Cashing in on smart phone applications

On a good day he can make between Shs150, 000 and Shs200, 000 and on an average day he can make between Shs60, 000 and Shs110, 000.
His goal is to save Shs40, 000 on a daily basis.

But Joseph Kisuule’s business is not in the conventional lot. He does not run a shop, or salon. He simply deals in applications and he is a proprietor of Application World, located on Wilson Road, Kampala.
Almost everything goes at Wilson Street and in this business jungle, the graduate of Business computing and finance from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) decided that there was enough competition among phone dealers so he chose to find a unique innovation.
He began a one-stop centre for applications of Blackberry, Samsung, iPods, Android, iPads and iPhones.

This way, he makes sure he has the latest software for these items. Plus, he has the ability to repair Apple products along with unlocking smartphones.
“We sell full version Apple applications for all Apple gadgets at Shs50, 000 though the price is negotiable. Applications World also deals in Jail-breaking iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS and upgrading iPhone 4G,4GS,iPads 1G,2G,3G and iPods of all types,” he explains.

Plus if you would like to buy any Apple products, you can drop by. He adds, “Additionally, we can transfer bulk phone contacts which range from 500 and over in less than seven minutes.”

Kisuule has done this for three years. He explains that his innovation is to ease the access of Apple applications in line with other Smartphones at a cheaper price. “I sell more than 100 applications at a fixed price which is not the case if you opt to buy from the Apple store.”
His main tools of trade are a computer and stable internet. He says that his growth is attributed to expertise, hard work, honesty and keeping abreast with the latest developments in the cellular and gadget industry.
“I make it a point to search for the latest software applications and the right way to use them. Being honest with my customers is arguably the most important reason why Applications World has managed to develop overtime,” he says about his work ethic.

Elaborating about the technicalities of his work, Kisuule says, “For instance, some Apple applications are not compatible on lower version iPhone and iPods gadgets. In one way, the customers are disappointed and can’t buy the applications. Since some Apple products are of lower version, we make sure that we buy more applications that are best suited for their gadgets.”
His goal every day is to save at least Shs40, 000. This helps ease the pressure on him for rent. He pays Shs700, 000 per month in rent.

But it has not been smooth all through for Kisuule. Before he started Applications World in 2007 - just before he completed university, he got involved in merchandise business but lost much of his capital.
“So I sought to learn applications through friends; especially one guy called Ham Kasule who taught me how to repair software of iPods, iPhones and Blackberries among other stuff,” he recalls.

He started with approximately two million shillings which was the balance he was left with when his merchandise business failed collapsed.The beginning was not so promising but he stuck in there because he believed in what he had begun doing and could earn from it. Besides, it didn’t require much effort and capital but it called for the brains and the energy to work. His guiding principle gave him the strength to keep going even as things looked bleak.

“There are three main principles; trust in the Lord every day and He will take you through, keep learning everyday through the new people you meet and also, [remember] technology changes every day. Always keep your clients as they are key elements to the business’ existence,” he lays out the principles.

And even if he doesn’t look up to any particular individual for inspiration, he says people who have succeeded in life generally motivate him as a young businessman.

“In every human being there is something good or positive. I am inspired by self-driven people who make something from scratch. Such people keep me going because they show that God really made us to be creators,” he adds.
Kisuule believes that dynamics in the world are changing and at times it is not about what qualifications one has but their set of skills or talent.
“To me life is a blessing; just live it a day a time, dream every day and walk your dreams, think positively about your dreams and work towards them. With these, the sky is the limit,” he says.

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