Publisher: Trend Report - 28. June 2021
Although he often cannot leave the house for months at a time and spends most of that period in bed due to his severe illness (CFS – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Nadeem Arif manages an internationally successful company with more than 150 employees. The founder and CEO of Outsourcing4work is an inspiring example of willpower.
The impressive story of this Groß-Gerau resident shows just how much people can achieve, even with significant limitations. More than ten years ago, the entrepreneur of Pakistani origin, Khalid Nadeem Arif, decided to delve deeply into the concept of working from home. Long before COVID-19 and before most other companies embraced remote work, he recognized the benefits and requirements of working from home and identified a market gap.
A main reason for focusing on this business model was an illness that sometimes makes it impossible for him to leave his bed: he suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Rather than giving up on his company, he gradually turned it into a “remote guru” organization.
Today, the IT and personnel services company Outsourcing4work GmbH handles projects from around the globe and employs more than 150 staff members from 20 countries. They all work together remotely—from different places. The company mainly specializes in placing Indian IT professionals. The company’s innovative infrastructure is also a key part of the business model. Sometimes Khalid Nadeem Arif is surprised by his own resilience:
“There are times when I can’t leave the house for months and spend most of that time in bed,” he says.
“But as soon as my health allows, I start working—until I have to recover again in a quiet and dark room. Despite my illnesses, I lead a happy and very thankful life, by the grace of God. I’ve been running my company primarily from my bed for many years.”
Arif’s upbeat demeanor can be contagious, particularly to those in a similar situation. He not only wants to inspire people who are sick or disabled, but also wants to help anyone interested discover the possibilities of remote work.
When asked where he finds the remarkable drive to run a company—even expand it— despite his severe illness, Nadeem Arif responds:
“I live in the best country in the world, where I have every opportunity open to me: Germany. I benefit from the best healthcare system I know, and I have a good life here despite my serious illnesses. But there are many people in this world who struggle every day just to put food on the table for their families. Sadly, that includes the country where I was born, Pakistan. Many people there, even those who are well-educated, can’t find decent jobs to support their families. I want to do my small part to provide some of these individuals in Pakistan with a chance at a well-paid, future-focused job in the international market.
My big goal is to develop the economically underprivileged city of Rabwah (Chenab Nagar) in Pakistan—where I lived for some years before emigrating—into an IT hub for remote work. Over the next five years, I plan to create 1,000 new jobs in Pakistan.”
Of course, these will mostly be remote jobs.
“One of the positive side effects of my illnesses is that they’ve made me a specialist in remote work,” Arif says with a smile.
How many work hours can a person in his situation actually manage?
He answers in detail:
“I work about 80 hours a week. You might wonder how someone this sick can work so much. Here is the answer with some background: I’ve always worked a lot in my life—usually 60 to 80 hours a week. To understand my 80-hour workweek now, you first need to grasp my activities and capabilities. I’m always at home and spend most of my time in bed. Talking takes a lot of energy and often causes severe stomach pain afterward, so I limit it to what’s absolutely necessary.
CFS has likely disrupted my internal clock. Like some CFS patients, I can’t sleep at night at all unless I take strong sleeping medication, which I’ve been on for many years. Even then, some nights I can’t sleep at all, and other nights I only manage to sleep around 2, 3, or 4 a.m. Because of these constraints, my activity options are very limited. You probably can’t imagine how long a day—or a night—can feel when you can’t sleep, can’t do much of anything, and have to stay in bed. I’m fortunate that, despite these limitations, I have meaningful, productive work. My company has always been both my job and my hobby.
So, what do I do with my time when I’m not sleeping, eating, or taking care of other basic needs? I study through eLearning videos. With YouTube, you can learn about almost anything in the world from your bed. Today, you don’t necessarily have to go to trade fairs, conferences, presentations, or discussions. The platform is a real goldmine.
Whenever my health allows, I work while sitting or lying down. Because I don’t attend client or partner meetings—and I’ve delegated day-to-day operations to our highly independent staff—I’m not bound to a strict schedule. I primarily handle the strategic side of the business, which I can do from bed. I often use my phone to jot down notes or briefly communicate with employees. If I add up all the time I spend on these tasks, which I consider ‘work,’ I get about 80 hours a week.”
Every new employee at Outsourcing4work receives an internal memo from Arif explaining how he runs the company despite major health issues, how collaboration works, and what additional job opportunities are available. Khalid Nadeem Atif and his team at Outsourcing4work also inform people outside company about the many possibilities of remote work. The company also organizes various events and hosts webinars titled “Remote Work—How People with Disabilities Can Benefit.”
For more information, visit:
https://1000jobs4rabwah.com/
