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When Emir Dukic started renting out his garage apartment on Airbnb, he had no idea he was on to a major business idea. But that’s exactly what has happened.
After learning all the ins and outs of the room-booking platform, Dukic launched Rabbu to manage Airbnb rentals for other people, as well.
Founded in 2017, Rabbu has already grown to 12 employees after landing a $1.5 million investment. Now they’re expanding into other markets.
That’s led Dukic to be named a finalist for the Axios Charlotte’s Small Businessperson of the Year award in the Internet category.
Get to know Emir and learn from his success through these five questions.
What’s the first hour of your day look like?
I am an early riser — my day usually starts before 5 a.m. I like to get up early to take advantage of the quiet and lack of distractions.
From there, I get in a quick workout and read a chapter in a book. One of the most important parts of my routine is taking the time to create a list of the three most important things that need to get done that day. Having this time in the morning to reflect helps me get my body and mind ready for the craziness to come.
What’s the most valuable business lesson you’ve learned?
Always (at least attempt to) provide value to everyone you interact with. We are all busy people with countless of things to do and not enough time to do them all. Ending a meeting or call with “What can I do to help you?” will do wonders for your relationships and overall success.
What’s a recent purchase of less than $100 that you love?
RUSH Tactical backpack. Perfect for traveling or day-to-day use.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year?
“Blitzscaling,” by Reid Hoffman
What other small businessperson do you admire?
Sam Smith at Vishion. Big fan of the company she is building and what she is doing for the Charlotte entrepreneurial ecosystem with the Collective Hustle. Charlotte needs more people like her.
