By Travis Mayfield, Executive Producer, KOMO (RVP News Partner)
RAINIER VALLEY – It was a great trade.
Asha Ahmed says her family was able to trade war, violence and death in her home country of Somalia for peace, freedom and business prosperity here in her adopted country of America.
But Asha says the trade was only possible through incredibly hard work and the willingness by everyone in her family to make incredible sacrifices together.
Death and violence were the realities the Ahmed family endured living in war ravaged Somalia before eventually coming to Seattle’s Rainier Valley and opening a computer sales and repair business.
Asha and her brother Omar were born in Mogadishu in the early 1990s. They came to the U.S., first landing in December in Minneapolis in 1999.
The family made the journey officially as refugees. Asha calls it a chance of a lifetime.
“Although it was cold landing in Minnesota, it brought us a warm feeling because we no longer had to hear gunshots, screaming and see bodies,” says Asha. “We could live as children, go to school and get a chance to live the lives our mother strived to give us.”
In 2008, the family made their way to Seattle where Asha and Omar’s stepfather bought a new desktop computer, replacing an outdated model that family had used since 2001.
The new computer was the most expensive thing they had ever owned.
“I asked my mother if I could play with the old computer and take it apart, to see what was in it,” says Omar. “I opened it up and started learning about the parts.”
As Omar learned about the parts of the computer, he became fascinated by how they worked together. He eventually started fixing computers at home, even for neighbors. Soon he was even brave enough for ask for a little money for his successful efforts.
A family affair
A doting brother, Omar says he taught his younger sisters Asha and Saytun how to fix computers too.
“We started buying parts and screens from Craigslist,” says Omar. “We invested money into that small project, and it seemed to payoff.”
But it was the matriarchs in the tight-knit family who truly ensured the children’s business success by securing their personal freedom.
“We almost didn’t get to come to America because our mother was single and had to find a way to support us,” remembers Asha. “She got a visa to go to Saudi Arabia to work as maid.”
As their mother sent money from her grueling life of service far from home the children’s grandmother began to work to secure their departure.
After incredible uncertainty they got the life-changing news.
“Our grandmother called us and said she sponsored us to come to America,” says Asha.
And while the parental care could have ended after such amazing feats by both mother and grandmother another gift lay years in the future in Seattle as the kids continued to scour the internet for spare computer parts.
Omar and Asha’s mother saw her children’s excitement and drive. She began to believe they were truly capable of bigger things, and told them she was willing to again invest in their futures. But only she warned if they were willing to grow and stretch as entrepreneurs.
From hard drives and motherboards to bricks and mortar
“We found an empty store on Rainier Avenue, and we made a deal with the owner,” recalls Omar.
It was an old karate studio in desperate need of some TLC.
“We put flooring in, made shelves and fixed it up,” says Omar.
The family obtained a business license, moved all of their computers into the space and held their breath as they opened their new store. Today, Rainier Computer Service and Sales sells and services all types of computers. The store offers service upgrades, virus removal, screen/part replacement, document recovery and much more.
“We are getting the opportunity to help customers who can’t afford going to big stores like Best Buy, Geek Squad and Apple,” says Omar. “As the budget gets more strict, customers are finding it a better option to look around for stores and shops that have prices that fit their budget.”
Despite the stagnate economy Asha says customers have really begun to take notice of their reasonable rates and personal service.
More than technical skills
“Learning how to manage a business comes with time and experience,” says Asha. “Managing your time, organizing a system which works for this kind of business and being patient in hard times. We’ve learned over time how to deal with these issues and continue to learn each day.”
Omar likes to compare fixing a computer to working in an emergency room.
“It makes me smile when I get customers who say, I’ve tried everything and nothing worked and I find the solutions,” says Omar.
Omar loves to tell the story of a Boeing IT manager who came to him for help recovering documents from a damaged hard drive.
“I was surprised that he’d come to me, since he was an IT manager,” says Omar. “I was able to take care of his problem, and he’s been coming back since.”
It is that kind of connection that this family has built their business around. Asha says she believes customers will continue spending more wisely and shopping at neighborhood small businesses even after the economy recovers. If that happens, she says she and her family are ready to expand and help as many people as they can.
“I would like to see my small business grow so we can employ people and expand our services,” says Asha.
Still it is the sacrifices each member of this family has made each step of this way that has truly ensured their future success.
And it all began with the choice to trade violence and death for freedom and a peace.
“We could live as children, go to school, and get a chance to live the lives our mother strived to give us,” says Asha.
Asha Ahmed (right) with her mother and uncle inside a newly renovated Rainier Computer Service and Sales, which is located at 11443 Rainier Ave South in Rainier Beach.
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