Robust RAK Issue - 3 by SPI Publishing

Issue: 3 | Sept.-Oct. 2013

THE VOICE OF RAK BUSINESS COMMUNITY

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Corporate Partners

Cover Story

12 Moulding the young minds 22 An account of the man constructing the future of young leaders in Ras Al Khaimah- Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, president of the American University RAK.

Exclusive

A new feather in Raza's cap Chairman of the RAK Hospital shared his pearls of wisdom on what it takes to demonstrate commitment to quality care.

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Contents

Sept.-Oct. 2013

12 COVER STORY

Moulding the young minds In an interview with Robust RAKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Samar Manzar, Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, president of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, said that children in their university develop foundational skills on par with those offered in more affluent schools across the US.

32 Clearing profitability roadblocks

When business owners reach a plateau of profitability they must work on the business rather than in it, writes Simon Hodges.

34 Battling sales challenges Zed Ayesh explains how SMEs can shoot down challenges in sales and put in place a winning business strategy.

36 Is it mandatory to have a 08 RAK Properties launches worldclass customer service centre The newly setup centre demonstrates Ras Al Khaimah’s real estate industry’s drive towards global best practices

10 Business Announcements What's the business world buzzing about? Here are some updates that you might have missed.

22 RAK Hospital: A new feather in Raza's cap

business plan?

What cannot be measured cannot be managed! V. Ramkumar delves into the core of business initiative, its planning.

38 Demystifying professional indemnity

A professional indemnity policy covers losses to clients on account of negligence in discharge of professional duties, writes Sandi Saksena.

40 The intricacies of legal inheritance

Untimely death of a business partner or, a family member can lead to severe mental trauma. However, have you ever thought how you could lose inheritance if there is no proper will in place? Nita Maru answers a few queries relevant to the UAE market.

42 Food safety tops the menu

Protecting consumer health from food borne hazards has become a compelling duty for policy makers across the globe, writes Dr. Sameer Kumar.

48 How to roll off negativity, quickly?

Interview: Raza Siddiqui, chairman of RAK Hospital, shared his insight on earning renowned accreditation, and what it takes to enable the hospital demonstrates commitment to quality care.

Anesh Jagtiani makes a case in point on the power of positive thinking.

26 Compact disc's alive and kicking

Falcon Technologies International's primary operations is manufacturing and distribution of CDs and DVDs. Contrary to popular notions, FTI's chief executive officer tells RR's Nikhil Pereira that USB drives have not killed the Ras Al Khaimahbased companies’ livelihood.

51 Corporate Lifestyle

For CEOs and executives, here's a list of new stylish toys in the market.

Earth Holding

P.O. Box: 10044, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Tel: 07 - 2282555 Fax: 07 - 2264447 www.earthholding.com

In collaboration with SPI Group

www.spigroup.ae www.robustrak.com www.theintelligentsme.com www.appsmena.com www.appsglobal.ae www.dubai-gbs.com www.smeworld.ae

Editor’s Note E

ver since we launched the first issue of The Robust RAK in May 2013, we have

focused on highlighting the experiences

of successful businesses in Ras Al Khaimah,

Publisher & CEO Shantanu A.P.

offering tools and strategies to help our

Editor Samar Manzar

readers chart their own path to success.

Account Director Vijay G. Asst. Editor Nikhil Pereira

In this edition, we bring you a real-world

Consulting Editor Utpal Bhattacharya

insight, solutions and advice from RAK

Expert Contributors

Hospital chairman Raza Siddiqui, who is an

Anesh Jagtiani Dr. Sameer Kumar Farrukh Naeem Michael J. Tolan Nita Maru Phil Bedford Sandi Saksena Simon Hodges V Ramkumar

example of how one can be successful both in good and bad economic times. Featuring in the ‘business champions’ section, we have discussed how Ras Al Khaimah can promote medical tourism. That article also explains how healthy employees improve profitability of companies. It notes that spreading wellness among employees could directly help in improving margins by 25 per cent. This edition also has Roberto Santini, chief executive officer of Falcon Technologies International, on page (22), talking about the objectives

Zed Ayesh

and goals of the company. He also explains how a manufacturer

Art Director Aneesh Varghese

provider can be successful.

of professional optical data storage media and archival solutions

Web Developer Raj Shekar Reddy Photographer Arzai Zafar Response and communications

Response Executive Evelyn V.B. MIS Executive Yolanda Pedemonte Distribution Department

Jerry P. Sam Editorial Enquiries & Contributions

Finally, our cover story offers an up close and personal account of the man constructing the future of young minds in Ras Al Khaimah. Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, president of the American University (RAK) tells us how educated people are the greatest financial asset of any country, and how the social, economical and political stability of any society rests on education. We hope it makes for good read! Samar Manzar Editor

04-2659704, 04-2650312 Fax: 04-2690566 editor@theintelligentsme.com

Advertising Enquiries

% 04-2659704, 04-2650312 response@spiholding.net

Subscriptions Enquiries:

% +971 4 2659704, 2650312 response@ spiholding.net

SPI Publishing

P.O. Box: 89735, Dubai, UAE Tel: 04-2659704, 04-2650312 Fax: 04-2690566, 04-2651708 response@spiholding.net

Disclaimer

SPI Publishing has endeavoured to bring out a publication that is reliable and informative. This is true to the best of our knowledge. The opinions presented are those of individual writers and not necessarily endorsed by SPI Publishing. The content in this magazine is protected by copyright law and is copyright to SPI Publishing unless credited otherwise, and may not be copied, reproduced or republished for any commercial purpose or financial gain.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Industry Update

RAK Properties launches world-class customer service centre The newly setup centre demonstrates Ras Al Khaimah’s real estate industry’s drive towards global best practices

AK Properties, Ras Al Khaimah’s leading property developer listed on Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, has launched its first customer service centre equipped with customer-friendly world-class communications facilities and information services. The new centre is located on the 40th floor of Julphar Towers, one of the most outstanding projects of RAK Properties in Ras Al Khaimah. The centre offers a wide range of services, including answering queries and providing feedback through the following number +97172337133. Mohammed Sultan Al Qadi, managing director and CEO of RAK Properties said: “We strive to maintain higher levels of qualitative services by adopting best world class practices. We believe that this addition will further strengthen the prominent position held by RAK Properties on the real-estate developer’s map in the middle east region. This centre will enhance the service quality for the increasing number of customers.” He added that the new customer service centre demonstrates the firm’s drive towards opening transparent channels with customers to listen

to their feedback and queries on any of the provided services. RAK Properties customer service centre can be contacted within the UAE or from the region on +97172337133. The staffs are dedicated to answer customers around the week during working hours. Also, the company has planned to launch a number of electronic and mobile services to its customers in order to facilitate

communication and provide better services. The real estate developer has earlier worked on major projects like Julphar Towers, RAK Tower in Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi and Mina Al Arab, a top tourism destination spread over a vast landscaped area. The company is an active supporter of the vision of Ras Al Khaimah government in the real-estate and tourism development sector in the emirate.

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Industry Update

Google, du ink strategic alliance to boost SMBs du has inked a strategic alliance with Google™ to launch a new Business Super 600-G Plan for SMBs

alue-packed Business Super 600-G includes national and international minutes, SMS, national data, and in-built fantastic Google AdWords benefitsIn a bid to create an effective communication platform, du has launched a new plan in partnership with Google for small and medium businesses (SMBs) to make business communications even more effective than ever. This strategic alliance makes the telecom a Premier SMB Partner of Google™’s AdWords advertising programme in the UAE. The partnership will allow du to provide new products and solutions to the SMB market in the UAE starting with the launch of its newest mobile plan, Business Super 600-G. With a pioneering product such as Business Super 600-G, du’s customers will not only get the value-added benefits that du’s Business Super Plans are renowned for, but also benefit from the additional power of the Google™ AdWords platform to boost online presence through the internet’s most popular search engine. “Communication is becoming increasingly digital. It is imperative for our SMB customers to maximise this opportunity and make their presence felt where their customers are. Based on our own experience

and feedback from our customers, we are proud to announce Business Super 600-G – the newest and an unprecedented Plan of its kind and a must-have tool for SMBs looking for the best value and benefits from their mobile plan,” said Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer, du. He added: “Business Super 600-G combines everything that a business needs to effectively and efficiently grow: a solid communications allowance with national and international connectivity, with the incredible power of Google AdWords to help spread awareness through the internet. There are around 12,000 SMBs established in the UAE every year, and we know that the right communication and marketing is essential for every business if it is to achieve success. The Business Super 600-G Plan will enable SMBs to stay ahead of their competition.” Speaking at the launch, Mohamad Mourad, Regional Manager – Gulf, Google, said: “As a Premier SMB Partner, du will provide full-service AdWords account management on behalf of local merchants, from account setup and activation, to ongoing campaign maintenance and optimization. This agreement is designed to build on du’s existing

relationships with marketers, particularly small and mediumsized businesses, and encourage them to use online advertising as a cost-effective way to find and target new customers, whether they are just around the corner or across the globe.” He added, “As a Premier SMB Partner, du’s sales force is equipped to help local businesses efficiently tap into the power and reach of the Google AdWords online advertising platform.” The Business Super 600G Plan comes with fantastic Google AdWords benefits which include: an exciting session to discover the world of online advertising, Account setup, Campaign management of Google AdWords credit worth AED750. Google AdWords provides an intuitive advertising solution that creates online visibility for businesses, providing them with an unprecedented advantage over their competition. SMB customers subscribing to the Business Super 600-G Plan can also buy Google AdWords packages that best suit their budgets, and their marketing and product/services spends per calendar. du offers SME customers five packages of different denominations, ranging from AED 1,000 for a Bronze package, to AED7,500 for a Platinum package.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Business Announcements

