Today we’d like to introduce you to Abdullah Elasmar.
Abdullah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My father supported our family by going door to door and selling Home Decor items on payments. We were young babes at the time and couldn’t do much but except take much from his money for baby formula and clothes, but we knew we couldn’t watch him suffer through this hard life on his own just for us.
His local popularity grew until he decided to open his own store, which potentially could increase profits but also stress and expenses as well with suppliers, merchandise, employees, and overhead in general. We started posting online on craigslist and then social media marketing through Facebook as we got older, and being the cashier, stock person, and janitor.
Naturally, the new market we created attracted competition and we had to work even harder to stay afloat. It was hard at first but with the hard work and technology, we were able to regain our customers and footing in the market we created on Harwin over two decades ago.
Has it been a smooth road?
In the beginning, it was smoother when lines of customers were endless, profits were high, and no competition. Down the road, the workload only became harder with harder work for lesser gains, and this put more stress on our employees who we don’t blame at all. The nature of the business became more and more stressful without any increased benefits and one by one team members left until it was back to my father running a one-man show as he started many years ago.
My uncle jumped in to run the warehouse, and I jumped in to manage the marketing until Facebook invited me to speak at their event based on my performance. It was not the life we had expected, working 7 days a week, but it was a means to survive. Probably the biggest struggle I can highlight is, although we are all working for each other, it can sometimes be hard to work together. We eventually reconciled when to be coworkers, and when to be family. I am his son at home and his marketer at work. He is my father at home, but my manager at work. We don’t take our business home anymore.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in selling bulk home decor to the public whether they intend to resell or keep for themselves. We are a niche in having the lowest priced curtains, comforters, blankets, ceramics, rugs etc 60 – 80% lower than major retailers. We are extremely proud of providing economic opportunities for a great majority of Houston.
A large majority of our customers make they’re living off buying our merchandise and sell door to door, at flea markets, garage sales, online etc, from single mothers to undocumented immigrants trying to make an honest living.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is not one of the best cities to start a business, it is the best city to start a business. I can’t imagine our business being anywhere else and thriving the way it did, and the competition that followed us proves it. In fact, we spread to other cities to try and replicate it’s successful and failed but learned the special value of a city like Houston. Our city can improve by allowing its citizens to work hard and make an honest living without fear of deporting them, and this is what keeps our economy thriving.
Pricing:
- We are wholesale priced to the public where it is 1, 100, or 1000 pieces 🙂
Contact Info:
- Address: 2 locations5900 North Freeway
#127 Houston TX 77076 - 7000 Harwin Drive Houston TX 77036
- Phone: 832-832-2083
- Email: abdullah.el2@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/HomeDecorAndBeyond
- Facebook: facebook.com/HomeDecorAndBeyond
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
