Get started: ‘Rise to challenges and be your own boss’

Entrepreneurs share success stories with students.

LAHORE:

Overcome your fears, face challenges, transform ideas to reality and be ready to become your own boss. These were the views of young entrepreneurs and businessmen who shared their stories with students at an entrepreneurship summit, titled SITE – The Entrepreneurship Summit.

The Training, Events and Consultancy (TEC) had arranged the one-day event in collaboration with University of Punjab’s Institute of Administrative Sciences.

More than 20 speakers from the corporate world attended the summit themed Dream, Believe, Achieve.

“You don’t learn entrepreneurship by attending courses and summits only. Just go out and do it,” said Farhan Mirza, the CEO of Catalytic Consulting.

“The only way to overcome challenges is to face them.”

Mirza said he had started his journey in 2008 with only a laptop at Room 403 of the Lahore University of Management Sciences’ hostel. He said he focused on his idea from the office of one of his friends.

Within two years they struck a deal in China.

“Always aim for a job that allows you to make decisions as well as mistakes. This is something that helps you excel,” Mirza said. He said the biggest attraction in entrepreneurship was being your own boss.

“The biggest challenge you face is from your family, friends and peers.”

The summit included the businessmen’s perspective with regard to opportunities and challenges the country faced.

“Whenever I meet people from the private sector, I become more confident about opportunities available in our country. But when I meet people from the government sector, I say ‘Oh my God!’’ said FAST-Cables LTD Director Kamal Amjad Mian.

Women empowerment

A baker, an educationist and heiress to an automotive business made up the panel that deliberated the role of women in strengthening the economy.

“Nobody should tell you how to dream,” said International Grammar School CEO Sadia Vine.

She talked about her 28-year journey as an educationist. “We are now our teaching first grades entrepreneurship,” she said.

Sara Khawar, a doctorate researcher at the University of Exeter, talked about the journey of Sethi Motors, established by her grandfather and later managed by her father Muhammad Khawar Sethi.

She advised students to gauge their skills carefully and think deeply about their ideas if they wanted to become successful entrepreneurs. “Ideas are great but execution is key,” she said.

A stay-at-home wife and mother of three, Haleema Khan, is the founder of Cakes.pk. She encouraged young entrepreneurs to experiment with new ideas. “I turned my hobby and passion into a profitable business,” she said.

Khan, a blogger who makes customised cakes, said the best part of her work was that she remained close to her home and kids.

Startups: Fighting challenges initially

Entrepreneurs from the cyber world and specialised fabric sector highlighted challenges face by them.

Khalid Saeed Khan, an engineer and chairperson of Motifz, spoke of his struggle about switching careers to start his own business.

He urged students to understand that entrepreneurship was learned through practical work and not books.

Narrating the story of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Amal Academy co-founder Benje Williams urged students to appreciate small beginnings.

Williams spoke of his time at Stanford where he brainstormed on helping youth develop professional skills.

“Because we were striving for perfection, we did absolutely nothing,” he said.

“What matters most is to get started with our ideas.”

Leaving the audience in fits of laughter, Tossdown.com CEO Omair Bangash delivered a satirical presentation on how not to be an entrepreneur.

“Like everything there is a formula for failure,” he said. “Don’t do what you love and simply give up.”

Bangash talked about his seven-year struggle of creating an online eat out portal.

“Listen to and follow your heart. My story is mine. Go find yours.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.