Stevi Lowmass, Founder of the camel soap

FROM THE DESERT TO THE WORLD HOW COVID TURNED OUR TOURIST BUSINESS INTO A GLOBAL CONCERN

Stevi Lowmass, founder of UAE founded company The Camel Soap Factory has taken her business from her kitchen table to the world’s largest manufacturer of camel milk-based skincare products - selling over 1 million bars of soap globally. Pivoting her customer base through the pandemic, Stevi shares her insight into growing a skincare start-up in the UAE, to a growing, global business.

Known for its entrepreneurial spirit, the UAE is famously home to many unique start-ups. It’s also a sad fact that many new businesses fail to see beyond the first two years. Start up success, followed by sustainable growth is no mean feat. As the founder of The Camel Soap Factory (TCSF), now in its 11th year of business, the company has formed a very loyal client base and gone on to achieve a global reputation for their unique products. Creating natural skincare cosmetics, made from local camel milk has enabled them to bring the benefits of their soaps and products to a wider audience, whilst showcasing a very niche, ‘only in the Middle East’ proposition and brand story. From humble beginnings in 2011, TCSH is now the world’s largest manufacturer of natural skincare cosmetics made with camel milk, with sales of more than 1 million bars of soap over the last eight years. This business growth has not come easy, and a lot of lessons learned along the way. Here, Lowmass shares her top six tips for growing a business start-up into a successful venture, not forgetting the importance of agility and perseverance.

Do your research

It sounds obvious, but trying to launch a new business with limited research on your target market and the product/service you plan to offer is like playing a game of chess with no real knowledge on how to win. Luck may play a part, but your chances of success are slashed. The most successful entrepreneurs work backward, by first identifying what is missing in the market they are targeting. When you have your idea or ‘passion’ , it’s vital to survey potential customers, in order to gain insights into not only how their target market thinks but also to find out why they might be interested in a new particular product/ service. What seems like a great idea to you, your close friends, or family and what can constitute a sustainable, profit-making business can often be very different.

Niching down

In addition to research, finding a product or service that isn’t currently available or is in low supply should be your next objective. Not only does this invite your target market to test you out over competition (because there aren’t many alternatives), but it also increases the likelihood of customer brand loyalty to you as a start-up / SME. Many consumers seek out unusual or new-to-the-market products which are uncommon amongst global brands, so this psychology can be used to your advantage.

Find a manufacturer for your product

Find a reliable manufacturer who can provide high-standard products based on your concept and formulation. Ten years ago we couldn’t find a company to manufacture our unique products so we had no alternative but to open a factory. Nowadays we offer contract manufacturing to enable skincare startups to control their budget while guaranteeing great outcomes. Carefully consider customer feedback

Achieving profitability is one thing, but actually taking time to listen to live customer feedback on goods and services is essential for long-term success. Maintaining a consistently positive reputation in UAE and beyond is key to both attracting new customers but also ensuring that loyal ones return to you over the competition.

Gradually scale up

The Camel Soap Factory was not an overnight success story. We began as a start-up and it has taken several years to scale up to where we are today.

A successful business takes commitment and hard work in order to see the best possible results following investment, carefully selected suppliers, and strategic scaling up and expansion.

Prepare and adapt to external challenges

Some external challenges just cannot be foreseen. The pandemic shook many sectors while others enjoyed positive impacts to their bottom lines.

The key learning for most leaders has really been to ensure that their businesses remain adaptable to these external changes, many of which have had to invest into further digitization of the sales process, for example.

The Camel Soap Factory had to adapt by changing its business strategy to target a wider audience. Pre-covid our typical customer profile was the UAE tourist where we’d gained a reputable reputation amongst customers, but this had to shift in order to remain competitive.

With the move to the Dubai Silicon Oasis factory in 2019, our strategy became more about international market expansion.

