“Ameer Baksh, a cobbler by profession had been working hard to make ends meet. Any revenue that he generated was reinvested in his business to purchase raw material required to continue working the following day. Lack of liquidity in his financial resources implied that he could contribute very little to his household. Additionally, frequent purchases also led to more time spent in the markets.

The latter had detrimental implications for his business. Time spent away from his workshop greatly diminished his operational abilities while buying in smaller quantities implied higher prices for his purchases. All of this meant that his production capacity was limited to just 2 or 3 shoes at a time.

Ameer reached out to CEIP for a small loan under the PMIFL Scheme. On securing the loan from CEIP, he was able to introduce liquidity in his business’s finances. He was now in a position to buy raw materials in bulk at a discounted rate while saving time from not having to make multiple trips to the market, thus greatly increasing his efficiency and daily output of shoes.

Ameer has now reached a point where he can balance the financial requirements of his family and business in a comfortable manner. He has expanded his operational capabilities by adding three semi-skilled workers to his team who help him along the manufacturing line that he has set up within his small workshop.

Ameer now aspires to expand his business by reaching out to larger players in the shoemaking industry and supply his products to them while continuing to expand his operation by hiring more workers. Ameer has also planned on supplementing his income by diversifying into the livestock trade. Ameer’s story is a perfect example of how small contributions in addition to an individual’s hard work can achieve so much.”