Shkar Qaradaghi, an alum of the AUIS Mechanical Engineering Department, is the founder of Monster Muscle Protein Shop in Sulaimani. We interviewed Shkar about the passion that helped him start his business, the challenges of health inspections and registration for businesses dealing with imported products, and successful marketing strategies.
AEI: Can you briefly describe the passion that led you to start a business specifically related to health and nutrition?
SQ: I started going to the gym the year I started my studies at AUIS back in 2012. At that time, fitness wasn't as popular as it is now, but there was still a large number of people who cared about their physical well-being. When I saw my body transform and respond to my diet and workouts, I began to love fitness. I started convincing my friends and family members to start enrolling in gyms and adding physical activity to their daily schedules. I remember when I bought supplements for the first time, the knowledge of the representative at the store was very limited; he didn’t know much about the products he was selling beyond the price. He had no knowledge of the products’ health benefits or their recommended dosages. This was very demotivating for me, and I began to think of all the other young teens in the city who enjoyed working out and wanted to become healthier individuals but needed more knowledge in order to do so. I could do my research online and gather information, but what about those who didn’t know how to read English or couldn’t collect information online? This thinking led me to start my own supplement and nutrition store.
AEI: I'd imagine a lot of the products you sell come from outside the KRI. Are there any obstacles you face specifically in importing your products?
SQ: All of the products we sell are imported to Kurdistan from different parts of the world. The obstacles we face with every shipment are many: all our products must be inspected by the KMCA (Kurdistan Medical Control Agency) to make sure the contents of each bottle match the nutritional facts labels. The KMCA requires different certificates that are supposed to be provided by the companies selling the products to a business; however, it frequently claims that rules have changed and requires different documents each time we bring a new shipment. Original copies of these documents must be provided so this process usually delays our shipments. After this part of the process is completed, the KMCA then gives businesses legal rights to import products into Kurdistan, and the shipment is then checked by doctors working at checkpoints around Kurdistan as it goes from one city to another. These doctors work about three hours a day because they are on strike for not being paid their paychecks, so if you just happen to miss the doctors’ working hours, your shipment must stay at that checkpoint until the doctor returns the next day.
AEI: Since the nutrition and supplement industry is relatively new to Kurdistan, what are some of the challenges of company registration procedures in this industry?
SQ: It is difficult to register a nutrition/supplements store because government organizations are typically hesitant to register this type of company given the risk that companies would have all legal rights to import products whenever they wanted. Registration typically involves a process of referrals from one government organization to another, for example the Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Sports and Youth, or provincial governorate.
Furthermore, food and beverages (anything edible) needs to have Arabic labeling and instructions in order to be imported to Iraq. Supplements, for example, do not have Arabic labeling, which makes every shipment a hassle. Typically the approach of the KMCA is to make an exception each time with the disclaimer that they will have the issue sorted out in the next month. This process is repeated with each shipment. Depending on who is working at the checkpoint on any given day, the requirements for documentation change frequently.
AEI: How did you develop a marketing strategy for your business? What is the best way you think you appeal to potential customers?
SQ: We currently have points of sales at five gyms around Sulaimani other than our main shop located on Baxtyari's main road. We sponsor events such as the AUIS Strength Week and other contests at the gyms with whom we have partnered. We also sponsor athletes who care about fitness and healthy living and share the love we have for sports.