The “Shotime” business model is scalable. Within three years, we can easily reach 70% of our B2B market in Tunisia; that is the equivalent of 15 billion dinars per year. Souhail Berhouma, CEO of “Shotime”, tells us about the success of his platform, his technological innovations and the added value that his start-up offers to his customers and which allows them to save a lot of time and money. and considerably increase the quality of their digital and offline content in highly competitive markets…
What does your project consist of? What are your goals and missions?
Our startup “Shotime” was labeled “Startup Act” as an innovative and scalable company with an interesting economic model in January 2022, by the Ministry of Communication Technologies and we received several awards, such as “UTM-Innov ”, the competition for the best innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives, and “Ajman University Innovation” in the United Arab Emirates.
We bring together more than 750 photographers and videographers selected and certified for creative services, and thanks to our innovative approach and artificial intelligence, we are revolutionizing the field of audiovisual content creation in Tunisia.
Our platform allows in a few minutes to analyze a large number of complex parameters of each company, to understand in a deep way its stakes and its market and to offer it a turnkey solution for an efficient and tailor-made content strategy according to its needs for the whole year or for a specific period.
Given our technological innovation and our added value which allows our customers to save a lot of time and money and to considerably increase the quality of their digital and offline content in very competitive markets, we have succeeded with our own means and in just one year to be referenced in large groups in the automotive, retail, banking and insurance, pharmaceutical, textile, etc. sectors.
We have also succeeded in having international clients and we achieved a three-digit volume of activity during the fourth quarter of 2022, and we intend to double it by March 2023, which places us among the Tunisian startups. the most promising in terms of turnover and economic potential, although we are a team of only four people.
Our goal is to become a leader in the audiovisual industry in Africa and our mission is to increase the impact and ROI “Return On Investment” (return on investment) of each photo and video for businesses and democratize instant access to photographers and videographers for individuals and their events, such as going out, weddings, birthdays, births, graduation ceremonies, parties, evenings with friends, family reunions …
What service do you offer?
For each service, we take care of everything, from the study, the realization to the implementation of Marketing actions and measures, and for example, a video content produced by “Shotime” costs on average 3,000 dinars and brings in the equivalent of 30,000 dinars in terms of visibility, brand image and sometimes even turnover, or an ROI of approximately 1,000% for our customers compared to an average of 70% on the Tunisian market.
How did the idea come to you?
In 2019, I discovered that I was passionate about photography, I chained several jobs to save money to buy a camera and some accessories. I started to get benefits and I even took training that allowed me to develop my technical skills. Some time later, my brother suggested that I create together a “Matchmaking” platform using artificial intelligence which brings together a community of the best creative people and which meets the needs of companies according to their specificities (domain, specialty, geographical sector, etc.).
I was incubated at “Frtn Technologies”, one of the largest startup incubators in the world and we created the company “Shotime” at the end of 2022.
What are the means that you deploy to make yourself known?
For the moment, we are not working on our digital presence (we only do it for our services) because we choose our customers, we generate a lot of requests and we want to be focused on increasing our ROI, we are aiming for 1.500% short term.
Our economic model is scalable and we know that we can easily reach 70% of our reachable B2B market in Tunisia within three years, the equivalent of 15 billion dinars per year, the figure seems huge and it is justified by the important place of photography in Tunisian culture.
Does your project have good marketing access?
We have developed a digital marketing strategy that we will apply soon.
For the moment, our direct and door-to-door marketing strategy is working wonderfully, for example, it only takes 10 minutes during an appointment with one of our sales representatives to convince a customer via a personalized demonstration of our platform.
How have you coped with the current situation?
We are not facing the current situation, we are taking advantage of the current situation because most companies have understood the importance of digital following the Covid-19 pandemic, not only to develop, but to survive in some cases. Competition is important in almost all areas, and our disruptive solution allows our customers, simply and in record time, to differentiate themselves from the competition and gradually gain a significant share in their market.
So far, what have been the main difficulties encountered?
As I explained, we receive a lot of requests for services and it is difficult to refuse a client who wishes to collaborate and take advantage of our added value. I try to be educational in the process, some clients understand it, others don’t. We have a waiting list of more than a hundred customers between SMEs and large groups, what is certain is that we will come back to them as soon as possible.
Digital is transversal and applies to all sectors, the Tunisian company must integrate this system. How do you see this initiative?
I see this initiative as an opportunity for Tunisian companies to grow and modernize by adopting digital technologies.
This will allow them to connect to a wider market, improve their operational efficiency and stay competitive in an ever-changing environment. However, it is important that businesses are well prepared for this transition by having the skills, partners and tools necessary to maximize the benefits of digital technology. It’s also important for businesses to continue to stay abreast of emerging technology trends to ensure they stay ahead of the competition.
For example at “Shotime”, 90% of our processes from contracting to delivery are digital and automated, we have no camera and our costs decrease with each service. Digital technology allows us to offer fast, high-quality service to our customers and save around 400 hours per week, the equivalent of 10 full-time resources.
How do you see the major challenges for the years to come?
Our founder Saifeddine Berhouma is passionate about effective altruism, through his vision which I share, we want to create a virtuous ecosystem in the audiovisual industry in Africa, make a lot of money for our customers, create employment for several thousand young people and train enthusiasts thanks to our school dedicated to photography and videography, we also intend to create a charity association to help disadvantaged families.
What advice could you give to people who want to embark on the startup adventure?
There are several tips I could give to people who want to embark on the startup adventure; it is necessary to do thorough research on your target market and the needs of your potential customers. You also need to develop a solid and realistic business plan that describes how you will generate income and how you will finance your business. It is necessary to build a strong and experienced team that shares your goals and your vision.
It is interesting to learn and adapt quickly to changes in the market and to show perseverance and determination in the pursuit of your objectives, even in the face of difficulties. It is also mandatory to innovate and take calculated risks to stand out from the competition. To conclude, remember that success does not always come easily, you have to be ready to work hard and invest in order to succeed.