Meet the Founder: Harez Habeel
Next up in our Meet the Founder series is Harez Habeel, a graduate of the Five One Labs tech incubator program and the founder of auto parts marketplace Sayara.
Can you give a brief introduction about yourself?
My Name is Harez Habeel and I am 32 years old. I was born and live in Sulaimani, and I have a bachelor’s degree in Statistics & computing from the University of Sulaimani. I have 8 years experience as an IT employee and trainer in one of the government management. I have always loved tech and am launching a business in this industry. I joined Five One Labs to work on my dream.
What is your business idea?
Based on the market research I have conducted, speaking to both traders and car owners, I see a legitimate demand for a technology-based solution to modernize the car parts market. My business, Sayara, is a mobile application (marketplace) to find used and new car parts and also book your car for service in the service centers. We empower buyers and sellers to make the process of finding and buying quality car parts a simple, safe and enjoyable experience.
What challenges is your business addressing?
One of the requirements of ensuring your vehicle runs like clock work is to ensure that the maintenance aspect of the car is attended to. This includes regular scheduled servicing, replacing faulty parts and consumables. An average car owner anywhere in the world finds this process costly, time-consuming and frustrating. The very idea of booking your car in for a service or repair is a dreaded task because it requires the vehicle owner to take time out of their busy work or personal time to take their car to a service center or a repair shop.
Based on the data covering up to August of 2018, "There are more than 1.5 million cars registered in the Kurdistan Region. This is in addition to the estimated 150,000 vehicles that are not registered or do not have number plates.” This means there is a need for a technological solution to make the process of finding affordable car parts and booking in your vehicle for servicing. This type of app or website is something most car owners can greatly benefit from.
Can you tell us about your experience starting your business?
Starting a business is not an easy task because when you start a business you have to think about a lot of things like the idea of the business, money, time, skills, market, and finding a strong and professional team to help you.
Personally, I always tried to start my own business, but some of these factors were obstacles for me to start, but after I joined Five One Labs these challenges became a lot easier than before because of their support and guidance.
What advice do you have for someone trying to start their own project/business?
My advice for those who want to start their own business is to be serious and work on your project continually. Start small and don’t lose hope when you face problems and build a team to help you.
Try to connect with like-minded people and co-working spaces in your area like Five one Labs.
Why did you join the Five One Labs startup incubator?
I joined Five one Labs because I always dreamed of such a place where I could work on my projects and ideas. Five One Labs helped me take the first steps to start my own business. They supported me and showed me how to start the business.
What progress have you made on your business since joining the incubator?
When I joined the Five One Labs one month Ignite for Tech program, I just had the idea without knowing how to start and implement it. The Five One team then taught me how to do market research and analyze it. Later after joining the three-month, full-time tech incubator program, it was a very big step to make my business be ready to start working and to give value for the customer. I got intensive training and mentorship from Five one Labs trainers and mentors.
