Resources at the Beginning
The sharing campaign began when a resident of a community gave a refrigerator to their neighbor, Sumayyah Sayed. The resident had used it for three years for food donations to those in need and now wanted someone else to take charge of it. According to Bajaj et al. (2018), the idea of the project was straightforward: Sayed needed to stock the fridge with products for those who were fasting. A refrigerator with invitation posters was supposed to be installed outside Sayed’s house to attract those who needed food or beverages.
Since Ramadan presupposes restraining from any food or drinks until sunset, fridges became a real blessing for the residents because they would take what they needed after a long workday. Sayed did not only aim at feeding those who were fasting, but wanted to share products with other residents of the community as well. As a result, she faced an overwhelming task – refilling fridges with food and beverages on a daily basis.
On the first day, Sayed cooked some dishes and bought bottles of water and juice to stock the machine. An hour later, she noticed that everything was consumed too fast which made her wonder what she could do to supply more food (Bajaj et al., 2018). Sayed’s urge to help individuals seemed to inspire her to expand the project. Having refilled the fridge three times one day, she realized the products were gone too quickly. Therefore, she started contemplating the ideas related to the project’s expansion.
Her attempts to help people seemed impossible without any donations or sponsors; thus, she decided to seek assistance. She first posted a message on social media to address the problem and ask volunteers to make contributions. Her initiative was successful since it attracted more than a thousand people in just one day. Sayed received countless inquiries about the place, the amount of food, and time when they could come and donate. She received so many donations in one day that she had to vacate a room in her house to accommodate them.
Since it was much more than Sayed expected or needed, she decided to share the collection with other refrigerator owners. In addition, four managers in the community joined the Facebook page and contacted Sayed to receive donations for their fridges. Sumayyah Sayed was excited to share her items with other people to develop the movement. They soon joined Sayed’s campaign and aimed to expand the boundaries of their influence. According to Bajaj et al. (2018), Sumayyah Sayed’s story proves that there are many compassionate people who strive to help those in need even with no resources. Magazines, online and radio sources started spreading news people who donate food, labor, time, and effort. All the media was overflown with the articles about this campaign, promoting it on the national level.
Sayed seems an incredibly charitable person who is willing to help people voluntarily. Since she realizes the needs of residents, Sayed can be described as an emphatic and kind person. As generosity is a rare phenomenon now, it should be highly appreciated and rewarded. Moreover, what is striking about Sumayyah Sayed’s character is the intention to continue to supply fridges even though she lacks the necessary resources. Persistence and confidence are critical qualities because Sayed felt obliged to finish the project once she started working on it. It is also vital to mention her openness and communicative skills, which were helpful in money raising for fridge refill. Sayed is a woman with an open heart; it is incredible how she is willing to help people regardless of the impediments.
Starting a business is a challenging task; still, many people launch prosperous projects every year. Successful individuals usually spend considerable time raising capital, conducting market research, and developing a realistic business plan before creating their new company. Not only does it take time searching and fundraising, but it also demands having leadership skills. Undoubtedly, careful preparation is not an absolute guarantee of any achievement, but it can significantly increase chances for success.
The essential element in starting a business is financing; some people resort to sponsors for fundraising. Even the most straightforward home business carries many startup costs, including registering a company name, installing a phone line, or printing cards. Perhaps the most remarkable deed an entrepreneur can do when starting a new business is to receive as much education as possible. Another vital aspect is the physical resources for an organization to survive. These may include a working place, proper information systems, and useful marketing materials. Thus, an entrepreneur needs to assess their needs before making any purchases.
As seen from the abovementioned necessary resources for starting a business, it can be increasingly complicated to succeed without someone’s support. Hence, barely any entrepreneur may survive with minimum reserves; yet, if a person can find sponsors or receive donations, they can gain profit. Nevertheless, many famous individuals could build business empires with minimal finances or labor force. Perhaps, their phenomenon is due to the dedication and perseverance that they contribute to the development of companies.
