Adnan has been running his own plastics manufacturing business for almost nine years, employing 12 people as laborers and salesmen. He uses recycled plastic material to manufacture new products, such as plastic spray bottles used at salons and in homes, water cans, and plastic ‘piggy-banks’ for children.
Adnan is currently outsourcing the molding of the plastic products to another business. This significantly slows down the production process and can take up to six months. It is clear that Adnan has a good head for business, as he explains, “If I had a workshop for molding, I could do the same in one month and at a third of the cost.”
In order to expand into molding, Adnan needs two things: capital and new skills. He says, “Knowledge is an ocean. I will keep learning till the end of my life. I want to learn to mold using both machines and computers, including using the connected apps for composing and editing the products. That is very important for our business.” He adds that he needs more general business skills in order to grow and diversify.
“Knowledge is an ocean. I will keep learning until the end of my life.”
As well as hoping to expand into molding, Adnan would also like to reduce his transportation costs, saying, “I need a car to transport my products myself, that will give me better profits.”
Like many other entrepreneurs across the world, Adnan has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. He explains, “Now the business is getting better slowly, but the corona situation was a huge setback to the business.”
Through CARE’s Ignite program, supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Adnan will have new opportunities to grow his business and remain resilient in the face of this and any future pandemic. By partnering with local service providers, CARE Pakistan will be able to open up access to capital for Adnan and other entrepreneurs like him, as well as offer him access to skills development.
Adnan’s dream of growing and diversifying his business could finally become a reality.