THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CASE STUDY

DATE: 2ND NOVEMBER 2014

TEACHER: VOLETI.KAMESHVARI

NAME OF THE STUDENT: VRIDDHI.SHARMA

GRADE: 11 COM-D

THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project ‘’Case Study’’ is the bonafide work of

‘’Vriddhi.Sharma’’ who carried out the assignment under my

supervision.

Signature

Date: 2nd November 2014

THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CERTIFICATE

In order to accomplish this project, I would like to thank my

entrepreneurship teacher, Mrs.Voleti.Kameshwari for guiding me

throughout the assignment. I’m grateful to them for giving this

opportunity. It was fun and informative doing this. I would like to

thank all of them who helped me in doing this project and who

helped me in bringing this project a successful one.

Thank you

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. CASE STUDY

3. PICTURES

4. CONCLUSION

5. BIBLOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

A little music shop tucked away in Bur Dubai with a Christmas collection going back to the 1920s. And it is Intesar Salim, the owner, who has managed to make it so, thanks to a dream, and his single-minded pursuit in realizing that dream.

You are walking along a sidewalk near Astoria Hotel in Bur Dubai,

negotiating a busy-looking crowd, when you are stopped dead in your

tracks by the rich baritone of Jim Reeves singing Silent Night from

somewhere down the street. Your eyes try to find out from where the

carol is playing and come to rest on Al Meher Recording - a

nondescript, modest-looking shop - its glass-frontage stacked with

covers of old western singers. Inside the shelves are stacked with

CDs and cassettes from legends of Western music - some going way

down to the 1920s. You feel as if you have leapfrogged on a time

capsule to enter a different era altogether. You realise this place

is different from anything you have seen in this part of the world.

And it is Intesar Salim, the owner, who has managed to make it so,

thanks to a dream, and his single-minded pursuit in realising that

dream. After all, its not every other day you have someone chuck away

a profitable business (in Salim's case, his dad's profitable

electronics shop) to pursue one's passion. But that's precisely what

Salim did, and did so successfully. From the moment he heard Don

Williams sing You are My Best Friend in the 1980s, he was hooked

onto "old western music". Today, Al Meher is probably the only one in

the Gulf to be dealing in this kind of music. From Jim Reeves,

Skeeter Davis, Charley Pride to Connie Francis, Nana Mouskouri,

Elvis and Lobo, the shop has more than 5,000 oldies in stock. But it

is the Christmas collection that is truly amazing. Spanning more

than 500 titles, Al Meher has a mind-boggling collection of carols,

church choirs, gospel Christmas songs, reggae Christmas beats,

Tijuana Christmas, orchestras, Christmas party, instrumental

Christmas, Rock 'n' Roll Christmas, country Christmas, Australian

Christmas, Christmas with Stars, Trinity Boys' Choir, St Paul's

Cathedral - the works. Salim has a real passion for the music of Jim

Reeves and has spent much of his life collecting and preserving his

collection. Displayed in his store are many rare vinyl’s and CDs

each with a story behind it!

For 25 years Al Fahidi Street has been home to Al Meher Recording, a

small record store that specialises in the music of the late country

singer Jim Reeves. Many other record stores have come and gone but

Al Meher Recording remains and when you speak to the owner Intesar

Salim.

CASE STUDY 1) What is your name?

Ans) My name is Intesar Salim. ---------------------------------------------------------------

2) Tell me something about your family, birth place, etc? Ans) I was born in Dubai, I am actually from Pakistan and my family is settled in Canada. ---------------------------------------------------------------

3) What is your vision and ambition in life? Ans) I actually wanted to do something that I would enjoy so this was the force behind starting the business. I converted my passion into profession. The idea behind that is that I enjoy what I do, not just make money and not to force myself to do something that I don’t like. So the basic thing was that everyday should be a new day for me because in routine work you’re fed up but when you turn your passion into profession that is when you feel everyday is something new. ---------------------------------------------------------------

4) Who is your role model and why? Did your choice change with time? Give reasons. Ans) Role models, all those people like Nelson Mandela, Jinaah these all are big people and they are achievers they have done for the entire world, entire universe and entire mankind. So they are the role models. No, the role models will always remain the same, see why did you like them in the first place because of their achievement you always try to follow them. ---------------------------------------------------------------

