It has always been Hussam's dream to have his own business, just like his father. So he wanted to open his own store as soon as possible after he came to the Netherlands from Syria. We asked him how he managed to realize his dream.
What did you do for work in Syria?
I was working with my father. I didn't study and my father had his own business in Aleppo. A wholesale market with all kinds of food products. We took care of buying and selling products. So it was not a store where people did their shopping, but really a big business where other companies bought their stuff.
Does your father's business still exist?
Yes, it is still open, although it has almost no products anymore. When it was very unsafe in Aleppo about five years ago, people bought an awful lot of food. They didn't know if they would be alive or dead the next day. It is now safer again, but there is no more work, no money and no produce. In terms of war, the danger is gone, but because there is so much poverty now, there is theft. You also better not tell anyone you have money.
You came to the Netherlands in 2016 and you recently opened your own store. How did that go?
I spent about a year and a half in an AZC and in 2017 - or 2018, I don't remember exactly - I came to live in Hoogvliet. That's also when I started learning Dutch. I first worked at Thuisbezorgd and at a Moroccan supermarket. Then I started an entrepreneurship course. During that course, we covered a new topic each time. For example, it was about starting your own business in the Netherlands, how to get work here and what the rules are. I also learned how to do accounting, how to deal with Dutch customers and how to run a store. It was also useful to learn how to write a business plan for the municipality. After all, in the Netherlands you have a lot more rules than in Syria.
And after the course? How did you come to this store?
I live near here and walked past this building one day. It was vacant and there was a notice that the store was for rent. I immediately called the real estate agent to make an appointment. Then I was able to rent the space. I registered with the Chamber of Commerce and with the Tax Office. I also asked all kinds of suppliers if they could supply products that I would only have to pay for afterwards. That worked out. Many Syrian traders helped me, but I also got help from Turkish suppliers. Thanks in part to them, I was able to start quickly.
Did you start without money?
Partly. I applied for BBZ benefits and I still had some of my own money to invest. From that I bought the indispensable things, such as a refrigerator, the cash register and lighting. I have now been open for four months and things are going well.
How did you get all your suppliers?
I went to many Syrian supermarkets and asked them how they got started and which suppliers they work with. That way I really started networking and got a lot of good tips. I had already worked in a Moroccan supermarket for a while, where I also learned a lot. I often went with the owner to wholesalers, so I already knew where to buy a lot of my products.
What kind of customers come to your store?
They are very nice! Everyone uses easy words, because they know I haven't been in the Netherlands that long. I expected to have only Syrian customers, but Dutch, Surinamese, African, Moroccan and Iraqi people come. This is the first Syrian store in the neighborhood, so many people come here especially for their stuff. My prices are good and customers can also order products. They are also very curious and ask all the time, 'What is this? And what is that? I know the Dutch name of about 70 percent of the products, but I still learn new things every day. That's why I also want to develop my language further. I know the basics now, but I would like to get better.
Do you have any tips for newcomers who also want to open their own business?
It's really important to learn the Dutch language well and know the rules. You have to ask as many questions as possible, to everyone. If you want to open your own supermarket, go to other supermarkets to ask how they started. When I asked advice from Syrians who have lived here for 30 years, they all said that I had to learn the language very well first.
Did you ever think it wouldn't work out?
Well, in the beginning it gave me a lot of headaches. I didn't know the language and the rules. It was really difficult, but that was also because I had it in my own head that it was difficult. By now I know better. Above all, you have to know where to find information. I searched a lot on Google and, as I said, asked questions to anyone I could find. I noticed that many people are also eager to help. Now if someone asked me how to open a grocery store, I would help them too, now that I know how to do it myself.
You are open every day. Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m.
Right! I think it's important to be open every day. The owner of the Moroccan supermarket where I worked closed every Monday, while many customers also wanted to do their shopping on Mondays. Then you lose income. That's why I'm open every day, I'm never off a day.
You work alone. Do you want to hire someone else?
Maybe in the future. The first year I'm going to work very hard, just by myself. After that, I might want to hire an employee so I can be free on Sundays. My family in Syria calls every day to ask if they can work with me, haha! Yes, they would like to come here. They are kind of proud of me and happy that I managed to open my own business. But for now I can manage on my own. My wife also helps me in the store. She also goes to school to learn Dutch, but it is also good to practice it in the store. I think it is very good to combine work and school. Here you have to.
Your store looks great. Is there another product that sells the most?
There are a few things that run very well, but I think za'atar is number one. That's a typical Arabic spice mix, which is delicious with olive oil and Arabic bread. Many Dutch people also buy it. I also have a lot of my own spices, which are freshly ground in the store, with a special machine. I also did that in Syria and it's really my specialty.
How do you see the future?
It was always my dream to start my own business, just like my father. From him I learned everything. I never wanted to work for someone else. I know how to run a business and I like that everything is mine. My supermarket is now a Syrian store, but in the future I want to open a very big supermarket with products from all kinds of countries. Then I will have stuff for Dutch people, Iraqis, Surinamese, Syrians, for everyone!You have to ask as many questions as possible, to everyone. If you want to open your own supermarket, go to other supermarkets to ask how they started.
