Starting our own business, help is appreciated.

[XheartcoreboyX]

Hello,

My family are starting their own business, they already have a good second floor office rented, but due to a poor study, they haven't yet to start any business with that place.

The place already has good enough furniture and it just needs someone to start the work.

I have been doing my research with an idea that i have decided on, we will be selling smart phones (iPhone, blackberry) accessories along with software and maintenance.

These phones are getting very popular in the countries, almost everyone carries one these days and most of them don't have the time or effort to program their phones (i.e jailbreak for the iPhone) or buy accessories online.

I will be responsible for the software and we will use a technician that i have met already for the maintenance.

Accessories and software market is limited in the country and is very expensive, i am sure i can do it at lower prices with better quality products and work involved.

I will find out what companies import these things and sell them to the small shops in the country and what kind of prices they actually have for in-bulk sales and i will be contacting big online companies regarding the same topic.

I am young and inexperienced, so i was thinking i would use some ideas and experience, since i know some of you run their own business.


P.S. I am located in the middle east, Qatar.

Thank you and sorry for the long write.

 

[miles01110]

These phones are getting very popular in the countries, almost everyone carries one these days and most of them don't have the time or effort to program their phones (i.e jailbreak for the iPhone) or buy accessories online.

If everyone carries one, how is there a market large enough to sustain your business?

I will be responsible for the software and we will use a technician that i have met already for the maintenance.

This just makes your whole idea sound disreputable and scam-ish.

Accessories and software market is limited in the country and is very expensive, i am sure i can do it at lower prices with better quality products and work involved.

You're "sure" ? You're going to offer better-quality accessories and software beyond what's available? Are you a programmer? Do you have access to the necessary industrial facilities to manufacture accessories?

I will find out what companies import these things and sell them to the small shops in the country and what kind of prices they actually have for in-bulk sales and i will be contacting big online companies regarding the same topic.

Why would a big company sell to a small independent at the market bulk price? They're going to mark it up and make a profit off of you, which you'll in turn have to pass along to your customers in order to remain solvent, which puts quite a negative twist on your proposed business model. It's like you're aiming to be a middle middle-man...

Granted I don't know how things work in Qatar, but I don't think this is going to succeed.

 

[XheartcoreboyX]

If everyone carries one, how is there a market large enough to sustain your business?



This just makes your whole idea sound disreputable and scam-ish.



You're "sure" ? You're going to offer better-quality accessories and software beyond what's available? Are you a programmer? Do you have access to the necessary industrial facilities to manufacture accessories?



Why would a big company sell to a small independent at the market bulk price? They're going to mark it up and make a profit off of you, which you'll in turn have to pass along to your customers in order to remain solvent, which puts quite a negative twist on your proposed business model. It's like you're aiming to be a middle middle-man...

Granted I don't know how things work in Qatar, but I don't think this is going to succeed.

Hi, thanks for the input.

I am not a programmer, but i am well aware of the software of both phones and i have worked for a shop before for simple stuff like jailbreaking iPhones and software modifications and updated for blackberries.

The thing that is different here with people than it is in Europe of the US, is that people here are not willing to learn anything new or use DIYs, they are willing to pay to just get it done.

The products in the market are either of cheap quality or quality parts sold at high prices, i have contacted suppliers on ebay that are power sellers and will sell in-bulk and they offered good prices with shipping included, there where i got the idea that i can sell at competitive prices compared to shops around ours.

Honestly, as i have stated i am not experienced, so i might have ideas that don't make much sense, but i'd rather do something with the place instead of seeing my family paying money on rents without any income.

 

[MovieCutter]

Well your first problem is that your family rented an office space with no business plan and no idea what business they wanted to get into...I'm not even going to get into your other problems...

But hi to Qatar. Where in Qatar? Doha? I work for Al Jazeera English, many friends there.