RAK FTZ reports strong results for H1 2013

as Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) – one of the most cost-effective and business-friendly free zones in the UAE reported a 70% year-onyear increase in new company registrations for the first half of the year ended 30 June 2013. A record-breaking 1,994 new companies have joined RAK FTZ in the first six months of 2013, a substantial increase over the 1,170 companies registered in the same period in 2012. Revenues from the new company registrations have increased by 23% year-on-year in the period under review. The number of licences renewed in H1 2013 has also increased from 2,298 in the first half of 2012 to 2,696 in the comparable period this year, registering a year-on-year growth of 17%. New companies at RAK FTZ registered during H1 2013 included business from United Kingdom, India, Turkey, and Germany, among others. A broad range of industries were represented in the new registrations including consultancy, general trading, logistics, and industrial manufacturing. Commenting on the results, Peter Fort, CEO, RAK FTZ, said: “We are extremely happy to achieve an exceptional growth in new company registrations in the first half of 2013. This growth reflects investor confidence from across the globe in our cost-effective free zone and business-friendly approach and re-

emphasises the world-class facilities and services we offer. Businesses are increasingly realising that RAK FTZ is less than an hour from the logistical hub of Dubai and offers the same advantages as other free zones in the UAE. Our full commitment to quality, excellence and customer satisfaction will, as usual, be the driving force for our continued growth this year.” He added: “To maintain the high levels of growth, we will require substantial investment over the coming months to expand our facilities. To cater to this ongoing demand, we are developing new warehouses and office towers, as well as master-planning expanded free zones.” In line with its growth strategy, RAK FTZ has also launched a bevy of new client services in H1 to enhance the free zone’s already business-friendly environment. These include the re-launch of the Government e-Services Portal with more features such as the Arabic language option and easier transaction flow; the introduction of the pre-approval applications online through e-Services; providing Establishment Cards for the companies in the free zone through the RAK FTZ office, among others. RAK FTZ also successfully promoted the costeffective value proposition for clients through various online and offline marketing initiatives. These include a number of marketing outreach activities in the UAE and GCC, participation in exhibitions and events, hosting the business delegations from across the globe, and reaching out to the prospective investors around the world. RAK FTZ also undertook a number of initiatives in Europe and Asia to generate awareness about the advantages of RAK FTZ as a cost-effective and business-friendly investment location for foreign investors.

Julphar eyeing expansion in Latin America, Central Asia

as Al Khaimah-based pharmaceutical company Julphar has planned to increase its footprint beyond the Middle East, and explore territories of Latin America, central Asia and South East Asia. "We are attempting to revamp the portfolio and revitalise the organisation in terms of sales and marketing operations as well as manufacturing facilities," Mr Abou Jalala said in an interview with

a UAE newspaper. The company has 11 plants in RAK and one in Ethiopia. "The UAE market offers great potential, dominance of lifestyle ailments such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, there is a place for lots of companies [to do business]," said Karim El Alaoui, the managing director at Boehringer. In the first half of this year, Julphar's sales rose to AED 696.4

million, up 10.5 per cent yearon-year. Gross profit advanced to AED 412.1 million, an increase of 8.3 per cent. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the pharma company was established in the 1980s with a view to develop Ras Al Khaimah's nonoil economy and its first plant started manufacturing tablets and capsules four years later. Julphar sells more than 220 products in the UAE alone.

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Business Announcements

RAK Airways announces its entry into two capital cities- Islamabad, Amman

AE’s RAK Airways has announced Islamabad and Amman to be its first two destination launches in 2013. Earlier in the month, in a strategic press briefing Murabit Al Sawaf, president and CEO of RAK Airways stated that the airline is visualising a strategic growth path with new destinations and increase in its fleet size. RAK Airways has seen a strategic growth path since its relaunch in 2010 and there has been no turning back. The airline saw passenger numbers to the tune of 300,000 in 2012 and in the first quarter of 2013, the numbers have jumped to 40%. Islamabad is RAK Airways’ third entry point into destination Pakistan. In 2011, the airline made its first entry into Pakistan with two-weekly flights to Lahore and Peshawar. In the first half of 2013, the airline increased its frequency to Lahore and Peshawar from two to three flights a week, to meet passenger demand. Addressing a press briefing, Murabit Al Sawaf said, “With over 600,000 expatriate Pakistan nationals contributing to the economy of the United Arab Emirates, RAK Airways is only glad to provide another entry into Pakistan, through the launch of

Islamabad. The airline operates out of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and passengers from anywhere in the UAE have the privilege to be transported on RAK Airways free shuttle service to Ras Al Khaimah airport, in the northern emirates.” Furthermore, he added, “as for the launch of Amman, I must say that this is the first entry of the airline into the levant region. With the inauguration of RAK-Amman route and a one way fare of AED 400, we look forward to encourage more passenger traffic – leisure, business and tourism to Jordan, thus positively impacting the tourism and industry of both the economies.” With the addition of the two new routes, RAK Airways will fly to 11 destinations. At present, the airline operates to 9 destinations. RAK Airways is one of the flag carriers of UAE, and is known to be ‘the better flying option’ from Northern Emirates. The airline is a full-service carrier and its offerings are hot meals onboard, 30 kgs baggage, free parking at Ras Al Khaimah international airport and free shuttle service from anywhere in the United Arab Emirates.

Kersten Europe to open new Ras Al Khaimah plant

uropean bending specialist Kersten Europe will open its latest production facility, Kersten Middle East, in the United Arab Emirates this upcoming October. The company has said that its

4,100ft2 new production plant in the emirate will open in October this year. Work on the factory started in March. The facility will be capable of bending steel and aluminium tubes used within the construction of complex high-rise towers and other projects. Mike Minten, general manager for Kersten Middle East, said: "As the United Arab Emirates is an important market for bent steel and aluminium profiles, the new production facility will enhance our current production capacity and help better serve our

local customers.” He added that three machines will be used within its plant to serve customers across the GCC. “Opening a new production facility in the middle east is part of our strategy to increase our presence in key markets.” Minten said. “UAE is one of these key markets, where we have already executed some impressive projects. Bent steel constructions for beautiful landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the Aspire Tower are just a few examples of our references,” he concluded.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Cover Story

Moulding the young minds

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Cover Story

Q: Could you give us a little

background of this university?

A: In 2006, the institution was

igh-quality educational programs are great economic and social equalisers —these provide children with appropriate mentoring, encouragement and support, which is so essential for living a quality life. In an interview with Robust RAK’s Samar Manzar, Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, president of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, said that children in their university develop foundational skills on par with those offered in more affluent schools across the US. In addition, he detailed the entire transformation of the university from a clinically dead venture three years ago with 59-60 students, to becoming a lively campus having more than 450 enrollments.

an undertaking of the George Mason University (US), but global economic crisis and several issues intersected in a way that they had to shut down here. The Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi issued a decree creating the American University of Ras Al Khaimah for the benefit of the locals.

Q: Why did you retain ‘American’ despite their withdrawal?

A: Firstly, we inherited the

George Mason students, coupled with their curriculum, education system and policies in this part of the region. Secondly, students are more inclined to pursue their studies in an American educational system and not the traditional one. It’s flexible and rich, while widening the scope of information, consisting of a few major components. In general education, the basket that is offered is diverse for subject selection. A student doing science can pick liberal arts, while one pursuing the latter can study a subject of natural science too. Also, the umbrella of social sciences/humanities/ natural sciences is extremely diversified, which offers students a good dose of understanding of their environment not just locally, but on a global platform. We also focus on faculty requirement, which means basically narrowing down the requirement of courses, which are directly related to this university. At the time I had joined, the university offered only four programmes; there were no schools and not enough faculties. We started with re-structuring the courses, adding computer engineering and electronics to the engineering domain, biotechnology in the science stream and business studies. I did an overall market study, understanding the local needs, benchmarking competitive universities (local and international), and we decided to have schools of engineering,

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Cover Story

Students are more inclined to pursue their studies in an American educational system and not the traditional one, as it’s flexible and rich with a widening scope of information. A: I have worked really hard. We

American University?

United Arab Emirates University for a long time, holding the position of a professor in political science, followed by serving as an advisor to the RAK government, being on the chair of the RAK Research and Follow-Up Authority, and also serving as the general director of RAK Economic development department. Later, I was offered the president’s position in this university, and I took it up.

A: I was a faculty member of the

Q: How’s the journey been so far?

fee structure?

arts and science and business. In three years, we have added six courses to the engineering field, five major courses in business (two minors include Islamic banking and International finance), and our students can opt to study dual courses (a major and minor) in the same academic year.

Q: How did you come on board of the

had approximately 59-60 students three years ago. This year we are likely to have 490-500 students. And, it’s not just locals dominating the list; we have equal numbers of expats studying here too. We also have a diversified faculty, which includes Britishers, Americans, Canadians, Indians, Australians and Arabs.

Q: Could you give us an idea on the

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Cover Story

Q: How does the

admission process work here?

A: It’s quite simple:

A: The fees are decided by the

board, which is proposed by the president. Comparing to the other local American universities, our fee structure is lowest, and we’ve regained respect in terms of quality. For instance; a general MBA course costs around AED 1 00,000, a master of education is priced AED 67,000 and a master of engineering (project management) costs AED 80,000.

Q: What are the challenges you’re facing in this market?

