Safwan and Self-Employment Assistance

Safwan’s passion for collectables sparks a booming business

What started as a childhood love for Pokémon cards has grown into a thriving business for Muhammad, known as Safwan.

When Safwan joined Self-Employment Assistance with APM, he had no business experience and limited resources.

But he had a big dream: turn his hobby into Perth’s most-trusted and go-to destination for trading cards and collectables.

Safwan began by selling his own collection. Soon, that small idea became Rai Collectables – a business specialising in graded cards from mint to gem-mint condition.

With guidance from his APM mentor Matthew, Safwan built a professional website, created branding and grew his social media presence. 

His YouTube channel now has close to 10,000 subscribers.

Safwan sources cards online and manages international sales through eBay, with orders coming from across Australia.

He’s a regular at the Canning Vale Sunday Market and has showcased his business at major events like Collector Zone Toy & Hobby Fair, Perth Card Fest and Supanova Comic Con & Gaming. 

He even ran a school workshop to inspire young collectors.

Throughout his journey, Safwan received mentoring every two months from APM.

Matthew helped him navigate business challenges and provided emotional support during a tough personal time.

“The Self-Employment Assistance program has helped a lot behind the scenes,” Safwan said.

“My mentor Matthew has guided me through everything from my first business plan to selling at my first event. He always fine-tunes my business ideas and helps me think outside the box - we always end up with something better than I originally had in mind.”

Safwan is now part of a thriving trading card community and continues to build strong connections with customers and collectors across Perth.

If you have a business idea or want support to start your own venture, visit apm.net.au/sea and take your first step today.