THE INVESTOR MINDSET:

SAAD UMERANI, FROM ‘ENABLING FUTURE’ p14

THE ART OF
BRANDING
HOW A PICTURE PAINTS
A THOUSAND WORDS
ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
EXPERTS: TECH:
THE FOOD TRUCK HOME-GROWN TECH
BUSINESS MODEL GOES GLOBAL
p 20 p34

An ITP Executive
Publication

VOL. 5 ISSUE 11
SEPTEMBER
HOW
I DID IT 2017
“MY FIRST YEAR AED 10
IN BUSINESS”
p48

OPINION UNDERSTANDING ARAB MILLENNIALS p8

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IN THIS ISSUE VOL. 5 • ISSUE 11 • SEPTEMBER 2017

20

COVER STORY
THE ART OF
BRANDING

30

04 Editor’s Letter 18 Banking for Female 36 Case Study

Entrepreneurs
More support for Emirati
COMMUNITY female entrepreneurs.
06 News 20 The Food Truck
Latest news and events in Business Model
the start-up world. Considerations for realising
the food truck dream.
08 OPINION
Understanding the Arab 24 COVER STORY
millennials market. Phil Davis explains how
firms are using art to
12 Women & innovate their branding and
Crowdfunding brand influence.
Why are women performing
better in this space? 30 The Secrets of
Successful Presenting
14 Investment Essential techniques for
Saad Umerani, Co-founder pitching and presenting.
of Enabling Future, takes
us into the mind of the 34 Home-grown Tech
investor. Goes Global
Find out why global players
16 GITEX Future Stars are interested in our tech
Insights into this year’s firms.
show.
The Burger28 Story.
38 The Insurance
Opportunity
Re-thinking the way you
evaluate your renewal.
41 Social Media for F&B
The social media essentials
for a food business.
42 Exhibition Success
Strategies
Tips for better customer
engagement.
46 Accidental Business
Success
The fascinating origins of
Gourmet Times Dubai.
48 How I Did It
HammerHeads UAE
50 New Shifts Services: Zeynap
Saka

[03]
 Editor’s letter
STAND OUT,
NETWORK AND
COMMUNICATE
APPLYING THESE PILLARS TO
THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESS…
THIS ISSUE marks the start of the
most intensely business-focussed
months of the year. All the main trade
shows take place from September onwards
and they provide important opportuni-
ties to meet customers and contacts in
environments that are conducive to doing
business. However, if you’re exhibiting at
any of these shows for the first time, bear
in mind that success is not guaranteed just
by virtue of the fact that buyers and sellers
are in the same room. The article on page
42 gives you some insider advice on how
to optimise your approach and stand out
at shows.
Wherever you have a gathering of busi-
ness people with a common interest, the
value of the networking opportunities
increase exponentially. On Wednesday 27th
September, the StartUp Academy event
is being held at The Westin Dubai Mina
Seyahi Hotel. I want to extend a personal
invitation to attend for free to all start-up
and SME owners connected with the theme
of this quarter’s Academy – FinTech.
Financial technologies are now an ines-
capable part of doing business in this region
and the sector represents huge opportuni-
ties. To network, hear presentations from
the industry, find out more about FinTech
and attend, use the link to register and I
look forward to meeting you for a coffee
and breakfast there. www.ArabianBusi-
ness.com/Startup-Academy/Dubai
Lastly, our cover story on page 24 – brand
art. This innovation has set the concept of
branding alight and become an integral
part of communicating what a company
stands for, as well as creating a better
workspace environment. Let me know
what you think!
Kay Marham
Editor
Kay.Marham@ITP.com
[04]
P.O. Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
TEL +971 4 444 3000
Offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and London
ITP MEDIA GROUP
CEO Ali Akawi
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Matthew Southwell
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EDITORIAL
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jeremy Lawrence EMAIL jeremy.lawrence@itp.com
EDITOR Kay Marham TEL +971 4 444 3274 EMAIL kay.marham@itp.com
ARABIANBUSINESS.COM
EDITOR Neil Halligan TEL +971 4 444 3605 EMAIL neil.halligan@itp.com
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EMAIL ahmad.bashour@itp.com
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ali Akawi, Walid Akawi, Mary Serafin
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contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in
this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to
seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which
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| vol. 5 /september 2017
 Community
NEWS • LEADERBOARD • THE LIBRARY • EVENTS • THE TALK OF THE TOWN • CHATTERBOX
10 WINNERS
SHARE AED 1
MILLION
MOHAMMED BIN RASHID
FUND PRIZE FOR NEW
ENTREPRENEURS
T
he Mohammed Bin
Rashid Fund (MBRF) has
honoured 10 winners of
its ‘START’ competition,
aimed at helping unemployed
Emiratis with innovative business
ideas to start their own company.
The 10 winners were chosen
by a Dubai SME jury from a total
of 263 entries received, with the
15 shortlisted entrants enrolled
in the Dubai Entrepreneurship
Academy to help refine their
business plans and prepare them
to pitch.
Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director
General of Dubai Economy, H.E.
Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of
Dubai SME and Saeed Matar Al
Marri, Deputy CEO of Dubai SME,
awarded the winners, who will
share a total prize pool of AED 1
million.
A core element of the Dubai
SME strategy is to promote
entrepreneurship as a culture
and contributor to the national
economy, with the START compe-
[06]
tition a part of their efforts to
stimulate this talent and support
its evolution into viable projects
and competitive businesses.
In terms of the sectors repre-
sented by the entrants, F&B had
the largest share of projects with
19%, while the services and tech-
nology sectors each accounted for
18% of the entries. Fashion and
other retail projects had represen-
tation of 12% each, while 21% of
the entries belonged to various
other sectors.
The majority of entrants, a total
58%, were female, which further
underlines the increasing emer-
gence of women entrepreneurs in
the country.
Launched in 2015 to maximise
financing solutions for innova-
tive businesses and develop
Emirati entrepreneurship, MBRF
promotes start-up businesses and
supports their early stage develop-
ment through a range of financing
options, including a Seed Capital
Loan and Credit Scheme Loan.
GITEX FUTURISTS 2017
Dubai Tourism
start-up
competition for
GITEX 2017
Dubai Tourism is
running a competition
to support the growing travel
and hospitality start-up
ecosystem in the region. In
line with Dubai’s Tourism
Vision 2020, the competition
has been designed for GITEX
Futurists 2017, an initiative
to encourage start-up
innovation within the
tourism sector.
The competition is inviting
start-ups to submit business
plans under one of two
categories: Hospitality
Services and The Visitor
Experience.
A panel of judges will
assess the applications and
the top 30 applicants will be
awarded their own exhibition
space during GITEX
Technology Week, which
takes place between 8 - 12
October 2017.
During GITEX Technology
week, the start-up
companies will be able to
showcase their innovative
ideas to thousands of
corporate buyers, regional
operators and over 250
investors.
Furthermore, the
applicants can pitch their
ideas to the judges and three
winners will be selected
from each category, where
they will receive the funds to
turn their idea into a
business.
To enter, visit: www.gitex.
com/innovators-wanted/
u Pitching opportunities for entrants.
| vol. 5 /september 2017

SME FINANCING
MOLESKINE OPEN INNOVATION PROGRAMME
CALLS FOR IDEAS
MOLESKINE AND DIGITAL
MAGICS HAVE LAUNCHED
THE MOLESKINE OPEN
INNOVATION PROGRAM, an
international call for ideas from
start-ups and scale-ups to submit
ideas to Moleskine+.
  Moleskine is scouting for
emerging companies with
whom it can share expertise and
professional experience and then
work together bring the best
ideas to a global market.
  A maximum of four start-ups
will be selected to take part
in the six month incubation
process, where they will have
the opportunity to draw on
a network of professional
business, marketing and
product development experts,
in order to bring their proposal
to market around the world as
part of Moleskine+. During the
programme, each of the winning
start-ups will be able to discuss
and define a strategic plan and
contractual relationship with
Moleskine.
  The aim of the call for ideas is
to identify and develop projects
that fit within Moleskine’s range
of interconnected smart objects
ARABIAN BUSINESS STARTUP AWARDS
The Arabian Business StartUp
Awards have quickly become an
important part of the start-up
landscape in the UAE. The awards
give regional entrepreneurs who are
building their businesses a platform
to have their achievements formally
recognised and to be rewarded in
front of their peers at a lavish gala
dinner and awards ceremony.
Taking place on Tuesday 24th
October 2017, the Awards are also
a key event in raising your profile
as a start-up to the business and
investor community in the UAE and
is therefore a valuable networking
opportunity.
Nominations will close on 14th
September.
u Call for start-up ideas to develop projects.
and services – including smart
notebooks and apps – designed
to combine physical and digital
products that boost creativity and
productivity on the move. These
smart tools allow users to capture
inspiration while on the move and
bounce ideas between page and
screen.
  All ideas should be geared
towards the brand’s audience
of knowledge workers and
creative professionals - a global
community of people who are
highly educated, inquisitive and
constantly seeking new ways of
working, learning and expressing
To book your seats, table or for
sponsorship details, email:
Joanna.Farrer@ITP.com or visit:
www.arabianbusiness.com/
startup-awards/
News updates
themselves on the move.
  If you are interested in
representing the region by
submitting your ideas, it is
useful to know that Moleskine
believes that people do not
make distinctions between the
analogue and digital world and
switch between notebooks,
smartphones, paper and tablets.
The brand reminds entrants that
a project can take shape from
a set of notes or a sketch and
can then grow on screen before
being shared and shaped online.
Moleskine envisions a future
where people use physical and
digital platforms interchangeably,
with the Moleskine+ ecosystem
being fundamental to the brand’s
journey towards this future.
  Start-ups that want to submit
scalable business proposals
to the call for ideas should
also consider the overarching
Moleskine brand territories of
culture, imagination, memory,
travel and personal identity, as
well as its users’ key needs.
  All proposals should
be submitted online via
OpenInnovation.moleskine.com by
the 24th September 2017.
THE AWARD CATEGORIES
FOR 2017:
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- People’s Choice: Entrepreneur of the
Year
- Start-Up of the Year
- SME Leader of the Year
- SME of the Year
- Mentor of the Year
- Start Up Programme of the Year
- SME Bank of the Year
- Incubator/Accelerator of the Year
- Funding Initiative of the Year
- Social Enterprise of the Year
- Intrapreneur of the Year
- Investor of the Year
- New Media Start Up of the Year
[07]
 Opinion

UNDERSTANDING
THE ARAB
MILLENNIALS
MARKET
YOUNG MOROCCAN ENTREPRENEUR, CHAYMAE SAMIR, FOUNDER OF
BUSINESSES IN MARKETING, EDUCATION AND FOOD SERVICE,
SHARES HER VIEWS ON THE ARAB MILLENNIALS MARKET.

