Sita Poudel has established Soraya’s Luxurious Cosmetics as a trusted hub for beauty products.

--BY PEMA YANGZOM SHERPA

Soraya's Luxurious Cosmetics has become one of the most trusted hubs for beauty products in Kathmandu and Dharan. Started by Sita Paudel in 2016, Soraya’s survived the COVID pandemic and has established itself firmly in business thanks to the dedication and passion of its founder.

“I have always been a keen learner and believer of strong work ethics. This has moulded me into what I am today,” Paudel, the Founder of Soraya’s Luxurious Cosmetics, told New Business Age.  Always driven by her passion, Paudel has now ended up achieving a respectable position in the business.

Early Life and Education
Paudel was born and brought up in Baglung district in western Nepal. Her parents owned various shops, and were associated with other businesses in their village itself. As a result, Paudel got involved in businesses from an early age, and also enjoyed it. “My sister and I used to buy sweets from our own shop and sell it to students in our school. During those days, I realised that I was passionate about this sector,” she recalled.

Paudel completed her Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management and later shifted her line of interest to management. By the time her daughter turned two, she had already earned an MBA from the School of Management at Tribhuvan University ( SOMTU).  Her thirst for education did not end here. Realising that it was necessary to know about the laws of the country, she completed her LLB from Nepal Law Campus.

Prior Businesses
Every entrepreneur has their own story of how they started. Paudel has a beautiful and inspiring one as well. In 2016, she had to settle in Dharan with her husband for his work. She had just completed her MBA and therefore was looking for some opportunities in Dharan. Luckily, she aced her interview with Min Bahadur Gurung of Bhat-Bhateni Supermarket and was prepared to be a part of the management team of Bhat-Bhateni outlet in Dharan. But during the training, a part of herself hesitated. As a result, she quit the position after about five months and went ahead with her plan of starting the business of her interest - Soraya’s Luxurious Cosmetics.

Soraya’s Luxurious Cosmetics
She gave the brand her daughter’s name - Soraya. Paudel worked relentlessly to bring genuine beauty products to her store. The store focuses more on skincare beauty lines and has also been supporting Nepali cosmetics brands as well. It currently has outlets in Kathmandu and Dharan.

Soraya’s Luxurious Cosmetics is a distributor of Pixi, a successful English brand, in the Nepali market. Different skincare products, toners, serums, lip products and many more available in the store. The company is also active in social media and it boasts of almost 42.1k followers on Instagram and 17k on Facebook.

Challenges
There is no sector where an individual can work without facing any challenge. Being a woman entrepreneur, Paudel has also faced many obstacles in her journey. One of the problems she faced was dealing with male workers. She shared with New Business Age she feels disappointed if workers do not perform in a satisfactory manner. “They were not professional, and I was also facing difficulty communicating with them,” Paudel said. She gradually overcame all such challenges. “If everyone works in a professional manner, nobody will have to suffer in any way,” she added.

Work-Life Balance
Paudel is a wife and a mother. When asked how she manages her work and family life, she smiled and appreciated the support of her family - in-laws, brother and husband. “I am grateful for the milestone  that I have reached in my life. If it weren’t for my brother, my husband, parents and my in-laws this would not have been possible,” said Paudel.

Advice to Young Female Entrepreneurs
Paudel adores young female entrepreneurs and always focuses on empowering them. “I would like to tell the aspiring female entrepreneurs to trust themselves the most. Without thinking about what society thinks about you, question your potential, your abilities and always move forward,” Paudel said.
“I have stumbled and gotten up in these five years,” she said, adding that she won’t stumble on the same obstacles but rather face them carefully.

Government Support
Paudel says the government has been supporting women-led businesses by providing them with subsidised loans and other facilities. “However, the implementation is yet to be effective. It’s still in progress,” she added. “If there was a policy to support women-led businesses and a tax waiver for startups, then the entrepreneurs would have a good start. Financing plays a crucial role while starting a business.”

Despite being caught up in her world of beauty, Paudel manages to find time for the meaningful ones in her life. In her free time, she loves to be with her daughter, friends, sisters and relatives. “ My daughter is my best friend right now and I love watching her grow,” she shared with New Business Age.