By Maya Zamman
A first year student at De Montfort University (DMU) studying finance and investment is also balancing between running her nail business and getting her degree.
Maame Brenya Oscu, 20, born and raised in London, said her main reason for wanting to become a nail technician was because she would get her nails done all the time and had inspiration/support from her own nail technician, who has 8,000 online followers.
Maame said she was always in two minds about starting her business but her best friend started in the community, and she finally gained the courage to pursue her dream.
She said: “One day, I ordered all the essentials, acrylic powder, a brush and practiced on myself every day, and flatmates.
“But when I went home, I would practice on family – I ended up learning from TikTok too.”
She has had her business for a year now and has 698 online followers, with that figure continuing to grow.
She was extremely proud of herself when an Instagram reel, posted in summer ’24, got 1.7 million views.
She said: “I gained most of my followers when I posted that.”
By balancing university with her business, Maame only accepts clients on the days she does not have university studying to do. She said she gives herself time to be free and to complete her university work.
The experience of managing a business while being a student has taught her about entrepreneurship.
She said: “It makes you never want to give up, days are slow, and you have doubts about yourself, but I was trying to think realistically and persevere.”
Maame is very resilient when taking into account the pressure of managing clients’ expectations while also meeting academic deadlines.
She has three clients a day and takes breaks inbetween while also making sure to space the clients out.
By allocating her time correctly she said: “I do the best I can, so I don’t overwork myself.”
Offering advice to students who are considering starting their own business, and from her own experiences, Maame said: “You should get a plan with your education and when you have a routine then slowly start, you cannot overwork yourself.”
She added: “Believe in yourself and practice, practice, practice! And never prioritise business over university, be truthful and do not slack.”
For more information, you can follow @brenyastips on Instagram.
