While many year 12 students spend their final year at school balancing study, part-time work and their social life, 18-year-old Meghry Bayramian has taken on an additional challenge: running her own press-on nail business while preparing for graduation.

Mehgry’s family were part of the sizeable Armenian community in Syria, but they left the war-torn country a decade ago and moved to Australia where they had family connections. Meghry was only eight at the time and inevitably faced difficulties in her new life.

“When I first emigrated to Australia, it was really hard for me to adapt to the new environment and make friends,” she said. “It was also hard for me to find something for myself that I could focus on during this period.”

That focus eventually came through nail art, a hobby she had developed over several years. Interested in beauty content from a young age, Meghry taught herself nail techniques through online resources, including YouTube and TikTok. “Since childhood I was always interested in the beauty videos on YouTube,” she said.

As her skills improved, family members and friends began asking her to do their nails. While she enjoyed helping them, she soon realised the costs of materials and supplies were adding up.

She named the business Nails By Honey, inspired by her own identity. Her name means “honey” in Armenian, and because she felt people outside the Armenian community might struggle with the pronunciation, she chose to use its English translation. “I joked about it with my friends, not thinking it would become successful.”

Each set of press-on nails is individually designed and hand-painted by Meghry. She takes her inspiration from patterns or other objects and also creates custom designs to suit her clients’ preferences.

To fund the business, including the purchase of materials, tools and products, Meghry invested savings from her previous job as a grocery store cashier. Since launching, she has adopted a structured approach to managing her earnings, dividing income between savings, personal spending, reinvestment into the business and helping her family.

 

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This system has allowed her to continue growing the business while maintaining financial responsibility as a student.

“My first goal was to gain orders from outside of family and friends,” she said. She achieved this by attending a local Christmas market, where she received orders from new customers. She has also opened an online shop on Etsy and used social media (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram) to expand her reach.

Balancing business responsibilities with her studies has required careful time management. While entrepreneurship has provided financial independence, it has also meant making sacrifices.