[08] | vol. 5 /september 2017


aving grown up in
H
the Internet age
and typically aged
between 18-34,
the millennials
generation of
consumers have only ever
known connectedness, be it with
YouTube, Facebook and more
recently, almost exclusively with
their smartphones.
There are now over 100 million
Arab millennials – the largest
demographic group in the region
today. Never before have the
young been such a large part of
the region’s economic make-up, a
group that is only set to increase
in number and influence. By
2030, the region’s population will
be the ‘youngest’ in the world,
with a median age of 22.8.
u Millennials represent an abundance of untapped opportunities for SMEs.
Importantly for start-ups
and SMEs, Arab millennials
are leading the charge in terms
of their earning and spending
power. Businesses seeking to
expand into or thrive in the
region can no longer afford to
ignore the millennials, especially
given their potential for both
brand loyalty and susceptibility
to influence by multiple brands.
Significantly, a report
commissioned by Visa into this
demographic revealed that, at
the time of the study in 2011,
eight percent were already
entrepreneurs and 49% intended
to run their own business in
future – we are now in 2017 and
that time is now.
Key points to bear in mind
when targeting Arab millennials:
“The businesses
that successfully
tap into this
market are
the ones who
understand the
demands and
expectations of
millennials in the
region.”
Driving Online Spend
E-COMMERCE, ONLINE
PAYMENT AND MOBILE-
FRIENDLY SITES
According to the Visa report, which
surveyed over 1,000 millennials
in the region and remains
representative of today, millennials
spend 4.5 to 6.5 hours active
online per day, with a large and still
increasing part of this dedicated
to e-commerce sites. The UAE and
Saudi Arabia, the countries with the
largest smartphone penetrations,
are spearheading the region’s
growth in this area.
In fact, 76% of UAE and 58% of
KSA millennials shop online and
half pay their bills online. The
Visa report predicted that credit
cards will account for 65% of
non-cash retail payments in the
UAE and more than 70% in Saudi
Arabia by 2018.
Millennials are providing
start-ups and SMEs with
an abundance of untapped
opportunities. Considering that
two-thirds of online shoppers
have used their smartphone
for their latest purchases, this
indicates an unprecedented level
of opportunity to implement
efficient and hassle-free mobile
based transaction systems to
convenience-hungry millennials.
Studies have also shown that
millennials can be unforgiving
when they encounter issues on
mobile sites. If they encounter
problems while accessing a
site on their smartphone, 43%
of them in the GCC look for an
alternative mobile-optimised site.
[09]
 Opinion
INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE
The content or product marketing
that trends with millennials tends
to speak directly to their emotions
and the causes they believe in. If
you really want to win over Gen-Y,
forget traditional advertising
and aim to strike a chord within
themselves or their communities
instead.
Millennials are accustomed
to running their lives through
their smartphones and tablets.
This means that they have direct
access to news concerning
global issues such as politics,
human rights, gender equality
and climate change. They are
quick to share their views on any
issue that catches their interest,
attention or conscience through
social media. If you are actively
targeting this audience, bear in
mind that they are also prone
to sharing their criticism of any
company, brand or product that
displeases them.
Given the ability of the Internet
to influence social conscience, it
is perhaps no surprise that 70%
of millennials are willing to pay
more for a product that has a
positive impact. Start-ups and
SMEs in the region are therefore
starting to integrate a social
mission within their activities
targeting this audience to help
influence their outcomes.
APPEAL TO CULTURE
& IDENTITY
New brands, particularly those
managed by non-Arabs, have
traditionally found it complicated
to navigate the Arab world,
where religion and culture are
far more intertwined than in the
West. The same millennials who
advocate for progress, inclusion
and modernity are the ones who
value their traditions and do not
wish to abandon the factors that
comprise their identity.
Even if religion plays a major
role in society and business,
Arab millennials often prefer
businesses and brands that
draw a line between religion and
marketing. Trying to market to
millennials with obvious religious
tones almost never works.
The businesses that successfully
tap into this market are the ones
who understand the demands
and expectations of millennials
[10]
u Social media creates a sense of brand ownership among millennials.
in the region and can associate
or align their brands with their
values. Companies must therefore
invest in understanding the
religious and cultural landscape
of each country in the Middle
East in order to better target and
sell to millennials.
ARABIC CONTENT
Although the number of Arabic
speaking Internet users is on the
rise, Arabic is considered as one
of the most under-represented
languages online in terms of
website shares. A recent study
by Wamda showed that out of 50
websites in Saudi Arabia, only
32% have Arabic as their primary
language, with 32% having
no Arabic at all. Social media
goes some way to mitigating
this shortcoming, but this does
represent an opportunity for
marketers to target millennials.
“Content or
product marketing
that trends with
millennials tends
to speak directly to
their emotions and
the causes they
believe in.”
SOCIAL INFLUENCERS
If you want to sell to Arab
millennials, look into partnering
with influencers, such as
YouTube stars.
People’s emotional attachment
to a YouTube star is seven times
higher than towards a regular
celebrity. “The relationship with
YouTube is an intense, personal
experience. People watch what
is really important to them on
YouTube, without the need
to wear a social mask,” says
Alex Brunori, Head of Creative
Agencies, Google MENA. Beauty
brand Sephora, for example,
engages with its millennial
consumers through make-up
tutorials featuring social
influencer, Huda Kattan.
According to Cisco, 69% of
consumer Internet traffic in
2017 will be dedicated to video
in the region. Strategically
placed ads on YouTube have
many strengths, one of which
is extra time. Unlike the 30
seconds allowed on a traditional
TV ad, YouTube gives marketers
two minutes to address social
issues and create the kind of
compelling content that would
appeal to millennials.
Engaging millennials through
social media, experiences
and events creates a sense
of ownership. And the more
ownership a millennial
consumer feels they have of a
brand, the more likely they are to
buy and share the product with
their peers.
| vol. 5 /september 2017
 Opinion
WOMEN OUTPERFORM
MEN IN SEED
CROWDFUNDING
P
wC and The
Crowdfunding Centre
recently launched their
joint report, Women
Unbound: Unleashing
Female Entrepreneurial
Potential, which explores the
experience of women in achieving
finance raising success through
seed crowdfunding, compared
with more traditional finance
raising routes.
The report findings, which
were based on two full years of
seed crowdfunding data (2015-16)
[12]
tracked by The Crowdfunding
Centre, include the results of
over 465,000 seed crowdfunding
campaigns from nine of the
world’s largest crowdfunding
platforms.
The report found that
while men clearly use seed
crowdfunding more than women,
women are more successful
at crowdfunding than men.
Globally, 17% of male-led
campaigns reach their finance
target, compared with 22% of
female-led campaigns. Overall
campaigns led by women were
32% more successful at reaching
their funding target than those
led by men across a wide range of
sectors, geographies and cultures.
EVOLUTION OF SEED CROWD-
FUNDING
Crowdfunding is a disruptive
innovation that has provided new
routes to funding for individuals,
start-ups and growth businesses.
It enables them to engage and
interact directly with the market
and with thousands of backers,
| vol. 5 /september 2017

supporters, customers and
potential partners like never
before.
Seed crowdfunding is the use
of ‘rewards based’ crowdfunding
platforms to fund the creation,
launch or development of new
businesses, products and services,
whereby backers pay upfront for a
product, service or project. Since
its inception, the footprint of seed
crowdfunding has continued to
spread, with the levels of finance
raised through the nine platforms
analysed in the report jumping
from $10 million in 2009 to over
$767 million in 2016, with backers
from over 200 countries.
Female-led campaigns
performed better in terms of
securing their funding goals than
campaigns led by men, when the
data for every sector and every
country is segregated. In countries
with the largest volumes of seed
crowdfunding, the UK and the
US, 20% of male-led campaigns
reached their targets. Yet female-
led campaigns outperformed,
with 24% of women in the US
and 26% of women in the UK
successfully reaching their
campaign funding target.
This trend continues
in countries where seed
crowdfunding is yet to reach as
wide a scale. For example, 10%
of female-led campaigns in the
Middle East were successful,
compared with 4% of male. This
number mirrors trends in E7
countries (China, India, Brazil,
Mexico, Russia, Indonesia and
Turkey).
SEED CROWDFUNDING IN THE
MIDDLE EAST
The analysis showed a total of 97
campaigns that were successfully
funded in the region in 2015 and
2016, 24 of which were female-led
and 73 male-led. And while the
number of campaigns funded
in the region is still relatively
low vis-a-vis more established
territories, it is important to
highlight that seed crowdfunding
is still relatively new to the region.
Equally important to highlight is
that in the Middle East, average
pledge amounts to female-led
campaigns are 29% higher than
male-led campaigns, compared
with a difference of only 5%
globally.
U Only half as many women as men currently embark on crowdfunding campaigns.
Meanwhile globally, 72% of
crowdfunders are male, compared
to 28% female, whereas in this
region, 83% of crowdfunders
are male and 17% female. It was
also revealed that women in
the region do better than their
male counterparts in achieving
their finance goals through seed
crowdfunding (10% versus 6%
respectively).
The findings indicate that seed
crowdfunding generated a total
financing of $3,251,112 (with
$527,300 going to female led
campaigns) in the Middle East for
2015 and 2016, with female-led
campaigns in the Middle East
generating an estimated 5,320
backers, compared with 4,240 for
those that were male-led.
Co-founder and CEO of The
“Average pledge
amounts to
female-led
campaigns in the
region are 29%
higher than male-
led campaigns,
compared with a
difference of only
5% globally.”
Middle East
Crowdfunding Centre, Barry E
James said of the findings: “Who
could have expected that when
the middle-men are removed
from the equation, and women
and men entrepreneurs get
equal and direct access to the
market, it would turn out that
women would, immediately and
decisively, outperform the men,
across the board? This shines
a new light on the endemic
imbalance and the causes
that have long fuelled limited
access to finance for female
entrepreneurs via traditional
financing routes. That only half as
many women currently embark
on a crowdfunding campaign is
undoubtedly a reflection of low
expectations stemming from
the same roots. So, in that light,
it’s time to readjust not only our
expectation and perceptions
but our attitudes, institutions,
behaviours and the way we make
decisions.”
Female crowdfunding success
is in stark contrast to established
funding mechanisms for business
start-ups and growth, in which
women-led businesses continue
to face barriers to accessing
finance. Emma Campbell, PwC
Middle East People, Diversity and
Inclusion Leader, added: “The
numbers for the Middle East
paint a really encouraging picture:
although still in its infancy, seed
crowdfunding is proving to be a
powerful tool for budding female
entrepreneurs to get financing in
the region.”
[13]
 Investment
NEWS • LEADERBOARD • THE LIBRARY • EVENTS • THE TALK OF THE TOWN • CHATTERBOX

THE VALUE OF FINANCIAL

PROJECTIONS
When figures look unrealistic,
I start to doubt the ability of
the entrepreneur. Having seen
hundreds of companies over time,
an investor will gain knowledge
about certain industries. For
example, if someone comes to me
and says: ‘I’m going to yield AED
80,000 a month from a particular
retailer, I know it will not happen
and the entrepreneur is being
unrealistic. Conversely, if I know
that AED 10,000 is a good average
for that retailer, and the entrepre-
neur has projected sales of AED
7-8,000 from them, then it gives
me confidence in their research
and thinking.
There is another factor about
projections that alienates many
investors, which is when entre-
preneurs say something like: ‘My
market size is $10 billion, so if I
get just 1% of the market, I will
achieve $100 million in turno-
ver…’ As an entrepreneur seeking
funding, you have to take a realis-
tic inventory of who is already in
that space.

WHAT ARE INVESTORS

SAAD UMERANI, ATTRACTED TO?

What seasoned investors really like
is a small, but growing market. An
example of this is healthy foods.

