Many middle class Syrian traders headed to Jordan with nothing or some savings after the start of the revolution. There they struggled and worked to become investors with property and commercial enterprises. Eqtsad speaks to Adnan Zahra a Syrian merchant from Idlib city who shared his experience and commercial success in Jordan.
Zahra owned a paint manufacturing factory in addition to trading in accessories prior to the revolution. His business was prospering and his situation stable, but with the start of the revolution, he was arrested several times by different intelligence branches. The last time he was released from detention, he travelled to Dubai to work there. He was unable to remain in Dubai as the residence permits were too expensive and he could not afford to secure residence permits for his large family.
He headed to Jordan with only 800 US Dollars (USD) in his pocket which is insufficient to work in commerce, but Zahra did not despair. Prior to becoming a trader, he worked as a professional furniture painting, so he started working in that profession again as a daily wage earner in a furniture paint shop in Amman. Zahra described how he worked day and night for five months in that shop to improve his and his family’s situation.
Zahra managed to save up some money and he borrowed the remainder to open his own shop. He hurried to complete the procedures for investors to legalize his business. The beginning was very difficult he explained and he did not profit many times but he stuck to his strategy of specializing in high quality furniture.
His shop provided customers with all kinds of pieces of furniture whether for offices or bedrooms. According to Zahra, customers want high quality pieces with an attention to detail even if the pieces are expensive as high-quality pieces have a longer life expectancy and additional advantages which make them desirable.
Zahra also began manufacturing kitchen furniture to expand his business. He began selling his pieces for attractive prices although not everyone was happy with Zahra’s prices as he explained that some complained that his prices are very competitive and that pieces that are “cheap scare.” He decided to open a store specifically for kitchens in one of Amman’s neighborhoods and has managed to turn a good profit from this endeavor.
Speaking to Eqtsad about his success, Zahra pointed out that the market is very big in Jordan, it absorbs competition, and it is easier to enter than the market in Syria. “You do not have to be a brand and very famous to work and succeed. The main thing is that your products are good quality and then customers will advertise for you for free,” he explained.
Seeking to increase his business’s popularity and improve quality, Zahra relied on technological advances. Customers can view the design of furniture pieces before they are executed giving them the option of personalizing pieces. Zahra explained that this move proved very successful among his clients.
Success leads to success and Zahra continues to work to expand his business. He has participated in several furniture expositions and he was invited by the Jordanian Ministry of Manufacturing and Trade to participate in a specialized furniture exposition in Germany to happen soon. The invitation is testament to how his efforts have distinguished him in the market, and his contribution to this commercial sector in Jordan.
Concluding his interview with Eqtsad, Zahra explained that the main reason for his success was his persistence and determination. He added that he never made excuses for himself and kept going forward without looking back