A: In the UAE itself, we have more

than 100 universities, where 70 per cent are accredited by the ministry of higher education and 30 per cent are based in the free zones. Competing even with the 30 per cent is not an easy task. Why would a student come to you, ignoring others? So, the challenge is to convince people to make us their number one choice. Second, a university is just about not students and a teacher. It involves huge infrastructure investments in terms of technology, laboratories, etc. Third, getting the right faculty on board is extremely difficult, and it’s one of the most important facets because the quality of students is completely dependent on them. Fourth, it is tough to convince the entire educational body (local, regional and global) about your capabilities as a university, in terms of providing quality education. For instance, one you have a UAE accreditation, then you need a regional one and, later, American in our case too.

will compromise on quality.

Q: What steps have you taken to overcome competition?

you’ve to download the admission form from the website, attach all your documents and either bring it to the university or mail us. We are also in the process of setting up the entire admission process online. Once the documents are submitted, it’s reviewed by the committee, wherein the GPA of 3.0 along with TOEFL (550) or IELTS (6) are required, and later one has to come for a small interview too.

A: We invested in marketing our

Q: What would you characterise as

A: Let your actions speak more

proud accomplishments so far?

A: Finally, my dream of seeing a

university in Ras Al Khaimah has come true! I belong to this place, born and raised here. In a short span of time, this university has transformed from a clinically dead one to an extremely lively one, boasting of an interactive website, and, also, effectively acquiring a multi-cultural student base. Sometimes I reflect on how I managed to pull these things together, and the answer is always that it has been my extremely strong willpower helped me in achieving this goal.

Q: Where do you see yourself and the university over the next few years?

A: I would like to establish this

university as one of the leading brands in education across the region. I hope to raise the standards of education, where a parent considers us the first choice while investing on their son/daughter’s qualification. The strength of the student number is likely to be more than the double compared to what we have today. However, I would also suggest that this university should be limited to only 5000 students going forward because focusing on quantity alone

courses and the university on a large scale, from continuous presence in malls across the UAE to signboards, television, outside mosques post Friday prayers, radio, etc. And, we’ve regained trust and recognition from this exercise apart from our continuous focus on improving the quality of education. We’re keenly focusing on Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah as this is the only American University in this region.

Q: What are the values binding AURAK?

than words. Be honest to yourself. If you promise to do a certain task, do not back off. If you give the right education to the right people, then you will have a right outcome. Don’t think you’re superior; always work closely with your people. Empowering colleagues and not interfering in their day-to-day business. Do not get involved in micro-management, allow your people to do whatever they can to bring out the best possible and if there’s a mistake, work together to rectify it.

Q: What have been the major

influences in your life and work?

A: I am a political scientist, reader

and a lot of authors have shaped me as a person. My parents were illiterate and could only facilitate support, which they did, and, also my wife stood by me steady as a rock throughout thick and thin. But, yes, my way of thinking is influenced by a French philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Also, your circumstances influence and make you the person you are.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Set Your GPS

Waldorf Astoria: A new name for luxury in Ras Al Khaimah

ilton Worldwide’s luxury brand of landmark hotels has announced the opening of Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, the company’s first hotel in the UAE and the latest addition to its global portfolio. Offering sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf, the highly anticipated 346-room Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah is expected

to delight connoisseurs of luxury with many distinctive features and amenities designed to bring true luxury and sophistication to the emirate for the first time. “Across the globe, our brand is known for timeless elegance, inspirational environments and the extraordinary experiences provided to guests each day,” said John T A Vanderslice, global head of luxury and lifestyle brands

for Hilton Worldwide. “In Ras Al Khaimah too, it will epitomise these values to become a destination of choice for discerning travelers seeking refined style, flawless service and sumptuous comfort.” Exclusively designed to mirror the magnificent classic features of an Arabian palace, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah will boast a wealth of superior features and services including beautifully designed

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Set Your GPS

over-sized rooms and suites, a first-class 18-hole championship golf course, a stunning 350-metre private beach and two temperature controlled outdoor pools. Dining aficionados can select from an impressive choice of four signature restaurants including specialtiy dining from US steakhouse, The Lexington Grill, Japanese dining Umi and Emirati-inspired cuisine at Marjan. The hotel also offers six exclusive entertainment and dining venues including Camelia, a traditional tea lounge; an intimate and exclusive nightclub; Waldorf’s famous cigar bar and a choice of outdoor dining courtesy of Azure and Al Fayrouz – all reflecting the authenticity of individual cultures and styles. For ultimate relaxation and wellbeing, it will also offer one of the emirate’s largest spa’s featuring an impressive 1650 sq meters of tranquil surroundings with 12 luxurious bespoke treatment rooms as well as a VIP room in which an array of treatments incorporating indigenous herbs and rituals will be offered. The luxury hotel is also destined to become a corporate favourite for meetings as well as business and social gatherings. With four state of the art meeting rooms, separate boardroom and a fully equipped business centre, the hotel is also complemented by a range of exclusive and versatile outdoor event venues ideally placed for cocktail parties, soirees and intimate gatherings. Notably, the hotel will also include two of the famous brand signatures - a grand lobby clock and peacock Alley, a public area dedicated to the renowned dining area. Inspired by the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah clock has been exclusively designed to honour regional Arab culture and will include the five daily prayer times. Peacock Alley, located across ground floor and mezzanine levels, is reflective of the grand social promenade that connected the original Waldorf and Astoria hotels in New York - as a place to see and be seen. Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & Africa said: “There has never been a more exciting time to launch our

world class luxury brand in the UAE. As one of the most famous luxury hotel brands in the world, Waldorf Astoria has attracted some of the most illustrious and celebrated figures from history to its doors since the opening of its first hotel over 80 years ago. I am thrilled we can now offer the same quality of service and amenities in the Middle East reminiscent of those superior brand values of a classic, pre-eminent luxury experience.” Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) is rapidly becoming a popular

choice among a growing number of perceptive travellers seeking an authentic Emirati experience, whether it be leisure, adventure or cultural. Located just 45 minutes from one of the world’s fastest growing airports in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah boasts majestic mountain ranges, expanses of red sandy desert and lush green plains along a series of creeks and lagoons. Charming historic sites, forts and abandoned villages also echo the Emirate’s 5000-year heritage and add to the overall distinctive appeal of Ras Al Khaimah.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Set Your GPS

RAK to add 7 new parks worth AED 14 mn I

n a bid to promote tourism across the emirate, the Ras Al Khaimah government has announced to construct seven new parks worth AED 14 million. The RAK Municipality started the consultation and construction of the first phase of the project, according to municipality directorgeneral Mohammed Al Asam. He added that The authorities were keen to adopt and implement useful projects like public parks for the benefit of both nationals and residents. “The RAK Government is committed to increase green areas in the emirate, spares no effort to give families and young children a nice and convenient place to relax and play in. There is already the Dh1.5-million w which is equipped with wide spaces, various toys and numerous utilities,” Mohammed Al Asam elaborated. Aisha Darwish, director of the engineering and buildings department at the municipality, stated that the new parks were

being built in Shaam, Khuzam, Seeh Al Uraibi, Shawka, Al Maneia, Al Muairadh and Al Dhait areas. “While the Khuzam Park has already been completed, only power supply needs to be provided to the Shaam Park, and construction work is undergoing in some other parks.”

He underscored that each new park cost an average of Dh2 million. “All parks will be equipped with all family needs like green areas, toys, shades, toilets, cafeterias and restaurants.” Darwish said a public park took over a full year to be completed and opened for the public. “We are closely following the construction works with the companies contracted for building the new parks.” Meanwhile Abdullah Yusuf, director of the RAK public works department, said a number of projects, including new roads and bridges are to be built in the emirate in the near future. Meanwhile, millions of dirhams have been spent across the UAE to help maintain and enhance greenery as well as educate residents on the importance of conservation. “As part of the RAK blueprint, we have planted trees and ornamental plants along the main roads of the emirate.”

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

RAK Business Champions

A new feather in Raza's cap No matter how healthy or rich economies are, people will never stop getting sick. With a population of approximately 300,000, Ras Al Khaimah is increasingly attracting medical tourism patients from abroad, as the emirate offers five-star health care at competitive costs. In an interview with Robust RAKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Samar Manzar, Raza Siddiqui, chairman of RAK Hospital, describes how the hospital, today, is spreading its luxurious health care offering even beyond the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s borders. 22

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

RAK Business Champions

RR: What prompted you to join the pharma industry? RZ: I started off as a management trainee, rising to the position of marketing manager in Ranbaxy India. However, a strong inclination towards the garment industry drove me to quit and take up fashion designing with a Parisbased company. I learnt every aspect of garment manufacturing, right from designing, pattern making, fabric selection, dyeing, printing, packing and finally exporting. After spending some time in the industry, I realised that this transition was completely out of place; hence, I returned to health care. During this period, Apollo hospital was being established in New Delhi and I got in touch with Mrs Micky Bharucha (CEO of the hospital), who introduced me to the chairman, Dr Prathap Reddy (co-founder and chairman of RAK Hospital). And, that’s how I made a comeback in the health care industry. I was instrumental in making it a profitable venture within the first year of its operation. It was a world record because usually hospitals take four to five years to start making profits. RR: How did you achieve these milestones? RZ: I did a lot of innovations. For the first time, I used public relations (PR) as a marketing tool by toning down health care communication to common man’s levels of understanding. When I joined Apollo Hospitals, a company called Perfect Relations was handling our PR. In one of our initial press conferences, one of the trainee staff from the PR company came over to me and said: “ Mr Siddiqui please tell Dr Reddy to not open is his ‘bloody mouth’ without taking our permission.” I was appalled and disgusted by the disrespect to such an extent that I saw to it that this person was fired immediately. I also informed Dr Reddy that PR would be, henceforth, handled by me. Believe me, I had no clue about the subject at that time, as I had never done

In the first year itself, we had 2000 newspaper articles published about the hospital and it was shown on television 300 times. We made history in public relations.

it before, but he trusted me to do well and I did. While interviewing me for the job at the hospital, Dr. Reddy had asked: “So, Raza, how much time you will take to make this hospital profitable?” I had replied: “One year”. I had no clue of what I was talking. And, Dr. Reddy said that either I was super confident

or unrealistic and had no idea of what I was talking about. He did appreciate my confidence, however. And, in the first year itself, we had 2000 newspaper articles published about the hospital and it was shown on television 300 times. We made history in public relations. Confidence in oneself is necessary if one wants to achieve one’s goals and make things happen. My PR strategy was to reach down to at least 300 district level newspapers in India, and which I did. These newspapers have the power of either making or breaking an entity. We, of course, benefited, as it so happened that rural Indian accounted for 70 per cent per cent of Apollo’s clientele: we had managed to reach them through focused and sustained PR. And, that’s how Apollo hospital became a success in the very first year of its operation in Delhi.

