BBIC Interview with Alan Rooke

Would you mind giving us an overview of OmanLine?
OmanLine is A BPO organisation based in KOM. We offer four products/services to clients within Oman and the region. The first is an outsource Contact Centre services; the second is a medical transcription services; the third is the training of Omani nationals in certain BPO disciplines and finally we offer Business Consultancy Services to medium and large organisations which either wish to outsource Contact Centre services or which wish to create and/or improve a captive Contact Centre.

Why have you become involved in the TKM – Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition?
To be totally honest – because I was asked if I would be interested and, upon consideration, realised that I am very interested and am very keen to be part of this process.

How important are start ups to Oman’s economy?
Start ups are vital to any economy but even more so for Oman. There has been a tendency in the GCC region to stick with what is safe i.e. multi disciplined family run trading companies, construction companies, retail etc. Oman needs to have a fuller more rounded economy of which start ups are a vital component.

What personal experience do you have of the start-up culture?
I have been involved in two start up ventures – one is a major success and the other failed due to the inexperience of those involved and their inability to adhere to their original plan and strategies.

What characteristics do you need to be a successful entrepreneur?
Excellent business sense, single mindedness and dedication.

Which international entrepreneur has inspired you and why?
Richard Branson. If you read his book “Losing my Virginity” you cannot fail to be impressed by his vision, his irrepressible spirit and his ability to surmount massive obstacles.

What are the key ingredients for a successful start-up?
The most obvious is a workable proposition or idea. Once you have that it all comes down to hard work, making sure you have done all the necessary homework. You need to have done exhaustive research on the markets, the demand, the pricing, the competition, your positioning and all the other forces that either Michael Porter or Tom Peters can explain better than I can.

How could the region’s banking community improve the services they provide to start-ups?
My experience of regional banks is that they don’t support SME or start ups. Therefore, just having a program in place that caters directly to such operations would be a major step in the right direction.

What path do you suggest for would-be Omani entrepreneurs?
I think the BBIC has to be a very good starting point.

What are the drawbacks to being an entrepreneur?
No personal life, no personal time and lots stress.

What do you think the dotcom has done for enterprise and innovation?
Depending on what you mean by “the dotcom” my response would vary. If you mean the dotcom revolution of the 1980s and 90s I think it showed us all what is possible. It also showed us how fragile companies can be when there is no proper product or service and no proper business plan. In other words it showed us how gullible people can be.

How do you recognize the next big thing?
Again to be honest I can’t define how – I just go with a gut feeling. Some things you instinctively know will not work – no matter how good the idea or the plan, others shouldn’t but do.