(March 21, 2023) Time and time again, history has stood testament to the fact that the biggest successes often start with humble beginnings. When Shafat Qazi, a technologist by passion, left his well-established career midway to write code from his garage, he knew he was going to realise his dream one day. Having followed Einstein, Newton and their ilk from his childhood, Shafat had always dreamt of being a pioneer too. Qazi, who began his career in the US, is the founder of BQE Software, an all-in-one accounting and invoicing software that is used around the world.
Shafat Qazi
The great American dream
While pursuing his Bachelor’s in Engineering in NIT Srinagar, he gathered information on how he could go to America to study further. This was despite the dearth of resources and technology back then, which was even more predominant in a place like Jammu and Kashmir.
With US $700 in his pocket and big dreams in his eyes, Shafat left Kashmir to build a global enterprise through persistent and focused efforts. “I didn’t ask more from my parents; they gave me what they could manage. However, their support was more than I could ask for,” he tells Global Indian.
Early influences
Coming from an educational background, Shafat says his upbringing and his schooling at Burn Hall — which is a considered a reputed Christian Missionary School in Srinagar — played a great role in shaping him as a person he is today.
“My mother and father, who are both academicians, stood behind me like rocks. My mother would bring me books and introduced me to math and science from early childhood. She would encourage me to take part in all co-curricular activities and lots of science competitions, as I was passionate about math and science,” Shafat recalls.
Struggles in the USA
Life didn’t come easy to Shafat in the USA. His tuition fee at New York University was thousands of dollars. Besides borrowing some from a cousin, he took up several odd jobs.
“I worked at the University’s candy store as a cashier and took the dinner shift in the university café as a waiter. I worked very hard and with my earnings, I was able to pay my fee and other living expenses.” Shafat never hesitated to pick up the petty jobs because his mind remained stuck on his ultimate goal. “I never let the negativity drive my thinking. I knew this phase was temporary. The ultimate goal of my life was to build a technology company that would make the lives of people more comfortable,” he adds.
A talent for tech
“Technology came to me naturally and with my expertise and skill set, I could build a leading software company in the USA,” he says. “Even as a child, I knew I would do something in technology and America was my true destiny because it nurtured innovation. So, as a young boy, I left home to follow my dream and passion of creating cutting-edge technology and to simplify the lives of people around the world.”
After his graduation from New York, Shafat relocated to California and began to work at a local engineering firm named David C. Breiholz Inc. With his talent and expertise in technology, he was offered a partnership in the firm. “I was bringing a lot of business to the company and my employer recognised my value and offered me a partnership in his firm. The firm was then renamed to Breiholz Qazi Engineering Inc. (BQE).
Rise to the top
At the firm, Shafat was also selected to be the chairman of the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) Computer Applications Committee, a very prestigious position for a 24-year-old young engineer.
“When I was working as a partner, I learnt about the pain-points of professional service firms. They would face problems in accounting, time tracking, billing and project management. There was no good software to automate these jobs and to address simply business management.”
As chairman of a committee for structural engineers, Shafat had the opportunity to visit hundreds of professional service firms and he came across the same problems everywhere. So, one day, he decided to leave his full-time job, sell his ownership in the engineering company and start a technology company of his own.
Life as an entrepreneur
Shafat powered an office in his garage to devote himself full time to ‘BillQuick’. The mission was to build a one-stop solution to make the lives of engineers, architects, accountants, attorneys, and other professionals easy and comfortable, by automating repetitive tasks and improving their productivity.
The decision came as a shock to his spouse, who had just left her own job to take care of their newborn. “We had bought a new house; our son was six months old; we went through a lot of financial hardship in the initial years. We did a lot of cost-cutting, stopped going on vacations etc. but in the end, it paid off well.”
Again, his hard work and determination paid off, for Shafat and his family. Success came his way and over the years, his business management firm, BQE Software, became known all over the world. The flagship product, BQE Core, is used by thousands of businesses around the world.
Global expansion – and acclaim
BQE Core was ranked number one in GetApp.com 2021 category leaders for Accounting Software. “The product connects with the banks, performs the transactions, and allows people to accept and make payment with credit cards.” Today BQE has become a top management and accounting software developer for professional service firms. BQE spans all over the world and apart from the US, has offices in Australia, India, Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam etc.
BQE also has a strong presence in Srinagar, from where services are provided to thousands of businesses all over the world. In 2018, Shafat Qazi was listed as one of the top 50 CEOs by USA Today. He has also been listed as a best CEO to work with by women in the US.
Under Qazi´s leadership, BQE Software had also acquired another software company, Orange Loft LLC in 2009, and received the Accountex User Favourite Award for Best Project Management – 2016.
A review from an international publication writes: “Even though Shafat leads a worldwide corporation, BQE continues at the forefront of customer-driven innovation under his leadership. The company debuted its initial Web-based product in 1997, a mobile app for the flip phone in 1998, and electronic bill pay in 1999. BQE and its personnel are forerunners in the industry.”
Literary pursuits
Today Shafat has replaced himself from the position of CEO and is now a part of the BQE board. He is also fulfilling his wish to travel to at least 100 countries by 2025. He has travelled to 51 countries so far.
Shafat Qazi is also a common name now in publications like Forbes, CPA Practice Advisor, Accounting Today and The Business of Architecture. Recently, BQE brought in private equity for investment which in a way states that the firm is steering for achieving bigger milestones in the near future.
Apart from technology, Shafat takes interest in movies, music, culture and non-profit activities. He recently completed the shooting of his movie ‘Songs of Paradise’ which is scheduled to release in May this year.
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So so proud!!