Today we’d like to introduce you to Muhammad Awan.
Hi Muhammad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello My name Amar Awan, I was born and raised in the rural part of Japan called Ota. My parents were Pakistani immigrants to Japan and we moved to the US ( Arlington, Virginia) when I was about 10 years old. Even though I graduated from University of Virginia with a biology degree with the intent to become a doctor, I never really felt passionate about it. I always had a entrepreneur spirit and a rebellious nature that made me uncomfortable taking orders or working under someone. I always wanted to establish a business of my own and serve the world in my own way. So after graduating my university, I self taught myself how to code and created an online tutoring platform. The platform was pretty successful but truth be told , I slowly became uninterested in the business due to lack of challenge. So i hired a manager and sold the company after few years. My next project was creating an ai software system that added subtitles to videos in almost every known language. Due to lack of funding and ai being in its early stages, the platform never really took off. So i decided to look for other opportunities. As far as i can remember, my dad was always involved with business relating to transportation. He had his own Limousine business at the time and i wanted to use what i have learned in the last decade and implement it to his business and see how that would work. so that was the beginning of AZA transportation, A luxury transportation company. I started this company about a year ago and it is doing great, Although it can be very challenging due to many variables that affect operations, it is very rewarding. You get to meet the customers face to face many times and the vehicles are always a treat to look at. I truly enjoy running this company and meeting people from all walks of life. We currently serve the DMV area but are looking to expand operations to NY and Miami. Currently, our fleet consist of 6 luxury busses, 3 Mercedes Benz sprinters, 2 Cadillac escalades and a luxury sedan. We are slowly expanding and leveraging our online platform to acquire new customers every day. We also serve many corporation at Baltimore inner harbor and continue to expand our presence across whole of Baltimore.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I strongly believe that anything that is worthwhile in life will be difficult. Starting and operation AZA transportation has not been easy. This is a very high risk and high reward kind of business. The vehicles themselves are about $120,000 ~ $600,000 + plus insurance, along with the weekly maintenance and changing gas prices, this business can be highly unpredictable. One out of service vehicle can affect our bottom line by thousands of dollars. The operation cost is very high and bookings are dependent on changing seasons. You really need good connections and smart marketing plan to make this company work. And to maintain quality, you need on the clock supervision and dispatchers. But if you can streamline the operations, which can be done, your profit margins are very high. Just the initial startup cost and risk is very high,
As you know, we’re big fans of AZA transportation . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is called AZA transportation, it is a luxury transportation business servicing the DMV area. We mostly serve high profile clients who value discreet and quality transportation services. We also serve clients who need large scale transportation solutions for events such as weddings, conferences, tours, team travel, etc. We have worked with government officials to facilitate motorcades for high profile politicians we can not name. What sets us apart from other similar businesses is that we focus on quality over anything. Our vehicles are always cleaned everyday and checked for any maintenance issues. All of our vehicles are made 2024 or later and have the most up to date technology installed such as real time tracking, speed monitors and side cameras. We ensure that our customers are always safe and reach their destination satisfied.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck plays a major role in your life. Where you grew up, the people you meet, who your parents are, this is all luck and it has profound effect on the trajectory of your life. I would have never started a luxury transportation business if my father was not already involved with it for years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AZAtransportation.com
