Publisher: EnableMe - 8. November 2021
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a serious neuroimmunological condition that typically involves a high level of physical disability. Around 17 million people worldwide suffer from ME/CFS. One of them is Khalid Nadeem Arif. Despite being severely ill, this entrepreneur from Groß-Gerau is internationally successful—and a source of hope for other patients.
Anyone who meets Khalid Nadeem Arif for the first time sees a man who, despite severe health problems, lives with confidence and optimism. He runs a successful international company with over 150 employees from 20 countries—even though he may go months without leaving home and spends much of his time in bed due to his serious illness.
Orders From Around the World
The reason and motivation for setting up his remote business model was his own illness, explains Khalid Nadeem Arif. Because it is sometimes impossible for him to get out of bed, he searched for efficient solutions suited to people in a similar situation. Over time, he transformed his company—founded in 1993—into a “remote guru” business, and it worked well.
Today, his IT and personnel services company takes on orders from around the world and employs more than 150 team members in 20 countries. They all work together remotely—from different locations. Khalid Nadeem Arif does not only see himself as an entrepreneur; he also wants to inspire people with disabilities, give them confidence, and show them a promising future.
Seriously Ill Since 2007
There are times when Arif’s condition takes a significant toll on him.
“Sometimes, I can’t leave the house for months on end and spend most of that time in bed,” says the dedicated entrepreneur, who was born in 1969 in Lahore, Pakistan, and came to Germany in 1985 as a refugee. His first symptoms appeared in 2007.
“Suddenly, I was paralyzed for many days,” – Khalid Nadeem Arif
For someone who had always worked hard and practiced martial arts intensively for nearly 20 years, this was a very scary extreme situation.
“Back then, I honestly thought I wouldn’t survive this. I wrote down all the important passwords and login details for my company on a piece of paper, put it in the safe, and informed my wife.”
But things turned out differently. Today, Khalid Nadeem Arif is grateful he did not give up back then, but instead found new courage—even in the middle of his serious crisis.
A Long Road to the Right Diagnosis
After a nine-year journey of misdiagnoses, one day the entrepreneur happened to see a TV report that completely changed his life. The broadcast covered a rare illness called ME/CFS.
“Tears ran down my face,” Arif recalls.
“I thought, ‘They’re telling my exact story!’ So I searched online for a ME/CFS support group and asked if they knew of a doctor experienced with the disease.”
Khalid Nadeem Arif was lucky. He found a skilled doctor and finally got the correct diagnosis: CFS/ME.
An 80-Hour Workweek Is Not Uncommon
Although there is still no treatment for CFS/ME today, Khalid Nadeem Arif has been living a better life since then. He still struggles with some extreme weakness, and any activity can quickly lead to exhaustion.
“But as soon as my health allows it, I start working again—sometimes up to 80 hours a week.”
Arif not only appears grateful; he truly is.
“Despite my illness, by the grace of God, I now lead a happy and very thankful life,” he says.
Ambitious Goals
At the age of 24, the well-traveled and highly educated entrepreneur fulfilled his dream of becoming self-employed. Although he can’t do everything he used to, Arif continues to learn new things and expand his company. Besides running his business, he also studies using eLearning videos.
“From my bed, I can learn about almost anything in the world. Nowadays, you don’t have to go to trade fairs or industry events in person—many things can be done online.”
Khalid Nadeem Arif’s company, Outsourcing4work, is one of Germany’s oldest and most successful “remote guru” companies. The goal of this dedicated man with ME/CFS is to convince as many people as possible of the benefits of remote work. He also wants to turn the economically underdeveloped city of Rabwah (Chenab Nagar) in Pakistan into an IT hub for remote work. Over the next 5 years, he plans to create 1,000 new jobs in Pakistan—an ambitious project that excites this “CEO in bed.”
“My expertise lies in remote work. This is where I’m strong and where I want to keep contributing my knowledge and skills.” – Khalid Nadeem Arif
This testimonial was kindly provided by Mr. Khalid Nadeem Arif.
