Co-Founder Spotlight – Kamran Awan

Hello everybody and a warm welcome to this week's blog. We wanted to do something different to our usual blog style that you’re probably accustomed to. We are living in unprecedented times and thankfully restrictions are starting to be eased for most of us as we transition to a “new normal”.

With so much uncertainty in the world with regard to job security, lots of people just like you, have decided to explore the idea of being a business owner. As mentioned in some of our previous blogs, the entrepreneurial life is not for everyone and it does present a unique set of challenges and objectives. However, with our team and infrastructure, we passionately believe that we can help you prosper.

This weeks blog is not about starting a Digital Agency. Instead, our aim is to give you an insight into our team and our vision. After all, business is about people and relationships. Often, most people are only ready to do business with someone they know, like and trust.

With that being said, we wanted to dive a little deeper into the background of our Co-Founder, Kamran Awan. We feel this is a great way for you to learn more about some of the key people within iOB Business. We recently sat down together, observing social distancing guidelines, and conducted this question and answer session.

You can access our video below or continue scrolling to read the interview.

So without further ado, let's get started.


Please give us a brief introduction of who you are?
“Sure, my name is Kamran Awan and I’m the Co-Founder of iOB Business. Prior to setting up the business a few years ago, I’ve worked in the franchising industry for over 8 years in a variety of roles that includes business development, marketing and customer support.

Before I entered the franchise world, I actually worked in the accounting and finance industry, having graduated from Loughborough University in 2006 and then going on to work for some of the biggest accountancy firms in the world.”

Why did you set up iOB Business?
“It’s actually quite interesting but I’ve always had a passion for technology and digital marketing. I think that was one of the primary reasons why I transitioned away from the accounting world. Over the years, I’ve witnessed first hand how local businesses who are often the heartbeat of local communities, have struggled to compete with larger organisations. Therefore, I wanted to create a way to help local businesses while at the same time encourage more businesses to utilise technology.

One of the things that has come out of the current pandemic is the need for local businesses to embrace technology as their customers all expect a frictionless way to engage with their favourite brands.

iOB Business is actually a perfect fit as every technology platform that we have created, has actually been validated by customer behaviour. For example, more and more of us are seeking out reviews before we visit or make a purchase. We almost all spend some proportion of our day on social media sites and when it comes to making purchases online, we are comfortable ordering food from third party websites.

So from our point of view, technology is already woven into each aspect of our lives, iOB Business is a great way for us to help people support their local business community. We recognise that building a business is hard work and that’s why our aim, from day one, is to accelerate our partners route to market by providing the training, support and resources needed to succeed.”

Are you the only Founder of iOB Business?
“No, I’m not that superhuman that I could create a business of this size and complexity by myself. My good friend and fellow Co-Founder, James Mohamed, is also part of this exciting journey. James comes from a technology background and works mainly with our development team as well as on the partner support side.

We will be shining a spotlight on James, similar to this style of blog, over the coming weeks so definitely look out for that.”

What makes your business unique?
“When we set out to create iOB Business a few years ago, we wanted to set ourselves apart from most other technology businesses. The norm for a lot of companies in the technology sector is to white label their software from another provider, usually overseas. We made the conscious decision to actually build our own technology platforms to ensure we can respond and modify our solutions based on feedback from our network.

This has proved immensely popular as we have added many innovations such as being one of the first ordering platforms that accepts cryptocurrency as a payment method. We are also developing new tools and platforms to further enhance the capabilities of solutions that our partners can offer to local businesses.

Away from the technology, what really makes us stand out is the level of support and infrastructure we provide to partners. From a dedicated brand, live training, support, access to our Learn Centre and Digital Office, we ensure that our partners receive a complete business when they decide to launch a Digital Agency with us.”

What is your vision for iOB Business?
“My vision is to be the number one Digital Agency provider in the world. We understand that this is a lofty objective and is not something that can be realised in 1 or 2 years. However, everything we are doing as a company, from investing in our technology platforms to being selective with our partner recruitment programme, is designed to give us longevity.

With technology and the business landscape changing, we feel as a company and more crucially as a network, we are well positioned to help local businesses utilise technology in their everyday interactions with customers.”

What type of partners are you looking for?
“For us, the most important qualities that we look for are commitment, determination and a strong work ethic. The great thing about what we offer is the removal of any technical skills or prior experience. Our technology is super simple to use and when aligned with our training, support and resources, anyone can become a digital consultant for local businesses.

However, as a business owner you need to be committed and determined to succeed. Building a profitable and scalable business takes time and that’s why we feel it is important that our partners possess these traits to achieve their objectives with us.”

What is a typical day in the world of a Co-Founder?
"One of the best things about being a business owner is the sheer variety of tasks that I get involved with on a daily basis. My typical day may include a catch up with James to discuss business strategies, checking in with our team to see what we can do as a company to better serve our network and their clients. In amongst this, I’m regularly speaking to our existing network as well as communicating with prospective partners who are interested in launching a Digital Agency with us."

How have you adjusted to remote working?
“It has been interesting transitioning from our office to working at home. It does present a unique set of challenges but it’s something that I think a lot of us have actually just embraced.

Having said that, I for one, can’t wait to get back to our office and actually have that separation between work and family life.”

What do you enjoy doing away from the office?
“Like most business owners, I am often working every single day, even on weekends! However, in my downtime I do enjoy watching football, spending time with my family and relaxing playing video games.”

Any final message?
“I just wanted to express my gratitude to each person that has expressed an interest in launching a Digital Agency with us. I understand the unique set of circumstances we find ourselves in and I really commend anyone that has taken the time out to seriously investigate whether the entrepreneurial lifestyle is for them. As always, if anyone does want to reach out, they are more than welcome to send in an email or call into the office.”



Well there you have it, a deeper insight into our Co-Founder, Kamran Awan. To find out more about iOB Business and how you can launch a Digital Agency with us, please contact our team today.

Until next time, take care.