VC & CO-FOUNDER, When I say ‘healthy chocolates,’

maybe the phrase 70% cocoa
solids comes to mind, but no
brand comes to mind. So, this is an

ENABLING FUTURE unoccupied niche and this is what

we like.
We also like businesses that
WHEN YOU ARE SEEKING VC FUNDING, THERE solve real world problems. For
example, there are not enough
NEEDS TO BE THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY AND radiologists in emerging markets,
but we can’t suddenly train 10,000
SYNERGY OF INTERESTS BETWEEN of them and send them all over
ENTREPRENEUR AND INVESTOR. SAAD the world. In this case, we invested
in a company that addressed this
UMERANI, CO-FOUNDER OF VC FIRM problem with an innovative solu-
tion that can really make a differ-
ENABLING FUTURE, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS… ence in markets such as Africa and
Pakistan.

hat kind of about the entrepreneur’s ability and PERSON, IDEA, FIT
entrepreneurs thought process. This is another key for inves-
interest you most? Sometimes you get the feeling tors. So, if you have a really good
When I speak with that money is almost a second- person, with a great idea, it comes
them and see their ary consideration for them and down to the person’s ability to
knowledge of an idea they are just gripped by the need execute that particular idea.
and how they have been work- to solve a problem - and these The ideas we find really exciting
ing and delivering on it before are exactly the kind of guys I are the ones with some kind of
approaching us, I can tell a lot want to be involved with. social value. If the idea contrib-

[14] | vol. 5 /september 2017


u Ideas have no value. An entrepreneur needs to show the investor they have the confidence and ability to execute that idea.
utes meaningfully to society, that
excites us. It is important to us to
be part of something that is going
to have an impact on our future.
WHAT TURNS YOU OFF AN
ENTREPRENEUR AT THE FIRST
PITCH MEETING?
Unrealistic projections, unrealistic
perception of the market or market size
and lack of research into the niche are
all first-base turn-offs. One of the basics
of planning a business is to figure out
who your target market is and if you
are demonstrating that you can’t do
that, it makes me wonder how you
would sell it.
I also need to see what the
go-to-market strategy is and
whether that is a fit with the target
audience. Knowing your client and
what they want is a basic that an
entrepreneur needs to demon-
strate.
When we see the success stories
such as Careem and Souk and the
all the cool ideas that have become
so big, some entrepreneurs get
motivated by being the next big
thing and wanting to be at the
helm of a billion dollar company.
So, this gives me alarm bells that
their intention is wrong. Ideas
have no value – they are a dime
a dozen and even an eight-year
old can have great ideas. It is the
execution that has the value.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A
MANAGEMENT TEAM?
It’s about the confidence of the
entrepreneur. The management
team needs to essentially consist
of three broad areas: technical
ability, business acumen and
domain expertise. Investors need
all three factors to be present.
“Those that are
gripped by the
need to solve a
problem are the
guys I want to be
involved with.”
Management team
PITCH ANALYSIS
If I am looking at 12 slides, the job
they need to do is to excite interest,
but it is only when I meet the entre-
preneur that I can really decide about
the quality of the proposition.
We do not analyse the initial
pitch deck, as we do not have
enough information in it, but
we can make some decisions on
whether we are interested in the
niche. For example, if we already
have sufficient interests in health-
care businesses, maybe we would
prefer to look to diversify into
another sector.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE
TO AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO IS
NERVOUS ABOUT MEETING AN
INVESTOR FOR THE FIRST TIME?
Be yourself. We like honesty
and sooner or later we see it, so
just be upfront. Remember, we
need you and if you have a great
idea, maybe we should be nervous
because we want you to pick us!
We are looking for great ideas,
so if you have one that you believe
in, why be nervous?
[15]
 Community
NEWS • LEADERBOARD • THE LIBRARY • EVENTS • THE TALK OF THE TOWN • CHATTERBOX
GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK
LAUNCHES GITEX FUTURE STARS
HUNDREDS OF ENTREPRENEURS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE
ATTENDING GITEX FUTURE STARS, WHICH WILL BE WELCOMING 250 OF
THE WORLD’S LEADING INVESTORS AT THIS GLOBAL START-UP EVENT.
ITEX Future Stars is the
G
Middle East and Africa’s
largest start-up
confluence of global
tech entrepreneurs,
international investors
and influential corporate buyers.
Co-located alongside GITEX
Technology Week from 8-12th
October 2017 at Dubai World
Trade Centre (DWTC), GITEX
Future Stars is the biggest
commercial sales platform for
start-ups in the UAE.
CONNECTING ENTREPRENEURS
WITH INVESTORS
More than 700 entrepreneurs and
innovators from over 65 countries
will exhibit their ground-breaking
ideas, products and services and
connect to over 250 of the world’s
most influential investors, VCs,
seed funds and business leaders.
[16]
The atmosphere promises to
be highly charged and this wholly
interactive environment will
present a programme that includes
three distinctly themed confer-
ences with trending conversations
on capital, start-ups and disrup-
tors, featuring high-profile regional
and international entrepreneurs.
The programme will also include
mentorship clinics, pitching
sessions and workshops.
SPEAKERS AND VCs
With more than 100,000 attendees
“The atmosphere
promises to be
highly charged.”
annually at GITEX, start-ups from
45 countries, including first-time
country delegations from Japan
and Italy, will interface with over
250 VC firms from Silicon Valley,
Asia, Africa and the Middle East,
including Global SparkLabs
Ventures and more. Leading
investors confirmed to attend
and speak at the event include
Sean O’Sullivan, Founder of SOSV
Ventures; Sarah Cone, Founder
of Social Impact Capital; and
Sunny Dhillon, Founder of Signia
Ventures Capital.
Confirmed headliners include
New York-based entrepreneur,
musician and technologist Benji
Rogers, who pioneered the direct
artist-to-fan distribution model
through Pledge Music and Dot
Blockchain Music Project; serial
entrepreneur Bay McLaughlin,
Co-founder of Brinc, a global IoT
| vol. 5 /september 2017
 EVENT PROMOTION

u Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to network with investors between 8-12th October at Dubai World Trade Centre.

accelerator and platform based

in Hong Kong; and the online
start-up sensation Patrick Grove,
Co-founder and CEO of Catcha
Group/Co-founder and Chairman
of iflix, a fast-growing online VOD
provider of Western and Asian
content in Asia.

DUBAI TOURISM ENTREPRE-

NEURSHIP COMPETITION
GITEX Future Stars will also
introduce a DTCM-supported
competition aimed at stimulating
entrepreneurship and innovation
in the tourism industry, to support
Dubai Tourism’s plan to welcome
20 million visitors annually by u The event programme includes workshops, conferences and presentations.
2020. GITEX Future Stars will
also award prizes of more than enterprise with an invigorating GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK
$180,000 across 14 categories to series of events, activations and GITEX is the largest technology
participating start-up exhibitors. opportunities, wherein the region’s exchange and marketplace for the
The 2016 winner, Acacus largest institutions engage with Middle East and Africa. Held annu-
Technology, which won the top start-ups through workshops, ally in October at the Dubai World
prize of $100,000 and secured a panels, pitching exercises and face- Trade Centre, the five-day show
contract with the UAE’s Roads and to-face meetings during GITEX comprises an exhibition covering
Transport Authority, will exhibit its Future Stars. over 80,000 sqm, a technology
RTA-integrated fleet technology leaders’ conference, the GITEX
vehicle at the 2017 show. Startup Movement and many

WAMDA PARTNERSHIP
GITEX Future Stars has part-
nered with Wamda, the leading
platform for entrepreneurs in the
Middle East and North Africa, as
its Knowledge Partner, to facilitate
effective collaboration between
start-ups and institutions. The
event is designed to encourage
and nurture the existing spirit of
“The programme other show features.
GITEX attracts over 150,000
will also include technology professionals, enter-
prise leaders, public sector officials
mentorship and entrepreneurs from over 140
clinics, pitching countries. GITEX is focused on
showcasing the latest innovative
sessions and technologies, providing a high ROI
on business opportunities and is
workshops.” the region’s leading platform for
technology and business.

[17]
 Community
NEWS • LEADERBOARD • THE LIBRARY • EVENTS • THE TALK OF THE TOWN • CHATTERBOX

l Zainab Hussain Ahmed

Ibrahim, Unit Head -
Elham, Corporate and
Institutional Banking
at the National Bank of
Fujairah.

BANKING FUNDAMENTALS
FOR EMIRATI FEMALE
BUSINESS OWNERS
THERE IS A STRONGER SUPPORT SYSTEM IN THE UAE FOR EMIRATI
FEMALE BUSINESS OWNERS THAN EVER BEFORE AND HERE,
NATIONAL BANK OF FUJAIRAH’S ZAINAB HUSSAIN AHMED IBRAHIM,
UNIT HEAD – ELHAM, CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL BANKING, ADDS
HER ADVICE ABOUT GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT.
he recent equality by 2021, the UAE’s been a number of steps taken

T
announcement from
Dubai Business
Women Council
about partnering with
the UN Global
Compact to bring more women
into the workforce is yet
another important step in the
government’s broader vision in
this area. With the ambition of
becoming one of the world’s
top 25 countries for gender
leaders have increasingly been
looking to invest in and
empower women here.
Indicative of the success of
such endeavours over the years,
research from A.T. Kearney
shows that female labour
participation in the country rose
by 63% between 1993 and 2013.
A key part of these efforts is also
the focus on supporting female
entrepreneurs. As there have
towards enabling them, the rate
of women setting up businesses
rose from 0.1% in 2006 to 1.4%
in 2011. Today, according to the
Ministry of Economy, approxi-
mately half of the SME sector is
managed by women.
While the biggest challenges
traditionally facing Emirati busi-
nesswomen have been linked
to cultural issues and a lack of
support – with 44% of women

[18] | vol. 5 /september 2017


highlighting this sentiment - the
government has taken the lead
in providing both financing and
advisory services to tackle these
issues. With these developments,
it is evident that there is a strong
foundation in place to support
female business-owners, yet we
see that their success rate in the
UAE stands at 40% - so there is
scope to improve in this regard.
SPECIALISED BANKING
SERVICES FOR EMIRATI BUSI-
NESSWOMEN
National Bank of Fujairah has
a long track-record of enabling
SMEs and recently, the bank
launched specialised banking
services for Emirati business-
women through NBF Elham.
“Given our experience, getting a
few key business fundamentals
right will go a long way towards
running a successful enterprise,”
says Zainab Ahmed, NBF Elham
Unit Head at National Bank of
Fujairah.
UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKET
ECOSYSTEM
One of the most essential points
that many SMEs overlook once
they have launched their busi-
ness is that they do not invest the
time into learning more about
the ecosystem of support and
advisory services around them.
Certain banks, as part of their
service approach, provide finan-
cial planning, legal and regula-
tory advice to clients.
Companies also have access to
resources such as the database
of information provided by
organisations like Dubai SME,
to drive the growth of their busi-
nesses. Female entrepreneurs
in particular can benefit from
a number of Business Coun-
cils set up for them around the
country, as well as government
financing initiatives, including
the Intilaq scheme in Dubai
and the Mubdi’ah Programme
in Abu Dhabi. At the same time,
companies should keep track of
the latest trends in the market,
so that they are aware of any
changes that could impact their
business.
CASH FLOW IS CRITICAL
We have often seen companies
overlook a fundamental aspect of
u Support structures are present in both
the public and private sectors.
running a business while they are
busy managing their day-to-day
operations - effectively maintain-
ing their cash flows. This is one of
the most significant factors that
financial institutions consider
when lending to businesses.
Being focused in this area shows
your company’s cash genera-
tion capabilities and ability to
manage different cash cycles
- factors that banks consider for
the process of approving loans.
“By scrutinising your company’s
cash flow, you often find that you
may be able to unearth cost effi-
ciencies that could omit the need
for further cash injections in the
first place,” says Ahmed.
Companies also need to
ensure that their financial state-
“There is a strong
foundation in
place to support
female business-
owners.”
Bank Accounts
ments are in order, which will
provide clarity on their financial
health and creditworthiness. It is
essential to keep your paperwork
in order regularly, be this the
company’s financial statements
and bank statements, to supplier
credit reports and details of your
receivables, so that they can be
readily presented to your bank.
COMMUNICATION AND ASKING
FOR HELP
Emirati business owners in the
UAE should be quick to ask for
support in areas where they
have concerns. By building a
relationship with your bank and
ensuring that they have a clear
picture of your business, they
can not only better understand
your needs, but can also help
you to proactively pinpoint and
mitigate any potential risks that
you may have previously over-
looked during your day-to-day
operations.
At the same time, they can also
help you to identify new growth
opportunities. NBF Elham,
for example, recently helped
an existing business owner to
expand into the real estate sector
by supporting her in discussions
with the government to gain the
necessary approvals to do so.
Transparency and open
communication are also crucial
when dealing with the bank.
Both company owners and
banks need to understand the
dynamics and requirements of
the business and should work
together to overcome any issues
or stave off any potential prob-
lems. If you have multiple bank
relationships and one or more is
asking for immediate repayment,
it is better to hold a joint lenders
meeting to explain the position
openly and discuss the problems
you are facing, in order to try to
find an amicable solution that is
amenable to all parties involved.
Ahmed concludes: “If you
are an existing female business
owner in the UAE, the support
structures from both the public
and private sectors are increas-
ingly improving. By getting the
fundamentals of your business
right, you can go a long way
towards taking advantage of
them and sustaining your enter-
prise for long-term success.”
[19]
 Expert advice
FINANCING • MANAGING • MARKETING • LEARNING • GROWING

u The Last Exit food

truck park in Dubai is
the first such concept of
its kind in the UAE.

