Deal Bazaar - Nafis Salauddin

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nafis Salauddin, CEO of Deal Bazaar, located in Elmont, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a cross-border shopping platform that allows people from around the globe to shop from the USA with local currency and without the need for an international credit card. We target emerging regions like South East Asia and parts of Africa that have the money but lack the access to shop from high-end globally recognized brands.

Tell us about yourself

Originally from Bangladesh, I am an NYC resident. I have lived in London, Texas, and NYC for over a decade now. Being lucky enough to have first-hand experiences from 2 totally different parts of the world, I have personally been exposed to the unique challenges that we face in SEA and in the USA. I have been an entrepreneur since I was 14 and failed at least five ventures before Deal Bazaar started to take off. I don't work. Anything and everything I do related to my business is my passion, and I love doing it. From solving challenges to introducing new products in the market, I love every aspect of it. I will quit the day I realize that I am not passionate about solving this problem anymore (which might never be).

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I started this from a small apartment in NYC with my wife's personal savings. Currently, it's growing fast with low CAC and high retention metrics. We recently closed our pre-seed round and preparing towards opening our seed stage.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It changes as the business grows. I remember the days I used to be a janitor and a CEO. That was tough but fun! From designing the logo to responding to customers. I was doing everything. Now that we have employees, the hardest part of my job is people management and growth. I am not as busy with legwork, but I do have my mind's bandwidth maxed out most of the time.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Don't overthink and overanalyze. Just launch it, and you will learn along the way. Launch it FAST.
Listen to customers. Spend a lot of time with your peers and customers to build an ecosystem.
Raise funds when you have enough tractions. At this stage, be honest with yourself. Do you really see yourself doing this for the rest of your life? It's one thing that you are grinding every day with your own money, but once the outside investors come in, it's a different ball game. You are not the boss anymore, and you need to make sure you aim for rapid growth.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dealbazaarbd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deal.bazaar_/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NafisSalauddin_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nsalauddin/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.