'Successful entrepreneurship? Persistence is key!'
Start Up Campus Haarlem in conversation with Ayaz Saadatpour Vahid
Ayaz Saadatpour Vahid (19), first-year Information Technology student is starting his own company in content creation for social media. Where his passions for music and media come together.
If I go for something, I do it 100%
I am enthusiastic and eager to learn. If I go for something, I do it 100%. I have been living in the Netherlands for less than three years, but my thoughts are already in Dutch. I learned the language quickly and by myself at home. My father got work in the Netherlands and together with my family, we moved here from Iran. To start at Inholland, I first attended an ISK (Internationale Schakelklas) and eventually got my Iranian diploma through the embassy.
Before coming here, I had many social fears. For instance, I did not dare to walk up to anyone and was very introverted. But soon I found out that if I wanted to achieve something in the Netherlands, I needed other people. And so, I confronted my fears. And look where I am now!
I found out I love meeting new people, communicating, and connecting. This is something I never wanted to miss.
Combining music and media
All my life I have been involved in music and media. Through the ISK, I met Common Frames. It is an organization that takes up film and media projects with (young) newcomers. That is where I produced my own film for the first time. The organization picked out my work and added me to their Talent Team. Now I have independent film and media jobs and have started my own business. I want to help other entrepreneurs grow through my digital content creation.
I make videos, and photos but also music. At home, I have a small studio and create unique styles such as flamenco, pop, rock, and e-music.
Communication has always been important in our lives, but it has always taken different forms. First, there were conversations, then came newspapers, and books, and now social media is a big source of information. If you want to reach a lot of people, social media is the go-to.
My current clients are event companies. But I keep developing myself to convince other audiences to work with me as well.
My goal is to add something to society. I would like people to remember me as the guy who does 'good'.
My first client was on the street
My first client was a musician from Hilversum. We were there for our film project. And I took a few shots of a musician. We struck up a conversation and started following each other on Instagram. Later, I saw via Instagram that he was looking for a videographer for a gig. That videographer became me! And that is how I had my first client.
This sounds easy. But you should know, I have been on the street a thousand times. Every other time it did not work out. And this time it did. I mean persistence is key!
I hope clients perceive that I am organized. That I have my affairs in order and under control. And of course, they are happy and satisfied. I will not do it for less. My goal is to add something to society. I would like people to remember me as the guy who does 'good'. And, of course, doing genuinely nice work. I am cheerful and happy when I get to do this work. That is why people come back to me.
If I do not do anything, it will not come to me either
At SUCH, I have been following the Start program since October. I had already started entrepreneurship, but I also used the workshops as an extra check whether I was on the right path. Fortunately, I also met other students who are entrepreneurial. I want to develop even more in networking. I realize that if I do nothing, no new clients will come to me either.
Now I still have a part-time job alongside my enterprise. But my wish, of course, is to earn money doing business. The other day I heard someone say: 'Keep daring! It's not bad to make mistakes. Keep going. This is what I do. If you encounter problems in your path and you still enjoy the work afterward, then you know you are on the right track.
About SUCH:
Start Up Campus Haarlem is the place for entrepreneurial students at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. Through an inspiring five-month program of events and workshops, you work on your entrepreneurial skills and your network grows rapidly. Entrepreneurship starts at Start Up Campus Haarlem! Want to know when the next Start or Growth program starts? Check our Instagram or website.