THE FOOD TRUCK

BUSINESS MODEL
RUNNING A FOOD TRUCK HAS CROSSED THE MINDS OF MANY PEOPLE
WHO HAVE DREAMED OF WORK FREEDOM – AND EVEN THOSE WHO
JUST LOVE TO COOK. F&B CONSULTANT, CHRISTOPHE AOUN FROM
ASEEL F&B, DISCUSSES THE REALITY BEHIND THE DREAM.
[20] | vol. 5 /september 2017

iving up the day job and
G
setting up a food truck
business seems like the
perfect scenario for
attaining freedom in
work. The Hollywood
film, Chef, bought the
food truck dream to the popular
consciousness, and “with lower
barriers to entry than opening a
restaurant, combined with the
fun and freedom aspects,” this
business model is still in its
infancy within the GCC,
according to Christophe Aoun,
F&B Consultant with Aseel F&B.
The region has a total popula-
u The food truck business model has lower barriers to entry than other F&B models.
tion of over 53.1 million, almost
evenly split between nationals
and ex-pats. This helps to make
F&B a flourishing industry, which
is currently worth more than $30
billion and estimated to be grow-
ing at a rate of 27% per annum.
In parallel with this growth, the
regional municipalities are evolving
and updating their regulations,
bringing with it an explosion of
interest and feasibility in realising
the food truck dream.
CONCEPT AND FEASIBILITY
Your food truck concept is an
important decision that should not
be taken without due considera-
tion. More important than your
brand, your concept decision will
determine the storage and fit out
needs of the truck, the type of truck
itself, your market, pricing and
profitability. Aoun is emphatic that
a feasibility study is also a key to
success:
“Put yourself in a position
whereby you can estimate your
revenues, operating costs and
expenses for at least your first two
years. Thinking in terms of the
best and worst case scenarios will
give you an average upon which
“Your feasibility
study will
transition you
from your food
truck dream to
your food truck
reality.”
Feasibility
you can base your projected cash
inflow and outflow and therefore
your ROI and timeframes for
achieving this. Your feasibility study
will transition you from your food
truck dream to your food truck
reality,” he says.
FOOD TRUCK FAQS
WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE DO I
NEED TO RUN A FOOD TRUCK?
Aoun believes that a sense of fun
and a love of food are the most
basic attributes that you should
bring to the table. After this, enjoy-
ing people and being organised will
help to accelerate your progress.
Applying a business perspective
to issues such as location logistics,
branding, menu engineering (prac-
tices that affect the profitability and
popularity of your menu items)
and the people you choose work
with, will certainly drive the dream
- and the truck - to success.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES
OF OWNING THIS KIND OF F&B
BUSINESS?
“This business model gives you so
much freedom. You can go crazy
with the menu and do anything
you want. If you are clever about
branding and equipping the truck,
you can serve Mexican food one
week, Arabic the next and burgers
if you feel that this will be the best
seller for an event or location. You
are not restricted to doing the same
thing every day, which is hugely
liberating for people who want to
swap the daily grind of a repetitive
job and work for themselves,” says
the Aseel F&B Consultant.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO SET UP A
FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS?
As with any business, there are
[21]
 Expert advice
FINANCING • MANAGING • MARKETING • LEARNING • GROWING
u The food demands of large events can quickly become untenable without adequate preparation, cautions Christophe Aoun.
any number of variables that will
determine the set up costs. These
include the type of truck you
choose, the size of the vehicle, your
fit-out needs, menu choices, staff
needs and your preferences for
mobility. “We provide a complete
turnkey package solution that costs
anywhere between AED 250K, and
2 million, which includes the food
truck itself, the relevant licenses,
menu development, all the equip-
ment you’ll need for your concept,
the fit-out, uniforms, full training,
data on all the locations where you
can operate and even digital media
support for your first three months
with a Facebook page,” says Aoun.
The cost depends on your concept
and needs.
IS THIS AN EASY BUSINESS
MODEL TO EXIT?
A favourable aspect of this business
model is an easy exit strategy. “If
you have made an investment of
AED 250K and decide after a year
[22]
that you would like to exit, you
can simply recoup your invest-
ment in the truck, the brand and
the equipment.”
According to Aoun, would-be
food truck entrepreneurs know
that this is a “fun business” but
tend not to be aware of the myriad
of licensing options, legal consid-
erations or real costs involved.
“Food trucks
work at their
best when the
staff are happy,
enthusiastic about
the food and well
trained to handle
customers.”
TOP 5 CONSIDERATIONS FOR
RUNNING A FOOD TRUCK
• LICENSE TYPES
A food truck license will cost more
if food is being cooked in the truck
itself, compared to food being
pre-prepared and then served from
the vehicle.
• TYPES OF TRUCK
The truck registration costs also
differ depending on whether the
truck is static in a location (an
airstream truck) or moveable from
location to location.
• FOOD SUPPLIER COSTS
“If your licence type is for a mobile
truck and today you’re in Abu
Dhabi and tomorrow in Dubai,
where will you buy your food
supplies? How can you ensure
consistency in your food brand?”
points out Aoun, adding that it is
critical to plan well when handling
your food suppliers – something
| vol. 5 /september 2017

that is often either overlooked or
poorly considered by new food
truck entrepreneurs.
• BRANDING
Even if you have decided upon
your food concept in advance “be
smart, don’t limit yourself” advises
Aoun, “…if you have a grill for your
burger business, why sell only
burgers? Why not use that grill to
make fajitas, steaks or kebabs?
Your branding has to reflect
not only the food you originally
intended to serve, but also the
scope of what your food business
could offer.”
Packaging choices are an aspect
of the branding that should be
carefully considered in the same
way, as should the uniforms you
choose for the business.
• LOCATION
In the food truck world, there is
such a thing as a “disadvantaged
location” cautions Aoun, using
the example of the Abu Dhabi
Formula 1 event, where a vendor
can expect to yield hundreds of
dollars a day, compared to a static
location, which may see some
days just breaking even. “Taking
advice on location options can
form a core part of the future
success of a food truck business,
as you really need to be aware of
the options, the effect of license
types, permit requirements and
profitability implications. If you
start out with a particular location
in mind, such as the Expo 2020
site, your ambitions will ultimately
determine which type of vehicle
you need, which in turn will affect
your registration costs. In this
business, as with so many others,
location is key.”
“This business
model gives
you so much
freedom - you
can go crazy with
the menu and
do anything you
want.”
u Location forms a core part of the success of a food truck business.
THE COMMON MISTAKES OF THE NEW FOOD
TRUCK ENTREPRENEUR
LACK OF CAPITAL
A realistic feasibility study will reveal
the financial needs of the business – in
regard to both capital expenditure
(capex) and ongoing operational
expenses (opex). Things can quickly go
wrong when either insufficient capital
is allocated, or is misallocated by over-
spending on capex to the detriment of
opex. If you know that the total required
capital is beyond your means, think
about sharing the cost and the business
with a partner, or whether the food
truck business is even right for you
at all.
LACK OF COMMITMENT
If your dream is centered around the
freedom of hitting the open road and
cooking the food you love as you travel,
remember that the food truck business
requires a consistent demand of time,
energy, commitment and passion to
succeed, just like any other restaurant
business.
If you are looking for something you
can do on an ad hoc basis or just for
fun, again, consider partnering with
someone else who wants to make the
necessary commitment.
LACK OF PREPARATION
Sudden rushes of customers, or the
food demands of big events can quickly
become an all-day nightmare to
handle without adequate preparation.
Perfecting your recipes, knowing the
timing for each serve, ordering and
preparing sufficient ingredients are
all vital for the smooth running of your
business.
LACK OF MARKETING
Preparing your ingredients and simply
waiting for customers is not a good
enough strategy for food truck success.
Common mistakes
Be creative with your social media
(see page 41 for tips on this) and run
competitions to win food; for your
customers to suggest special guest
dishes; get influencers involved; list
yourself in city guides and Zomato – you
are limited only by your imagination.
LACK OF GOOD STAFF MANAGE-
MENT
Food trucks work at their best when
the staff are happy, enthusiastic about
the food and well trained to handle
customers. Managing your people
resources to achieve this, including
paying them well and making them
feel appreciated, is of the utmost
importance, as it often reflects in your
sales and profitability.
LACK OF MENU CREATIVITY
This business model allows food truck
entrepreneurs to quickly make menu
changes if one option isn’t working well
enough. A simple grill can be versatile
in delivering many types of cuisines, so
remain well-researched about recipes
and be creative. A stagnant and under-
performing menu is not reason enough
to harm your business if you apply some
flexibility in your thinking.
LACK OF REALISTIC PRICING
Overpricing your food will alienate many
potential customers, who typically
expect food trucks to be a cheaper
alternative to restaurants and order-in
food. Keep average margins in mind
when pricing – the food cost to you
should be approximately 25-30 percent
of your selling price. When you account
for staff and other direct costs, your
total costs should be between 50-55
percent of your selling price, meaning
that you have a gross margin of 45-50
percent to cover your location rent and
expenses.
[23]
 EXPERT ADVICE

THE ART OF
ENTREPRENEUR

BRANDING

[24] | vol. 5 /september 2017

ART HAS HELPED TO INNOVATE
THE WAY FIRMS BRAND THEM-
SELVES. INSTEAD OF RANDOM
PICTURES ON WALLS, THEY ARE
USING ART AS A POWERFUL
WAY TO CONVEY THEIR BRAND
MESSAGE. PHIL DAVIS, CEO OF
BRAND ART FIRM ‘PROPRIARTARY,’
EXPLAINS...

“There is
something
about original
art that that
shows quality
of thinking.
If that art
contains a
message
about the
business or
the brand, it
affects how
your clients
perceive you.”

[ ]
 BRAND ENGAGEMENT

randing is the most

B
powerful way to
communicate who
you are as a company,
what you stand for
and what you do. How
to brand the business is there-
fore one of the most important
decisions a start-up has to make
and an SME has to maintain;
with larger corporations always
having to safeguard and enhance
the perception of their brand.
And yet, in previous years, the
biggest opportunity a company
has to communicate their brand
message – the walls of their office,
reception and meeting rooms,
were left ignored, according to
Phil Davis, CEO of Dubai-based
brand art firm, Propriartary.
He also points out that using
office wall space to hang random
prints from stationery catalogues
that are unrelated to the business
may actually send out a negative
message about your attention to
detail and quality.
“When you first walk into a
reception area, a meeting room
or an office, you get an instant
feeling about whether you are at
ease in that space. A number of
factors contribute to this, includ-
ing the office furnishings, but the
wall space is by far the oppor-
tunity for the biggest impact. It
astonishes me that firms used to
ignore this opportunity. There
is something about an original
piece of art that shows quality in
thinking, and if the art contains
a message about the business
or the brand, it affects how your
clients perceive you.”

HOW CAN ART BE USED TO

ENHANCE A BUSINESS AND
PROVIDE AN ROI?
Davis explains: “Companies like
the idea of incorporating their
logo cleverly into a piece of art
– this makes clients and visitors
to the office think about and
appreciate the message that the
logo and brand stands for.
To represent their brand, other
clients opt for a more subtle
message that represents them,
such as their location or their
brand colours turned into a piece
of art, with their logo painted
into the corner where you would
expect to see an artist’s signature.
It sends the message to clients u Logo colours can be used to great effect, with the logo itself included in the art.

[26] | vol. 5 /september 2017

 THE BRAND MESSAGE

u Brand art can state the values of

a business, such as its relationship
with home-grown tech.

visiting the office that they

commissioned this because they
care about details, want to give
clients a nice experience of deal-
ing with them and take pride in
their business and what they do.
Another main use for commis-
sioning original business art is
as a gift to special clients - this
speaks volumes about how
much you value them - and your
message is then housed in their
office as a constant reminder.

THE BRAND MESSAGE WITHIN

THE ART
“I am originally from the UK, but
having lived here for a number of
years, I genuinely feel very patri-
otic towards the UAE. I feel real
warmth and thankfulness that
the UAE is giving me much more
than my home country could. I
am part of a race of people that
feel something like an ‘Emirati
u The UAE country colours are a popular way to convey a firm’s pride in its location. expat,’ in that this country

[27]
 CSR IN THE WORKSPACE

makes us feel so welcome
and gives us a sense of belonging
here. This is a rare and wonderful
thing and is a testament to the
country’s leadership ethos and its
people.
So many of expat business
people love this country and feel
this sense of belonging to the
UAE and its no surprise to me
that one of our most popular
series of art – particularly prints
- is the series based on the coun-
try’s signature colours.
Using these colours as part
of an original piece of art on the
walls in the reception area, meet-
ing room or offices is a way that
expat start-up and SME owners
can overtly convey their pride
and gratitude at being able to do
business in this country. This is
a message that gives a comfort
level to new customers that are
based here and very definitely
gives them a strong idea of what
the company stands for and
values. This is the power that
well thought-out art can have for
businesses.”

