Some people may think that launching a digital agency is nothing new. But for 28-year-old Abdelmonem Saadi, the founder of the very first digital agency in Siliana, Geeks Graphics, the sector has opened up a new world of business opportunities in the region.
Abdelmonem, an engineer in IT, first started his career in the private sector. After struggling to find a job where he could apply his education and skills, he left Siliana in 2015 to work for a communication agency in Sousse. This was how he realized the need for digital development in Siliana.
“I worked for one year in Sousse before returning to Siliana. This experience was a revelation to me, but also a way to learn the skills of this business and prepare myself technically to start my own agency,” says Abdelmonem.
In September 2016, Abdelmonem started the obstacle course facing many new entrepreneurs. He started researching to better understand the local competition and used benchmarking to identify opportunities for the business in Siliana. At the same time he participated in the CEFE training and submitted a request for funding to the Tunisian Bank of Solidarity (BTS).
In July 2017, Geeks Graphics was born at the Cyberparc in Siliana with a total investment of 13,500 Tunisian Dinars. But after business being slow for a few months, Abdelmonem felt that he needed support to better manage his enterprise.
“I went to the Siliana Business Center to find help in the development of my company. That’s where I discovered the Mashrou3i project.”
Implemented by UNIDO and funded by USAID, the Italian Cooperation and HP Foundation, the Mashrou3i project provided Abdelmonem with deep dive business coaching and technical assistance to help his start-up take off.
“Mashrou3i has invested a lot in helping me get where I am today,” says Abdelmonem. “Especially by providing me with various training workshops to improve my marketing and access to markets. A training in taxation enabled me to identify weaknesses in my accounting and the Mashrou3i experts helped me to overcome these challenges and keep my accounting and finances in order.”
“I also received training to improve my communication skills and got the opportunity to present my agency and its services on Radio Kef, the most listened radio in the north-west of Tunisia. It was fun but also a useful experience. The radio interview enabled me to gain two new clients.”
Geeks Graphics offers a complete range of services, from digital communication (community management, website creation) to graphic design (branding and promotional materials such as business cards, flyers, banners…). The young entrepreneur acknowledges that while entrepreneurship is an incredibly rewarding journey, it can also feel lonely and difficult at times.
“At the moment, I do everything myself, from graphic design to commercial and accounting activities. It’s not easy, but it strengthens my experience of all areas of the business.”
With ongoing support from Mashrou3i, Abdelmonem has been able to structure and develop his business. Today, he is confident about the future.
“By 2020, I want to develop my agency by recruiting a graphic designer by my side. I would also like to cross borders and offer my services to markets abroad.” “If I had to offer advice to young people who want to become an entrepreneur: don’t start alone. Always look for support, like I had with Mashrou3i. This will help prepare you to face the biggest challenges.”