Entrepreneurship in a Collapsing Economy
In crisis-hit Lebanon, one entrepreneur is empowering the next generation of self-starters
At the beginning of his career, Andre Abi Awad tried following a traditional path. He got a part-time job in a restaurant to gain work experience, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. So instead, he harnessed his interests and channeled his natural skills towards earning a living on his own. “I was good with computers, so I started creating websites for people and fixing devices. I was able to overcome poverty by being a freelancer and believe that other young people can do the same,” he says.
Today, Awad, 40, dedicates much of his time to teaching Lebanese youth the skills of a successful entrepreneur. “I want others to feel the freedom of being a freelancer by being their own decision-maker and source of income,” he explains. Last year he launched Yalla Nebda, a WhatsApp-based program on how to start a small business. His aim is to provide an accessible, affordable platform so that people all over the country can participate in the program.
“We don’t have enough content in Arabic for educating entrepreneurs, and most of the existing programs are in big cities,” Awad says. “I wanted to reach people in rural and marginalized communities, and others who simply can’t afford conventional programs.”
Growing up in a poor family in Awkar, north of Beirut, Awad had to make his own success. In his twenties, he went bankrupt twice trying to sustain business ventures. “I sank into depression; it was very hard. I had no backup,” he says. Eventually, he managed to recover and build a successful digital marketing platform among other enterprises, going on to become an entrepreneurship and business trainer with speaking engagements around the world.
Now he wants to help other young people in Lebanon overcome obstacles to succeed in their ventures. “I don’t want ambitious people to stay poor… I want everyone to have the opportunity to become a successful business owner,” Awad says.
Launching a startup is difficult in any environment, but Lebanese people face particular challenges. Youth unemployment was high in Lebanon, even before the economic collapse pushed over 80 percent of the population into poverty. Every year, a fresh influx of around 50,000 Lebanese youth enters the labor market, but a growing number are unable to find jobs, with an estimated 47.8 percent out of work, due partly to the impact of multiple crises in the country over recent years. As a result, more people are forced to find creative solutions to generate income. This is where Awad believes his program can help.
His Entrepreneurial Growth Series walks aspiring business owners through the steps needed to launch a business. He also runs programs for more advanced entrepreneurs, including a course called the Freedom Owner, but his new WhatsApp platform, which recently received an Innovation Hub grant from Ideas Beyond Borders, targets beginners.
The aim is to furnish participants with everything they need to launch a business—no additional skill sets need to be learned or qualifications gained to complete the course. “We expect them to capitalize on what they know, using skills they already have,” Awad explains.
It begins by unpicking insecurities that typically hold people back, encouraging participants to get used to seeking investment by asking an acquaintance for a single dollar. It also covers negotiation and teaches participants how to think creatively across all aspects of their business. “Being creative is a skill. Most of the time, people don’t voice their ideas because they consider them silly, but as soon as you have an idea, your brain begins generating more, and then you start connecting the dots.”
At the end of the course, participants will be asked to submit a short pitch, which Awad hopes to publish on a fund-raising platform so people can support the ideas. In the past, the businesses he worked with ranged from food and sweet brands to jewelry, fashion, and environmental startups, language learning, and other tutoring platforms. Whatever the sector, he advises them to deviate from the norm. “Most creative ideas come from thinking outside the box,” he says.
This article was written by Olivia Cuthbert.