CSR & STAFF HAPPINESS

In offices that have a staff from a
mix of countries and cultures, the
company owner may commis-
sion a piece of art that represents
u Art comissioned especially for an individual workspace enhances staff happiness. the multi-national nature of the

CASE STUDY: CANDER GROUP

Capturing the spirit of our business
Sam Corcoran, Co-founder of start-up financial and technol-
ogy recruitment firm, Cander Group, was keen to commission
a piece of art that fitted into their growth-stage budgets, but
represented their working ethos and commitment to serving
their clients with excellence. Corcoran explains:
“With setting up a business, our office means a lot to us
and the concept of brand art provides the opportunity for it to
mean something to our clients as well. In some ways, it is the
art equivalent of the ‘About Us’ website sections, but proudly
displayed on our wall, with a strong impact attached to it.
When we meet a new client at our office for the first time, we
want them to get a sense of our brand values and us as profes-
sionals in this space. Our office is based in Mazaya Business
Avenue in Dubai’s JLT and after our consultation with Phil Davis,
we decided on the concept of a view of the local skyline in this
area, so our building was easy to identify.
We really wanted to show a scene of the location late in the
evening with our office lights still on, while everyone else had
gone home. We are proud of the start-up spirit of two guys “We are proud of the
working hard for our clients, coming in early and always the
last to leave the building - and the art conveys this beautifully. start-up spirit of two
We always get asked if the lights in the picture are actually our guys working hard for
office – and they are, so it gives a really positive message about
our work ethic. our clients, coming in
The colours of our logo early and always the last
The colours of our painting are the same as the company logo.
This reinforces that working hard is part of our brand and when to leave the building -
visitors comment on the lights in the picture, or tell us to make
sure we make time to have a good evening, it gives us a sense of
and the art conveys this
pride in ourselves. beautifully.”
Our company story is told through our art
The art we commissioned says a lot about us in our start-up
phase, but in the years to come, our future art will continue to
tell the story of the moments in our business journey and will
have great impact as a collection that communicates our values.

[28] | vol. 5 /september 2017

 INNOVATION IN BRANDING

CASE STUDY: CITYSCAPE

Propriartary designed and produced the original art that is being “We believe that
used in the branding for Dubai’s flagship real estate event, Cityscape
Global. Cityscape Marketing Director, Ian O’Malley explains the
innovation is truly
thinking behind using brand art for their series of shows. the cog that keeps a
“All too often we see the same tedious stock images used for vari-
ous brands and campaigns and this does not reflect our aim of posi- company churning.
tioning Cityscape as a premier brand and setting ourselves apart.
Our objective as a company is to invest in every element of the Using original artwork
brand from the creative, which we refresh every year and change
every three years, right through to the onsite experience of our visi-
enables us to establish
tors and exhibitors. a strong brand identity,
We believe that innovation is truly the cog that keeps a company
churning. It’s the reason that it’s one of our core brand values, along connect with a wider
with unity, passion and integrity, and as such we believe it is essential
that we continually strive to develop our brand and ensure that we
audience and illustrates
retain our position as the leading event brand for real estate invest- our dedication to our
ment in emerging markets globally.
Using original artwork enables us to establish a strong brand brand, our visitors and
identity, connect with a wider audience and illustrates our dedication
to our brand, our visitors and our exhibitors.”
our exhibitors.”

people that work there. In this case,
the message for the staff is that
they are appreciated and that the
company wants them to feel happy
and comfortable while at work.
Again, the government’s
promotion of a culture of happi-
ness makes a lot of sense and
this art gives people a sense of
belonging to the company. When
clients visit these offices and see
the message conveyed in the art,
they also see that the company
really cares about its CSR
responsibilities. And this makes
businesses increasingly more
attractive to deal with.”
BEING MEMORABLE TO CLIENTS
The UAE is close to the Asian,
African and European markets.
Davis says: “The art on your walls
that overseas clients see has the
power to make a huge statement
about your brand and your values
as a company - especially if
“The biggest that art strikes a cultural chord
with them.
opportunity a The beauty of this is that we are
not talking about needing huge
company has to prints/ paintings to exert your
communicate brand - some firms commission
us to create their cards for Eid,
their brand National Day and New Year. The
fact is that an original piece of art,
message is on created specifically for that busi-
ness, can do more to enhance the
their office, brand image and goodwill than
almost any other kind of market-
reception and ing collateral can achieve. And
it is proprietary - the company
meeting room owns it - the art is as unique as
walls.” every business it represents, just
as a brand should be.”
www.propriartary.com

[29]
 Expertise

Stay relaxed
and open,
ready to
emphasise
your key
points

THE KEYS
TO A KILLER
PRESENTATION
WHEN MAKING A PRESENTATION ON ANY ASPECT OF YOUR BUSINESS,
BOMBARDING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH INFORMATION IS PROBABLY THE
LEAST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

[30] | vol. 5 /september 2017


s Editor of this maga-
A
zine, I have interviewed
many entrepreneurs
about their business
and the unfortunate
reality is that some
of them come across
badly. Why? Because they can
get over-excited and gush
out every detail about their
services/ products, the benefits
they offer, stories about their
clients and of course, them-
selves – all in no particular
order. They forget to remember
that getting their audience
interested is all that matters,
not the actual opportunity for
the entrepreneur to talk about
their business.
An effective business presen-
tation simply boils down to one
thing - engaging your audience.
Doing this or not will make the
difference between your audi-
ence viewing you positively, or
positively wasting their time.
Be brief and impactful
If you are simply enjoying the
sound of your own voice, your
u If you are simply enjoying the sound of your own voice, the audience will know this within minutes.
audience will know this within
minutes and are likely switch
off. PowerPoint is not the point!
You do not need to fill slides
with information and contrary
to some beliefs, you do not need
to include detailed charts and
graphs. Remember, the least
engaging thing you can do is
to read out slide after slide of
text. Instead, make your points
briefly and give your audience a
link or supplementary notes to
takeaway.
BLUF, not fluff
‘Bottom line up front’ (BLUF)
“Some people
forget to
remember
that getting
thier audience
interested is all
that matters.”
Techniques
should be a crucial part of your
presentation structure. Resist
the temptation to drag out your
story and build up to a climax or
big reveal – your audience will
not appreciate this, particularly
if you are pitching for fund-
ing. Stay away from gimmicks,
unnecessary tricks or tech and
simply back up the BLUF with
data.
Effective body language
Avoid fidgeting, crossing
your arms and putting your
hands in your pocket, as these
gestures convey nervousness
and defensiveness. Keep your
arms relaxed and open, ready to
emphasise your key messages
with your hands. Smile from the
outset and use eye contact to
keep everyone engaged.
Keep it simple
If you are talking about a new
technology, you could run the
risk of alienating the audience
by using too much techni-
cal jargon, meaning that your
message and impact can easily
be lost. For example, if a chef
[31]
 Expertise
r Pay attention to how
people are responding
to you and adjust to the
mood accordingly.

[32] | vol. 5 /september 2017


told you that they have inno-
vated a solution to the problem
of emulsions splitting, would
you know what they are talking
about? It will help you to keep in
mind that the audience simply
needs to understand the viabil-
ity of your proposed solution.
Explain yourself accordingly.
Be genuine
The ability to be yourself is
arguably the most important
factor in effective communica-
tion and engagement with your
audience. They will always be
more engaged with a credible
presenter than one who lacks
authenticity. This means you
should avoid trying to impress
the audience by showing how
smart you are and show your
own personality instead of a
wall of stiff professionalism.
Practice, practice, practice
This applies to many situations
and activities. The number one
way to deliver a great presenta-
tion is to practice it repeatedly.
Seek feedback from a suitable
test audience, make improve-
ments and practice your
delivery again until you can run
through it without relying on
your visual aids to prompt you.
Your attitude
The way you relate to and
handle your audience can be a
make-or-break for the outcome
you desire from the presenta-
tion. If anyone challenges your
concepts or content, do not
be defensive; never try to bluff
your way through something
you do not know; and avoid
“The ability to
be yourself is
arguably the
most important
factor in effective
communication
and engagement
with the audience.”
Planning
dragging out the presentation
after it has run its course. Smile,
keep a high energy level, speak
clearly and don’t rush through
your points.
Be dynamic
Start with a strong impact and
finish strong. Make sure that the
audience sees your enthusiasm
and expertise for your subject.
Add a personal touch and
convey why the topic interests
you so much.
Be responsive to the audience
Pay attention to how people
are responding – adjust to
the mood. You can plan and
prepare, but once you are
underway with the presenta-
tion, it is your audience that will
determine whether you move
past a point quickly or elaborate
more. Being responsive to the
peaks and troughs of audience
interest is a significant deter-
mining factor in the success of
your presentation.
Remember why you are making
this presentation
Start planning your presenta-
tion with your desired outcome
in mind. Why are you present-
ing? What do you want the end
result to be? Once you are clear
about this, ask yourself what
the best route is to achieve
your goal – is it by talking
about yourself and how great
your product is? Imagine your
audience asking ‘Why should
I listen to you? What is in it
for me?’ Focus on answering
these questions succinctly and
confidently.
Attend presentations to learn
from others
Doing this will show you how
seasoned presenters engage
their audiences, make use of
both slides and their personal-
ity.
The Arabian Business
StartUp Academy in Septem-
ber is featuring six speakers
on the theme of ‘FinTech and
Your Business.’ This quarterly
Academy is free to attend for
entrepreneurs, start-ups and
SME owners. See website for
details.
[33]
 Technology

HOMEGROWN TECH
FIRMS ATTRACTING
GLOBAL PLAYERS
HIGH PROFILE LOCAL TECH FIRM ACQUISITIONS HAVE PUT THE GLOBAL
SPOTLIGHT ON THE REGION’S SUCCESSFUL ONLINE PLATFORMS...WHY?

M
arket entry into into the GCC’s rapidly expanding according to estimates from
the Middle East digital economy is to acquire entrepreneurial platform,
can be a daunting established businesses that are Wamda.
and costly already operating, complete Last year’s investments include
endeavour for with contacts in place and local a $20 million purchase of a 10%
global tech based market expertise. stake in MENA online real estate
companies seeking a presence In 2016, approximately $815 portal, Propertyfinder Group,
in the region. For this reason, a million was invested in MENA by the Swedish investment
highly attractive means to entry start-ups, an increase of 560%, firm, Vostok New Ventures, who