THE FUTURE OF PARKING

GC catches up with Sam Alawiye, CEO of GreenParking, about how the company is revolutionising mobility and parking.

nder Sam Alawiye’s leadership, GreenParking has become known as the premier brand for environmentally friendly parking- & mobility solutions in the MENA region. It has also become one of the leading suppliers and operators of Smart Parking Services and the pioneer of Smart eMobility Solutions in the GCC. Since its start in 1996, the company is well-positioned as the leading parking operator in Dubai and eMobility solutions provider in the GCC. GreenParking operates over 50 car parks with state-of-theart systems and has successfully supplied over 600 electric vehicle charging points that build the backbone EV-charging infrastructure of Dubai. In addition, the company has developed its own electric vehicles charging network across the UAE and Oman, which is the first and only cross border network in the region. This free-of-charge EV-Network allows electric vehicle owners to travel through the Emirates and cross-border all the way to Muscat by using a topnotch smartphone app, developed in-house, which provides multiple helpful and advanced features, statistics & value-added service options. It is currently being expanded to cover all GCC countries.

How did the concept of GreenParking come into fruition? Since our start in 1996, GreenParking’s philosophy has been to provide cutting edge innovative parking solutions across the region, prioritising ecological impact. We have proudly paved the way for disruptive sustainability by adapting and introducing state-of-the-art green solutions for parking & eMobility. GreenParking has always held environmental sustainability at its core while enacting green business practices to meet exceptional corporate social responsibility and ESG standards we set for ourselves. The motive to consistently outdo ourselves whilst bringing sustainable benefits instilled a drive to always be forward-thinking by foreseeing a greener future. As the largest parking facility operator, our social responsibility and commitment to reducing environmental impact is evergrowing. With over 400,000 cars visiting each month, we were able to identify key deficiencies in mobility and infrastructure that are critical for a greener future as automobile use grows exponentially. This fuelled our leap to innovate sustainably within our space by being the first to introduce Parking Guidance & ParkChip infrastructures to curb emissions from search traffic and eliminate paper tickets. Our early onset and realisation that the future of sustainable transport is electric necessitated us to enliven this positive change. We kicked off yet another green revolution in 2010 with the EV-NETWORK by GreenParking initiative – a smart, connected grid of EV chargers with charging points spanning every 130km through the Emirates to Muscat, making the region’s first and only cross-border EV highway a reality. GreenParking’s EV-NETWORK is one of the most successful private initiatives in the UAE, seamlessly developing infrastructure to achieve lower carbon emissions attributable to EV penetration and adaptation. As pioneers, we consistently embrace sustainability and digitisation, and constantly endeavour to create positive ecological impacts using modern technology and innovation.

How has GreenParking concentrated its efforts on promoting clean, environmentally-friendly products to help the environment? GreenParking’s conscientiousness to minimise environmental impact from its business activities and induce positive changes formed the backbone for its transition from a parking operator to an e-Mobility company. Being an existing auto-related service provider already prioritising ecological impact, this transition was in line with GreenParking’s identity to be a socially responsible investor.

As a green reform leader, GreenParking incepted ESG concepts since the beginning to contrive innovative business ideas to push sustainability. Our core sustainability vision is based on the concept of embedding net zero, so we believe that the best way to manage waste is to avoid creating it in the first place. We were able to accomplish this with our ParkChip technology by being the first to introduce paperless smart parking management systems, which prevented the use of over 3,000,000 paper tickets and saved over 50 trees. Drivers can easily find nearby parking lots using our digital

How does the company guarantee better savings on energy, optimal use of space and reduced maintenance? It was never a question of when, but of who for GreenParking. We recognised the region’s urgent need for sustainable transportation, as well as the inevitable transition to a greener, more eco-centric society. Electric vehicles are unquestionably the future of sustainable transportation, and in order to encourage EV adoption, infrastructure development must be on par with regular consumers’ willingness to make the switch. Electric vehicles offer long-term savings in terms of operating costs and maintenance due to fewer moving parts and reliance on renewable energy. Circontrol, a leading manufacturer of eMobility and recharging solutions for electric vehicles, manufactures our charging app solution. Furthermore, drivers can find the nearest parking space using our innovative parking guidance system. When this massive reduction in search traffic is combined with smart exit flow infrastructures, unnecessary movement traffic is reduced by more than eight minutes, resulting in over 1.4 tonnes of CO2 avoided per month across our parking lots. GreenParking takes it a step further by combining the convenience of parking with EV charging, laying the groundwork for sustainable transportation adoption. GreenParking has already provided over 600 chargers in the UAE, forming the existing EV charging infrastructure, whilst also hosting its own private network. By collectively pushing sustainability, GreenParking is consistently enabling automobile manufacturers to enter the region by providing FOC charging. Our bona fide sustainability initiative, the EV-Network by GreenParking, has empowered over 2,500 drivers, allowing 33,700,000 gasoline-free kilometers, saving 2,700,000 liters of gasoline and avoiding 6,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions. We intend to continually innovate, accelerate and digitise eco-friendly mobility solutions in the future—our project is complete only when the region’s sustainability goals are realised.

