Fact Box:
Name: Ramzan Ali Bhanjee
Age: 65
Type of business: Electric fancy fitting importer
Location: Swami Narayan Temple, M A Jinnah Road
Daily Times: What is your background?
Ramzan Ali Bhanjee: I was born in Karachi before independence. I got an MBBS degree from London Royal Guys Medical Institute and College in Britain. My father was a carriage contractor during the British Empire in Karachi. During that period bogies on tramway had been pulled with horses. This business was my family trade. My father also opened electric and gas appliances business. I have a son and a daughter. My married son has done MBA from London and he holds an executive post in an advertising firm in Karachi. My daughter is studying computer sciences. I have four brothers and five sisters and all of them are married.
DT: How did you come into this field?
RAB: After my father’s death in 1962, I had to look after his business. My two elder brothers were involved in other business and sisters were young. I accepted this challenge. I was also interested in doing some business, so it was easy for me to run the business.
DT: How has your business grown over the years?
RAB: My commitment, honest dealing and competitive prices are the key to success and progression of my business. Secondly, I have been introducing latest electric fancy appliances from time to time. I import fancy electric fittings, lamps and shades from China and Taiwan. I also import unique crystal chandelier and crystal lamps, which are very popular. I offer quality products with affordable prices.
DT: What problems have you faced as an entrepreneur?
RAB: I have a technical problem as other business members of this trade also face the same in general. The custom duty on such imports is 25 percent, and I concurrently want to promote sale of local products of the same kind. But when clients know that price difference between the imported and locally made product is not much, more than 70 percent of them prefer to buy imported material.
DT: How many customers do you cater to per day?
RAB: I have a number of clients who are loyal. They are retailers as well as institutions. Customers on daily basis also visit my showroom. Some 25 to 30 percent of the daily turn out of customers becomes potential clients. I run this business with the help of salesmen and other staff. After meeting monthly expenditures and paying 15 percent sales tax, I earn a respectable living.
DT: Have demand patterns changed over the years.
RAB: Throughout my business carrier spanning over 40 years, only visible change I noticed is that customers no longer have confidence on the trader. All customers need latest variety with quality. But they always bargain over the price.
DT: What are your future plans?
RAB: I want to expand my imports and to introduce other quality of fancy electric fittings. I am planning to computerized my dealing system with clients in order to offer them benefit on second purchase and further onwards dealings. —Razi Syed