[34] | vol. 5 /september 2017


were attracted by the Group’s
considerable potential for value
appreciation.
“The size of deals will naturally
increase because tech companies
are getting bigger every year,”
says Propertyfinder Group
Founder and Chief Executive
Michael Lahyani. “Look at FANG
- Facebook, Amazon, Netflix,
Google - their stock prices have all
gained more than 25% this year
alone. The leading region’s tech
businesses are also becoming
more valuable each year.”
KNOCK-ON EFFECT OF THE SOUQ
DEAL
The trend was underlined in
March of 2017 when Amazon
agreed to buy Dubai-based Souq.
com for an undisclosed amount,
a deal that was described by
advisor Goldman Sachs as “the
biggest-ever technology M&A
transaction in the Arab world,”
after Dubai’s Emaar Malls missed
out on a last-minute $800 million
takeover offer.
“The Middle
East’s online retail
industry will nearly
quadruple from
$5.3 billion in 2015
to $20 billion by
2020.”
Emaar Malls subsequently
bought a controlling stake in
online fashion retailer Namshi in
May, while Mohamed Alabbar,
Chairman of parent firm Emaar
Properties, has also teamed up
with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned
Public Investment Fund (PIF)
to create Noon.com, a $1 billion
e-commerce site slated to launch
in 2017.
“With the arrival of Amazon to
MENA, the digitisation of retail
will spur the digitisation of our
economies,” says Dany Farha,
Co-founder and Chief Executive
of Dubai venture capital firm
BECO Capital, which has invested
in some of the region’s most
successful start-ups, including
Propertyfinder Group, Careem
and Duplays. “Digitisation and
non-oil GDP are very strongly
correlated,” he adds.
Farha believes that the Souq
deal validates the business
opportunity provided by the
region’s majority young, wealthy
and tech-savvy population
and demonstrates how “hyper-
local, well-funded, defensible
businesses win every time.”
“We are young, educated,
connected and relatively well-
to-do, with a thirst to consume
and purchase goods and services
digitally,” says Farha, who was
also a Co-founder of Bayt.com,
one of the market-leading job
sites in the Middle East.
UNTAPPED MARKET
According to BECO estimates, just
8% of businesses in MENA have
an online presence, versus 80% in
the US; while just 1.5% of MENA’s
retail sales are transacted over the
Internet, versus 16% in the UK for
example.
Market Entry
“If you plot the graph, it is a
steeply increasing curve from left
to right, so imagine how much
value there is to come from the
digital economy here,” says Farha.
A.T. Kearney offers a similar
assessment, predicting the
Middle East’s online retail
industry will nearly quadruple in
market size from $5.3 billion in
2015 to $20 billion in 2020.
Another deal concluded in
March was Delivery Hero’s
acquisition of Kuwait’s Talabat.
com, which operates in all six
GCC markets and has a network
of 1,300 partner restaurants.
“The Middle East was always
a missing piece of our global
vision,” Delivery Hero Chief
Executive Niklas Östberg
said when the acquisition
announcement was made.
“Talabat built a fantastic
business over the last years,
so we will instantly be in a
leading position in a region with
tremendous growth potential.”
WHY BUY?
Several factors are spurring global
and Western companies to invest
in Gulf tech start-ups, according
to Propertyfinder’s Lahyani.
Among these, he cites the
region’s smartphone penetration
and social media use, which
are among the highest globally
and eclipse those of the United
States. Other drivers include the
limited foreign exchange risk
due to Gulf currencies’ dollar
pegs and complicated legislation
that makes buying established
companies a more favourable
entry strategy.
Western firms are also keen
to acquire local products that
are accurately programmed for
Arabic, the favoured online search
language for a large chunk of the
region’s population.
Layhani praises the Gulf’s low
tax environment for helping
start-ups to thrive, although some
of the bullish rhetoric we hear
on the region’s tech potential is
tempered by high Internet prices
in the state-dominated telecom
sector.
“Oil-rich countries have long
subsidised gasoline and fuel
prices - the same should apply to
broadband,” says Layhani. “Isn’t
tech the new oil?”
[35]
 Case
A ysStudy
Analysis
nally is

INSPIRED BY EMIRATIS:
FINANCING
FIN
NANCING • MANAGING • MARKETING • LEARNING • GROWING

THE BURGER 28 STORY

FOUNDED BY ALEXANDER E. DEBARE, BURGER28 OPENED IN ABU
DHABI IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016 WITH THE AIM OF CATERING TO A
YOUNG EMIRATI DEMOGRAPHIC. HERE, HE SHARES SOME OF HIS
STRATEGIES FOR TARGETING AND ENGAGING WITH HIS MARKET.

A
fter working abroad in
commodities trading,
Dubare returned to
his native Abu Dhabi
to set up in business
and explains: “After experiencing
various trading models, I knew
that the business I wanted to
be involved in had to have four
criteria built into its model – a
cash business; multiple custom-
ers; the scope to build a strong
brand that would be an asset in
the market place; and be a busi-
ness where customers would be
happy to hand over their money
in exchange for good value.”
Dubare found that F&B fulfilled
all of his criteria and believed that
it was only a matter of time before
the ‘better burger’ market would u Alexander E. Dubare, Founder of Abu Dhabi-based Burger28.
hit the UAE. This is a global growth
segment that replaces cheaper by local Emirati habits. The Our branding/interior design is
burger offerings with better quality idea behind the brand was modern, minimalistic and industrial,
ingredients that are cooked to to answer the question ‘what which appeals to many millennials,
order. Popular with millennials, would a burger joint look like especially ones that have travelled
better burgers tend to be more if it were created specifically abroad. We have also incorporated
expensive than their competi- for the primarily millennial an element of ‘Emiratiness,’ which
tive counterparts but offer a food Emirati target market?’ We has been inspired by the designs
experience that is a closer fit with therefore incorporated several on the qatra, the traditional male
restaurant quality than the fast food quirky Emirati customer touch headdress, which features on our
label. points into the brand in order packaging and also in the interior
“We were drawn to the idea to communicate this to our design elements in our outlets.
of building a unique brand and customers. Our wet wipes even smell like
concept that we feel will stand Firstly we have a dukkan - oud and we love it when our
the test of time and that we will today we call this a ‘baqala,’ or customers #HonkForBurgers, as
hopefully be able to franchise a corner store selection. This when it comes to snacking, many
abroad at some point in the features a handful of nostalgic Emiratis prefer to get served and eat
future,” adds Dubare, as he items that anyone who was born in their cars.
prepared to answer a quick Q&A in the UAE would have enjoyed All of these elements together
to provide more insight. while growing up, such as Chips speak loudly to an Emirati audi-
Oman, Laban Up, Ornamin C ence by letting them know that
What aspects of the product are and Shani. Burger28 also uses Burger28 understands its market
more attractive to an Emirati playful Arabic names for our and is in tune with its customers.
audience than other customer menu items such as the ‘Arbab’ This allows the brand to build
segments? which means boss, the ‘Bas-Chi’ stronger emotional connec-
Burger28 is a contemporary and ‘Wa7sh’ (based on ‘wahsh’, tions with them and ultimately
burger joint that is inspired meaning monster) Fries. increases the likelihood of the

[36] | vol. 5 /september 2017

 Case Study

“What would a burger joint look like if it were

created specifically for the primarily millennial
Emirati target market?”

u The products are named after Arabic words and phrases that resonate with an Emirati millennial customer base.

customer building a long term have a platform to interact with

relationship with the brand.
How have you used social media
to enhance business?
Social media is the single most
important tool for entrepre-
neurs. The quicker one is able
to accept this and learn how to
leverage it, the faster one’s busi-
ness is going to grow.
Social media allows us to really
build a personality for our brand,
with more potential customers
reachable at any given time.
Again, by offering a platform
to showcase our brand, its
products and what we stand for,
social media allows us to have
the ability to let new customers
know why they should come
and try our products, and at the
same time, existing customers
the brand. This all comes back to
the fact that our main goal is to
nurture an emotional relation-
ship with customers to ensure
that they keep coming back to us
for more.
What are your objectives for
using social media to grow the
business going forward?
Our key objectives are:
• To increase our brand aware-
ness in an increasingly saturated
market
• Build a tribe of loyal customers,
with whom we can then lever-
age their social circles to push
our products, our brand and its
values
• Harness social platforms to
show how we differentiate from
our competitors.
What do you think is the secret of
engaging Arab millennials with
your product?
The secret is to create a buzz
around customer experience that
Arab millennials feel compelled
and happy to share on their social
media platforms.
The ability of a brand to
achieve this this ‘feel good factor’
about thier products will set
them apart from other players in
the market and provide a means
of accelerating their business
growth.
The art though is to ensure that
the brand can sustain this buzz
and not fall into the category of
hype, whereby much noise is
made about a brand, but it strug-
gles to actually live up to expecta-
tions in the long run.

[37]
 Opinion

“When your business insurance

renewal letter arrives on your
desk, view it as an opportunity
to do something significant in
managing your business.”

THE INSURANCE
OPPORTUNITY
RATHER THAN JUST BEING A COST, EMPLOYEE MEDICAL INSURANCE
CAN BE A CHANCE FOR SMES TO BENEFIT. LIFECARE COO, NAUSHEEN
POPAT, LOOKS AT WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN RENEWING.

[38] | vol. 5 /september 2017


I
n previous years, insurance
renewal letters may have
been viewed as a mundane
task to either deal with or
ignore, but are now increas-
ingly representing real
opportunities to contribute to an
SME’s bottom line and potentially
attract talent to firms in their
growth-stages.
“HR professionals and SME
owners who treat insurance
renewal as an important time in
their annual business planning can
score a major advantage over those
who do not, in terms of saving
money, improving the service they
receive and by extension, improv-
ing employee satisfaction and
recruitment appeal,” according
to Nausheen Popat, Founder and
Chief Operating Officer of Lifecare.
To shed light on how SMEs
should approach their insurance
renewal, including the optimal
questions to ask and the indica-
tors for good value to the business,
Popat has compiled the following
checklist that sets out the six most
important considerations to help
small-to-medium firms to get the
best from their business health
cover.
ARE YOU GETTING GOOD
SERVICE?
Finding the value
This is one of the first questions to
ask in any business relationship.
Consider the service you have
already received over the last 12
months. Look back through your
records for any instances when
your provider has let you down,
or gone out of their way to find
a solution. Take both positive
and negative experiences into
account. Consider issues such
as how quickly they responded
to claims and the general ease
of the transaction. Was the cover
they recommended adequate
for your business? Was it too
much or too little? What is the
quality of healthcare provision
[39]
 Opinion
your employees have received?
Would this policy be attractive to
experienced talent?
According to a recent white
paper on the UAE’s healthcare
market, there is a large variation
in IT readiness among healthcare
providers. With this in mind, it
stands to reason that the service
style and speed you receive from
each provider may vary dramati-
cally.
Once you have assessed the
service your firm has been receiv-
ing, carry out a review of the
wider market to compare the level
of service available from other
providers.
ARE YOU MAKING ‘OUT OF
NETWORK’ CLAIMS?
By reviewing your claims history
for the previous year, you can learn
more about the suitability of your
current cover. A key detail to iden-
tify is claims that were made ‘out of
network.’ This means that medical
care was provided by a centre that
is not contracted to your insurer,
with the simple implication that
it cost more to the individual
member who availed of treatment.
‘In-network’ healthcare provid-
ers have a relationship with your
insurer that includes subsidised
costs. A study in the US found that
out of network procedures were
charged at between 118% and
1,382% more than the same care
provided in-network.
So a key question to ask your
insurance provider is the extent of
their network. This will help you to
gauge the likelihood of having to
go out of network for the treatment
your employees might need and
therefore the cost implications for
the business.
IS YOUR COMPANY CHANGING?
Employee healthcare cover needs
to fit the size of your business, so if
the business has expanded since
its last renewal, or is planning to
expand, it is financially prudent
for you to carry out a full review of
your policy.
Is the business moving into
new territories? Are you adding
new segments to the business to
provide new services? Or have
you made these changes already?
Communicate any changes in the
size or structure of your business to
[40]
your insurance provider, otherwise
you may find that your cover is
inadequate.
ARE YOU COMPLIANT WITH
LOCAL REGULATIONS?
Healthcare insurance law in the
region has been going through
fairly major revisions over the last
few years. Abu Dhabi introduced
mandatory healthcare insurance
for businesses and Dubai followed
suit. The UAE’s Free Zones
also have separate insurance
jurisdictions, so it is important
to make sure you are up-to-date
with the regulations affecting your
location and that your insurance
provision is compliant. Failing to
comply could lead to a fine or, in
some cases, even the suspension of
your business licence. Your broker
will advise you, but the more you
research this for yourself, the
stronger your position.
ARE YOUR STAFF KEEPING FIT?
A company wellness programme
“Your broker
will advise you,
but the more you
research this
for yourself, the
stronger your
position.”
l Nausheen Popat,
Founder and Chief
Operating Officer of
Lifecare.
could save you money on your
health insurance premiums.
Including such a programme at
renewal time could have a two-fold
benefit - reducing the number
of work hours lost to ill health,
thus increasing productivity; and
reducing the number of claims
per year, which in turn will help to
keep your premiums down.
HAVE YOU SHOPPED AROUND?
Staying loyal to one insurer may
may not necessarily be best for
your business. Every customer has
the right to shop around and by
doing so you will strengthen your
hand.
Insurers are hungry for busi-
ness, so you are likely to be offered
an enticing deal by a provider to
insure the business for the first
time. If you do remain with your
current provider, the knowledge
that you have been looking
elsewhere may be enough to
make them more competitive and
ensure they are doing their utmost
to earn your repeat business.
THE RENEWAL LETTER OPPOR-
TUNITY
When your business insurance
renewal letter arrives, view it as
an opportunity to do something
significant in managing your
business. The time spent in
assessing your current insurance
provision and exploring the market
for better alternatives will pay
dividends, both in terms of the
bottom line and workforce health
and morale.
| vol. 5 /september 2017
FINANCING • MANAGING • MARKETING • LEARNING • GROWING
Comment

