Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Parasto Azizi, founder of Paratsook Online Farsi Bookstore, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Parastook is an online Persian Bookstore that ships Farsi books across Canada. There are many Farsi speaking people living in Canada, some born here and some who have migrated here from countries such as Iran and Afghanistan; however, unfortunately, accessing the lattes Farsi books is difficult for many, especially those that live in cities with smaller Persian speaking population, where no physical Persian bookstores exist. At Parastook, with special attention to those living in these places, we have tried to make Persian books accessible for everyone by keeping a minimal flat rate for shipping for everyone, no matter how far they live from Toronto and other major cities. But Parastook is growing to be more than just an online bookstore, but a community of people across Canada with a love for reading and the Farsi language and a channel to introduce the latest Persian books.
Tell us about yourself
I started this business more as a hobby from an Instagram page; with very little inventory, I introduced and sold the books I personally enjoyed reading. But soon, my network grew, and I made friends across the country who were also interested in books. I decided to open the Paratsook website to make it easier to purchase books. Now we have grown our inventory by much. We work with many publishers across the world. Also, every once in a while, we hold a Farsi Book show where we collaborate with other Persian Cultural groups and businesses, such as theater groups, musicians, etc. this collaborative work and growing a community together is really what gets me going as well as just the joy of hearing from new-found friends across the country how happy they are to be able to access Farsi books or how they liked or disliked a certain book. For me, it is all about community building, as well as promoting reading within my community.
I like to add why it was so important to me to be able to ship hardcopy books across Canada. I have lived on the east coast, where there is a smaller Farsi Speaking population and very limited access to cultural products such as books. So I had personally felt the need, and I always thought it was so unfair that if we wanted to order anything, we had very limited options. Even then, we had to pay very expensive shipping prices. So I made sure in my business model the cost of shipping is the same no matter where.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment has been connecting with this community and being able to fulfill such an important need in my own community.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, it is really hard to keep up with the inventory! I want to be able to offer as many books as possible, but there are so many titles and a whole world of Persian books out there, and I have limited capital and space as I currently run this business from home.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
If you really love or believe in something, don't hold back, but also be prepared for all the hard work and risk that comes with running a business. Also, I think doing the research about your market before starting is very important; for me personally, I have lived and volunteered, and worked in my community many years to know the needs before diving into this business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.parastook.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parastook.book
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parastook.book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parastook/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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