Challenges and Recommendations in Maintaining a Venture
Rewarding yet harsh challenges are an integral part of any business, which means that each entrepreneur faces them at least once throughout their leadership career path. Even experienced businessmen cannot elude problems since new industries are appearing and technologies are being developed. As Sayed just started her initiative, which is currently supported by several organizations and sponsors, she will undoubtedly encounter some most common impediments.
The primary obstacle for Sayed would be maintaining her project’s reputation. Since customers can express their dissatisfaction to a wider public than ever before, companies must monitor and maintain their reputation. Due to the fact that the initiative was first launched during Ramadan, people expect to receive the same amount of goods as they received during fasting. Yet, Sayed and her partners may somehow alter their direction and start supplying other food and beverages. Such circumstances can cause an unexpected wave of feedback from people. Keeping the project’s reputation clean is an important task and it best suits for a third party who can monitor and manage related situations.
In July 2017, Sayed was interviewed by two professors of the local university about the initiative. The investigator if she wanted to create an organization, but Sayed argued that he sought to leave more independence to those involved and not impose too much control and uniformity (Bajaj et al., 2018). Therefore, the next problem is the expansion of the project, for which Syed is not safe. There are many opportunities to make this movement global, but it is vital to find sponsors, volunteers, provide formality for action, and delegate more important tasks. Maintaining the global initiative would be extremely difficult for Sayed, because she has resources.
She may find sponsors who would constantly replenish them. Fundraising can be difficult due to a lack of understanding of how to impress investors. To solve this problem, it is recommended to create an organization with its stakeholders on a contractual basis to ensure the stability of the business over a certain period. Sumayyah Sayed and her team could make a presentation about the importance of the project to society throughout the year, not just during Ramadan.
Moreover, Sayed will not be able to predict whether the demand for refrigerators may increase or decrease. People can react differently to the expansion of the project or its reduction. In particular, it is extremely important to assess the attitude of residents to the initiative after Ramadan. Sayed was asked to make this program year-round, but she doubted donations, since previously most of the sponsors were religious organizations. She also needs to ensure if her refrigerator managers could stock the machines every day without a refund (Bajaj et al., 2018). Therefore, convincing all parties to continue investing in the project would not be easy for Sayed.
It is also recommended to move from a trust-based relationship between her team and sponsors to signing year-round contracts to ensure the sustainability of the business. Proper and stable financing is critical to the survival of any company.
On the basis of these challenges, Sayed impugns the integrity of the stakeholders, precisely the supplies. Sayed and her managers may question the safety and quality of the delivered products. Hence, they need to establish regulatory compliance to address this possible issue. They can develop a policy or standard that the goods supplied must meet. Signing a contract would be an essential part of building a solid partnership since it would guarantee reliability and assurance of terms fulfillment.
Teambuilding would be especially hard and stressful for Sumayyah Sayed as she never managed people before. Finding candidates, attracting more volunteers, and being a leader are complicated tasks for her due to the lack of experience. Yet, she seems to be an easy-going and open-minded person. It is important to note that the project’s Facebook page was overloaded with multiple messages, which is also challenging because responding to them on her own is impossible (Bajaj et al., 2018). This fact again proves that she needs new individuals responsible for specific activities. Hence, it is recommended that Sumayyah Sayed consult with an authoritative entrepreneur to make sure she chooses the right strategy for expanding and uniting the team.
In conclusion, it seems crucial to restate the immense contribution Sayed and her team made to society. Even though the initiative was considered non-profit, it had multiple chances to expand and become a global movement attracting new sponsors and volunteers from across the world. Determination is a key to making this business profitable and helping more people in different countries. Nonetheless, there are many challenges associated with running a venture of such a scope, but the most outstanding entrepreneurs face them as well, even when their companies generate billions in revenue. Sayed’s primary issues relate to the organizational structure and making sure sponsors continue investing money in the project. Undoubtedly, Sumayyah Sayed and her team must convince investors, suppliers, and other stakeholders about the initiative’s vitality even after Ramadan. Thus, they may reach sustainability and help many people worldwide.
Reference
Bajaj, G., Buisson, B., Singh, S., & Verma, N. (2018). Ramadan sharing fridges: Keeping a non-profit afloat. Ivey Publishing.