Many Saudi women have started their own small businesses because of lack of employment opportunities. These young Saudi women are taking up small businesses as weddings planners, home decorators, dresses makers and cookery. They are out to prove to the world that big brand names in the market aren't everything and small businesses can even earn more. Siba Talal and Amal Sami decided to apply their love for cooking in real life by starting a small home business under the theme of “Mini Bites.” “We have a degree in English literature and due to lack of enough job opportunities, we have opted to start our own business,” Said Siba Talal. Young Saudis are willing to find their own values in the workplace they choose through their commitment to education, training and experience needed to enhance their creativity. “Family members and friends helped us a lot in starting our own business from the scratch by ordering more than once a month as a way to help us in marketing,” said the Mini Bites owner Amal Sami, 26. According to Siba the name was chosen according to the size of the bakery we had and that was the point that attracted most of the people to our products. “The freshness of the food, display of plates and the taste are the things that attracted the customers to us,” added Sami. “More than the money, we have earned respect of our customers,” she said. Mini Bites supply small and big parties with mini cup cakes and sweets that can be enough for one bite only. “We are not focusing only on sweets, we bake canapé and it can be ordered according to the needs by choosing the vegetarian, sea food and mix order,” Said Siba Talal. Schools are producing male and female graduates in approximately equal numbers with equivalent qualifications, but only 20 percent of the national workforce are women. This has created a huge gap in the working field. Today, more than 30 percent of female youth are starting their own work at homes, according to a Saudi businesswoman Lamya Hussain. “What I see today is a tremendous spin in the market; Saudi girls are creating new ideas and they are using their houses for business transactions,” she added. “Small businesses might become big ones someday,” said Maha Fida, 23, makeup artist. Saudi girls are trying to expand their thoughts and creativity to the outside world. “It begins with a small thought, suddenly you find yourself applying it and the next thing you have you own place and money,” she said. Fida is concerned for Saudi girls who are willing to study beauty and makeup. “We have training courses that aren't professional. I hope that someday I succeed and open a beauty academy for all girls to join. Then I would consider myself a successful businesswoman,” she said. It's very obvious that small businesses today are way better than the governmental jobs and company offers. Even if it wasn't related to what has been studied, still it will benefit the Saudi girls. “If I earn SR750 a day, then it's sure better than an official job. I'm just waiting for the crowded season of the summer,” said Fida. Dalia Banjar, 26, wedding planner from Jeddah thinks that girls need publicity only. “I started my work three years ago, and during the last six months I have earned more than what I got for the last 2 years in my governmental job.” Banjar thinks that she chose the wrong field during her bachelor degree in nutrition; she only succeeded when she found out that she has creative thoughts that can be used for her own small business. “It all started as a hobby; today I feel happy when I get requests to decorate someone's wedding ballroom, it gives me a great feeling,” she added. Today, I'm charging between SR2,500 and 6,000 per occasion, it's way better than my salary at work,” she said. Many girls are of the view that they had to struggle a lot in efforts to broaden their work. When it comes to open a private shop it's not easy for them to get license especially if they want it as a woman's only shop. Also when it comes to payment and renting, no one is willing to help them. “We are only asking for support from higher figures of the market, they will get their money back doubled,” added Banjar. Jewelry designer, Dua'a Gurban, 23, graduated in microbiology and has recently taken an intensive jewelry designing course. “If I find financing for a new project I will not hesitate to do my own business.” Gurban is not willing to go out of her home to work unless it's her own business, “I will only go out to study, and otherwise I'm going to search for courses to improve myself.” The labor participation rate for women is much small, and for Saudi women extremely low, but the pressures for change are growing rapidly, with unemployment for the 20-24 age group at around 27 percent and 33 percent for Saudi males and Saudi females, respectively. Azza Al-Mehdar, head of the supervision office at King Abdul Aziz University said: “It's hard these days to find a good position for our daughters to work in; this is the main reason why most graduates are turning to their own hobbies and creating their own small businesses.” __
