Young Egyptians narrate success stories fashioned by e-commerce portal
Cairo, 14 December 2010 - Young pottery maker and artisan Dina Fadel found it difficult to market her unusual line of products to retailers, as they were reluctant to take a risk in venturing into the unknown. Frustrated by the response, Dina turned to souq.com, and the rest, as they say, is history. Dina is now a happy businesswoman, and a part of a growing generation of budding entrepreneurs, who have successfully hitched themselves on to the online wagon, thanks to e-commerce initiatives from enterprising forward thinking companies like souq.com.
Dina's success story and those of other young Egyptians engaged in promoting their business online were highlighted at a seminar in Egypt sponsored by souq.com, the leading e-commerce website in the Arab world. At the seminar, which was held in the context of Global Entrepreneurship Week hosted by Egypt, the new class of e-entrepreneurs and e-marketers presented their case studies to help create awareness of the importance of e-commerce, and the need for businesses to create a virtual window to the world.
The young entrepreneurs spoke of the future of e-commerce, the teething problems they faced at the outset, and how souq.com stepped in to help ensure their success. Underlining the fact that the number of online users in Egypt is fast approaching the 20-million mark, the speakers also called on young Egyptians to take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by the internet to raise a new generation of self-starters and innovators.
In addition to Dina Fadel, others who presented case studies were Islam Salah, Kareem Metwaly and Ana Tolba. The young entrepreneurs, some of them still university students, succeeded in launching their projects and marketing their products through the souq.com website. Their businesses ranged from producing and marketing of pottery and wooden artefacts to modern laptop covers and apparel and other products.
They presented their individual experiences and answered questions raised by the audience including ways of planning a start-up, and tapping the vast potential that exists via an e-commerce platform.
Souq.com is committed to raising and encouraging a new wave of young entrepreneurs through online initiatives. This has been largely influenced by a growing trend among Egyptian youth to start their own businesses, as employment opportunities have started to rapidly decline, especially for new graduates.
A recent poll by Gallup - one of the leading research and polling centres in the world - showed that 23% of Egyptians want to start their own business during the next 12 months and 33% would like to start a business during the next three years compared to just 4% in the United States and Europe. According to the Human Development Report of 2008, over 50% of Egyptians are under the age of 30 while among those who were qualified for jobs in the age group 15-25, 10 % of them were still unemployed. Even among those who did find jobs, the work did not match their talents and skills.
Opening the seminar, general manager of souq.com Egypt Omar Soudodi stressed that the company's strategy was aimed at offering opportunities for self-starters and innovators so that they could put their ideas into practice in projects and services, and join the emerging new group of entrepreneurs, as well as supporting the development of the national economy with special focus on enhancing the e-commerce system.
"Through our website we help present these projects and ideas to the market and provide those young people with our vast experience gathered over the years within various regional and international environments in the field of online marketing and logistical support. In the final analysis, it is market or consumer in particular who remains the final judge on the value and importance of these projects, and hence determines its success or growth. In addition to e-marketing through the extensive customer base that we have, we allow these young people to open e-shops on our website so they can reach consumers without the need for large capital", said Mr. Soudodi.
He added: "We at souq.com Egypt believe that our efforts in this regard are part of our strong commitment to help develop Egyptian society and social investment through creating new entrepreneurs and new businesses, and in the process add value to the Egyptian retail sector".
Riding on the crest of a wave through souq.com
Dina Fadel
Dina Fadel is a young businesswoman who faced many challenges in marketing her products to traders and retailers until she found the solution in souq.com. She is now planning to achieve the second wave of success in her project. Dina produces pottery and wooden products like trays, cups and plates with "a modern touch" expressed by Arabic language ornaments and drawings of Egyptian folklore such as skirt, palm and likes.
Dina said she found it difficult to market products in the beginning, as retailers were reluctant to promote her products due to their unusual new ideas that were not recognised by customers. She said that eventually she tried souq.com and benefited from the extensive capabilities of the website's e-commerce platform.
She added: "Via souq.com I have got a shop under my own trademark, http://egypt.stores.souq.com/Joud and brand name. Consumers can easily access it and explore all the products on offer and buy whatever they want. Moreover, souq.com launches many e-marketing campaigns that play an important role in increasing sales, especially advertising campaigns during significant occasions like Ramadan, Christmas etc".
Islam Salah
Islam Salah, still under 20, says that without souq.com he would not have been able to market his products, "as retailers are used to selling Chinese products". Islam Salah produces Laptop covers under the trademark Skinzo, and markets it through souq.com. In just a few months, he sold up to 700 pieces.
"Laptop covers that are available in the market do not look Arabic or represent the culture of our society, as all of it are almost Chinese and look alike. So, with a group of my friends, I innovated covers of Arabic taste, as well as those that appeal to youth possessing boundless enthusiasm and energy, and also covers for kids. The idea was successful as we witnessed a huge number of visits to our e-shop at souq.com", said Islam Salah.
He added: "My advice to young people who are reluctant to use e-commerce in fear of their ideas being hijacked is that the real loss is when you hide the product away from the market and not reaching the customer. This is the real failure. Reaching the customer is the ultimate goal of any business aiming at success. The main defence against plagiarism or counterfeit is the seriousness of the idea, its uniqueness and continuous development". You may visit Islam's shop on Souq at: http://egypt.stores.souq.com/Skinzo
"KAF"
KAF apparel shop owner Kareem Metwaly said: "I tried to present a special product, with a unique trademark just like what international brands of modern comfortable clothes do in this region. I tried to market it, but I faced a lot of difficulties until I managed to market it through souq.com. I already sold 200 pieces in a short period of time".
He added: "The e-commerce capabilities of souq.com helped us a lot in marketing our products. In addition to e-marketing and e-shops that it offers merchants like us, it also provides payment, freight and delivery services to buyers". You may visit KAF's shop on Souq at: http://egypt.stores.souq.com/KAF-WEAR
Omar Soudodi added: "Against the backdrop of the huge success of souq.com services around the Arab world over more than 5 years, and thousands of electronic transactions executed daily, souq.com has proven to be a tested and approved gateway allowing thousands of buyers and sellers to deal securely online. The company has also proved its role in creating a new breed of young entrepreneurs of self-starters and innovators, in addition to helping companies, especially SMEs to develop their businesses".
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