: (Laughs) Yeah I’m not much in-store. There, I’m more towards the back baking and stuff. It’s a nice change I think, (laugh) I get bored too easily.

Q: So how long have you had this shop for?

A: This one has been three years.

Q: Three years, wow. And did you have anyone else in the family that had this type of shop?

A: Not in regards to jewelry, but yeah it was, I mean, growing up my uncle and my dad had owned a shop on this road, as well, that was like a shoe shop. For some time it was also an electronics store. So we’ve kind of had businesses in the family.

Q: So whereabouts was it?

A: It was further down actually on the same road.

Q: After Lahore?

A: Yeah further down. It’s actually clothes shop now as well.

Q: I see.

A: But it used to be like your, you know, just your standard shoe shops something like where you would go to buy your school shoes stuff. And I think
nothing that sort of available like wedding-y type stuff, that’s all quite new, but growing up it was just your normal, just shoes, everyday wear.

Q: So how have you seen the road develop throughout the years? I suppose when you were talking about your uncle and your dad. Were you working with them? Or helping them out at all?

A: No, I mean we were quite young at that time. So we’d come after school and just sit there but, yeah, it used to be more of a kind of convenience type road, where you would go to do your grocery shopping or like I said things you need as necessities like school shoes or your everyday wear. It wasn’t nothing like now where people come especially from other cities to shop for weddings. That kind of thing wasn’t available it was just restaurants and grocery it was like your everyday walk through road. And that’s changed now to more kind of where you’d come shopping for weddings, and things like that, so it attracts a different type of customer now. Your restaurants obviously are still here, (giggles) they’ll keep going!

Q: Of course. I suppose one attracts the other. The women come down here to buy there clothes and the men come down here to eat…(giggles)

A: (Giggles) Yeah definitely, that’s why it’s lively, you know, from ten, eleven o’clock in the morning till really early hours at night, in the morning, because the restaurants are still open so, yeah it’s one of them places that’s always alive I think.

Q: Great. And obviously, well I suppose, you’ve been supported by your family, how or have you been supported or have you not?

A: No definitely been supported in regards to personally been supported not financially but definitely personally because I wouldn’t be able to do it if I didn’t have the help of my mum and dad. I’ve got a little son you see. And I’m here full time so I need a lot of help with him. And they’ve been very supportive and that I’d be out of the house on a full time basis. A lot of Asian girls might find that difficult, kind of being able to just walk out and concentrate on work, and full time so I’ve had a lot of help from family, yeah in that sense. A lot of motivations from my father as well, you know he’s always asking “what are you doing next?” “What are doing to improve it?” “What do you want to do next year, do you want to expand?” Yeah, there’s always that motivation there.

Q: Wow. So there’s this sort of double management of working life and ‘mum life’?

A: Yeah, Definitely.

Q: How old is your son?

A: He’s seven. But he has disabilities so he needs full time care as well. So yeah it can get difficult but I think the busier you are the easier the life is. Yeah so you need to be able to just juggle it.

Q: Well yes you juggle a lot here then. (both laugh). How many days do you work in this shop?

A: Five days a week. I try taking the weekends off. I mean when we first opened I was here seven days a week for the first about eight months.

Q: Really?

A: Yeah just to get it started but now my staff are trained and they’re fully capable of looking after it on the weekends although that’s the busiest periods I think it’s important for me to stay at home with the little one as well so, you need that balance.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: Yeah I think it’s the ability to be able to do so many things at the same time. And the appreciation I’ve been given to be given the chance to do it as well. Like I said my parents helping me out the chance to be able come out and do it. And just being able to do different things I think. You need to stay busy and not just sit at home and say my son needs full time care and I just need to sit at home but that’s not the type of person I am, that’s not how I have been brought up. So yeah I think its’ really important to keep yourself busy and to do something to improve yourself all the time and you know reach your maximum potential.

Q: Have you had any remarks from other women who you have met probably I suppose like if your son needs care for example, you have met other women in the same situation?

A: Yeah, they find it shocking to be honest sometimes how I cope with it. I really don’t find it difficult myself but I don’t know some people just find it really difficult to comprehend how I juggle everything. Some people from the Asian society can be a little bit harsh about it as well as they think that maybe I’m neglecting him and stuff but if you see him you’ll know (giggles) he not neglected.

