Pakistan is chasing its digital dreams in a competitive global market. Many tech giants are eyeing the country for future investments as evidenced by Amazon’s recent announcement to allow Pakistani businesses to sell items on the platform. This has been made possible because of a wide pool of young talent and tech-savvy individuals in the country. Because of bureaucratic hurdles, the youth of Pakistan don’t get many opportunities unless they partake in a culture of nepotism. But the story of Haris Baloch, a young boy from Balochistan, makes the opposite case. It shows how one can achieve their dreams at a young age, irrespective of their ethnic or financial background if one takes a chance and puts in the hard work.
Who is Haris Baloch?
Haris Baloch is a young entrepreneur hailing from Kharan, a small town in Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province. Even as a child growing up in abject poverty, Haris dreamed of a better life for himself and his family. He wanted to make his name using social media platforms. So, he moved from Kharan to Quetta at a very young age. It was a big chance but it gave him the push he needed to struggle and he dabbled in various ventures. Finally, his big break came when he founded Rifiako mafia, a digital marketing company.
Rifiako media
Rifiako media dabbles in internet marketing, web advertising and online advocacy. In a short time, the company has amassed hundreds of clients including top-tier Pakistani celebrities, vloggers, influencers and even politicians. With this company, Haris Baloch has helped many social media stars in hard times when tech platforms were banned by authorities and the monetization of their YouTube channels stopped, leaving them essentially jobless. Rifiako media also aids celebrities by getting in touch with international companies for different types of gigs. This social media platform has also helped newly established businesses in Pakistan reach a wider audience. All credits go to Haris Baloch, who kickstarted one of Pakistan’s best and futuristic digital marketing entities as a mere teenager.
Rifiako media’s future plans
The company is making inroads in the media industry and is all set to launch its music label. Through this venture, Haris Baloch plans to boost the upcoming talent of Pakistani by providing them with a global platform. The music label will provide an opportunity to people with great talent to build their careers in the music industry of Pakistan.
What does Haris Baloch have to say about his success?
It was not always rainbows and sunshine. Having gained success at such a young age, Haris got his first taste of failure pretty early too. He tells us of a time when he almost lost everything. His business was not doing well and the deals kept falling through. Haris also bemoans a lack of digital experts in Pakistan who could guide how to get out of the financial rut and reinvigorate his business. But he was determined to get through it because “you have to remain devoted to your dream.” Another thing he credits his success to is the support of people he works with. The co-founders of Rifiako media are all young and shared the same enthusiasm for the digital world.
Advice to young entrepreneurs
When Haris started working in digital marketing, he learnt through trial and error and did not have anyone to look up to in Pakistan. But now he feels sufficiently comfortable in his niche to give some advice to others like him looking to step into the world of social media marketing
- Determination is the key if you want to achieve something in life. There will be many obstacles, and you have to be ready for them all with a brave face. Just know that the road to your dream is not smooth. So, sticking to the job and putting in hard work even if there are no immediate gains is the key.
- Documentation is very important in a business. If you are making any business deal, make sure you have it on paper. This way, if you get into any trouble or someone backs out on a promise, you will have a legal document to make your case. Otherwise, you will have to face severe consequences.
- Building a good team is the best investment in a business. Trusting the right people will help you go a long way, and to make that possible, you should choose your team very carefully. That doesn’t include all the people you already know but the ones that are qualified and are hardworking, skilful in their respectable fields.
Pakistan is emerging as a digital hub in Asia, thanks to the efforts of young entrepreneurs like Haris Baloch and others at Rifiako media. Haris hopes that other tech-savvy individuals in the country don’t give up on their dreams and his country overtakes arch-foe India in its digital transformation.