RR: How did you come to Dubai? RZ: Apollo hospital wanted to start a venture in partnership with ETA in Dubai. The son of the founder of ETA Arif Rahman paid a visit to Delhi and met me once in my office. Impressed with my work, he went on to insist that the Dubai 23

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RAK Business Champions

venture could succeed only if I were fully involved. So, Dr Reddy asked me to migrate for two years to Dubai, establish everything and then return. I set up the hospital in Dubai, brought the doctors, who started making committees, which didn’t work for me. I don’t like working if too many conditions are put in my way, as then things get beyond my control. This happened with this hospital. Moreover, the ETA group, at that time, asked me to leave Apollo and join them. This was against my principles. Any man of integrity wouldn’t have accepted that offer, especially of leaving the partner of the company that sent me to work a project. I returned to Apollo after that. However, our relationship ended, and then I did join the ETA group to set up its health care business. At this time, His Highness Sheikh Saud (Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah), who is related to ETA (Al Ghurair), told Syed Salahuddin (co-founder ETA) that he wanted to establish a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah. The ETA group recommended me to the ruler. Sheikh Saud also wanted to establish a five star hotel next to the Saqr hospital, and use the doctors to treat patients in a five star environment.

The idea behind the project was to give confidence to the international community coming to Ras Al Khaimah to invest that the emirate had superb health care facilities. So, my task was to set up a top of the line hospital and also promote Ras Al Khaimah as a tourism investment destination. The idea behind the project was to give confidence to the international community coming to Ras Al Khaimah to invest that the emirate had superb health care facilities. However, my market research showed that his proposed idea is too futuristic for Ras Al Khaimah, which had a population of just

200,000, and of which 60-70 per cent being locals with not very high income and having access to free health care. Expatriates living in Ras Al Khaimah were also in the middle to lower income group, and thus a hospital with five star luxuries served no business sense here. I felt that a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah should first serve the needs of the locals by stopping people from going out for treatment. The next step would be to make it regional and then create an international brand. I started with the designing stage by traveling to Washington DC, met the designers of the biggest medical tourism destination, Mayo Clinic, and got the hospital designed in 15 days. Hence, this hospital provides American standards from day one. I hired Joint Commission from the initial stages to make my facilities at par with their standards. And, we completed the construction within record 18 months. Now, policies, procedures and protocols have been written by the Joint Commission itself. If they are the ones who would inspect us, they might as well write it. My mission was to make Ras Al Khaimah a medical tourism destination, and I did a lot of research on the subject. This

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RAK Business Champions

hospital has all international features, while international architecture designs have been used in this hospital. You will find all corridors straight. You’ll find openness, you’ll find light. My philosophy is that if someone opens eyes for one moment in 24 hours, he has to see light, life and hope. He has to feel that I don’t have to be here, I’ve to go on the other side, and life is still beautiful. In health care, it’s all about your will and that’s what we’ve been following here. For the first three-four years, we focused only on the people of Ras Al Khaimah to make the hospital self-sufficient. We brought the entire mechanism of cardiac surgery and other advance procedures. And, now we have offices in 16 countries. If there’s anybody who can talk about medical tourism in the UAE, it’s this small hospital with high-end patients. For instance, a Nigerian governor’s wife stayed here for three months in a suite to get her knee injury completely treated, did physiotherapy, etc. People come from outside the country come here to get their heart surgery, spine surgery, brain surgery done.

RR: What are the key highlights of this hospital in terms of facilities?

RZ: Have you heard of a hospital that also boasts of housing one of the best spas in town? For instance, if you deliver in my hospital, you

don’t want to be seen with grown eyebrows and upper lips because that’s your need. And we’ve rich facilities for women including manicure, pedicure, facial, hair spa. Also, if you aren’t getting sleep, I won’t give you sleeping pills, I will send a reflexologist to give you a massage on your legs and put you to sleep. And, my pricing is the cheapest in UAE, which comes to about 25 per cent more than what you would pay in India for similar facilities. In other words, I offer American standards of health care at Asian prices.

audit, we start working on the wellness of these employees. To give you an example, some people are used to eating unnecessary medicines, they’ve some psychological problem and they will take medicine for everything. We counsel these people about the ill effects and side effects of unnecessary medication and help in reducing health care bills, while improving general health and wellness. Do you know that twenty per cent people are diabetic and are likely to end up on cardiac surgery table tomorrow; since we know these numbers we work very hard to create awareness and consciousness among the employees. Research has proved that if you’re able to control by absentees in an organisation, you can see a direct 25 per cent increase in bottom-line numbers. Today, we have started these programmes in corporates and insurance companies.

RR: What do you characterize as the proudest achievements so far? RZ: RAK Hospital has been

RR: What programmes do you have

accredited by the Joint Commission of US, which is the Mecca of medicine. This is the supreme accreditation body of all the US hospitals, and insurance companies do not reimburse your bills if you’re not accredited by them.

RZ:

RR: What are your plans going forward?

for corporates?

We have started a new company called Arabian Wellness and lifestyle management. This company analyses entire organisations for the quality of physical health and wellness of their employees. In fact we have now introduced the most healthy organisation awards, which will be given away to winners by His Highness Sheikh Saud. Arabian Wellness also audits companies for the health insurance premiums they pay, as these rise every year if employees are physically unfit. We have analysed organisations and have identified that 20 per cent of the staff eat away the 80 per cent of the health budget. The entire audit is done at a small price of between AED100-200 per person. Post-

RZ: I am planning to start a hospital in Dubai at a prime location. I want to show the people what medical tourism is all about. The dream is to set up a seven-star deluxe hospital. The health care business in this region is close to US$20 billion. People of this region have spent US$10 billion last year for health care in the US. Dubai is an ideal location, where 600-700 people daily change flights from Dubai airport and go to Thailand, Malaysia, Bangkok, etc., for good health care facilities. If I am able to offer good quality health care in this region why will they go out as the region is tax free, safe and secure. 25

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

RAK Business Champions

Compact disc's alive and kicking P

C’s are on the decline and, so is the laptop as a form factor. The CPU unit has been replaced with all-inone workstations, while the laptop has become extremely flexible. The lesson being, evolution and advancements are the norm of the technical world. Storage media and devices too have evolved rapidly, and it seems almost a century ago when floppy’s controlled the extent of data we could transfer to another user, 1.44mb-1.76mb at best. By 2000, compact discs sent floppy’s packing offering better storage space with several read/ write options, with the added benefit of being the only storage device that a virus cannot get onto. Falcon Technologies International (FTI), a company based in Ras Al Khaimah, has been a premier operator in the storage media space, and, it’s one of the most reputed names in Middle Eastern region. However, the trend in the last five years has changed. USB storage devices in the form of low capacity pen drives, and slightly larger, pocket-sized portable hard-drives have put CD’s and DVD’s on the back foot. Has the emergence of USB drives affected companies such as FTI? Following is an edited excerpt from an interview with FTI’s chief operating officer, Roberto Santini, who shares his views of the market trends with Robust RAK's Nikhil Pereira.

Q: How many years has Falcon

Technologies International been in existence?

A: Falcon was established in 2005.

We cover mostly Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America, with sales teams present in the territory close to our customers.

Q: How’s the experience been on

managing and handling operations in Ras Al Khaimah- a pleasant one?

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RAK Business Champions

A: We have a complex

organisation, operating 24x7 with over 20 nationalities represented. Despite this complexity, we have managed to turn it into our strength. We are focused at the operational level, and respect the cultural diversity across the workforce. In the simplest of terms, it has been an absolute pleasure. I have worked in many locations, and would assure you that Ras Al Khaimah is certainly a well-kept secret. It offers a great environment for professionals and families in a lovely emirate full of history, beauty and geographically situated in a perfect location. Additionally, I must say that the spirit, support and sense of community are unique, making

RAK a perfect destination for anyone who wants to invest.

We operate an extremely sophisticated facility where performance, quality and thirst for perfection are applied in every area of our business.

Q: What are the key factors that keep FTI rooted in Ras Al Khaimah?

A: The vision, the thrust and the

determination of our shareholders.

Q: Give us a few insights into your business.

A: We operate an extremely

sophisticated facility where performance, quality and thirst for perfection are applied in every area of our business. This can only be achieved with a dedicated team. Their passion and professionalism is a key factor to our success in the

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

RAK Business Champions

industry. In fact, quite recently, we were declared the best ‘Optical Media’ facility in the world.

