The emirate goes out of its way to nurture startup hubs and is not unlike a Silicon Valley of the MENA region. With a government dedicated to making the trading environment favourable to the entrepreneur with tax breaks, incentives and great infrastructure, Dubai is the place to be.

If you have your business address in Dubai, then you may have already made your first savvy business decision. Here’s the first 4 Things to do after receiving a UAE company trade license.

#1: customers’ engagement

The 1st area that should be top of mind as you open the shutters on your new Dubai venture is the customers’ engagement.
Make a list the top 10 companies you want as customers. Not just a list of the biggest and most well-known corporations, but remember also new companies that you think you can truly benefit and that will respond to you.

As you research your market, think about the business challenges that you can help your clients with, whether that is doing a SWOT analysis on your prospective clients, or looking at companies that are doing well but lacking in the area that you provide.

#2: business culture

In the business culture of the UAE, cold calling are commonly used. There is no substitute for talking to someone direct, to cut to the chase and get an answer one way or another on a lead. So, get  comfortable.

In terms of approach, make sure if you fail to get past a ‘gatekeeper’ like a receptionist or if no one is available on your initial call, that you do persevere. Good sales people don’t give up if someone keeps saying ‘the boss is in a meeting’. They find out when the boss is free and point out how it’s important to connect for their sake, not yours. Your argument here will be based on what we discussed in point one, with your research about their need for your service.

#3: marketing strategy

Define your marketing strategy. In the UAE, experts are respected. Make sure you are seen as a specialist in your field, the thought leader in your market.
You have to demonstrate your unique insights and you can do this on social networks, on your blog or on your website.
Thanks to this you attract your target customer and can create a community of followers who can buy from you. Secondly, people trust your opinion and therefore trust your business.

#4: multi cultural team

Diversity has been shown to have a number of benefits, so be prepared to create a multi cultural team. It’s generally estimated that between 70-90% of Dubai’s population is made up of expatriates. That’s why you’ll probably work with people with different cultural backgrounds, customs and norms.

As the boss, you must communicate what is acceptable quality in work. Just getting your team to relate to each other in the workplace is great for morale. It allows for the recognition of cultural differences and could make your team more aware, more cohesive and importantly, more motivated.