Q: And how do they react, what do they say to you?

A: Like you know the worst would be like, “oh you should be at home with the little one. He needs you, he must be missing his mum..” and things like that. So as a single parent as well it becomes a little bit more difficult you see, so, yeah I think it’s the mentality of some Asian people, not my immediate family because they’re really good about stuff like that but extended family can be a bit harsh with, well they’re not very open minded some people I think.

Q: So you say they’re not very open-minded and are they based in Birmingham or they based back home?

A: No in Birmingham.

Q: Because you say your extended family ….

A: Oh ok, no I mean extended family living around us.

Q: So where do you come from?

A: Pakistan.

Q: And you do have any memories from there? Or have you ever lived there?

A: I went there when I was about eight years old, the last time I went.

Q: Really?

A: Yeah so I don’t remember much of it.

Q: So goes back that far?

A: Yeah but we did stay, or I did stay there for over a year and I did actually go to school there for a year, but I don’t remember that much of it.

Q: Right.

A: I would like to go back though, that’ll be really nice

A: Yeah I think you need to keep a balance I mean there’s a lot of, obviously I’m Pakistani and you know there’s a lot of traditions, customs, and stuff and I fully respect that, you know, but I think it’s a balance; you’re living in a country where you’ve been given so much rights, and freedom and stuff and why not take an advantage of that, you know, and not abuse the system either. Like I said, I could be sitting at home, I don’t need to work and can be on benefits and stuff but I don’t think it’s right if you’ve been given the opportunity and the freedom to do something why not do it. And take that opportunity and appreciate it. And hopefully it’s important you know in this area especially to come out to run the businesses because I think it’s the women that can take this place forward as well and really improve on it. Like I said only women know women’s true needs and once women are given the opportunity they should come and help out like if the husbands have got a shop it will be really nice to see their wives coming in as well and looking after the place as well. We definitely need it. We just had a shop open actually a clothes shop and two ladies have opened it and that’s exciting.

Q: Do you think women have helped this road become a success?

A: Yeah definitely I think from what it was like your boxed convenience store and grocery shop that obviously men were running at that time, and you know it can only last for a certain period of time I think and with British Asian women it needs changing, you know, with their needs and wants changing I think it takes a woman, a strong woman to come and then move this place forward. So if you look around most of the shops they will either women or staff.

Q: But not managers or …

A: Yeah I mean if the owner is male they’ll still have women staff upfront that are looking after the place because there’s definitely a need for it. The place won’t be able to run with out the women.

Q: It’s great that there’s this positive movement and that this role of the women they’re last and settling down and very positive situation for even the future generations…

A: Definitely and I think people are more open minded men, husbands are more open minded about things like that and are giving more opportunity to women to come out and work or open their own places or if they can’t open their own places then to come out and work as well so yeah the opportunities are there.

Q I see. So what do you want to see more of now down this road is there anything in particular …or more dessert shops or not because it will make more competition for you (Laughs)

A: (Laughs) Well we’ve had a few more open actually but yeah I don’t know may be catering for our English customers, I think we don’t get a lot of, we only get Asian customers around and yeah it will be nice to be able to cater for, like a mixed variety of people.

Q: So what about in this accessory shop who are the customers?

A: To be honest ninety-five percent Asian

And so many people come in and they love it and wouldn’t buy it to wear it. We are moving into doing a little bit more casual type and English type of jewelry as well so we’ve got a little section now and hopefully by next will have built that up a little bit more.

Q: Great. If you had a message to pass on to the next generation who has for example felt there are barriers, obstacles or people who can’t or aren’t encouraged, what would be your message to them?

A: I think, you know, just fight for your rights. There are a lot of opportunities out there and education is really important as well you know it’s not easy to just open up a place and let it run itself. A good education and a good experience is really important so I think that’s the base; like especially for the youngsters these days they don’t find education that important; they’re not paying heed to it much so I think that’s the base to everything. And it’s a lot easier for them nowadays than it was for the generation before us and a lot more opportunities and parents and brothers are a lot more open minded and a lot more opportunities and should grab the with open hands.

Q: Thank you very much A.