Q: Given FTI’s primary operation is

testing methods are CD, DVD and BD (Blue Ray). Therefore, if you are planning to store anything, from precious family pictures to classified data, I would strongly recommend using our products.

manufacturing CDs and DVDs, has the demand for USB drives eaten into your business?

Q: What are you expansion plans?

A: As mentioned earlier on,

A: Our products branded ‘Falcon

we operate in the professional sector, therefore, we don’t really face competition from USB technologies, which is mainly dominant in the consumer sector. We perform specialised tests to make sure that our products can preserve the content while exposed to aging processes and temperature variations. These tests are designed to simulate aging cycles by temperature and humidity fluctuation in climate chambers. Until today, the only products able to withstand archival

Media’ are well known for the outstanding quality, performance and long lasting archival properties, 100 years for DVD and 300 years for CDs. Our aim is to continue educating the market and expand by creating awareness of the extended life of our products. Key customers are professionals working in the medical, government, security, archival and duplication sectors. Even though the optical media products are made of well-established technology, there still a lot to

be done to expand our brandsectorally and geographically.

Q: What business strategies have FTI

applied in the wake of changing times?

A: Times might have changed

but the need for quality and performance is always there. The key is making sure we effectively communicate the benefits of our solutions.

Q: What does the future hold for FTI? A: Our aim is to continue to

offer outstanding products that exceed customer expectations, expanding relationships within the industry and evaluating different areas where we can diversify our production capabilities in other sectors, by leveraging the strength of our team and assets.

IT’S HUGE IT’S LARGEST

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EVENT

SME Expo:

Business Olympics:

The main highlight would be the Expo, with over 150 exhibitors being divided into different sections.

Keynote Conferences:

The coveted Business Olympics will witness close to 40 corporate teams vying for ultimate glory through strategy and team building games.

Deal Lounge:

The event will kick off with a keynote delivered by a noted industry billionaire amidst thousands of entrepreneurs, participants and media.

Interested in a service you see, sign-up on the spot. A separate dedicated deal lounge to give you a serene environment for well-planned and strategic deal closures.

Speed Networking: An exclusive brainchild of the Intelligent SME, Speed Networking puts 300 qualified sellers to pitch their proposals in front of 100 qualified buyers.

Haute Couture: Stunning fashion shows showcasing Haute Couture by designers from UAE, popular personalities, glamorous celebrities from UAE as show stoppers.

“Book your booths today” info@spiholding.net www.smeworld.ae

Excel awards: The Summit will pay homage to the excellence of pioneers across different fields and their achievements.

Workshops: Sessions by top consultancy firms from all over the world to oversee numerous workshops related to latest technological trends in business.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Sales Strategy

Make it concise, and follow-up!

Following up and creating business from your network is how you distinguish yourself as a networking maven and not just a wannabe, writes Phil Bedford.

eaving a networking event with a handful of great contacts is always a good feeling. It means, to many of us, it has been a justifiable use of time. We need to make sure that this investment in our business is not wasted. After all, our time spent networking has a value to it. We should have an hourly rate in terms of what we are worth to our businesses, which means that while networking, your time has a “cost” to your business. There is also the “cost” associated with the time you are not doing other tasks

such as attending to existing clients or preparing proposals. It could be a “cost” to your personal life, perhaps time spent with family if it is an evening event. To turn this potential “cost” into an “investment” we need make sure we are not wasting our time. Metaphorically, networking is the Ferrari you buy yourself, and then leave parked in the garage, because you didn’t want to learn how to drive or drive incorrectly, which results in a damaged Ferrari. Therefore, if we are not networking effectively and

efficiently, it becomes a waste of time, rather than the potential benefit for our business. While there are a number of skills associated with networking, the number one trait of a good networker is follow up. If you don’t follow up with the people you met, spent time chatting to and starting a relationship with, then it is often a waste of time.

How to remember them

I suggest- when you meet a person of interest at an event- making notes after the

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Sales Strategy

conversation on their business card with action points based on the conversation and also some points to help you remember them. Then in the future when referring back to the card you can reference the conversation and your memory bank which makes the reconnect more personal. One problem for many people is that they get home or back to the office, put the cards on their table, and then proceed to catch up with work. After a day or so, they see the cards and move them to one side out of the way and promise to themselves to deal with them later on. Three days later the cards are still there and making the table cluttered so they are moved to a “storage place for cards” out of the way, quite often this is a draw or business card holder. Now they are “lost” and forgotten. I would suggest following up with the people you meet within 24 hours. It shows you to be on the ball and efficient as well as valuing the conversation you had. Not bad traits for a new business relationship. If you receive a decent follow up email wouldn’t it also be polite to reply to it? I am amazed at how many people do not.

Follow up appropriately

This all depends on what you discussed and agreed at the time. If they ask you to be in touch with a view to doing business then you have their permission to set up a meeting with the same agenda. If you agree that you should sit and discuss opportunities such as referring each other, then follow up and suggest a date and time. I need to point out here that following up is different with each of the four behavioural styles: some are best to follow up with by phone and others by email, what you say when suggesting the meeting will also enhance or detract from your success. I would suggest gaining some extra knowledge in this area by learning more about the Platinum Rule, DISC or Room full of Referrals. If you just had an interesting chat with no clear outcome, it is appropriate to follow up by saying nice to meet you and I look forward to seeing you again.

An experienced business trainer, Phil Bedford brings over a decade of experience to his role as master franchisee for the Referral Institute. His expertise and experience of working with both companies and networking associations, coupled with a passion for training have helped him immensely. He regularly appears as a speaker in the UAE and abroad, educating people on how to build their business by word of mouth and “Creating Referrals for Life.

A big “no no” is to send the people you meet an assumptive sales email telling them they need your services possibly along with loads of information about the company or product. Don’t believe me? Well think of the last time someone did this to you, the chances are you just deleted the email. The key point of networking is to be remembered favourably. To become visible so that people think you are a good person, professional and they would like to get to know you more. “Pouncing” on everyone you meet trying to sell to everyone and then following up with sales emails does not encourage people to see you as someone interested in them. It shows you are only interested in what you can get from them.

Maintaining contact

Let’s face it, it’s pretty much impossible to stay in touch with everyone we meet. We all know between 250 and 2,000 people and to keep in touch on a 1-2-1 basis with them all would leave us no time. Yet, if we do not stay in touch in some way, then they will soon forget about us. It is important that people remember us and what we do, even if we do not see them from year to year. I would guess we all know someone close to us who has bought from a competitor because “they forgot what we did” or “someone came knocking at the right time”.

To maintain the relationships and stay in touch with the wider sphere of your contacts, moving them into permission based CRM is a good move. We need to filter these contacts to see which key people we need to be in touch with regularly - those “Referral Partner” relationships with which we can pass each other regular high quality referrals (profitable relationships). From the people who become potential referral sources who provide or to whom we can give less regular referrals (credible relationships), to those people who become part of our network but we do not know well from whom chance referrals may come or become part of our support or information networks. To maintain the relationships and stay in touch with the wider sphere of your contacts, moving them into permission based CRM is a good move. Offer them the opportunity to get free tips from you through some form of newsletter. By adding value you are not taking from them. As bestselling author and change agent Seth Godin states, the old days of interrupt marketing are dying and we need to be adding value by permission. Categorize them in your CRM system with people who express a need to know more about your product from those who at this point simply want tips. I find constant contact is excellent for this (www.constantcontact. com) although there are other management systems out there. Whatever action you take, I suggest putting yourself in the recipient’s shoes and thinking how they would view this.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

The Marketing Battle

Clearing profitability roadblocks

When business owners reach a plateau of profitability they must work on the business rather than in it, writes Simon Hodges.

reviously, I identified five areas which if managed correctly will lead to business growth. To remind you, these are: recognizing that all businesses are in the sales and marketing business; understanding the market you are in; creating a bond of trust with your customers; standing out in the marketplace and concentrating on a chosen

segment or niche. We then went on to look in general at the sales and marketing function. In this article I want to concentrate on a third general area that is essential if you are to create long term business success from the work done in the above mentioned areas. Recently, a lot has been written and spoken about the need for SMEs to establish

proper corporate governance systems in order to have successful businesses. However, other than ensuring compliance with somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of how you should run your business, why should you bother; after all you are already in control of your business, right? In fact, there are very few SME business owners who implement

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The Marketing Battle

systems – strong, written policies and procedures into their business and this is fine if you are happy with what you are achieving. The problem is that often businesses reach a plateau of profitability and that’s because the owner reaches a point where he can only achieve so much every day. There is simply no time to do any of the things that need to be done in order to grow the business or just simply reach an acceptable level of earnings.

Establishing systems

The inescapable fact is that to achieve sustainable growth, the owner has to free up time to work on the business rather than in it. The only way to do that and retain control is to establish systems, processes and policies that enable other team members to carry out their allotted tasks in an efficient and focused way. Governance systems are established to support the reason why a business exists, which is to sell more to more customers at a higher profit than its competitors. This will create a business that can be reasonably certain of achieving long term sustainable growth that will define its value so that it can become a truly rewarding experience for its owner(s).

