It has been 12 years because the UAE-based Syrian expat Dr. Elias Abboud, 42, moved to Dubai to pursue entrepreneurship within the pharmaceutical trade. However lengthy earlier than his profession, Abboud labored as a medical consultant in Syria, the nation the place he spent his rising years.
My first job as a medical consultant in 2003 introduced me a month-to-month wage of $250. [Dh918]. Later, I joined a pharmaceutical firm as a supervisor for $800 [Dh2,938]. Quickly after, I used to be promoted to Advertising Director with a wage of $1,200 [Dh4,407]he mentioned, when speaking about his profession.
Three years later, I accepted a wage provide of $3,000 [Dh11,017] From one other drug firm. Later, I moved to Dubai, incomes 8,000 dirhams in 2011 as a advertising and marketing supervisor after which about 22,000 dirhams in 2014, earlier than taking a threat alone to launch an organization ‘FemTech’ specializing in nanotechnology-based well being merchandise for girls.”
What’s “Vimtec”?
Femtech is a time period utilized to a category of applications, diagnostics, merchandise, and companies that use know-how to deal with girls’s well being.
The time period “FemTech” was first coined in 2016 by Danish web entrepreneur Ida Tin. In only a few quick years, it has grown to incorporate a variety of technology-based and consumer-focused merchandise and options.
Constructing a basis for entrepreneurship
Academically and professionally certified as a pharmacist and with sensible expertise as a medical consultant, achieve perception into the workings of the pharmaceutical trade. This information, along with the MBA in Advertising, turned the idea for his start-up.
Abboud revealed how all his financial savings as much as that time had gone into the startup, after which his brother made the funding. Abboud has collected financial savings of 400,000 dirhams since 2011 when he launched his firm in 2020. “I saved issues the identical when it got here to cash – which continues to be mirrored within the firm’s monetary statements.”
When Elias Abboud moved to Dubai, he was incomes $6,000 [Dh22,035] His wage is in 2014. That is when he determined to exit on his personal to launch an organization ‘FemTech’ that makes a speciality of nanotechnology based mostly well being merchandise for girls.
How do you financial startup prices?
When beginning the enterprise from scratch, Abboud reinvested the entire firm’s gross sales for development and growth. Nevertheless, he plans to conduct the corporate’s first funding spherical in 2023.
He mentioned, “We’re at present in talks with just a few enterprise capitalists [Venture Capital investors] for a similar factor. On the similar time, as the corporate grows and orders improve on a month-to-month foundation, I am trying to enhance our upstream and downstream operations, notably logistics, by placing new offers and renegotiating for higher worth factors. “
What are Enterprise Capitalists (VC) or Enterprise Capitalists (VCs) in Startup Finance?
Enterprise capital (VC) is usually used to help startups and different corporations with the potential for important and fast development. Enterprise capital companies pool cash from restricted companions (LPs) to spend money on promising startups and even massive enterprise funds.
Early-stage startups often haven’t got entry to loans or the capital markets immediately, in order that they depend on enterprise capital funding as an alternative. In change for enterprise capital funding, the founders provide the traders a share of possession and probably a seat on the board of administrators. Enterprise capital will be an vital supply of financing.
What prompted you to do enterprise in female hygiene merchandise?
“In 2012, after I was scouting and brainstorming entrepreneurial alternatives, I got here throughout an article that mentioned that 70 p.c of girls worldwide are experiencing period-related challenges resulting from using common sanitary pads out there out there. For somebody with a medical background and consciousness of the pharma scene, it was That is my ‘eureka’ second for the entrepreneur in me.”
“I started to additional my understanding of the challenges of menstruation, reached out to some female hygiene trade professionals all over the world, and started product improvement. I used to be nicely conscious of the challenges forward however was equally assured within the viability of my merchandise. Though these merchandise Partially present in patents, I may give them a willingness to go to market with my work.”
Nevertheless, regardless of Abboud’s success in engaged on a B2B (B2B) mannequin, which is a transaction or enterprise that takes place between one firm and one other, comparable to a wholesaler and a retailer), he quickly realized that the impact was not. Sufficient, and his merchandise have been mendacity on the cabinets of distributors with out reaching the top customers.
When beginning the enterprise from scratch, Elias Abboud reinvested the entire firm’s gross sales for development and growth.
Having to vary to a hybrid e-commerce mannequin
“I spotted that direct promoting was not financially possible on the time. So as to add insult to damage, the pandemic had turned operations on its head, issuing a transparent name to both adapt or stop. For the reason that latter was not an absolute possibility, I made a decision to modify to a hybrid mannequin.” to e-commerce by coming into totally and getting some monetary help from my brother.”
“We launched the location in August 2020, and processed three orders within the first month, adopted by 15 within the second, and after two years, greater than a thousand orders have been processed monthly. There have been many trial and error cycles till 2020, however I managed to promote greater than 2 million packages in 14 international locations,” including that inside a yr of launching the corporate, the corporate had achieved 760,000 dirhams, and in 2022, the startup had achieved 1.7 million dirhams.
Listed below are another key classes realized when beginning out as an entrepreneur
Lesson 1: Allocate nearly all of enterprise quantity to advertising and marketing
Amongst Abboud’s notable money methods, a vital factor he realized early on was allocating about 70 p.c of gross sales quantity to advertising and marketing. And remember the fact that even you probably have an ideal product, prospects will not be drawn to it until they’re acquainted with it within the first place.
Due to this fact, for Abboud, bridging the product consciousness hole out there is important. “I undertake a long-term funding strategy, which is why I’ve allotted a big portion of my funding capital into advertising and marketing my firm, upskilling, and staff constructing,” he mentioned.
We launched the location in August 2020, and processed three requests within the first month, adopted by 15 requests within the second, and after two years, greater than a thousand requests have been processed monthly.
Elias Abboud
Lesson two: Look ahead to buyer necessities, and alter accordingly
He highlighted one in all his latest challenges after launching the e-commerce mannequin. “The primary batch of merchandise had three sizes. Nevertheless, after receiving early buyer suggestions, we realized that our merchandise didn’t have sizes that have been notably in demand within the GCC markets.”
“We wasted no time and elevated the entire variety of merchandise to eight. The method was troublesome and financially difficult, however we ended up assembly buyer expectations and being goal-driven.”
Lesson 3: Scale back spending by shopping for uncooked supplies in bulk
“I’m continually on the lookout for aggressive worth factors and market circumstances that enable me to barter higher costs with suppliers and logistics companions, however I’ve realized that it’s crucial to cut back spending by buying uncooked supplies in bulk.”
When requested if he makes use of some other financial savings methods relating to his firm and private funds, Abboud revealed how he divides his and the corporate’s earnings throughout a number of classes.
“As a normal rule, I put aside about 10 p.c of my month-to-month earnings as private financial savings. In the case of cash made in enterprise, about 60 p.c goes to advertising and marketing, 30 p.c to salaries, and the remaining 10 p.c to miscellaneous.”