Nargis Yousuf began her career as a beautician from her small kitchen in a two bedroom apartment. Now her established beauty salon, Al Nisa is the official hair and makeup company for Suhaag's Ottawa Show.

Like any other Muslim mompreneur, Rabiya Moola is energetic, passionate, and inspirational. Her vision is to change the way Muslim women are portrayed, and she’s doing this all in her sixties.

For the first time in Ottawa, Muslim business women got a chance to come together to network, share ideas and learn about each other. This networking event was organized by the Muslim Women’s Business Network of Ottawa (MWBNO) on Saturday April 12th, 2014. The event was a huge success and was attended by a total of 28 women which consisted of beauticians, lawyers, professional consultants, etc.

The Muslim Women’s Business Network of Ottawa was established in March 2014 by two women entrepreneurs: Jessica Keats and Mahwash Fatima. They wanted to create a platform where Muslim business women could come together to network, mentor, and share their ideas and experiences.

It all started 6 years ago on her daughter’s seventh birthday. Using icing tips she had bought from the dollar store, Sobia Kamran created a beautiful cake that impressed her family and friends.

Like many women these days, Sobia wanted to stay home with her kids but also wanted to utilize her creativity and talent. She started baking cakes and cupcakes for events like school bake sales and friend’s parties and pretty soon became a baking expert. With a little encouragement from her husband, this little hobby soon turned into a part-time business opportunity.

As rare as it is to find a practicing Muslimah who is also an entrepreneur, it is rarer still to find a Muslim man who supports his wife in starting and running a home based business.

As Muslims, we are obliged to abide by the laws of the land and the country that we live in. Because there seems to be general misconceptions that the legalities of running a home based business (HBB) are complicated and unnecessary, this article will address some of those misconceptions and show how simple the legalities really are.

In the past decade or so, a new generation of entrepreneurs has come into being: the Mompreneurs. Women business owners who balance being mothers and entrepreneurs are on the rise. Commerce and women is not a new idea for Muslims. Khadija (RA), the first woman to accept Islam, was a successful business woman in her own right.

The first in this series of columns will begin by looking at how you start your home-based business.

Three hijabis and a niqabi, were among 60+ vendors who set up tables at the Library and Archives Building in Downtown Ottawa on July 13. This was not an Eid Festival event, nor was it part of fundraising function or a picnic organized by a Muslim organization.

These Muslim women -- owners of three different businesses: Maham's Boutique, Rana Art, and Sobia Halal Cakes ”“ set up their stands at the Artisans@the Archives craft show organized by the Ottawa Valley Crafts and Collectibles (OVCC).

Abraar School held its annual BBQ & Family Fun Day on June 8th, 2013. Parents got a chance to spend quality time with their kids and actively participated in the Olympiad games (potato sack race, three legged race etc.) and the scavenger hunt.