hardware. They are also the region’s current leading supplier of EV charging infrastructure, including government vendors. The charging hardware is a smart, network-connected module that allows for remote monitoring, control, and debugging. Chargers with cutting-edge technology ensure energy compliance and efficient load management. GreenParking has created charging infrastructure solutions for all types of premises, allowing for the most efficient use of available space. For example, the e-Volve AC unit can power four parking spaces while only requiring the installation of one standalone unit. Remote monitoring and constant supervision ensure that chargers operate normally. In the event of a malfunction, GreenParking technicians are notified before a driver attempts to charge.

How does technology play a role in helping connect electric vehicle drivers to the nearest charging station? As an e-Mobility service provider focused on innovation, one of our key challenges is to use technology to eliminate the negative aspects of EV ownership such as range anxiety and charging accessibility. Our in-house developers, who specialise in e-Mobility and traffic management services, were quick to identify key improvement points that would assist us in digitising and transforming the EV charging space in the UAE and the Middle East. Our back-end platform, which was designed specifically for e-Mobility and integrated transportation applications, is used to automate and ensure remote oversight of our charger operations. The robust front-end iOS and Android app, combined with its integration into our existing back-end, has enabled us to provide a seamless experience to our end users. Drivers can use the EV-Network by GreenParking mobile app to find and navigate to nearby chargers. Drivers can view charger occupancy status and reserve them ahead of time, alleviating range anxiety concerns. EV drivers can also see the charger type and charging speed through the app’s extensive information, allowing them to plan routes across the Middle East more efficiently. By strategically placing our chargers in locations such as shopping malls, hospitality destinations, and public premises, we increase accessibility through innovative business concepts such as shopwhile-you-charge and CaaS (charging as a service). Drivers can book hotels with EV chargers through the app, thanks to integrated partnerships with hospitality providers. Our contactless charging activation and cutting-edge in-app customer support are the foundations of a trouble-free EV ownership experience. We believe that by using technology to accelerate the urbanisation of parking, charging will occur where drivers park. GreenParking aims to bridge the vehicle charging infrastructure gap as an e-Mobility service provider. Unbelievable but true, the EV-Network is the only way for all EV drivers to travel by car through the Emirates to Muscat!

GreenParking recently won the Silver Gulf Sustainabiity Award for your EV-Network. What does this mean for the company and for you as the company’s CEO? The opportunity to participate in the Gulf Sustainability Awards and receive the Silver Award for GreenParking demonstrates that our efforts and drive toward a sustainable future are a shared notion and belief. The fantastic initiative brought together a diverse group of organisations, all of which were taking small but significant steps toward a common goal—a greener, more sustainable future. As the Silver Award winner, GreenParking will forge ahead with an even stronger frontier, emphasising sustainability as a constant need more than ever. As believers in the perpetual necessity of environmental sustainability, this prestigious award will motivate us to set even higher goals that we hope to achieve by making significant progress. The award and certification are unquestionably a reflection of a company’s efforts toward a more environmentally friendly future. In an era when every company must be a socially responsible investor, such awards and accreditations encourage companies to do better. Everyone who attends the Gulf Sustainability Awards is a winner in the race to a more sustainable future. When it comes to implementing sustainability policies, every employee is involved. Every person’s effort to be sustainable instills a sense of accountability and belonging that extends beyond the traditional employee-employer relationship. It motivates them to be better people, individuals, and employees.

Where can people currently find GreenParking car parks? Our award-winning services have helped over 100 businesses achieve their parking goals. These include Emaar Square, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Armani Hotel (Burj Khalifa), and Dubai Mall. From retail spaces to hotels, airports to office buildings, we have a wealth of experience in helping all kinds of businesses, big or small. Our most popular locations include Rixos JBR, Business Bay Avenue, and Al Majaz Waterfront.