The first steps

The first step to systematising a business is for the owner to take stock. You probably already have a pretty good idea of how your business is running but what you should have more than a “pretty good idea.” I want you to have a crystal clear picture which shows exactly how things get done – who’s doing what, how much time each task is taking and what you spend most of your time on, how your business is organised and much more. One of the best ways of getting a picture is to prepare a series of flow charts that include all your staff reporting lines, how the primary functions work, including ancillary services such as invoice preparation, how to support the process and how each person actually completes the tasks given to them. What in effect you are doing here is to create a kind of company operations manual and

Simon Hodges, CEO, Alchemy Network Middle East has recently launched the franchise network in the Middle East. Alchemy Network is a UK-based worldwide network of consultant partners, who work alongside owners and operators of SMEs to help bring them financial success, and eventually introduce them to systems that will relieve them from the mundane day-to-day running of the business,and allow them time to concentrate more on what they do best.

Governance systems are established to support the reason why a business exists, which is to sell more to more customers at a higher profit than its competitors. the day-to-day activities will be completed as you want them to be.

Final step

a snapshot of what the company is actually doing rather than what should be happening. No matter what the answer turns out to be you will know what is working and what is not. This is critical in building a successful governance system.

Developing your system

When a business starts it is likely to have only a few employees. Each will know their basic jobs, what is expected of them and they just do it. But at some point and especially as the business grows, it becomes harder to really know what everyone is doing. It therefore makes sense to get a better control over what is going on and it’s not hard to understand why. Written and easy-to-understand instruction on how each job in an organisation is done means you don’t have to be constantly around showing people what to do. By developing an operations manual you will create the environment whereby you can concentrate on growth but be happy in the knowledge that

Probably the hardest part of systematising a business is how to handle the owner and the relationship with their business. Specifically, the object of the process has been to remove them from the business so that they have the time to grow it. Can you imagine physically staying away from the premises of your own business? I have no doubt that there is a voice in your mind which says: “That’s impossible!” It is difficult to imagine your business continuing to run without your intimate involvement but if you look at almost every successful business it is the employees who make it happen. What we are talking about here is a radical change in your relationship with your business, especially your employees. I realise that’s blunt but the point is that the inability to delegate is a failure of leadership. It means you have not designed a business that is well organised to handle itself. The good news is that it is not as difficult as it looks and the more you delegate the more fulfilling it becomes, and you create more time for yourself so you will be able to concentrate on areas that significantly grow your business. Now you are working on your business rather than in it and that is what all truly successful business people do.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Management Consultancy

Battling sales challenges Zed Ayesh explains how SMEs can shoot down challenges in sales and put in place a winning business strategy.

ales conquests remain among the biggest challenges for SMEs across the board. As business experts, we see two main categories of business based on sales challenges: newly established international business in the region and newly established local businesses. The first category is faced with more external challenges such market understanding, competition, perception and local business process, while the second category is hindered with staffing, training, business models, value proposition, time management, delegation and the most common among the two is sales and sales management. Based on deep knowledge and

observation of SMEs in the local market there is much to be done to help SME owners and managers to better manage their sales team to become more efficient. This means conserving limited resources and increasing revenue, which is the ultimate business objective. Assuming that the business idea is valid and the product or service being sold has valid value proposition, here are a few tips:

Time

Time is a valuable asset for an SME. When it comes to sales activities and sales management efforts, time is the most undervalued asset. We all get 24 hours a day without paying for it. The trick here is that once it is gone we cannot get it back. What we do during that time, the number of people we see and number

of contacts we excute to convey our value proposition is controlled by our activities in that time frame. The process of better managing sales for yourself or for your company can be described as efforts in time. If a sales person can contact 10 prospects in eight hours he or she, surely, will have better results achieving more sales than say, putting across a sales pitch to only three prospective clients in the same amount of time. Be aware of how you spend your time if you are in sales, and be aware of how your team is spending their time, if you are in sales management. It is important to understand the sales efforts including lead generations activities, which may include but are not limited to advertisement and promotions.

Managing a sales team

You can make sales, you can make excuses, but you cannot make both at the same time. One of the most difficult issues that SME owners and managers’ face is managing their sales team. This could be attributed to the perception in this part of the world; “that the sales profession is not viewed favorably”; sales people are disliked and more times than other they are resisted without being given the chance to show or tell their story. Sometimes external pressure of sales combined with internal pressure puts a sales person on the defense, and some other times he or she gets into a comfort zone where enough time is not spent in

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Management Consultancy

getting more sales by establishing more contacts. They simply make excuses, among which some are very valid. In the past few years I think I have heard it all, and, every once in a while I still get surprised by new and original excuses. My answer to such excuses is that no one said that sales would just roll in; you have to go and get it. When your sales person starts to make more excuses for not making the efforts (not the sales) then it is time to let him/her go.

Empower

It will make a huge difference when all the staff in a company are empowered through training, knowledge, involvement, bonuses and encouraged to become a part of a sales team even though their primary function in the company is not sales. Getting staff to be a part of an overall organization is critical unused asset, which can make a huge difference once used in the proper manner. It’s easy enough to get the staff to become a part of a sales team if they feel valued as individuals and as employees in addition if a sense of pride is installed in them. This is done through actions, not words.

Listen

Usually a sales person wants to finish his sales pitch early on in a meeting so that he can close on deal quickly. Many times if not all times, when that happens, the sale is lost without ever coming back. The sales person starts giving his pitch without asking a prospect what he or she is looking for, what issues or problems they are trying to solve. The lack of sales process understanding is the number one sales killer in this region. To start the correct sales process a sales person must start with listening to the prospect, trying to understand and evaluating what his prospect is looking for. It is a misconception among SME managers that a good sales person is a good talker, which is a huge problem. Research has found that introvert individuals achieve better results in sales compared to extroverts. To sell more you have to listen more.

Pre-qualify your prospects

In this region sales persons try

Zed Ayesh has over 20 years’ experience in management and business development. He is currently the managing director of Flagship Consultancy based in Dubai, and works with clients on many aspects of the business from strategic planning, business development, marketing strategies, pre-sales and sales management, across different sectors such as government agencies, real estate, media companies, manufacturing, contracting, engineering firms, retail and shipping companies.

to sell to anyone and everyone. Maybe that is why in most cases they are not liked. They are not spending enough time on researching prospects and potential buyers before they approach them. To ensure successful results from sales activities a sales person must ensure if the person he is contacting is the right person for the products or services being sold. It is more complex when the prospect leads the sales person into believing that he is that person and it is much worse when such a prospect is not even a prospect, but simply doesn’t have anything better to do with his time; To be able to distinguish true prospects from non prospects is a skill that can be developed with time. Listen with your eyes not your ears – many prospects say many things that indicate their intention of buying, but their actions tell a different story: believe your eyes.

Numbers don’t lie

When managing sales activities as well as the sales team, it is crucial to understand the numbers – all the numbers, including but not limited to revenue, lead generating efforts in numbers, and sales effort in numbers. When working against a quota, knowing your ratio matters: how many calls it takes to secure a meeting, how many meetings it takes to secure a presentation, how many presentations it takes to secure a request for proposal and how many proposals end up as sales. When you know your numbers and

Getting staff to be a part of an overall organization is critical unused asset, which can make a huge difference once used in the proper manner. understand your ratio, then sales becomes an easy thing to manage

Persistence

The more “No’s” you get, the closer you are to a “yes.” Sales can be a very frustrating job with rejections and dead ends, in addition to building contacts and structuring your ratio makes it more difficult task. If you are just starting up a business or a career in sales, it is important to know that a sale as an activity, an effort and as a career requires persistence; this is the one virtue that is essential for the success of any sales person.

Make it easy to buy from you

The one thing that I hear all the time is when buying a product or a service from a small business, one has to go through so many complications to finish the purchase, as if it is the customer’s fault that he bought that item or service from the SME. SME owners and managers do such things with the objective of getting paid and not having any liabilities toward the customer during and after the purchase is completed and maybe due to lack of resources, nevertheless they end up losing the customer for good. When thinking about operating, an SME owner or manager must provide service that sells. Exceeding customer expectation is a long term winning sales and business strategy that can keep the clients and revenue coming.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Strategic Development

Is it mandatory to have a business plan? What cannot be measured cannot be managed! V. Ramkumar delves into the core of business initiative, its planning.

f you are failing to plan, then you are planning to fail! So simple in its expression, yet the potency of this statement possibly reflects the core reason for billions of dollars that are pilfered globally. If an organisation does not have a plan, then it has no means to measure if it is progressing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what cannot be measured, cannot be managed as well! Core of any enterprise, business initiative, or even the regular dayto-day operations is the efficacy of planning. It only becomes more critical in the context of SMEs where the enterprise has limited resources which have to be managed carefully. Planning is not an isolated activity, but needs to be an integral part of any enterprise, venture or initiative. This is at a macro level â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for the overall business, and also at a micro level â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for the individual running the business. It has to reflect the vision of the organisation from a long-term standpoint, and still needs to have an annual, quarterly and monthly target. Similarly, at an individual level, one should be cognizant of his or her performance measurement at the end of a year, and also should have a day-today planning calendar that lists down the to-do list for the day. Let us explore a little more, from two perspectives: planning for the enterprise, and planning for the individual.

Business pan

Sales

Profit

Market Competitors

Team

Strategy

Customer

Management

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Strategic Development

Planning for the enterprise

More often than not, this tends to become a simple financial target setting process, and worse still, sidelined to become an accounting exercise at the end of the year, where the targets are increased by a percentage of previous year’s performance. In reality, this has to be much more than just a financial plan – it also needs to set the objectives for the enterprise on what will be achieved, delivered through which initiatives, to be executed by whom, and by when. The Balanced Scorecard framework helps facilitate this to be defined in a structured and holistic manner, across four perspectives:

Financial: If we succeed, how will we look in terms of revenue, growth and profitability? Customer: How do we want

customers to view us in terms of price, service, and quality?

Process: To satisfy our customers, what management processes must we excel at – cycle time, productivity, costs, etc?

