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Clarity

Asad Aftab

Coventry, United Kingdom

I have been a bootstrapping entrepreneur since I was 18. All my ventures are design intensive and leverage the internet in one way or another. These last 9 years have hence made me a designer, a technologist, a project manager, a copywriter, a business manager, an HR guy... suffice to say that I wear many hats and though some may say that being a jack of all is not ideal, I’d say that is exactly who I am because that’s exactly what I need to be!

$1.67/min

1 Call

3 Reviews

about 1 hour
Avg. call

Marketing Entrepreneurship Sales bootstrapping Product Development E-commerce Tech Startups Writer Doer E-business

Call me to talk about

Bootstrapping

For the last 8 years I have bootstrapped many businesses. Having worked in different fields, from tech to clothing to field hockey, all in different global markets has given me a unique perspective on the challenges of being an entrepreneur. There is also a lot that goes behind the scenes, there is self doubt, financial worries and above all the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I am always learning something new everyday and it would be pleasure to talk with individuals who are going through similar challenges.

http://issuu.com/asadaftab/docs/7_stages_to_a_startup

E-Commerce

I launched RAGE® Hockey in 2004. It is one of my most successful ventures which I bootstrapped from a starting capital of $2500 to a company that does $500,000+ in revenue. Apart from RAGE Hockey I have done multiple other ecommerce based startups being based in Pakistan had its own set of challenges and we had to come up with interesting innovations to compete. Things I can help with include:

- Sourcing of goods… getting samples made, finding suppliers (India, Pakistan, China etc.), sorting the supply chain

- Current online e-commerce solutions and open source options

- Payment solution providers and options relevant to which country you are from

- Third-party logistics solutions… import & export, warehousing, dropshipping etc.

- Legal considerations pertaining to your idea and the things you are trying to sell

http://www.myrage.biz/

Entrepreneurship

I have a number of speaking and mentoring engagements with different institutions in the UK and Pakistan which allows me the opportunity to give lectures, conduct workshops and serve as a mentor to young budding entrepreneurs. I have helped with the course development and mentoring of the first and second running of the MSc. Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WMG. Get in touch and we can:

- Review of viability… exploring the market, competition and trends relevant to your idea.

- Brainstorming with you to find an innovative edge or an unexplored avenue in the market.

- Launch strategy… how should you build your own profile and thrash out the path to an MVP?

- Reviewing the profitability of the venture and discuss your personal circumstances to come up with the right sort of budget for the whole thing.

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/asadaftab/

E-Marketing

Bring all of it together and presenting a cohesive brand image to the customer is a key challenge... talk to me about:

- Creating a Brand and a community around your idea/product

- Marketing collateral… what you will need? Where can you find designers? What are DIY options (templates, tools, outsourcing etc.?)

- What would be a good offline and online marketing strategy for your business idea?

- How should you go about SEO, Social Media Marketing and online advertising relevant to your industry?

- How should you budget for all of the above and which technology solutions could help maximize your profitability?

http://www.asadaftab.com/

Tech Startups

We have launched the Starthub initiative to help budding entrepreneurs with their MVPs. The idea is based around my Master's dissertation "7 Stage to a Startup". Areas I can help with:

- What is the technology landscape? What kind of hosting solution do you need, cloud computing, open source options etc.?

- Analyzing what would be the best technology stack for the implementation of your idea.

- How much would the website and/or the mobile application cost?

- How long will it take to develop?

- What kind of programmers/resources you will need?

http://hub.borialas.com/methodology/

Answers 0
Reviews 3

Answers

Reviews

Having enjoyed a few sessions Asad has run I can thoroughly recommend his skills as a lecturer, workshop leader and/or consultant. He has great presentation skills, great insights and a genuine passion for business and entrepreneurship.

Michael Mortenson Source: LinkedIn

Asad has delivered a number of sessions as part of the MSc Course at The University of Warwick for me around business start-up concepts and practice. Very engaging and useful, the students feedback was very complimentary regards his knowledge, understanding and relaxed delivery style. He displayed what can be accomplished with taking the jump and having the drive to see a business startup and grow.
I've also had dealings with his Hockey business on a personal level and his product and service are exceptional, will continue you to use him in both his lecture capacity and also his hockey business.

private private Source: LinkedIn

Asad was a visionary with the ability to clearly layout a path to achieve success in any project or venture. He is vastly experienced from his past entrepreneurial ventures, which makes him a huge advantage in any team. A great team player, effective communicator and a leader.

Priten Gohil Source: LinkedIn

Member since May 2012