Browsing for fashion: Datin Hjh Rokiah (C), President of the Women's Business Council, checking out the items on display at JNature Boutique as Juliana (R), manager of the enterprise, looks on.
A TRAINEE under the Business School's incubator programme has fulfilled her dream and joined the world of entrepreneurs with the launch of her boutique shop at one of the incubators at the school in Gadong yesterday.
Manager of JNature Boutique, Juliana Hj Alimin is one of the participants of the fifth intake of the Business Incubation Programme who has gone on to the programme's third phase with the launch of her enterprise.
"It started with a strong interest. I've had a passion in fashion and dress-up since I was in secondary school and that led me to the starting up of a boutique business today," said Juliana.
She participated in the programme as the fifth intake last year and only after completing the second phase, which involved the development of her business plan, was she on her way to realising her dream.
"There is a lot of work to be done in starting up a business and one must not easily give up. Running a business is a great and rewarding venture if one knows how to manage and operate it," said the former manufacture engineering graduate from Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering.
"Thankfully, the business incubation programme has helped a lot in realising my dream and I've learned a lot from the mentors in all aspects of running a small business, though there is still much to learn and room for improvement," she added.
Juliana professed that her dream is to one day establish her own brand, JNature, which will focus on the marketing of environmentally-friendly products as inspired by the theme of her business name as well as her huge interest and support for the environment.
JNature Boutique provides a variety of apparels and accessories for women and is currently open for business at one of the incubators at the Business School.
Juliana will be managing her business at the incubator provided by the school throughout her third phase under the programme for a period of 20 months. The new boutique manager also plans to open up her own store in her hometown in Tutong after her business matures.
The Business Incubation Programme provides an alternative for Vocational Technical Education and Training (VTET) graduates to embark on self-employment business activities.
"The incubation programme allows participants to develop their business ideas up to a point where the business operation is sustained," said Pg Norashikin Pg Dr Amir Md Yussof, the entrepreneurship officer for the Business Incubation Programme at the school.
"The participants will go through three phases. The first phase aims to raise entrepreneurship awareness by encouraging participants to start a business. The second phase will include the development of a business plan through commercial and industrial exposure as well as relevant government agencies handling business operations."
Pg Norashikin explained that in phase two, a panel of entrepreneurs will advise the participants on their business plan.
"Upon successful completion of the first two phases, participants can then proceed to the third phase where they would be given the opportunity to start their own business in an incubator unit."
The school facilitates the programme while providing facilities such as a conference room for corporate meetings and mentorship and business counselling. The school has 12 incubator units for early stages of business operations.
The launching of JNature Boutique was officiated yesterday at the Business School by the guest of honour, Datin Paduka Hjh Rokiah Hj Zakiah, President of the Women's Business Council.
Business School's Principal Habib Mohammad presenting a token of appreciation to the guest of honour Datin paduka Hjh Rokiah.
A week has passed since our convocation. A day which I would remember for the rest of my life. Everything's good now, having realized that I, along with my fellow colleagues are now among the ranks of those who have graduated before us.
One day we're gonna look back and recall the joyous times of our lives during our youth, and this is just one of them. This is graduation, the most glorious day for students, a time for a final reunion with our fellow comrades who we have been together for years, and a time to celebrate the end of our education course.
After the showdown with our final exams and wrapping up with our industrial attachments, its obvious that we deserve this joyous day. It is the moment when we all sing our last song. I never thought that I could actually experience such a meaningful day, due to the hiccups I've gone through many long years back. Though I'm glad that, as one of the students of Technical Education, (despite not as grandeur as the HND's or the Uni's), I get to be with my friends that I've studied with since 2005, adorned in our convo attire and recieving our honorary certificates on stage which are highly valuable to us all. All the hard years have really paid off.
Looking back, its hard to imagine how life would've been if I didn't actually take that first step to continue my education. I guess I wouldn't be where I am now, and I wouldn't be making great friends along the way. Best of all, with our achievements as a national diploma graduate, we are worth much more now compared to the day we first started taking the course. Our chances of employment and further studies just got better and brighter; its just a matter of taking that next course of action. We are smarter, more mature and experienced than ever before, and we will use these knowledge and experience we gained over the years for our survival and sustenance. Whatever opportunities that lie ahead, we're ready to take them.
As this chapter ends, a new chapter in our lives begin. Yet we will always remember this meaningful day as the checkpoint of our lives, and most importantly, our friendship we treasure for many years. 22nd April 2009 was a fine day to graduate!
