Insights from Nasima el Bachiri-Ouamar's Global People Lunch & Talk

03.05.2024

Five Businesses, One Vision: Nasima's Insights for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

On 24 April, students and staff at Wittenborg's Amsterdam study location attended an inspiring Global People Lunch & Talk led by Nasima el Bachiri-Ouamar.

With no less than five businesses, she is the owner of B Flex Cleaning, B Flex Jobs, La Novia Boutique, Flevo Timmerfabriek and Boutique Desk, all of them in Almere.

After being introduced by the Deputy Head of School of Business, Dadi Chen, she shared her entrepreneurial journey, which is, according to her, very personal. She says her journey started before she was even born. Her father moved from Morocco to the Netherlands in the late 60s and worked in a chocolate factory. He was deaf and, she says, treated poorly and bullied at his place of work in Bussum. Her mother later joined him from Morocco in the Netherlands.

"My father was constantly bullied, and it made me so angry that I went to him when I was about six years old and made him a promise. I promised him that when I grew up, I would provide everyone with a special story, equal opportunities and chances."

She recalls that, of course, as a little girl she didn't know how to do it or what entrepreneurship was, but ultimately knew what she wanted. "I wanted to be independent. That night, a seed was planted in my head."

Later, her father also told her that as a Moroccan girl, with dark hair, in a white neighbourhood, she could be anything that she wanted to be. This planted another seed in her head.

In 1992, at fourteen, her life changed forever. She explains that her brother who was a year older than her, was shot dead in a playground in Hilversum. "It changed me. I think that day made me age 10 years. I became an adult and two years later, I met my husband."

Originally from Morocco, her husband started as a cleaner in the Netherlands. She also witnessed him being treated the same as her father. This is when she started to think again about the promise she had made to her father.

El Bachiri-Ouamar's entrepreneurial journey

Her entrepreneurial journey then officially started in the year 2000. While working as a secretary, she noticed that the office building where she worked, was not being cleaned well. "I approached my boss with a suggestion. I asked if it would be possible for me to clean after hours, outside of regular working hours. He agreed, saying, "If you think you can manage that, go for it."

"With his approval, I took on the task and cleaned all the offices every day. This initiative eventually led to me establishing my own cleaning company."

The week she registered her company at the Chamber of Commerce, she also found out that she was expecting her first child, and four would later follow.

"So I started my journey as an entrepreneur and as a mother at the same time. And I can tell you, there were a lot of challenges."

While her children were in school or already asleep, she was busy working.

"I got my laptop and contacted companies and asked them for work, work, work."

Her hard work eventually led her to be named the Business Woman of the Year for 2019/2020 in Flevoland.

"Afterwards, so many people came to me and asked me, How did you do it? What can I do better? And where do I have to start? Many women also began their entrepreneurial journey because of my story. And it made me so happy."

And what did she tell people? "Always believe in your strength and you will be able to achieve anything and everything, despite what other people tell you. Because when I look back, [people] always belittled me, saying 'Stay where you are... Be what you want to be, but there'. However, there are no boundaries in your mind, in your dreams. There are no boundaries in your life. Believe in that."

Building confidence as an entrepreneur

During the Q&A session, one student was particularly curious about the start of her entrepreneurial journey, asking: "How did you manage to build confidence and trust, convincing others to believe in your ability to deliver? Also, how did you expand the business, approaching companies and presenting your services?"

El Bachiri-Ouamar says that she often found herself in conversation with her reflection in the mirror. "One time I was talking to myself in the mirror and I thought okay, the people who I will speak with [and hopefully sell services to] think that I know everything about cleaning. I didn't. But they thought I knew and that's the confidence. Always, when I entered a building I was searching for something that was not very clean. So then I asked them, what do you think about the cleaning company you use now? They usually said 'Well, we think it is very good'. And then I said, 'Oh no, but look how dirty it is here or there'. And I usually got their business."

Ultimately, she believes that she kept her promise to her father. "Hard work pays off because now I have the freedom to do this kind of thing. To talk to people. To show people that if you want something, you can get it. And to inspire people. My children are big now. And they know that if you want something, you can get it. I know that all five of my children will be entrepreneurs. Because that's what I gave them from scratch."

Sinem Dosdogru, Senior Communications Manager at Wittenborg, also attended the talk, saying that Nasima's story teaches us an important lesson: no matter where we come from or what obstacles we face, our determination is key to success.

"Just like Nasima said, 'If you want something, you can find a way to make it happen.' It's like planting a seed and giving it the attention it needs to grow, showing us that with strong willpower, anything is possible."