Publisher: The City Journal Wuppertal - 16. March 2021
Khalid Nadeem Arif is an exceptional person and an exceptional entrepreneur. He lives in Groß-Gerau, Germany and runs his company, for the most part, from his bed. The native Pakistani is severely disabled. He suffers from a serious illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Khalid Nadeem Arif spends most of his time in bed and is the founder and CEO of the internationally successful company Outsourcing4work with more than 100 employees.
Khalid Nadeem Arif runs his company from bed – © Outsourcing4work
The impressive story of this brave man from Groß-Gerau shows how much people can achieve despite severe health restrictions. And that even strokes of fate can bring opportunities with them.
The development of the remote model of Outsourcing4work began long before Corona. It is a prime example for companies that are successfully involved in the field of digital infrastructure. More than ten years ago, Khalid Nadeem Arif made the decision to start working intensively from his home office.
The reason for this was an illness that made it impossible for him to get out of bed at times. Instead of giving up on his company, he gradually built it into a 100 percent remote company.
In the meantime, the company now receives contracts from all over the world with more than 100 employees from 17 countries. They all work together remotely. Guided and supported by the man who at the beginning of his career could hardly have foreseen the growth his remote model would one day reach. As a provider of Indian IT experts, the innovative infrastructure is also a central core of the business model.
The exceptional office of Khalid Nadeem Arif – ©Outsourcing4work
Sometimes Khalid Nadeem Arif is a little surprised by his own strength: “Today I often can’t go out of the house for months and lie in bed most of the time. As soon as my health allows it, I start to work until I have to recover again in a very quiet and dark room. Despite my illnesses, today, by the grace of God, I live a happy and very grateful life.”
His fate did not embitter him. On the contrary, Khalid Nadeem Arif is always friendly and in a good mood. He hopes that his courage and enthusiasm can also influence other people in a similar situation.
Khalid Nadeem Arif in his home office – © Outsourcing4work
Diverse future plans
With his example, Khalid Nadeem Arif does not only want to encourage ill and disabled people, he also wants to support anyone interested in discovering the possibilities of remote work for themselves. In addition, the enthusiastic man wants to continue growing internationally with his Remote Guru company and to create 1,000 new jobs in Pakistan in the next five years – primarily as remote jobs, of course.
“One of the positive aspects of my illnesses is that they have made me an expert in remote work,” explains Khalid Nadeem Arif with a smile and is already thinking about his next big project: from his bed in Germany, he wants to make an economically underdeveloped city in Pakistan into an IT hub for remote work.
