Every Thursday, ILQ features a different Qatari startup in our 'Startup of the Week' segment. Qatar has some of the most creative, unique, and impactful startups in the region, and we cover them all across a variety of industries in Doha—from fashion and beauty to food and dining, health, education, technology, and more!
Are you a business affected by the pandemic? Is your company currently looking for designers and developers but cannot afford to hire full-timers? Are you looking for designers aware of the Qatar market? Look no further, BFive is here for you!
BFive is a freelancing website connecting developers and designers from Qatar with companies and individuals looking for short-term or project-based hiring. According to the founders, Alaa Moosa and Hanan Mohammed, the name "BFive" describes the five-star quality service that they are providing. Services include website development, mobile development, creating business identity and branding, and game design.
The company started in 2018 as an idea and became a fully established business in 2019. It was a humble start, according to the founders. A few enthusiastic computing students wanted to make an easy way for their designer peers to get their talents to the market. After learning the market dynamics and needs, the company vision matured to focus on graphical design, web design and development.
With an increase of awareness of entrepreneurship and doing personal projects, there is a considerable increase in hiring website/mobile developers and designers to support in establishing a business. This is where BFive comes in.
"Our company ensures that all talented freelancers in Qatar can be found on our platform. We are committed to giving the best quality of work and we only recruit experienced freelancers who can both communicate effectively and deliver the need. Further, you will find all the skills required within your budget. Also, our customer support team is assigned to follow up and make sure that all our clients' needs are met.", said the founders.
ILQ asked BFive what makes their business unique, and they answered that BFive provides options depending on the clients' budget.
"When a company is looking for a graphic design service, they can either opt for the international "affordable" or the local "pricey". So, whether your company needs design or development, BFive is always your best choice."
During the development of BFive, they had support from the Digital Incubation Center (DIC), who helped bring their idea to life. Later, the LSP program in the Qatar Business Incubation Center gave them the business mindset needed to accelerate the startup. Also, raising funds through Ooredoo's Digital and Beyond program helped them improve their services to reach more customer segments.
Speaking about the early stages of the company's growth, BFive's founders shared that while starting a business can be challenging in many ways, one thing that should never have a shortcut is getting people to trust in the brand:
"Getting the customer's trust and the investor's support is the trickiest part. It took time. Lots of fails, which eventually turned into success."
The ILQ team also asked the BFive team what would be their advice for young entrepreneurs who are interested in establishing startups of their own.
"Being a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of work, a lot of vision and a lot of perseverance. Assuming what customers want or need will never lead to success. You must ask them directly, and then carefully listen to what they say."
*All photos are courtesy of BFive
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