5) List the options available/ thought of/ tried and reasons for selecting the particular venture. Ans) The reason for this was because when I started this music, there were hardly music shops, especially this kind of music there were no music shops at all. I wanted to get music but since I was not getting it so I thought why not try something not only for myself but also for other people get what they want. So, it worked! ---------------------------------------------------------------

6) Was it technical knowhow or hands on experience? Ans) Its hands on experience. You learn as you grow and it’s the customer, the people, your passion, your commitment and your will of knowing that continues with the customer so that when it combines it makes it a success. ---------------------------------------------------------------

7) What role did education play in the whole process? Is education more important than experience? Ans) Big role, education is the key, is the force behind. If you’re not educated, for that matter if you’re a skilled person and not educated it will not really work.

I would say equal. You need to be educated and you need to know the knowhow because if your only educated and don’t know what you are doing. No it won’t work. ---------------------------------------------------------------

8) What was your road to success? Who motivated you through your journey? Ans) It is the will behind what you are doing. If your will is strong, if you are determined that is what is takes you. If your weak at some point you always slip yourself in, but if your strong enough and you have a believe in yourself you can do it. Actually it was my mother whose behind that. She always gave me a free hand, she always told me that I can do what I want to so she was the force behind it. ---------------------------------------------------------------

9) What was your first achievement/ milestone for your business? Ans) A recognition, when the media, the people came to know that what I am doing was different than what others are doing. So though I feel the recognition I got was late but never too late. ---------------------------------------------------------------

10) Did the changes in market trends, technology, environment factors, socio economic factors, business then and business now, local to global transformation, presence of competition affect you and your enterprise in any way? Ans) Yes, it did, technology yes it did. Market trends keep changing from time to time, but technology played a big role. (business then and now) before it was divided now it is focused you know that time I didn’t have much options but now there are more options, more customers and focused more on what I am doing.(local to global transformation)I am doing locally so I have no idea globally.(presence of competition)As a matter of fact I don’t have any competitors because when you turn passion into profession you will not find many people, if your determined to do something you want to do then that is YOU because this is not a run of a mill that I am doing, if I was doing for money then I would have had competitors but when I am doing, see some of these music are quiet expensive 500dhs a CD, 250dhs a CD, so you know what it is and you know how to sell I, if you don’t know or somebody doesn’t know music then even 20dhs a CD is not worth for him, so you have to find the niche market, you have to have a confidence to sell that and you have to find the people whom you motivate to buy, so that is the case. ---------------------------------------------------------------

11) Are there any plans for expansion or growth parameters for your enterprise? Ans) In my field, your personal presence is more important, if you expand you depend on people, in passion it will not work.

If it is commercial it will but this is different so I think my presence is more important you know physically be there to sell. So I am not planning to expand. ---------------------------------------------------------------

12) After this kind of a success are you giving anything back to the society? Ans) Society in the sense charity, we do as and when we have we do that but not on a very regular basis, occasions like Eid and Christmas those a little bit but not on a regular basis. ---------------------------------------------------------------

13) Three decisions you wish to change from your past. Give reasons. Ans) No, I don’t have any regrets. You only feel guilty when you did something wrong and now you want to change it. For me I took a decision and I am happy with that so there is no single decision that I want to change. ---------------------------------------------------------------

14) What according to you is the business mantra? Ans) Commitment , you know whatever you do, do it with your heart if your half hearted it will not take you anywhere and you know when you are commitment and experience when they are together it is a smooth sail. ---------------------------------------------------------------

15) A few words of motivation for the young people. Ans) Do anything you want do it with honesty and do it with a clear mind. Once you take a plunge don’t leave it, think hundred times before you do but once you do it, do it with all your heart. ---------------------------------------------------------------

PICTURES

CONCLUSION

After doing this project I realized that being an entrepreneur just doesn’t mean making money with innovation, it means self satisfaction. Do whatever you want to do but only if you enjoy doing it. Don’t do anything forcefully because that is going to lead you nowhere. Life is too short to be sad and regret what you did. Make your passion into profession so that you don’t have competitors☻ Your personal presence is more important in what you are doing because depending on people in passion doesn’t work. Do whatever you do with commitment, compassion, honesty, interest and dedication. After doing this project I really got a lot of inspiration from Mr.Intesar.Salim.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

BIBLOGRAPHY

www.google.com

www.dubaieye1038.com

www.gulfnews.com

www.googleimages.com