OUR FOUNDER OF THE WEEK- Every Tuesday, Founder of the Week looks at how a successful member of Egypt’s startup community got their big break, asks about their experiences running a business, and gets their advice for budding entrepreneurs. Speaking to us this week is Fares Senior (LinkedIn), founder ofE-Combo.

My name is Fares Senior and I’m the founder and CEO of E-Combo, a social e-commerce service platform that facilitates procedures for freelance marketers operating from Egypt and selling products in the UAE. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law from El Sadat Academy for Management Sciences but my career in law was relatively short-lived because digital marketing has always been my ultimate passion. I worked as a marketing manager for Pixel Arabia, a Saudi media agency, and then moved on to become a freelance affiliate marketer for a couple of years before deciding to set up E-Combo.

I decided to launch E-Combo because I felt it was time to start my own journey. I got my fill from working as a freelancer and a corporate employee. I had more to give in the field of digital marketing and e-commerce and I wanted to help other marketers to develop their products and businesses.

E-Combo provides freelance marketers with a wide range of products, such as cosmetics, bags, shoes, clothes, and baby products — without the responsibility of handling the logistics and storage. Our clients then promote these products; when they’re sold, E-Combo delivers the products and collects the money. A commission is given to the marketer on every transaction, so it’s a mutually beneficial structure.

I launched E-Combo with my partner, Abdallah El Barbary (LinkedIn) whom I first met back in 2016 during a marketing course. We were both working as freelance marketers at that time and then decided to start working on E-Combo together at the beginning of 2022. We have shared passions and he has a good vision for the Emirati market.

We launched the business with a modest USD 500 in capital, without formally raising funds. All of the business’ income is invested back in the company. My long term goal is to attract investors and to expand the business in more Gulf markets. We started with the UAE and expanded to Saudi Arabia and Oman earlier this month.

One of the best things about my job is knowing that I’m opening the door for many freelance marketers to build their own brand without carrying the burden of the logistical aspects — which is the heaviest part of the journey — because I’m carrying it on their behalf.

If I could give someone who is thinking of starting their own business any advice, it would be to work as an employee in a company in the same field for a year or two. When you feel you have a big portion of knowledge and experience, you can set up your own business — even if it doesn’t immediately start out as a big or powerful company.

The three KPIs I measure regularly and take as indicators of success are the number of products available on the platform, the number of orders on a daily basis, and the customer service performance and how efficiently it works with the freelance marketers.

Family is always my home base. My family has supported me from the beginning of my journey — especially my sister, who was my number one believer and supporter when I shifted my career from law to digital marketing. My wife pushes me forward all the time and she understands the pressure and the load of starting my own business. This was especially evident during the first six months of operations, as I used to travel a lot. My older daughter sometimes suggests new products to add on the platform although she is still quite young.

Rich Dad Poor Dad is one of the best books I read. It discusses financial literacy, financial independence, the best channels for investments, and other financial topics.

One startup that I think is doing a great job is Bosta, the logistics and shipment services company.

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