How formalization helped Bashar turn an idea into a business
For three weeks, Bashar Al-Shami sat in his bedroom trying to transmit sound through a beam of laser light. His desk was covered with wires, a cheap laser pointer, a solar cell, a laptop, and a speaker. The experiment failed many times until one afternoon, it finally worked - the audio from his laptop travelled through the laser beam, reached the solar cell, and played through the speaker. “I was so happy it worked, I felt like I had discovered something!” says Bashar.
That moment showed Bashar that his curiosity could feed into more than an experiment. It could be the start of a technological innovation, and perhaps a real business.
From Technical Promise to Business Readiness
Bashar’s work looks at how laser light can be used to send information from one point to another or help technicians align equipment more accurately. Because laser light is focused and precise, Bashar began exploring how it could be used in fields such as telecommunications, aviation, drones, and robotics, where accuracy is critical. As he researched potential clients, he found that his target market was small but highly specialized, made up of established companies and institutions working in areas such as equipment design and development, aviation, and telecommunications. To approach such clients seriously, he needed more than a promising idea. He needed to be seen as a credible business, with the legitimacy to sign agreements and build formal client relationships.
Formalizing the business felt daunting. Bashar was concerned about the cost, the legal requirements, and whether his idea was ready to become a registered business.
The Power of Formalization
While self-debating the thought of formalization, Bashar came across the Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa), funded by the United States Government, which provided him with the support he needed to make up his mind.
Through Andersen Legal-Jordan, one of Iqlaa’s implementation partners, eligible entrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) receive formalization support, including business assessment, advice on whether registration and licensing is recommended for their stage of business, guidance on the process and requirements, and small grants to help cover related formalization costs. After several meetings with the support team, Bashar was convinced that if he wanted to work with institutional clients, he needed to operate as a registered business.
With registration came a new sense of responsibility. “When I registered my business and had an office, I started to believe the dream. I felt there was no going back. I had to keep moving forward,” he says.
One important milestone was achieved when he signed an agreement with a well-known company in the MENA region that designs and develops specialized technical equipment and precision systems. For Bashar, the agreement was more than a formality. It created a formal space where he could present his technology, explain its potential applications, and receive serious technical feedback.
And while his work started attracting interest from outside Jordan, Bashar says his priority remains local. “Jordan is a buyer and consumer of this specialized technology,” he says. “I want to help my country own technology instead of buying it.”
His family - once concerned about his career changes and uncertain path - now sees progress more clearly: the office, the registration papers and the client discussions. Their concern has turned into support. Now, Bashar hopes his story will encourage other young Jordanians to take their ideas seriously, no matter how small they seem at first. “Even a small dream can become a big business one day, as long as you refuse to give up!” Bashar says.
Formalization is a critical step in enabling businesses to transition from informal operations into the formal economy. It allows MSEs to operate within a legal framework, enhancing their credibility and improving access to financial services, markets, and growth opportunities. For many MSEs, formalization also reduces operational risks and lays the foundation for long-term sustainability and expansion.
So far, more than 80 businesses have been formalized with the support of Iqlaa across multiple governorates in Jordan. The program aims to support a similar number to formalize in the coming year.