A big trade show was around the corner, and Usman saw a chance to prove himself and finally make a name for Nizam Energy. After nearly a year without a sale, he decided to up the ante and spend $30,000 on a marketing campaign he was certain would bring in the business the company needed. The trade show arrived, and Nizam failed to make a sale once again. “We went in thinking we’d sell everything and make bank,” Usman said. “It was a total disaster. We were foolish. We essentially blew through $30,000 in two days. I remember the team sitting there, looking at me, saying ‘Now what, boss? You got another idea?’”

Usman was at a loss, but then an idea came to him. It was a gamble but, with only two months’ worth of operations left in the bank, the company had nothing to lose. Usman decided Nizam Energy would use the little money they had left and open up three stores in Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad. “We figured if we were going down, we might as well go out with a blast,” he said. “We put every last cent into building these outlets and then prayed for magic.”

That summer, Lahore suffered some of the worst blackouts in its history. For 10, sometimes 12, hours a day, the electricity would go out throughout the city. Everywhere, that is, except Nizam’s solar-powered outlet. There was no marketing needed. The power of solar had sold itself. In that first month, Nizam made $100,000 and sales only continued to explode. In a matter of three months, the company brought in nearly $1 million. Usman’s bet had paid off.

To make up for the company’s losses, Usman and his team focused their efforts on selling only the most high-end products — what he calls the “Rolls Royces” of energy products — and building a portfolio of corporate, commercial and high-income residential clients. They figured they should go where the money was but soon realized they had spent so much time building their brand that they didn’t have a good read of the market.

Sajidali runs Nizam Energy’s retail outlet in the rural town of Pindi Gheb. He is also the proud owner of Nizam’s 50-watt solar home system. Photo by Sa’adia Khan.

In attempt to stay lean and keep overhead low, Usman hired engineers fresh out of college as interns, paying them $250 a month, to build Nizam’s technical capacity. The team grew from 10 people to 100 in its second year. While Nizam Energy was becoming known throughout Pakistan, the company needed to establish its credibility. It was important to Usman for Nizam to be seen as a trusted name, even if behind the curtain they were still a work in progress. “I’ve always been scared of the competition,” Usman said. “That fear keeps me on my toes. We knew the competitor would catch up with us, so we always tried to get a headstart.”

Nizam managed to stay well ahead of its competition, which Usman says is a testament to the team. He had created an open, competitive environment to give his young employees the freedom and authority to challenge each other and the business. There was no real solar industry in Pakistan at the time so, to him, there were no wrong answers. The staff, Usman included, would put in 12 to 13 hours a day, sometimes seven days a week, to find new ways to improve their business and develop this new market. As each milestone was met, the team shared in the success.

Soon enough, Usman and his team became Pakistan’s go-to guys for solar energy. Lahore’s University of Engineering and Technology hired Nizam to install a 36-kilowatt solar system, and Pakistan’s biggest banks enlisted the company to power dozens of branches across the country. Nizam even captured the attention of the Chief Minister of Punjab, who called on Usman to propose a solar policy for the province. Usman’s luck had returned. Nizam brought in $6 million in its second year and $10 million the following year. Every quarter, the team would set ambitious, almost crazy goals and, every time, they would hit their marks. Now that the company was turning a profit, Usman felt he could finally take a minute to sit back, assess the market and plan Nizam’s next move.