KITCHENER — Nadia Abd-Muhsin is a smart businesswoman who knows how to re-invent yourself.

She's owned a Hasty Market store near Fairway Road, a children's furniture store on Victoria Street, and now a clothing and home décor business on Lancaster Street.

The hot seller these days in her current store — Paradise Boutique — is scarves, which many of her Muslim customers use as hijabs.

"I survive on scarves," said Abd-Muhsin, who was one of 37 vendors at the Muslim Womenpreneurs Network event at Bingemans on Saturday.

Her biggest customers are local Syrian refugees who come to buy scarves and sponsor families who have been arriving at her store looking for tea cups and saucers and coffee pots.

Abd-Muhsin saw a need and increased her inventory to include items she thought Syrian families would want and need — things like floor-length coats many women wear along with frames with Arabic sayings and proverbs.

She has 70 of the floor-length women's coats in her store in various colours.

Abd-Muhsin understands the Syrian culture. She came to Canada as child from Syria 36 years ago. In 1980, her parents and 10 siblings came to the Toronto area.

She moved to Kitchener in 1995 and almost all her siblings — except for one in Toronto — live in Waterloo Region.

"When we have family gatherings, there are 70 of us," said Abd-Muhsin, who has five children.

The Muslim Womenpreneurs Business Expo held its first event in Kitchener on Saturday.

Ibtissam Sebbahi, who started the group in 2011, has organized similar events in the Toronto area and decided to organize a networking event for businesses in this region.

"The goal here is to connect small-business owners to the community in a professional way," she said.

Some of the vendors were also from Hamilton, Milton and Mississauga. The vendors included cake decorators, real estate agents, skin care specialists, event planners and Muslim book vendors.

"I used to be a small-business owner. I have been in their place," said the Milton woman. "I worked from home so I could raise my three kids."

Nagam Zaidan of Waterloo started her event planning business seven years ago. When she lived in Baghdad, she planned weddings and baked cakes. She came to Canada in 1997 and opened Rania's Special Events, named after her 16-year-old daughter.

Sherene Salah of Waterloo also bakes custom-made cakes. But it's a skill she learned when she came to Canada.

The Egyptian-born Salah was a mechanical engineer in the United Arab Emirates but moved to Waterloo when her son and daughter came to Canada to attend the University of Waterloo in 2012.

"I was always fascinated with people who could make cakes. I love the art. I love the detail," she said.

The networking event allows her to expand her business, Laziza Cakes, which means delicious in Arabic.