Racking up those cellphone bills? So was Fahad Awadh until he decided to do something about it.
While studying at York University he hit upon a groundbreaking idea. At 21, the president of www.MakeMeUnlimited.com tells us about how his idea took shape. Consumers are realizing they pay a lot more than cellphone users in other countries, especially the United States.
“I personally used to make a lot of daytime calls on my cellphone. I was consistently paying $300 to $400 per month.”
In his search for a solution he came across voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), a revolutionary technology that takes analog audio signals and turns them into digital data.
“The technology is not new, the reinvention is in the way our company uses this technology to offer affordable unlimited calling for cellphone users,” Awadh explains. “I knew that this was a service that was needed — it was the solution that I had been waiting for, and it offered an excellent business opportunity.”
This allows cellphone users to pay a flat rate per month on their daytime minutes mitigating the worry of going over and being charged.
“It always seemed to me that you could never have enough daytime minutes. I am giving people an affordable service that allows them to talk more,” he explains. This comes down to the lack of competition in the wireless industry.
“The large companies that control the market didn’t have any reason to offer something affordable that allowed consumers to talk more. This has left a lot of opportunity for a small company with a product that better suits the needs of the consumer.”
Friend and business associate Momar Taal says, “With high cellphone prices and with corporations monopolizing the market, it is a breath of fresh air when an idea like this comes about.”
Despite his hefty competitors in the market, Awadh said he knew through his research that no other company offered unlimited calling for cellphones.
“It was intimidating to me when I thought about the size and strength of the competition. But I believe in myself and the service that I am offering. This made me stay focused and helped me embrace my competition and learn from them.”
What started as a personal solution to the problem quickly gave rise to a service that was desperately needed by cellphone users, which Awadh realized every time he mentioned his idea to people.
“People couldn’t wait to sign up — I get excited telling people about it,” he says. “I have only targeted business users with this service because they will save the most money.”
So how do you get started? Awadh suggests writing down your idea and start asking close friends and family their opinion. “The first person that I ask for an opinion is my mom. She is honest and she tells me what she thinks. I value her opinion deeply.”
Once you’re confident in your idea start planning and researching all aspects, determine the costs that might be involved as this will all go into your business plan. Set goals and break it down into specific actions and then start ticking them off.
“You must create a vision for yourself and think big. Take action. Learn as much as you can about your business and your customers, read books that will help you reach your goals.”
