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I founded my own beauty retail business Yuuka House LTD, selling high-quality Korean and Japanese skincare online. I have a network of wholesalers and buyers, so I’m never working entirely alone. Collaboration is so important. I have also launched an online networking and development space called MEYVNN for female entrepreneurs.

I never really thought I could be an entrepreneur. It never occurred to me as an option when I was younger. I tried being employed and it didn’t suit me, but now I have a more flexible life that I personally find better for my mental health.

I passed my IGCSEs (international GCSEs) and while living in Switzerland I took the IB (International Baccalaureate) equivalent to A-levels. I chose Art, History and English as options because I was good at these subjects. I did the compulsory Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Art. I went on to do Psychology at university, but the structure of higher education wasn’t great for me. I felt panicked and couldn’t concentrate. I had a rebellious period, and if I had known about an alternative route, I would have taken it.

I now use maths every day for my business, dealing with orders and my taxes. Having an understanding of biology and chemistry has also been really useful for skincare. I need to know how certain ingredients interact with skin.

Take your time.Be patient with yourself.Work out what you really want.

Learning how to prioritise my workload every day has been a steep learning curve! I need really strong communication skills, or I couldn’t have developed my personal brand and I wouldn't be able to sell it. Between taking care of social media, making content and scheduling it for the week ahead, writing blog posts and updating the website - I don’t have a day off! I love what I do.

What to expect if you want to be a business owner

The salary and working hours when you own a business can vary enormously but what's most important is that you work hard and love what you do.

Working for yourself looks different for each person and each business, but in general it means you:

• run your own business and are responsible for its success
• can decide how, when and where you do your work
• charge an agreed, fixed price for your work
• sell goods or services to make a profit
• can hire people at your own expense to help you or to do the work for you.

You can be both employed and self-employed at the same time. You can work for your employer during the day, for example, and run your own business in the evenings and at weekends. It’s important to for advice if you’re not sure if you’re self-employed.

You can , through the government’s business support services, for example, for advice about tax or about how to find funding to start your business.

This information is a guide (source: ).

For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: , , and .

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