Wejdan Ismail
owner of Burrito Loco, Noodle Wok and Sandwich Guys.
It has been said that ideas are not enough. What would you say are the three major steps to successful execution?
The first step is to make sure that your idea makes sense and that there’s a market for your product. I always give the example of designer baby clothes – if you look at the Bahrain market, you split it into the people who are too old or too young for kids and the people who can’t afford designer, it doesn’t leave you much of a market.
Second, being very aware of costs and how to price your product so you can make money is essential. A lot of entrepreneurs believe they need someone to help them make a business plan – someone who’ll find a property, set out costs etcetera. When I built my first shop, I thought I was getting a good deal. The second one cost me 60 per cent less! These days I know the price of everything from tiles, to glue. And drill down on those details, find ways to squeeze those costs.
Thirdly, get really involved. Not everyone can be there running the business day-to-day, they may have another job. But certainly, very close involvement is the best thing you can do for your business. So many people rely on a manager to run their business for them. In my experience, this can work, but you’re never going to get the same level of success as if you are running things yourself.
What was your vision when you set out to offer a service? And how did you reflect this in the product?
I started seven years ago and, at that time, it was hard to find products in the market that were fast, tasty and fresh. Going to a restaurant takes longer and is expensive. There is also the quick and cheap which is super-low quality. I don’t want to spend BD5 on my lunch each day, I want to spend BD2 or BD3. A lot of my clients do that every week. Provide fresh, clean, high-quality food and you get people hooked.
What market research did you do?
We did a lot of guerilla market research. I would go to a location, walk into every shop on the street and interview people – asking them about their business. It’s about understanding what’s a good location. I will go there and park and watch people going in and out. Look to see if there are hospitals and banks etcetera, which bring people to an area. I look at competitors’ prices and I check everything on Instagram.
How important is recruitment, retention and training of staff in the successful execution of a business plan?
Fast food will always have a lot of turnover, it’s frustrating. But we have gotten better and put in incentives to keep people with us.
What would be your message for anyone who believes they have a good idea but is looking for ways to get it off the ground?
This comes back to what I said at first. You have to make sure you have a good product, you can’t just plough ahead with something because you love the idea if it’s not going to work as a business. Have a business partner who you trust; I would have struggled to do this alone. Also, make sure to consider how long it will take you to get your business up and running – do you have that time? When do you need to start to break-even? Become profitable? You have to think one to two years ahead.
Narise Kambar
owner of Saffron by Jena and Jena Bakery.
It has been said that ideas are not enough. What would you say are the three major steps to successful execution?
Yes it’s true, great ideas aren’t everything but planning well and having a great strategy for your company is what’s going to make you distinct and guarantee a successful execution. We need to ask ourselves these questions: Do we have clarity? Is our vision clear? Is the structure of our company, our systems, in alignment with what we have in mind?
One of my mottos is ‘right tools, right people’, this is another very important element. Are we on the right track for what we want to achieve? Do we need to change our system? Or maybe, we even need to change the people executing the system. You have to keep constantly checking that you’re on the right track.
What was your vision when you set out to offer a service? And how did you reflect this in the product?
My vision was to create really good-quality products that felt like they were home-baked and home-cooked. I wanted to offer an experience where the person that would come to our place would feel like they are, for a minute, transformed into a time from the past. I’m happy with the success I’ve achieved but I still have much bigger and better plans. I still haven’t approached any of the wonderful institutions we have like the EDB and Tamkeen to see how I can grow my business, and this is something I’m considering doing.
How important is recruitment, retention and training of staff in the successful execution of a business plan?
It’s everything, your business is your people. I will be honest and say that at the beginning of the business, the time when my voice was not heard, there were some very tyrant-like people that I employed to help me who took over and recruited people that would serve their own purposes. As soon as I understood, that’s when my rebellion started. When I felt people were not being given their rights and were afraid of this awful manager. I’m very, very protective of my staff and I care about them. We do training for those with less experience. I am involved in every process of hiring and firing and I’ve really learned a lot from that. The best question anyone could ask themselves in business – is this good for your company? It’s so important to build a very strong team around you.
What would be your message for anyone who believes they have a good idea but is looking for ways to get it off the ground?
Two words – start now! And another great two words, for anyone who has fear in their hearts – be prepared! Start now. Leave everything and take a paper and pen and write 15 things that will contribute to achieving your goal. You might not be able to achieve them straight away but, from the 15 things, circle five that you can do now, and do them; when we take something from the world of dreams and put it into reality, even the first step of reality, it makes achieving it more of a tangible. The second thing about being prepared is that people are often scared. So, it’s like a little Girl Scout pledge – be prepared. It’s doing the necessary that puts you on the right path. Prepare yourself in terms of taking courses, learning, contacting the right people, networking, making plans, seeking the right advisors. If your feelings change, then your actions will start to change.
Yathreb AlA’ameri
Owner of House of H jewellery shop.
It has been said that ideas are not enough. What would you say are the three major steps to successful execution?
For me the three major steps to success are: visualisation, planning and decision making, and implementation with proper appliance.
What was your vision when you set out to offer a service? And how did you reflect this in the product?
At first I was just working on handmade jewellery. As time passed, I slowly launched my own jewellery shop which is selling personalised accessories and silver pieces for girls who love to wear jewellery not just for parties but for daily use. Happily, today I have reached the stage of designing and selling diamonds and gold.
What market research did you do?
I just tried to sell my products online at first, to see how it would go. When I realised that many women of my age liked them, I decided to focus and put all my efforts in doing more.
How Important is recruitment, retention and training of staff in the successful execution of a business plan?
Staff training, recruitment, and retention is important since they will be the face of your business in front of your prospective clients. As long as you show them compassion, inspire them to innovate and make them feel successful, they will carry out the job perfectly. I strongly believe that engaged employees are your top competitive advantage.
What would be your message for anyone who believes they have a good idea but is looking for ways to get it off the ground?
Don’t be afraid to put into practice your passion and ideas. Don’t stop learning. Success does not lie in results but in effort. Being right is not so important, however, doing what is right is all that matters. Always be confident and believe that you can reach your goals.