What were some of the challenges you faced in setting up GreenParking, and how did you overcome them? We believe that ensuring the success of sustainability initiatives is a team effort. Pushing a major reform initiative as a private first-mover in the region presented numerous challenges and risks to us. Replicating European or North American EV Charging business models in the GCC was impossible due to regional and legal restrictions on reselling electricity. To overcome this major challenge, extensive research, knowledge sharing, external consulting, and international benchmarking were required to evaluate high-performing e-mobility companies in order to build an EVCS business model from the ground up. GreenParking created a new business plan revolving around the restriction on the resale of electricity. To ensure unrestricted, customer-centric, free access to charge points, special agreements and partnerships were established with hospitality businesses, dealerships, manufacturers, and public premises. This disruptive initiative was accelerated further by developing cutting-edge EV charging and parking apps for Android and iOS, seamlessly integrating technology into future mobility. GreenParking used a “leadership by example” model to motivate stakeholders and team members as we worked to realise our vision. GreenParking partnered with major hospitality brands, such as Rixos, Marriott, Hilton, Dubai Properties, and others in 2021. Through our promotional activities, we continue to advocate EV acceptance among the general public. GreenParking drives a collective effort to create impact by assisting businesses in realising their social responsibility by raising awareness about an inevitable problem and persuading major corporations. Deploying over 200 chargers for DEWA and aiding over 25 businesses support a green initiative, has allowed us to realise our ambition of being a socially responsible business. Our collaborations ensure the seamless integration of our strategic business objectives with our sustainability goals, allowing all parties involved to collaborate in an economically viable manner. We are piecing together the puzzle of a greener tomorrow. What are some of the most memorable projects that you’ve worked on since launching GreenParking? GreenParking’s exciting journey toward sustainability has been filled with many challenges, accomplishments, and memories. One of the most memorable experiences was in 2005, when GreenParking introduced the first paid parking management system at the Emirates Tower, which accepted credit card payments. This was a huge step that determined the future of parking management facilities. Innovation and disruption are pivotal topics of critical thinking at GreenParking, wherein we strive to improve our value chain, strategies, and business model on an ongoing basis. The introduction of the parking guidance system in 2007 at the World Trade Center is a significant milestone to reflect on, as it represented GreenParking’s epitome of sustainability and drive to innovate towards the future of mobility at the time. Another pivotal moment was in 2010, when GreenParking began accelerating and promoting EV chargers even though there were no EVs on the road. Such risk-taking business moves necessitated a thorough understanding of what the region is capable of, as well as redefining business strategies that would shape GreenParking’s future. GreenParking began installing EV chargers for DEWA in 2014 as the only company in the region with the technical knowhow and competence, thanks to unwavering belief, remarkable resilience, and a dedicated team. This marked a new chapter in GreenParking’s history, leading to a more thorough understanding of the region’s capabilities and the development of mobility solutions tailored to the region, which served as the foundation for GreenParking’s EV-Network initiative in 2018.

Currently, GreenParking covers the UAE and Oman. Are there expansion plans in the works? GreenParking installed 64 new chargers in 2021, bringing our network to 169 total charging points, representing a 108% increase in three quarters. The groundwork has been laid for the expansion of up to 3,000 AC and DC charging points by 2024. In addition, we have entered a pilot partnership with Marriott in Saudi Arabia to power expansion in other GCC regions. Expansion plans for Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain are being developed. GreenParking aims to promote EV adoption by accelerating charging infrastructure development and improving charging accessibility intra-UAE and inter-Middle East. Collaborations and partnerships with automakers such as Audi, Volkswagen Group, and General Motors are also part of this expansion strategy. Any exciting projects you’re working on for 2022? GreenParking’s initiatives are a continuous process of expanding sustainability that is guided by the goal of achieving positive ecological change and implementing net zero emissions in the future. We set targets rather than capstones or limitations as environmental sustainability is an unrelenting need. The year 2021 has provided us with a significant boost in our efforts to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, we will begin offering value-added services such as valet charging and car wash on our network in 2022. GreenParking intends to be even more committed to expanding the trajectory of its charging network in 2022, with the goal of surpassing even more Middle Eastern territories. GreenParking intends to collaborate with globally recognised automakers and local businesses to promote EV adoption in the region more aggressively than ever before, with accelerated expansion in terms of charging points and hubs. A very exciting milestone planned for 2022 is the organisation of a regionally recognised road show and trip with electric vehicles through the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. This initiative aims to bring together regional electric vehicle drivers who are the pillars of sustainable transportation and a cleaner future.