Headline April 01, 2017/ ''' *!STUDENTS -*HEROES*- STUDENTS!* '''

''' *!STUDENTS -

*HEROES*- STUDENTS!* '''

''WHY  -HELLO, LAD!  Did anybody teach ya how to unlock the value of Data?   Now that's one question I keep lobbying all around?

*Use of data is increasing at an exponential rate* warns master thinker and the entire world's  top-tier manager, Eric Schmidt/ Google. 

*Every 2 days, as much information is created as was created-

From the  dawn of civilization  up to 2003. This means about  2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every single day, which is equivalent of 57.5 billion 32 GB iPads.

This influx of data has caused a disruption and is shaking industries to the very core, societies and even the very  day-to-day life struggles..

Hiding within those  mounds of data is knowledge that could change a life, or change the world: !WOW!. However, the goal is to turn the data into information and information into insights.

Phew, phew, for the World Students, and phew and sighs for the students of Pakistan.

Like Me, very many people and  students go to *Old Clothes Sellers and Markets*    the world over.  in search of a used genuine brand maybe a shoe or something else like curtains, and bed-sheets and sofa covers, and even suitcases.

What if one can find it online and receive it at his/her doorstep? 

This is what  khazanay.pk, an online thrift store of used branded accessories offers. It is the first of its kind in Pakistan, as Student Usman, a co founder of this venture claims.

*It's a lean startup and a brainchild of  Usman and his partner Farid*. 

Both became friends when they were doing an ACCA. Initially, they both worked for some  well-known companies like the Pakistan State Oil, PSO and Dubai Islamic Bank but due to a desire to create something of their own-

They have left their jobs and started khazanay.pk in a incubation centre of Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, CED, IBA, Karachi.

''We buy used branded stuff like pants, shirts, hoodies, jackets, shoes etc, from abroad, after that we add value to it, like we refurbish, revamp them through proper washing and cleaning of an item and later do their sorting as well in terms of their quality.

''Then we display all the items on khazanay.pk where one can see all the stuff as we place a high resolution picture of each of them in different dimensions so that one can view it properly.

*There is a provision of a measurement scale for each item so that one gets what one needs*.

We mark a ranking of each item as per their conditions on the scale of average to very good. then through the courier we dispatch the item all over Pakistan with a trial period of  7  days.

If someone finds an item unsatisfactory he/she  can return it with money back guarantee.

''An entrepreneur has to be consistent and a risk taker to be successful in any business, as business is a full time job which needs concentration and perseverance.

In the beginning, I and my partner used to clean all the used stuff ourselves. In ten months we have booked  10,000 orders  and  15 people have joined us.''

''It's actually the concept and an idea behind a startup business which ultimately pays off. If you cater to a market need or address a gap, there will be sure success despite lack of resources.''  says Usman.

When all is said and done,  -despite all fascinating and successful stories, myths still exist like:

''No one has ever done business in our family.''  ''To do business one is supposed to acquire special skills''  and  ''Without a  Venture Capital / VC doing business is impossible''.

So how will the  Developing World's  youth/students  come out of their dilemmas and their growing plights. The answer is simple:

*If the above mentioned people/students  can do it, then others can do it as well, provided one has a growing zeal*.

It would be just great, if universities all over the world, included entrepreneurship as a subject in the curriculum. It should be made an intensive part of any major degree being offered in different disciplines in order to encourage youth to startup their own business.

There are initiatives like  LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, Plan9, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, CED, IBA, Invest2Innovate and the NEST I/O etc, which are working  to inculcate  and  facilitate entrepreneurship in Pakistan.

About the attributes of an entrepreneur,  Dr. Shahid Querishi, Chairman CED, IBA says:

''Entrepreneurship feels closer to God than the rest of us''. He was probably referring to Harvard Business Review: '' It's because the ventures they do need faith which can only come from some divine source''.

Good and Great, on that, Sir!

''Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who can rely on their own resources, who can calculate the affordable loss, prior to the inception of the business. 

They have an optimistic approach  -see a silver lining in the dark cloud gatherings. They flourish because they can  build successful partnerships and , above all, can think out of the box,'' says Dr. Shahid Querishi.

So, let me go looking for Millionaire Engineer Imran Basit, and those Multi Billionaires, Engineer Shahid Shakoor, Faraz Majeed, and Ali Hassan. 

Phew, some task that!:

*With all those sparks flying off, when they argue plans*. But this time I am going to be prepared.  What I really do need is to buy  some old  *flame-retardant*  clothes. 

Hey, khazanay do you have them?

With respectful dedication to Students, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all on !WOW!   -the World Students Society and Twitter........!E-WOW!   -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Priorities & !WOW! '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless