One hot May morning in the year 2000, a few days before their final year exams were scheduled to begin, four MBA students got into a semi-serious discussion at the Dubai Polytechnic on what they would do after school. Six months down the line -- fresh out of college with their exams behind them -- two of them left for higher studies while the other two decided to pull their act together and do something useful with their lives.
Maha Mirzai and Isti Wallace were young, ambitious and looking to hit upon something big. And it looks like they got there -- with one good idea, plenty of hard work and a firm head on their shoulders.
Both young ladies loved doing makeovers -- nothing nurtured by fancy courses, only a quiet instinctive feminine passion. They enjoyed dressing up, looking good and posing for photographs. And if they liked it, surely others must like it too, they thought. So how about being in a business that makes others look good too, they speculated. Would photography be an option? But then they were no ace photographers - although they had done a couple of courses -- and there were enough run-of-the-mill studios in Dubai doing the same thing.
But when their chins were sunk for days in their palms with their heads looking up to the skies and brains sifting through hundreds of done-to-death ideas, lo and behold! one popped up and, at first thought, hmmm ... it didn't sound so bad! On more reflection, it dawned on them that it wasn't just a 'not bad' idea; it was a splendid idea.
Like true breeds of the new generation, the two girls had found their solution in the most ubiquitous and promising phenomenon that stares us in the face today -- the digital phenomenon. Thus was born Le Studio Mystique -- the digital studio at Al Mazaya Shopping Centre in Dubai, where the two young owners manage the whole show with a sophisticated digital camera and a high-resolution printer among other things.
Both had been to such studios abroad but had not seen one in Dubai -- at least, not yet. Once they had decided, "we told our families and they thought we were crazy," says Isti, who majored in Marketing from the Dubai Polytechnic. "But they didn't say no. They realised we were serious," adds Maha, who has a degree in Finance from the same college.
It is one thing to have an idea, and quite another to get it implemented. When asked how they got around to getting the finances, finding the right location, and seeking out the right equipment, both looked a little bewildered. "Actually, we have never had the time to think so much about it until you asked us. We have just been at it each day," says Isti, gesturing a little vaguely, as if unsure if what they have achieved is still a dream or a reality.
Neither can recall the actual date when they opened shop. In fact, both seem surprised that they hadn't even had an official launch. They just started working right from day one, from 10 in the morning to 10 at night. "We were so busy -- not with customers or anything in the beginning. But just checking if everything was in place. We were meant to move in on a particular date. But then our glass door broke twice. Then one day, everything was ready and we just moved in," shrugs Isti, very matter-of-factly.
They only remember the effort they put into the whole project. "Our biggest challenge was to get people to take us seriously," says Isti. "And let's be serious about it, we told ourselves. Otherwise, nobody's going to take us seriously. So I made a business plan to see if it was feasible or not and then showed it to my mum." That's probably when both the girls' parents realised that their daughters meant business. "And to prove it, we started seriously running around ... getting plastic bags made ... checking out tiles for our shop and so on," adds Maha.
Before getting down to business, "we did all the things," explains Maha. They checked up the Internet for information, talked to people, did a survey on ideal locations, brushed up their photography skills, worked at friends' studios in Fujeirah and Dubai for awhile, taught themselves the tricks of the trade, got advice on the equipment they should buy, and picked the best in the market. They were already well acquainted with the relevant software packages. And between the two of them, there were savings from part-time jobs and their parents - bless them - who pitched in their bit, and wished their children luck.
The girls hadn't forgotten their initial aim -- to make their customers look and feel good. "We thought of ourselves as customers. From our own experience, we knew that we couldn't choose in ordinary studios. Here, the customer is in control. He can choose," says Isti.
"And when you go to other studios, you don't change," explains Maha. "So we had an idea. We wondered what it would be like to change your looks, change your clothes, be affordable and have a little fun too in the process." "Yeah, photography should be fun," agrees Isti.
That's how the studio came to have a trendy collection of costumes, jewellery, whacky hats, accessories and, in Maha's words, "a bit of this and a bit of that," which customers can rummage through and use if they want a different look. And they also offer to do a makeover for clients. Most customers can't resist that. To top it all, using a digital camera allows them the freedom to take as many pictures as they want, show their customers the results on the computer and let them choose the ones they like best, and opt for prints or get them burnt on a CD. And if somebody is not satisfied with the first take, redoing it won't cost a dime.
"Our first customers were friends and neighbours at the shopping mall and from them the word spread," says Isti. Before they knew it, they were inundated with customers. "So far, it's just been word of mouth for us. We have not had the time to do any marketing as yet." And still, the two are up on their feet, from 10 in the morning to 10 at night. "Those first days," Maha recalls, "we were in here till three in the night arranging things."
A majority of their clients prefer prints. "But our business clients like models, boutiques and music bands prefer CDs because they are more versatile," explains Isti.
An MBA background helped. "Costs are not major in setting up," says Isti. "If you are business minded, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a great thing going. Contractors were quoting a lot of money for doing up our interior." So they went out into the market and checked the prices out for ourselves and discovered that they were being grossly overcharged.
"When we went back to the contractors and told them they were charging us over Dhs. 40,000 more than the market rate, they were shocked. They thought we were just a couple of kids but when they saw that we were determined, they came around," says Isti, who actually took her "measuring tape and measured from one end of the wall to the other." They designed even the interior of the studio. "I drew a 3-D version of what we wanted," says Isti, proudly. Surely, that pride is fully justified.
It's been five months since the two of them ventured into the business and clearly, they are happy with the profits they are raking in. "Yeah! We're doing well," Isti laughs, but gives no figures. "We have been blessed or very lucky," she adds.
If there's one thing that both of them have learnt these last few months, it is that everybody likes to look and feel beautiful -- without exception. "Nobody's left us in a bad mood," says Isti. "Yeah! And they all go back happy," adds Maha.
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