5 TIPS FOR USING

DIGITAL MARKETING
TO INCREASE F&B
HERSELF A FOOD BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR, CHAYMAE SAMIR
SHARES HER SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR F&B VENTURES.
FACEBOOK MARKETING
According to GoGulf research,
88% of the GCC population is
online, with 94% of these using
Facebook. According to F&B
entrepreneur Samir, an effec-
tive way to increase customer
engagement is therefore to share
pictures of your food and even
insider videos of the work behind
the scenes.
“Set a budget aside for Face-
book marketing, as their geolo-
calisation and targeting tools
work really well to attract target
customers to your social media
page and then to your food
truck, coffee-shop or restaurant.
Providing discounts and offers
to social media followers on
special occasions (International u Social media is an essential platform for engaging customers with an F&B brand.
Women’s Day, for example) is a
great way to attract customers, existing and potential custom- example that her coffee shop
both old and new,” she says. ers when they message you via recently asked their followers
your page or engage with you what items they wanted to be
SHARE STORIES VIA SOCIAL in the comments. It also means included in the summer menu.
MEDIA that you have to take responsibil-
It is often said that the shortest ity for bad reviews and respond PARTNER UP
distance between two people is accordingly, advises Chaymae. You can gain huge exposure by
a story. Samir explains: “what partnering with other businesses
worked for us was to tell our INCLUDE YOUR CUSTOMERS to leverage your F&B outlet’s
story via social media. F&B busi- She goes on to say that the more own social media following and
nesses can share pictures of their ownership customers feel they sharing your content with their
journey to opening the business, have with an F&B business, the audience. This provides you with
including the renovation work more they will engage, citing the an endorsement by a business
and the before and after pictures. that has already grown a loyal
Introducing staff members and customer base, thereby gener-
sharing details about them is also ating you more visibility and
a great way of engaging custom- “It is often said potential customers within the
ers, as is including trivia.” that the shortest community.
For example, gyms are very
GREAT DIGITAL CUSTOMER distance between popular and usually have a social
SERVICE media page with. followers. An
Customer service is important in two people is a F&B business can come up with
the F&B industry and today this a special offer to the local gym
extends to the digital realm. You story.” members that can be shared
have to be responsive to both using their platform.

[41]
 Opinion

r This year’s GITEX, incorporating the

Future Stars show for start-ups, will
attract over 100,000 visitors.

8 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR

EXHIBITION
STAND PAY
OMAR RAHMAN, PRESIDENT OF EXHIBITION STAND DESIGN AND BUILD
FIRM, TGP, SHARES HIS INSIDER ADVICE ON CREATING IMPACT AT A SHOW.

[42] | vol. 5 /september 2017


xhibitions are a
E
platform whereby
you can truly achieve
meaningful face-to-
face interaction with
your client base – you
can talk to them and
learn more about their needs
and interests. Before you can do
that though, you need to ensure
that your stand, the first point of
contact, draws them to you.
How do you achieve this?
According to Omar Rahman,
President of stand design,
contractor and build firm,
TGP, there are a number of
approaches, both psychological
and design-based, that can help.
These often overlooked details
can really set you apart for all the
right reasons.
1. DEFINE YOUR GOALS
Having made the decision to
take a stand at a given exhibi-
tion, most exhibitors then forget
about the most important aspect
of that decision – their reasons
for being there. According to
UFI, the Global Association of
u Becoming familiar with the exhibition space and any restrictions to footfall can give you an advantage over competitors.
Pre-design considerations
u Omar Rahman, President of TGP.
the Exhibition Industry, 71% of
exhibitors fail to set objectives
or strategies before heading to
a show. They will still reap some
positive results, but they will not
get maximum return on their
investment, says Rahman.
Exhibitions are expensive,
so the first question you need
to answer is what you hope to
achieve by attending. If you are
not certain where to start, these
are some typical, measurable
objectives:
• Boost your sales figures
• Launch new products to a
mass market
• Strengthen customer rela-
tions
• Create an e-marketing list
• Gain more media exposure
You may find that one or all
of the above apply directly to
your business right now. Either
way, defining what you hope to
achieve will help to inform and
focus the design and content of
your stand.
2. VISIT THE EXHIBITION SPACE
AHEAD OF TIME
You will be told the footprint
of your stand when you book
the space, but in order to get an
accurate perspective of how it
fits into the exhibition space as a
whole, it pays to visit the venue.
Do this before you embark on
any design work. Sight lines, foot
traffic, ceiling height, etc. can
[43]
 Opinion
all affect the design of your
stand, so make sure you’re aware
of all the constraints before you
start planning any designs. This
includes any restrictions the
show organiser might be enforc-
ing.
If you have the option to
choose your stand position,
consider things like potential
obstacles that could get in the
way, the footfall in each area,
and whether there is room for
a demo beyond the confines
of your stand. By taking the
time to visit the venue, you will
have a real advantage over your
competitors.

3. CONSIDER USING A MODULAR

DESIGN FOR YOUR STAND

The cost of designing and build-

ing an exhibition stand can be
more effectively recouped if your
stand is reusable. To this end,
more and more exhibitors are
choosing to go with modular
designs – in other words, a stand
that is built up from multi-
ple elements rather than one
complete structure.

The advantages of modular

stand designs include:
•Lightweight – your modules
ought to be as light as
possible so that they can be
transported with ease.
• Freestanding – they should
be able to be erected in any
position, regardless of walls
or other obstacles.
• Easy to store – when you’re
not exhibiting, you will want
your stand components to
fold away and be simple
to store in as little space as
possible.
Modular show stands tend to
meet all the above requirements,
but they are not the only solu-
tion. Take the time to look into
your options and find a stand
that suits your needs.
4. AVOID BEING A SLAVE TO
YOUR TECHNOLOGY
Technological advancements
have opened up all sorts of
possibilities for impactful and
immersive stand displays, but
never forget the fundamental
u Sometimes, technology can hinder relationship-building with visitors to your stand.
purpose of live exhibitions,
which is to meet people in the
flesh and interact directly with
customers. Sometimes technol-
ogy can get in the way of that all-
important relationship building,
so plan carefully.
If the tech requires a lot of
attention, it is likely to divert
your stand staff’s attention away
from visitors.
In his book Exhibit Marketing
and Trade Show Intelligence,
Professor Klaus Solberg Soilen
illustrates the importance of
attending to visitors at your
stand as soon as they show an
interest.
According to Soilen, fewer
than half (42%) of all stand
visitors are willing to wait one
minute for attention.
Keep them waiting for three
minutes and nearly three-quar-
ters (72%) will walk away.
5. MAKE SURE YOUR SIGNAGE IS
CLEAR AND LEGIBLE
It takes a lot to stand out from
the crowd of exhibition stands
and it is all too easy to disappear.
A very good way of making sure
your stand gets overlooked is
by using illegible signage. The
human brain, when bombarded
with competing informa-
tion, responds by filtering out
anything that is unintelligible or
hard to read.
While bright, iridescent
colours may catch your eye
in certain contexts, they are
not conducive to eye-catching
signage. Such colours work well
on their own but they do not
make good backgrounds for text.
Instead, choose background
tones that contrast with the
text colour so that it stands out.

[44] | vol. 5 /september 2017


You may want to try out various
combinations before you settle
on one that suits both your
brand and your messaging.
A professional designer will
help you with colour selection
and with your choice of typogra-
phy. As with colours, over-fussy
fonts do not stand out in busy
environments. A sans-serif font
such as Arial or Verdana will be
much more legible.
6. ENTICE VISITORS USING
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
As well as its influence on the
legibility of your signage, colour
plays a significant part in the
way your stand brings in visitors.
Different colours make people
respond in different ways and
there is plenty of research into
the subject to inform your design
decisions. A study from the
Create a sensory experience
University of British Columbia,
for example, found that red
backgrounds produce a more
favourable response to very
product-specific messaging or
negative messaging (such as
health warnings), whereas blue
backgrounds were favoured for
creative, evocative and aspira-
tional messaging.
When it comes to the finer
points of your stand design, a
little research into the subliminal
effects of colour could give you
an advantage over your fellow
exhibitors.
7. PLAY ON ALL THE SENSES
Exhibition stands do not have
to offer a purely visual experi-
ence. Research has shown that
if you’re able to please all five of
a person’s senses, you are most
likely to attract them to the stand
and crucially, ensure that they
stay there a while. There are
many ways to pull this off.
The appearance of your stand
is the obvious starting point, but
think about the use of aromas
and sounds, the feel of the mate-
rials in your stand construction,
flooring and furniture. Is there
some way in which you could
tantalise their taste buds? The
more you consider the visitor
experience when designing your
stand, the better you will be able
to influence them during the
show.
“Research has
shown that if you
are able to please
all five of a person’s
senses, you are
most likely to
attract them to
your stand and
crucially, ensure
they stay a while .”
Another sensory experience
you might consider is a competi-
tion or activity – something that
challenges visitors and holds
their attention. This will distin-
guish your stand from the crowd
of other exhibitors and create a
buzz around it. Just make sure
it is an activity that is relevant
to your product and attracts
genuine potential customers. As
Klaus Solberg Soilen points out,
‘if you’re selling luxury cars, don’t
set up a go-kart competition’. It
will only attract people that are
not targeted or interested in your
business.
8. TAP INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
Exhibitions provide the oppor-
tunity to blend direct marketing
(your stand) with social media
marketing.
Everyone has a smartphone
and that means they have
the potential to reach out to
hundreds of other people:
around 50% of brands now
use social media influencers
to spread their messages. You
should be looking to tap into
that network during exhibitions.
Weave your social media
messages into your stand design,
using signage to encourage visi-
tors to share a picture or hashtag
associated with your brand and
you can raise your online profile
for free.
Your stand will start to reach
more than just the visitors at the
show, bringing an additional
return on investment.
SET GOALS AND CREATE A
STRATEGY TO SUCCEED
The tips in these pages should
have convinced you that there
are plenty of considerations to
take into account when planning
an exhibition stand.
Appearance is essential of
course, but aesthetic charm
has to be blended with practi-
cal effectiveness and a logical
connection to your product.
When you take all this into
account, you see that a success-
ful stand is a combination of
factors that appeal to the senses,
facilitate engagement and fulfil
your objectives. Plan for these
elements in advance.
[45]
 Community
FINANCING • MANAGING • MARKETING • LEARNING • GROWING
THE TALE OF AN ACCIDENTAL
PRODUCT SUCCESS
THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW POPULAR FINE DINING RESOURCE,
GOURMET TIMES DUBAI.COM, WAS CREATED BY NEWZPOINT MD,
JOHN ROBINS, IN A COMBINATION OF ACCIDENT AND DESIGN.
W
ith a successful
career in the
advertising
industry behind
him, John
Robins,
Co-founder of Dubai-based
digital media services
platform, Newzpoint, evolved
his business to a point
whereby he accidentally
created a successful new,
independent spin-off brand.
This is his story…
THE TRANSITION FROM CORPO-
RATE TO SME
With a background in marketing
in the UK, specifically within
the F&B sector I arrived in the
Middle East in 1985 to work
[46]
for an advertising agency in
Bahrain. I was Account Director
for a number of clients, such
as Qantas, KLM and various
hotel groups. I was there for six
years and moved to Dubai in
1991 to work for the ad agency,
Impact BBDO. While there, I
handled the Pepsi Cola busi-
ness – all their below-the-line
promotional activity and media
placements and promotional
campaigns. I also handled
General Motors for the Middle
East. These were two of the
largest advertising clients in the
Middle East at the time and in
the case of General Motors, I
took them from around $300K
spend to a full million dollars
in spend by the time I left two
years later – so I have always
been growth-minded.
After a while doing this, I got
to a stage where I wasn’t really
enjoying short-form advertising
– 30-second commercials that
were mainly awareness adver-
tising for already well-known
brands. However, I really did
enjoy the production aspect, so
I set up my own corporate films
production company in 1996,
called Ether.
I’ve been running that ever
since, but of course, the busi-
ness has changed dramatically.
We specialised in corporate
video production at that stage,
so we were producing training
and internal communications
| vol. 5 /september 2017