Organisational: To achieve our

vision, how must our organisation learn and improve – people, technology, climate for action, etc? While the above sets the business plan in terms of objectives that need to be established, it has to be aligned with the set of initiatives that the enterprise must be engaged in, and the responsibilities that must be bestowed on key people from within the organisation. The objectives are they directly responsible for, initiatives that will deliver these objectives, and by when these are to be achieved. Defining quantifiable measures that can track the progress is integral to this planning process, as it then helps effectively monitor the progress. While the above helps in defining the organisational objectives for a medium to long term period, the more short-term measurement is driven by the targets and performance reviews, which are obviously broken down

V Ramkumar is senior director at Cedar Management Consulting International LLC, a US based management consulting firm whose heritage includes being part of the firm founded by creators of the Balanced Scorecard. Ram has over 17 years of management consulting and strategic transformation experience. He can be reached at v.ramkumar@cedarconsulting.com

from the overall annual targets. The key here is in ensuring that the tracking is not just in terms of the financial objectives and aligned initiatives, but that they reflect all the four perspectives – which is how you ensure it is a ‘Balanced’ Scorecard!

Planning for the individual

How many of us define a plan for the year, let alone for the day, and reflect back at the end of the day on our performance? The answer lies in the list of new-year resolutions that went by without a murmur into the oblivion! Now, while that may still be seen as a personal wish-list, it is imperative that for every professional to have a well defined set of objectives and plan for execution for the long term, medium term and even for the day! A well-designed performance management system of any organisation ensures that the enterprise objectives, as defined in the Balanced Scorecard, dovetails into that of the individual performance measures of its employees. Now that in itself helps bring in clarity to what needs to be achieved by the individual, and the means through which this ought to be achieved. More importantly, there should also be clarity on how one defines the successful achievement or execution of the stated objectives – which is defined by quantified measures that are in

A well-designed performance management system of any organisation ensures that the enterprise objectives, as defined in the Balanced Scorecard, dovetails into that of the individual performance measures of its employees.

direct control of the individual and related targets. At an even more operational level, I have seen successful senior executives have a very structured approach to defining their daily activities, and ensuring there is time for executing everything. And the secret is in spending the first 15 minutes of your day in listing down the to-do for the day, and in prioritizing it. The issue, then is, how do you prioritize the list? Generally, the thumb-rule to follow is to categorize the list into four quadrants of the page, classified by sense of urgency and sense of criticality. Obviously, those that are both of high urgency & criticality assume the highest priority, followed by those with high urgency but less criticality. The trick is in appropriately classifying the list of things to do, in a manner where not everything is urgent! A last word on successful planning: you do not need to have a 100-page plan for any initiative to be successful. As long as the plan is precise, is holistic and provides clarity, any plan is good to go. There will always be a course correction to the plan as visibility increases through its execution. However, just because the plan is “expected to undergo a change,” refraining from making the plan in the first place is a recipe for a disaster. Now go back to the first paragraph of this article – are we still surprised?!

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Strategic Development

Demystifying professional indemnity A professional indemnity policy covers losses to clients on account of negligence in discharge of professional duties, writes Sandi Saksena.

oing into business is exciting and rewarding. You feel in control of your future at last! If your business is service-oriented, you have a responsibility and duty to care for your client and third parties, through the services and expertise you provide. So, just to bring you back to terra firma when you decide to open a business you immediately confront a great deal of risks such as hoping people will buy your product or use your service. When dealing with clients you are exposed to the risk that they may find fault with a service youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve provided. These clients can even go so far as filing a claim against your business. Many professions are required to have professional indemnityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (PI) insurance cover as a regulatory requirement or as part of their professional authorisation. These include doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, surveyors, insurance brokers, and financial advisers. Many consultants including consulting engineers, management trainers, advertising and PR agencies, printers, and designers also choose to have this type of insurance to meet client requirements and to benefit from financial protection in the event of a claim arising. A claim can be very expensive for your business. Not only will you have legal fees to defend yourself, the court can rule in favor of the claimant. You could end up paying a large damage

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Strategic Development

reward to the claimant. Both of these can easily drain the finances of your business and personal assets. Taking out a PI policy can provide you with peace of mind should you find yourself in this predicament. PI protects businesses against claims. One of two types of legal expenses can be covered by a PI policy: first, legal expenses that might be spent trying to settle the matter out of court, second, any legal expenses that were incurred trying to defend the claim in court will also be reimbursed. For every kind of PI cover there are questionnaires, forms, disclosures, details, some straight forward and some very technical ones too! To understand the benefits and the terms and conditions it is best to contact a broker who deals with various providers and can source the appropriate insurance and advise you on your specific requirements. Case study – printing company Background: Why would someone in this business need PI insurance? Arguably printing is one of those businesses that are not really sure why they need to buy PI insurance. For printers the risks that they run - which can be covered by this insurance - centres around unintentional breach of copyright infringement of decency or, more commonly a straight forward error or mistake! Circumstances – In this case the printer made a simple human error. Somehow, the wrong file was put to press and then sent to a mailing house for onward dispatch to the printer’s client’s customers. It wasn’t a terrible error; it was the file that had been received prior to the final approved version of the job. It was however totally wrong. In all 50,000 leaflets were printed and sent out to 50,000 clients. The printer’s client was understandably very annoyed and expected the printer to reprint the job and pay the costs of re mailing the new literature with an apology to all their customers. Solution – The printer had a full PI policy thanks to a prudent owner management decision. The cover included costs and expenses of rectifying an error such as this

Sandi Saksena is a financial planning counsellor with over 15 years experience in advising on life, disability and critical illness insurances. She focuses on exit planning for SME owners, working with accountants and lawyers to provide holistic solutions. Sandi can be contacted by email (sandra.saksena@nexusadvice.com) or by mobile (0506517963).

without the printer’s client needing to sue him. The printer arranged to reprint the job; the covers paid the cost of doing this. Insurers also picked up the bill for the other items in the pack and the envelopes as well as the second set of postage costs. The insurer settled the claim in full, and there was no excess applied to the cost of rectification. The printer was very happy because he did not have to wait until his client had made a claim against him for something that he was clearly at fault. Because he was able to act quickly he was able to retain the business of his client. Case Study – training consultant Background: Like most people, training consultants also question the need to buy PI insurance. What could they possibly be sued for? Unless they are involved with motivational activities such as fire walking, they see very little prospect of being sued by a customer or any other party for the work that they do. If they do see the chance of such a possibility they expect it to be limited to the fees that they charge and no more. One area that is particularly likely to give rise to claims relates to course material as this case study illustrates how such a claim can arise for breach of copyright Circumstances: In this case the consultant was contracted by a well-known MNC to provide training courses to upper management on a variety of management techniques. The courses were to cover the works of many of the master theorists in management styles and techniques. The training consultant put together a suitable program that was approved by the MNC using widely available material, and the training consultant produced material that was then given to the participants.

The course material contained references to the books and web sites of the various experts in order that the participants could follow up on the information and explore techniques that had been referred to during the course with the relevant expert. There was no suggestion that the course was intended to teach any of the techniques, but that it aimed to arm the participants with the knowledge of what was available and where to find it. One of the participants of the course was particularly interested in one of the management gurus that had been discussed and took their studies further, contacting the guru and then booking a course with him. He gave the guru a copy of the notes that he had been given by the training consultant. The management guru then instructed solicitors to write to the leadership trainer alleging breach of copyright and seeking damages of approximately AED 590,000. Fortunately, the trainer / consultant had full PI that covered costs and expenses of defending a claim for breach of copyright as well as damages awarded. This cover had been taken in the UK arranged by the office administrator who had just made the trainer/consultant sign all the papers and had paid for it from the office petty cash!!! It was a comprehensive cover and so he was covered here in the UAE. He admits that he did not even think of such a cover when opening his consultancy in the UAE and now feels grateful for what he signed up!! The consultant and insurers worked to draft a formal response to the claim. After exchanging a few letters the management guru agreed to accept a formal apology from the Consultant and dropped the claim for damages.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Legal Column

The intricacies of legal inheritance Untimely death of a business partner or, a family member can lead to severe mental trauma. However, have you ever thought how you could lose inheritance if there is no proper will in place? Nita Maru answers a few queries relevant to the UAE market.

rotection of family legacies in the Middle East is a complicated, often underestimated area of the law and, as we have seen, Shari’ah Law, probably, operates entirely differently from the laws of your home country. It’s therefore

important to have the assistance of a fully qualified lawyer to advise on wills and on business succession planning to best ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes.

Q. We own property in Dubai in joint

names. Will I automatically inherit that property upon my husband’s death?

A: The general rule is that

inheritance issues for Muslims will be dealt with in accordance with Shari’ah, and for foreigners, the

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Legal Column

In the event of a shareholder’s death, local probate laws are applied to a business, but the results may be unpredictable as shares do not pass automatically by survivorship, nor can another family member take over in lieu.

law of the deceased’s home country will apply. There is, however, some uncertainty with the law surrounding inheritance issues for UAE real estate owned by foreigners and for this reason it is advisable to make a will to clarify a deceased’s wishes regarding the disposed of his estate. This is reinforced by the fact that although you have property in joint names, in the UAE there is no ‘right of survivorship’ concept found in other jurisdictions (i.e. where property passes to the surviving joint owner upon the death of a joint owner). There are, however, alternative offshore structures we can advise on to protect property here.

