Efreez | 2016
A close and enduring friendship between two friends formed the foundation for a new beginning when the pair decided to become business partners and establish their first company. The first choice was to establish a company specialised in providing design consultancy and décor. Yasir Al Battashi and Mohammed Al Balushi are the founders of Efreez since 2011.
They both brought different, yet complimentary skills to the new enterprise; Yasir has experience in administration and finance as well as good experience in maintenance, while Mohammed is an M.A. holder in fine arts, and works as an arts specialist.
Commenting on the beginnings of their new business, Yasir noted: “My friendship with Mohammed motivated both of us to consider establishing a joint business. Usually finding the suitable commercial activity forms a challenge to anyone who wishes to start a business, but for us the choice was clear from the very beginning. Mohammed is a very talented artist and he also holds an M.A in fine arts. Therefore, we capitalized on our expertise and established Efreez, which provides specialized services in wood and glass design, and designing special lighting solutions, among other design works. We started in 2011, and in the beginning it was only Mohammed and myself, and we worked out of a small office in Al-Amerat. At first, we focused on providing design services to small villa owners in Al-Amerat only, then as the business grew we began to provide services to customers all over Muscat and to some governmental bodies. Our business developed day by day, and now we have 20 employees in the company.”
Yasir and Mohammed realized that the revenue growth and the increased work volume must be paralleled by an increase in profits. However, due to the increase in operating expenses, the net profit was less than the expected. Therefore, they looked for consultancy support and expert mentorship to develop their business. Through social media, they heard about Zubair SEC and its role in supporting small enterprises and Omani entrepreneurs, so they decided to register as members at the Centre, which was a significant step for them. The consultancy and advice received from Zubair SEC advisors contributed in developing the business strategy of the company, and the positive financial results quickly followed.
“After the growth in company’s business as well as number of employees, we realized that we needed expert advice from a specialized institution to put us on the right path, and drive the business towards wider horizons of success. At the beginning the focus was on developing and diversifying our work without the need to add extra expense which in turn might affect the net profit. The team at Zubair SEC helped us to develop a new strategy which covered the following key areas; developing and expanding our range of services, identifying the ideal target customer, increasing the target audience, reducing unnecessary expenses, and changing the marketing and promotional strategy for the company. We worked together to implement all these points.” Yasir added.
Efreez started reaping the fruits of joining Zubair SEC, with Yasir Al-Battashi and Mohammed Al Balushi successfully implementing the new strategy with great results. The company started providing an expanded range of services, and grew its customer base to include commercial services to public and private institutions. The excellent potential within their business was a major factor in them being selected for the 2016 Direct Support Programme.
Yasir Al Battashi commented: “After we joined Zubair SEC, and implemented the new strategy, we started to see positive results. We established good relationships with strategic partners of Zubair SEC, and the continuous engagement with other members enabled us to exchange experience and look for possible cooperation opportunities. Winning entry to the Direct Support Programme 2016 gave the company a real boost, along with all the privileges provided by the Programme. In addition to the free expert consultancy provided to all members, the winners get a number of unique privileges, including a dedicated consultant who works with them to provide support, in addition to a financial grant, which contributes toward implementing the agreed objectives for the business”.
He added: “Through our work with the team at Zubair SEC, we developed the administrative, financial and other aspects of the business. Our office has been relocated from Al Amerat to Al Khuwair, with the aim to elevate and expand our customer base. We also focused on growing our relationships with engineering companies, which allowed us to offer a greater range of specialized services, and increase the volume of business we can handle. The Zubair SEC team worked closely with us to develop a business plan for years ahead, and prepare a new marketing and business development strategy, in addition to preparing a new brand identity for the company.”
Al Battashi concludes, “After the great efforts made by everyone at Zubair SEC, we were able to take our business to the next level. Today, we are working with a new vision and goals, targeting a larger market. At the beginning, we were providing our service to small villa owners, those who are with average income and below, but today our services are provided to a higher-income segment in the society. With the various services provided, we are now working with high-end shops and hotels. This change in our business strategy contributed in raising the revenue by %90, keeping in mind that we have the same number of employees and with the same expenses, but the profit has doubled. Thanks to everyone at Zubair SEC for their tireless support, and I encourage all SME owners to take advantage of the services and consultancy provided by the Centre”.