Aamir Qutub applied for 300 jobs in Australia without an interview and worked as airport cleaner; then started a business with $2,000 from a garage that became a million-dollar firm

Aamir Qutub moved to Australia to study for an MBA, but his early years in the country were far from easy. He struggled to find work, worked as an airport cleaner and delivered newspapers before eventually getting his first opportunity in the technology sector.

In 2014, Qutub started his own IT business, Enterprise Monkey, with just $2,000. Years later, the company had grown into a business reported by the Daily Mail Australia to be worth $2 million.

Aamir Qutub moved to Australia to study an MBA

Qutub was born in Saharanpur, India, and moved to Australia in 2012 to study an MBA at Deakin University in Geelong, according to SBS Hindi.


Finding work was difficult at first. The Daily Mail Australia reported that he submitted around 300 job applications without receiving an interview.

He eventually took jobs that included cleaning at Victoria’s Avalon Airport and distributing newspapers while studying.

His routine was demanding. According to the Daily Mail Australia, he travelled around three hours to university, studied during the day, networked in the afternoon and packed and redistributed newspapers from 2am to 7am.

“I was exhausted but I was excited to see where it would take me,” Qutub told the publication.

His first opportunity in the IT industry

During the final year of his studies, Qutub secured an internship at ICT Geelong. The Daily Mail Australia reported that he was promoted to operations manager within 15 days.

He later worked closely with the company’s general manager. After the general manager resigned, Qutub became interim general manager and eventually took the position permanently.

SBS Hindi reported that Qutub increased the company’s revenue by 300% and doubled its membership during his time there.

He later decided to focus on building his own business.

Enterprise Monkey started with $2,000

In 2014, Qutub registered Enterprise Monkey Proprietor Ltd with $2,000, according to SBS Hindi.

The business initially operated from his brother-in-law’s garage in Melbourne. Qutub also spent time at bus and railway stations handing out cards and trying to find potential clients.

The early period was difficult. SBS reported that Qutub struggled to find clients and eventually borrowed around $100,000 from private lenders to maintain cash flow because the business was not yet making profits.

At one point, he considered quitting. With almost 20 employees at the time, he decided to give the business one final attempt and changed its business model.

SBS reported that he was mentored by Scott Brown, who introduced him to neuro-linguistic programming. Qutub said this helped him reinvent the system, pay off the debt and begin making profits.

The IT company grew to around 100 employees

Enterprise Monkey continued to grow after its difficult start.

By 2022, the Daily Mail Australia reported that the business employed 100 people, with 80 working remotely in India. The publication reported that the company was worth $2 million.

SBS Hindi separately described Qutub as the owner of a million-dollar IT business with nearly 100 employees.

Enterprise Monkey’s own website says the company was established in Geelong in 2014 and describes Qutub as its founder and CEO.

The company’s focus was on developing software applications and digital solutions intended to help businesses save money or increase revenue.

Qutub also built an app during the Covid period

Qutub also worked on a community-focused app during the Covid period.

The Daily Mail Australia reported that he created “Angel Next Door,” which allowed neighbours to ask for help with necessities such as groceries and medicine while people were isolating.

The app operated within a five-kilometre radius. According to the Daily Mail Australia, around 100,000 “angels” signed up and 50,000 calls for help were completed.

Qutub encouraged entrepreneurs to embrace failure

Qutub has also spoken about the importance of dealing with setbacks while building a business.

He said entrepreneurs should embrace failures rather than become overly focused on reaching the final destination.

“It’s a long journey but rather than be worried about reaching the destination, enjoy the journey and enjoy the ride,” he told the Daily Mail Australia.