Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: Small manufacturers in Oman who have something to offer but lack the skills or means to promote their products now have the opportunity to gain help from a fellow company. Kulshai aims to do this for free.
Khalfan Al Busaidi, Chairman of Kulshai, an Omani e-commerce platform that connects sellers to buyers, said, “It’s free of charge. Let’s say that I am a simple Omani man making Khanjars. I used to sell 10 pieces to known customers. This is not good enough for the economy.”
“The next step is how to transport them, and for the man to find a cost-effective way to go forward is where we come in: finding the right packaging and routes. This is a business development approach to train that man and to find him companies that will work with him. So all of this will be discussed, and we will guide the man,” he added.
Kulshai has already worked with multiple manufacturers, and even provided four of them with free product photo shoots. On one occasion, they travelled to the manufacturer to take photos of the product.
Al Busaidi believes he needs to help other Omani SMEs with good products to find a market for their products. “I’m an SME owner and a national, so it’s not that I just want to make money. It’s a question of establishing something new that I strongly believe can help a lot of SMEs,” he added.
Kulshai is part of Riyadah and received incubation from the National Business Centre. According to Al Busaidi, Riyadah provided financial assistance and training.
“Once you have a product, you can either set up your space or sign up with us at Khanjar or Kulshay Souq [both websites of the company] to sell your product through our online store,” he said.
This is where Kulshay makes a profit.
Khanjar and Kulshay Souq launched on National Day. The e-shops are offering consumers the products of vendors, including delivery at a maximum of 14 days, added to an option of door-to-door delivery. These online shops are where Kulshay intends to succeed as a business.
Spread awareness
Kulshay is currently signing up with manufacturers in Oman in order to spread awareness over their wares in Oman and other countries, as they also provide business-to-business services and act as a middleman.
Al Busaidi added, “A company approached us with an established product and said they want us to promote it and sell it. They showed us the product and asked us to help, so when orders pour in for this country’s product, we buy it from the vendor and then deliver it.”
Despite this, the chairman insists that Kulshay does not solely exist to make a profit.
“Our purpose is to promote and drive SME programmes. It is my priority and dedication to promote Omani producers, which we have a very large range of, but unfortunately these companies do not have the proper exposure that they need.”
Al Busaidi said, “We went through a lot of hurdles to get to where we are right now because this was a new business model in Oman. Now, we are ready to fly,” he added.
