Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Shabbir Hossain graduated from University of South Alabama in 1994 with a BS degree in Business Marketing. He started his first business the year before graduating – Byte 1 Computers and Software. Where Shabbir and his friend and partner build and sold computers to various local businesses. In those days the demands for personal computers were not very great, so they ended up closing the doors in just 18 months.
After moving to Tampa, Florida, Shabbir leased a BP gas station from a local company, launching his first gas station venture. Shortly after that, he applied to the BP Oil Corporation to become an authorized dealer and was ultimately selected to lease and operate either one of two stations. One was in Greenville, SC, and the other one in Mobile, AL.
Having lived in Mobile before, Shabbir chose to move back to Mobile and worked hard to build up a relationship with the local community there. Before long, Shabbir owned seven gas stations and secured yearly sales were over $5 million dollars on a consistent basis.
In last 20 plus years in business, he has owned, leased, operated and or sold over 25 Gas Station Businesses. Along with gas stations, he also has been involved in many other retail businesses like Quiznos fast food chain, liquor stores, laundromat even a wholesale operation where he sold to 85 local gas stations and convenience stores.
The key behind Shabbir’s rapid success was mostly common sense marketing, creative promotion, and innovative new age merchandising skills – the type of strategies that so many gas station owners overlook, along with common sense location management strategies.
Today, Shabbir shares his knowledge and expertise of gas station business management via the CStore Business Academy blog site (http://gasstationbusiness101.com).
Shabbir recently started a new weekly audio podcast show call “Gas Station Business 101 Podcast”. In this podcast he talks about all the recent changes, opportunities, and challenges of today’s gas station business, he also shares tips, tricks and ideas on how to start, run and grow a gas station business successfully in todays economy.
You can find his show in many of the fine podcasting directories like iTunes, Stitcher, Blubrry, and Tunein radio.
Shabbir has published 4 books so far, out of the 4 books, 2 are on gas station and retail business and one on retail marketing. The 4th book is a free book he wrote on passive income ideas.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I published is Gas Station Business Start-Up. This book is truly a summary of a few episodes of my podcast show. You may ask why would I publish it as a book, well after writing the first book and starting my podcast, I have realized, some people want fast and quick answers to 6 very common questions, they don’t want to read a 200 page book that includes everything under the sun about Gas Station Business.
In my first book I talked a lot about how to find and buy the ideal business then I went on to talk about how to grow that business with proper marketing and merchandising strategies. But in this book I simply answer 6 most asked questions ever.
1. How do I find a good business for Sale?
2. How to find out how much money a gas station is making?
3. How do I come up with right pricing/valuation of a gas station?
4. What is The Return On Investment (ROI) in a gas station Business?
5. How to write the best business plan for a gas station?
6. How do I get a bank to finance my deal?
In last 3 years these are the 6 questions I received over and over in my email, more than any other questions.
So this book is a quick start up guide for those who are looking to get into gas station business and need to find these answers in a hurry.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Funny you asked, I usually spend about 4-5 hours a day on the road. While I drive I keep a notepad handy and every time I get an idea I note them down (off course only when I am at a traffic light and not moving). I use bullet points and later when I am at my desk I elaborate on those bullet points. Unusual ? You decide
What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I first read the 4-Hour work week by Tim Ferris, I was taken back by his analogy. I would say his book had a very positive influence on me and my work.
What are you working on now?
Last few weeks I am working on my podcast and trying to create some instructional videos for my blog readers.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think Amazon is the only channel I tried selling and promoting my books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I myself is new to writing, so I don’t think I am in a position to give any advice as of yet.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A friend told me once ” You don’t have to be a writer to write a book or a good blog post, as long as you have something to share, you should write it, let your readers decide the rest”
What are you reading now?
Rich dad poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to write a fiction that I have outlined many years ago, but never did get enough courage to get started yet.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Team of Rivals
A Brief History of Time
Born to Run
I think these 3 books are plenty for me
Author Websites and Profiles
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