Alita Rodrigues and Armin Jamula
“When you buy from a small business, someone is dancing in the background. With every new she-preneur we bring on board, we also do that dance,” said Armin Jamula, co-founder and CEO of ItsHerWay.com.
ItsHerWay.com is a UAE-based home-grown business, built on the principle of ‘by women for women’. The platform – co-founded by Alita Rodrigues and Armin Jamula – handpicks home-grown, small businesses run by women, offering them a platform to showcase their skills. These businesses can sell through ItsHerWay’s e-commerce platforms ItsHerStore and ItsHerSkill.
Over two years since launch, ItsHerStore boasts more than 300 vendors, while skill-based marketplace launched in August 2019, ItsHerSkill has brought onboard 100-plus vendors. The monthly order numbers have touched the 200-mark, with the average order value being $100.
According to the co-founders, every quarter, from a sales volume perspective, they have seen a 200% increase from the time the business started. The average cart value increased 50% in 2019, indicating that buyers were purchasing higher value products showing trust in the platform.
What kind of hurdles have you crossed so far?
Jamula: Bringing the right, like-minded, women entrepreneurs on board has been the biggest hurdle. But, once we have the right she-preneurs with us, it is immensely fulfilling to support them and see their and in turn our growth.
How are you empowering women from around the globe?
Jamula: We have a brand called From Kili With Love which is led by a psychology teacher. She sells products handmade by women from a village in Tanzania. From tote bags, now she is branching into clothes, aprons as well as make-up pouches made using African fabric. The proceeds from the sale of her products go back to the village in Tanzania towards women’s welfare and children’s education. Another seller, Indian brand Desi Hangover has adopted an entire village in India. She is taking care of children’s education to healthcare of the villagers. They sell handmade leather shoes made by the village community, thereby reviving an art that was dying. The brand is now selling in India, Dubai, Australia and Singapore.
What are your future growth plans?
Jamula: We are looking for funding to scale up the business. Currently operating in the UAE, the plan is to enter Saudi Arabia followed by South & Southeast Asia within the next three years starting with India.
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