Entrepreneurship Conference at Dubai Women's College

The Entrepreneurship conference hosted several local professionals who gave their views on various aspects of entrepreneurship. Successful entrepreneurs also attended to share their personal experiences. The audience was composed of students and graduates who are interested in owning a business.

Dr. Howard Reed, Senior Director at the Higher Colleges of Technology and Director of DWC, opened the conference noting that several of DWC graduates are currently running their own businesses.

"DWC focuses heavily on developing strong entrepreneurship skills among its students especially those who have the spirit and intent to become active players in Dubai's market," he added. Saad Abbas, Chairman of International Business Consult, presented results of research and studies on reasons why individuals decide to become entrepreneurs. "Money, luck, hard work, and a good idea are all necessary factors to succeed as an entrepreneur," he stated.

Sulaiman Al Mazroui, General Manager of Marketing and Corporate Communications and Member of the Executive Committee at Emirates NBD talked about Al Tomooh, a Finance Scheme for Small National Businesses offered for UAE nationals since June 1998.

"Al Tomooh is the first leading small business finance program in the UAE that allows young entrepreneurs to take advantage of interest free funding. It aims at increasing UAE nationals in the workforce and encouraging creativity among them," noted AL Mazroui.

Three successful entrepreneurs shared their success stories with the audience. Laila Bib Shabib, a former DWC graduate and Cofounder of Brownbook and Brownbag.ae, talked about her experience focusing on the importance of establishing goals and studying the market and the idea before launching the business.

"The most important thing is to be able to ask questions and not to be afraid of other's failures. Ask for help when you feel you need it and make sure to set achievable targets," Laila said. Hassan Bin Jamil, an entrepreneur running his own industrial trading and services business in Dubai, talked about business challenges and market difficulties.

"I knew my business was on the right track when we landed and successfully delivered the first big projects in Dubai, especially the ones that were delivered to companies which initially refused to work with us because we were a small company," he said. Dina Saleh, co owner of a lifestyle boutique called S*uce, noted the importance of seeing every challenge as an opportunity to grow and learn.

Walid Hanna, CEO of the Arab Business Angels Network, explained how start-up companies can access equity financing.

"Equity investors are looking for innovative ideas that are scalable and will provide large financial returns," he said. Tridib Chatterji, a faculty member at DWC, outlined the college proposal for a campus-based Entrepreneurship Centre to help entrepreneurs develop the necessary skills.

"The establishment of an Entrepreneurship Center at DWC will provide the training, guidance, research, and space that young entrepreneurs need to grow and flourish," said Dr. Monica Gallant, Chair of the DWC Business Programs.

Khadija Ali from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, highlighted the questions most frequently asked by entrepreneurs.

"It is important for entrepreneurs to accept help and advice from others. We are here to help them." The event concluded with an inspirational presentation by Dr. Farrukh Kidwai, Head of Service Quality at Noor Islamic Bank who emphasized the importance of providing excellent customer service and listening to the needs of the customers.

"You can start a good business without having a completely new idea if you can outperform the competition by providing extraordinary customer service," he noted.