films, as well as industrial and
general corporate promotional
videos for a variety of clients
and sectors. That business
largely ran itself with very little
effort, right the way through to
the first major crash in 2008,
which we weathered - and again
in 2011, when business and
marketing budgets took another
fairly big dive.
However, we were very well
set up and did well over this
period. We were affected by the
crash, but had always managed
to create businesses that had
relatively low operating costs.
Yes, I had a big office in Media
City, but it wasn’t as big as
other people’s offices and I was
running a relatively low staff
number, compared to other,
larger commercial agencies.
So those crashes did affect us,
but we were able to ‘rearrange
the deck chairs,’ not take on
so many staff and worked to a
more freelance model when we
needed extra help.
I can’t say that I ever thought
about, or even noticed that
I’d transitioned from a large
corporate background, deal-
ing with some of the biggest
budgets in the region, to being
an SME running to careful cost
control. I’m someone who has
never liked waste, so this came
naturally to me.
COST CONTROL
I did have business experi-
ence with a venture in the UK,
although I had already sold my
interest some time before the
firm went bust. The interest-
ing thing about that was the
new owners had a situation
whereby they grossly over-spent
on putting their own person-
ality stamp on the business.
They were so gung-ho about
the amount of investment they
were putting in they completely
overshot the overhead, which
isn’t something that would be in
my nature. Keeping your costs
down, without compromising
on the service you offer, will
always put you in a safer, better
position than your competi-
tors. The more elaborate, showy
and glitzy you are, the more
you simply eat into your bank
balance - but this doesn’t neces-
u John Robins, MD of multimedia distribution platform, Newzpoint.
sarily buy you customers.
In our case, we see firms that
will spend $80,000 on the latest
RED camera, but we recognise
that, for certain jobs, you can
actually work on a 5D Mark 4, or
a 5D Mark 3 camera and do just
as good a job. This is particularly
true given the way that video
is being pushed online and
through social media, meaning
that you don’t actually need a
camera that shoots 8K at RAW
resolution – you just don’t.
EVOLUTION OF THE
ACCIDENTAL BUSINESS
We would be making a $20K
corporate film and clients would
buy 500 DVDs, which would
often end up on a shelf. We
realised that both clients’ needs
and the online environment
were changing and they were
not understanding distribution
very well. So, driven by both the
“The more showy
an image you
try to project,
the more you
eat into your
bank balance.
And this doesn’t
necessarily buy
you customers.”
Cost Control
changing needs of our custom-
ers and the market, we created
the Newzpoint platform.
About a year ago, Newzpoint
had grown into a fully-fledged
and sophisticated content
distribution system.
So in the interests of trying
to help people to communicate
better – online, dynamically - to
a wide range of target audi-
ences, we realised that what we
had actually created was also a
very capable and very powerful
digital publishing technology.
We focused on refining this,
at which point we said: ‘right,
we now need to be able to
demonstrate the power of this
publishing technology – so how
do we do that?’ And because of
the interest in food that both
my business partner and I have,
we thought: ‘why not set up an
online magazine for other lovers
of fine dining, which we can use
to demonstrate our technology
and platform?!’
And that’s how Gourmet
Times Dubai came into being.
We went ahead and created
this online resource, which films
Dubai’s top chefs creating their
signature recipes and reviews
of fine dining experiences. Even
though we were purely moti-
vated by demonstrating the
power of our platform, we actu-
ally created a high-quality niche
fine dining resource that quickly
attracted thousands of users and
sponsorship enquiries.
We are now have a loyal user
base and are developing the
‘accidental’ business in line with
what is now a very deliberate
strategy for growth.
[47]
 How I did it... u Brand art can state the values of a
business, suchAbdullah Jassim andwith
as its engagement Mohamed Saif,
Co-founders of HammerHeads
home-grown tech. UAE.

AB DU LL AH JA SS IM

AS HE APPROACHES HIS FIRST ANNIVERSARY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, ABDULLAH

JASSIM, CO-FOUNDER OF MAINTENANCE SERVICE PROVIDER, HAMMERHEADS
UAE, TALKS US THROUGH THEIR FIRST 12 MONTHS IN BUSINESS.
When my business partner,
Mohamed Saif and I renovated
two of our properties in Dubai’s
Business Bay, we were confronted
with a host of problems from
many service providers - a lack of
standardised pricing, long lead
times, poor quality and sluggish
customer service. We wondered
whether other consumers felt
the same, so we sent out surveys
to more than 300 residents
in my neighborhood. The
answer was an overwhelming
‘yes.’ Having established that
others experienced the same
problems, the idea for our
maintenance services company,
HammerHeads, came into being.
We spoke to established
maintenance service providers
to find out about their margins,
cost and revenue drivers, pain
points and best practices. These
insights helped us to craft a
compelling value proposition for
a sustainable business.
According to TechSci Research,
last year the maintenance
services market in the UAE was
estimated at $1.6 billion and
expected to grow at 8.5% per year
over the next four years.
WHAT WERE YOUR EARLY CHAL-
LENGES WITH THE BUSINESS?
My first challenge was learning
the technology side of the busi-
ness, which I enjoyed tackling
immensely. I learned about
coding to build a website and
developed a comprehensive digi-
tal marketing plan. In doing so, I
could oversee the quality of work
provided by the web developers
and digital marketing teams.
We believe customers will love
a company more if the employees
love it first. On a company level,
our challenge is to recruit the
right team that brings together
the skillsets the market needs
and shares the company values.
WHAT WAS THE POINT WHERE
YOU KNEW THE BUSINESS
WOULD BE A SUCCESS?
We created projections, assump-
tions and hypotheses that we
needed to test and wanted to
gather as much feedback as we
could from our target customers
to perfect our product offering.
We had two goals: to build trust
and to build a sustainable busi-
ness model.

[48] | vol. 5 /september 2017

 We quickly launched a website
and measured the number
of consumers and types of
request that came through the
website. During each consumer
interaction, we asked questions
that would enable us to build a
hassle-free journey for them.
Over time, the number and
value of the requests, referral
rates and repeat requests
gradually increased. This
indicated that customers
started to trust us more with
their projects. Secondly, since
we wanted to be as lean as
possible, we achieved profitable
unit metrics within the first
quarter. We knew then that we
had the potential to make this a
sustainable business model.
WHAT KIND OF OUTSIDE
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE DID YOU
TAKE?
I faced difficulty in working with
the right digital marketing team.
I had interviewed several compa-
nies and freelancers and did
not work with many of them, as
they did not match my expecta-
tions. I shared my growing pains
with one of my experienced
entrepreneur friends. He told me
that your start-up is your baby,
so it makes sense that you seek
perfection in the services you
outsource - but this approach
risks becoming micromanage-
ment, which in turn inhibits
growth.
It is rare to find an employee
or service provider that is more
passionate than the founder, so
it is the CEO who should bring
the most value to the team. I also
realised that digital marketing
is not the only important task
and learned to delegate to
accomplish other strategic
objectives.
HOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSI-
NESS?
We are a lean bootstrapped
start-up. Our desire to succeed
is therefore high and the stakes
are both personal and profes-
sional. Our lean approach has
also taught us how to do more
with less and build a sustainable
business model.
“Our lean
approach has
also taught how
to do more with
less and build
a sustainable
business model.”
WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DO
YOU GET FROM YOUR CUSTOM-
ERS?
We often ask for feedback from
our customers and on several
occasions, they explicitly stated
that they chose us over our
competitors because we not only
connect consumers to service
providers, but also often test
them for quality assurance.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE
TO ANYONE WHO IS AT THE
START OF THEIR OWN BUSINESS
JOURNEY?
We all want to reach a million
users but we should always
start with a few. Hence, I would
recommend entrepreneurs to
start out thinking small. We
u Customers appreciate service providers that are vetted for quality assurance.
should handcraft our product
by winning over customers one-
by-one. This may seem counter
intuitive when we, as entrepre-
neurs, are socially programmed
to chase the unicorn. However,
being small is the best opportu-
nity to go and meet your custom-
ers, get to know them and build
something directly for them.
During jobs, we often ask
customers: ‘What can we do
to surprise you? What would
make you shout our names
from the rooftops?’ After a job
is completed, we not only ask
customers to rate us, but also ask
them what a six-star experience
for them would be.
When your clients experience
how much you care, some
may even offer to build the
touchpoints in the customer
journey for you. These are the
customers that can turn into your
brand evangelists. This iterative
process helps you to sculpt a
blueprint for a magical user
experience.
Today, our quality checklist,
service provider vetting system
and loyalty points system were
born through this process. The
most innovative leaps you can
make to your product are when
you are small.
[49]
 How I did it...
ZEYN EP SA KA
THE NEW SHIFTS SERVICES FOUNDER TALKS
ABOUT THE BARRIERS IN CONVENTIONAL
THINKING THAT SHE OVERCAME TO START HER
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS.
Founded in April 2016, New
Shifts is a company that helps
people who want to change
careers to try alternative types
of work, using the skill sets they
have gained from other industry
sectors.
Saka’s innovative New
Shifts business model helps
the business ecosystem by
providing manpower to start-
ups, SMEs and larger businesses
on a temporary basis, while
helping individuals to transition
to new job environments. This
is the story…
[50]
I worked in construction for
more than 10 years, then did
an MBA because I was always
looking to see what else I could
do to develop myself within
my career. When I was thinking
about my progress in a really
focused way, that I realised that
there was very little opportunity
to find an outlet to try out new
career options.
I wondered if there was a way
that I could try out a different
career before making any
commitment to it. All of the
recruiters I had spoken to told
me that if you work in a certain
industry for more than 10 years,
it is very difficult to change and
I was therefore better off staying
in my sector.
I felt that in my previous role,
I had certain skill sets such
as project, time and people
management and realised that
the construction environment
is actually very similar to that
of a start-up, because every
day on a construction site,
multi-dimensional problem-
solving is required. I took a
leap of faith, quit my job and
volunteered for a start-up for
a few months, which proved to
me that I could use my existing
skills in a different sector. The
day I left there, I went out and
got my trade license for my own
business. I did this to commit
to starting my own business so
I knew there would be no going
back.
After a few months of
in-depth research, I could
confidently disagree with
the conventional advice of
recruiters who had told me that
people are better off sticking
to one field. My research had
proved that professional skills
that people have can be applied
to other industry areas, not just
their existing career path.
So I pursued the idea of a
business that helps to facilitate
a change of career and created
NewShifts.com as a platform to
match people seeking a career
change with employers that
need the skills and experience
they bring to the table. The
premise behind New Shifts is to
connect career change-seekers
with businesses that need extra
manpower, on a voluntary basis,
in order to give candidates
exposure to new work
environments and facilitate the
growth and development of the
businesses.
New Shifts is a different way
of networking and provides
a very real value exchange
between skilled staff and
business that need them,” Saka
concludes.
www.newshifts.com
| vol. 5 /september 2017
 #ABStartUpAwards

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

TH
TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017
Dubai, UAE NOMINATIONS
The Arabian Business StartUp Awards recognise the people, CLOSE
businesses and organisations that have helped make the region’s Thursday
business landscape a hotbed of innovation, growth and productivity. 14th September

www. A ra b i a n B u s i n e s s . c o m /s ta r t u p - awa rd s

For nominations JOANNA FARRER For sponsorship VINOD THANGOOR

and table bookings, Events & Marketing Manager enquries, please Sales Manager
please contact: Tel: +971 4 444 3328 contact: Tel: +971 4 444 367
Email: Joanna.Farrer@itp.com Email: Vinod.Thangoor@itp.com
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