When I started my very first boutique, I thought passion alone would carry me through. I trusted the wrong “supplier contact” I met on WhatsApp, wired money overseas, and waited excitedly for my shipment. It never came. I had been scammed — and lost thousands.

On top of that, the first batch of inventory I did manage to source sat in boxes for months because I hadn’t researched what customers actually wanted. My store looked nice, but I wasn’t making sales. I felt embarrassed, overwhelmed, and almost gave up.

But instead of quitting, I decided to treat every mistake as a lesson. I learned how to:

• Vet suppliers properly so I never got scammed again.

• Research demand so I only bought stock people were eager to purchase.

• Price products strategically so I wasn’t working hard for little profit.

Over time, I built boutiques that worked — both physical stores and online shops — across clothing, home goods, and beauty. Those painful early lessons are exactly why I created Issymiano.com: to help you avoid the pitfalls I fell into and start your business with confidence.