Pursuing Love
A chance meeting can be a turning point in life: This is the story of entrepreneur Abid Beli from Karachi in Pakistan when he met a pretty girl in a park. Smitten, to him she was marriage material but his parents did not quite share the same level of enthusiasm. He was left with the impossible choice that no one likes to make – remain with family and its benefits, or carve out a new financially independent life enabling him to defy tradition. Choosing the latter and the entrepreneurial route, he has never looked back.
Launch Pad of Marriage
“Marriage was the turning point in my life, awaking the entrepreneur in me,” explains Abid Beli.
In other words, it was the launch pad and the catalyst for everything Abid Beli has gone on to do.
In the Beginning
He ploughed the profits from his first startup (offset printing business) in setting up the first cyber café with a partner (SkyNet Communication). This developed into a similar setup under the name of Belisnetcity and then Beliscity.com in 2001.
Advanced Kingdom
Fascinated with creating new platforms on the net and inspired by the buzz of great metropolises, he created a city – Beliscity.com. In Asia, cities teem with life and are veritable hives of activity. He wanted to be king of such great city. This website was advanced for its time, being Pakistan’s first E-Retail and E-Commerce website.
Bright Lights
Beliscity prospered and the future seemed so bright that the King of this internet wonder decided to build an overseas empire in another city, namely Dubai. So confident, he even moved lock, stock and barrel with his family to these new pastures.
Fighting on too many fronts
When the cat is away the mice do play and after Abid Beli moved to Dubai, his General Manager in Karachi set up a competing business, taking along with him the brightest stars in the company. At the same time his Dubai partner got more demanding wanting a bigger share of the pie, leading to a falling out, heavy losses and debts and his eventual sell out of Beliscity.com. Although he was no longer the leader-owner of the website business bearing his name and vision, he did remain for a period of time as an employee.
Lost City
Bruised and with his wings temporarily clipped, Abid Beli settled down for a feast dished up by the love of his life and queen. From the inner sanctuary of home, Sadia’s Kitchen was born. This was Pakistan’s first online kitchen catering lunches for the business community in the country’s biggest city. After the birth of their fourth child, the home operation decided to focus upon cakes, catering and food consultancy services.
In the Blood
He also started his own marketing company, Product2Brand, now renamed with Madjoint Studios. He accepted a friend’s invitation to launch Pakistan’s first professionally managed WebTV http://www.247online.tv and another friend’s invitation to launch www.mmatcher.com in Pakistan.
The Empire Strikes Back
Never forgetting Beliscity, he grabbed the opportunity to buy it back in 2012 and once again he is King.
About Abid Beli
http://www.abidbeli.com/2012/03/30/my-journey-towards-entrepreneurship/
I am an English specialist with I CAN READ. I have worked for major British institutions: British Council, British High Commission, British Railways Board and Linguaphone. I am a London-trained lawyer and have been the public affairs officer at the British High Commission, Singapore, as well as an editor in an international book publishing house and a national magazine. I am also co-author of two law books: English Legal System and Company Law, published by Blackstone, Oxford University Press. I am an Ambassador of Peace (Universal Peace Federation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace). Connect: Email susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk http://sg.linkedin.com/in/susanmckenzie https://twitter.com/#!/abetoday http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teacher-Su-McKenzie-English-Expert-Total-L...