Nita Maru (LLB Hons.) is a British qualified solicitor and founder of TWS Legal Consultants in Dubai. She can be contacted for personal appointments on Tel: (+ 971) 4 448 4284, by Email: info@willsuae. com, or by visiting www. willsuae.com

If my husband dies will our joint bank accounts get frozen?

Q. If my husband dies will our joint bank accounts get frozen? A: In principle, the government

will freeze accounts until all liabilities of your husband are cleared such as loans, credit cards and business debts; this can happen within one hour of a fatality! The procedure for reactivating the accounts is complex; however, the process can be expedited if there is a will in place.

Q. My husband sponsors me and our children. What effect will his death have on our visas?

A: The harsh reality is that your

visa will be cancelled within 30 days and you will have to leave the country as you no longer have a sponsor. However, there are contingency plans you can put in place for those wishing to stay in the UAE which I can advise on.

Q. Mr. Daswani and Mr. Kumar are business partners and equal shareholders in an LLC company in Dubai, in the fashion/clothing trade. Their business is growing rapidly and they are extremely successful.

Mr. Kumar is concerned with the implications in the event of death of either one of them.

A: In the event of a shareholder’s death, local probate laws are applied to a business, but the results may be unpredictable as shares do not pass automatically by survivorship, nor can another family member take over in lieu. However, we can secure arrangements to avoid lengthy local probate and guarantee business continuity. 41

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

International Accreditation

Food safety tops the menu Protecting consumer health from food borne hazards has become a compelling duty for policy makers across the globe, writes Dr. Sameer Kumar.

nsafe food causes many acute and lifelong diseases, ranging from diarrhoeal diseases to various forms of cancer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that food-borne and waterborne diseases together kill about 2.2 million people around the world annually, of which 1.9 million of them are children. Threats to food safety constitute a growing public health problem, and WHO's mission is to assist member states to strengthen their programmes to improve the safety of food all the way from production to final consumption.Â In the year 2005, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) took an initiative to publish and release a process based food safety management system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ISO 22000:2005 - to promote food safety, globally. Food safety is a concept or management system, according to which, food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten as intended.

What is food chain?

This includes the sequence of stages and operations involved in the production, processing, distribution, storage and handling of food and its ingredients, from primary production to consumption. This also includes the production of feed for foodproducing animals and for animals intended for food production. The food chain also includes the production of materials intended to come into contact with food or raw materials.

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International Accreditation

Food safety hazard

Food safety hazards could be biological, chemical or physical agents in food, or a condition of food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect. The term “hazard” is not to be confused with the term “risk” which, in the context of food safety, means the probability of an adverse health effect (such as becoming diseased) and the severity of that effect (death, hospitalisation, absence from work, etc.) when exposed to a specified hazard. Food safety hazards include allergens.

Food safety hazards could be biological, chemical or physical agents in food, or a condition of food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.

Dr. Sameer Kumar, CEO, Universal Consulting FZE, is a quality professional with an experience of working in more than seven countries. He has provided consultation and training to more than 400 clients in UAE, UK, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. He has completed his MBA, PhD and is a six sigma champion by qualification and lead auditor of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

This international standard specifies requirements for a food safety management system where an organisation in the food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption. It is applicable to all organisations, regardless of size, which are involved in any aspect of the food chain and want to implement systems that consistently provide safe products. Meeting any requirements of this international standard can be accomplished through the use of internal and/or external resources. This ISO 22000 specifies requirements to enable an organisation to plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a food safety management system aimed at providing products that, according to their intended use, are safe for the consumer. It also demonstrates compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory food safety requirements. ISO 22000 also evaluates and assess customer requirements and demonstrates conformity with those mutually agreed customer requirements that relate to food safety, in order to enhance customer satisfaction. The standard mandates effective communication of food safety issues to suppliers, customers and relevant interested parties in the food chain. It also ensures that the organisation conforms to its stated food safety policy, while demonstrating such conformity to relevant interested

Statutory and regulatory authorities

ISO 22000:2005

Producers of pesticides, fertilizers and veterinary drugs

Crop producers

Food chain for the production of ingredients and additives

Food producers Primary food producers

Transport and storage operators

Food manufacturers

Producers of equipment

Secondary food manufacturers

Producers of cleaning and sanitizing agents

Wholesalers Producers of packaging materials Retailers, food service operators & caterers Service providers customers

parties. Under this standard the company can seek certification or registration of its food safety management system by an external organisation, or make a selfassessment or self-declaration of conformity. All requirements of the ISO 22000 are generic and are intended to be applicable to all organisations in the food chain, regardless of size and complexity. This includes organisations directly or indirectly involved in one or more steps of the food chain. Organisations that are directly involved include, but are not limited to, feed producers, harvesters, farmers, producers of ingredients, food manufacturers, retailers, food services, catering services, organisations providing cleaning and sanitation services, transportation, storage and distribution services. Other organisations that are indirectly involved include, but are not limited to, suppliers of equipment, cleaning and sanitising agents,

packaging material, and other food contact materials. This international standard allows an organisation, such as a small and/or less developed organisation (a small farm, a small packer-distributor, a small retail or food service outlet), to implement an externally developed combination of control measures.

Benefits

There are many benefits associated with the implementation of this standard. It ensures consistency in food safety and quality, leading to sustainable growth. By implementing this standard, organisations can have marked reductions in food hazards and market claims, while improving their professional image. It also opens up the scope of the company’s operations to new markets and customers, owing to increased efficiency and reduced costs. Overall, it also enhances employee morale and goodwill of the company with regulators.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Social Media

Boosting business with the social bubble Have a question about social media and promoting your business online? UAE-based social media consultant and award-winning marketing strategist Farrukh Naeem answers your queries on using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, AdWords, SEO and any other online services. Send your questions tofarrukh@farrukhnaeem.com Q. All my Facebook connections are on my personal profile and I have been told that I cannot have more than 5000 connections on my profile? I do not want to create a page for myself. Is there a workaround to have more people connected to my Facebook profile? A. For people who have a very large networking circle of friends and followers on Facebook, it is quite possible to reach the maximum limit of 5000 friends on their personal profile. Once you reach 5000 friends, you cannot add any more friends to your profile unless you remove a few. Earlier people had the choice to then either create a page and then manage a profile and a page – or create another personal profile – which is against Facebook rules. But Facebook has introduced a feature that enables thousands of people follow your profile’s public updates. It’s the ability to ‘Subscribe’ to personal profiles.

You can enable thousands of people to connect to your Facebook profile without the 5000-friends limit by enabling the ‘Subscribe’ option in your Facebook profile’s account settings. The Subscribe feature can be enabled by any Facebook user above 18 years of age on their Facebook profile. Once enabled, people will see a ‘Subscribe’ button on your profile and will be able to see your public updates.

Most celebrities and influential people have this option enabled which lets you follow them without worrying about whether they will approve or reject a friend request.

Celebrities and top influencers on Facebook have thousands of users subscribed to their updates. Pete Cashmore, the CEO of Mashable.com has more than 536,000 people subscribed to his public updates. Anyone you have not blocked can subscribe to your updates and you only give them access to your public updates. Any posts made private to a select audience will not be visible to subscribers. Facebook understands that you might not wish to be flooded by updates from people you subscribe to or alerts from people subscribed to you. You have the options to tweak these settings to suit your preferences.

Useful Links:

1. Facebook’s official information on the Subscribe feature: http://on.fb.me/OMswmu 2. Popular people to subscribe to (log in for customised suggestions): http://on.fb.me/Uw5YbW 3.Create a Facebook Subscribe button for your website or blog:http://bit.ly/Q6x8kn

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Social Media

Q. How can I get more people to read my Facebook updates? What if my friends and family are not looking at their timeline at my unusual posting times? A. Facebook posts are not shown to all the people

who are connected to you. Your friends and family might miss some of your updates that you might have wished they would see. While Facebook Pages had the option to advertise their recent and important updates, individual users did not have a similar option.

Farrukh Naeem is a digital strategist and social media consultant based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. His marketing blog (copywriterjournalist.com) has a readership across 140 countries and his tweets (@ farrukhnaeem) are followed by more than 11000 people worldwide. Farrukh helps SMEs and individuals build and grow their influence online using social media and online marketing.

Tutorial How ToAdd A Header Image To Your Twitter Profile Twitter has had a major overhaul of its interface. One of the most interesting features is the ability to add a large photo around your Twitter bio – they call it the ‘Header’ image. Here’s how you can customise your Twitter profile in 4 easy steps using a header image from your computer. You can now promote your Facebook profile updates – news, links, photos, important life events – so that they appear prominently in the News Feed of your friends and family connected to you with easy payment options. Most recently, Facebook has rolled out the ability to ‘Promote’ recent posts from your personal Facebook profile by paying a fixed amount of money – what they call the ‘lifetime budget’ of a promotion. The move has received mixed reactions from people but it is clear that people now do have an option to have their personal posts show up more prominently in their connection’s news feed. The ‘Promote an Important Post’ feature is being rolled out in stages. Once your profile has it, you will see a ‘Promote’ link in your recent posts on your personal profile. Clicking on it will open up a list of payment options based on the country you are in. After Facebook’s IPO, the urgency to have robust revenue streams is paramount. With the world’s most engaging platform reaching 1 billion users, the option for most of these users to pay small amounts to promote their everyday posts could add up to significant income for Facebook if the trend picks up. The feature is being made available to people with less than 5000 friends and subscribers.

Useful Links:

1. Facebook’s post on Promoted Posts in the US: http:// bit.ly/SVIwye 2. Payments terms for Facebook that apply to Promoted Posts: http://on.fb.me/TirAqF 3. Facebook’s advertising guidelines that any promoted content must adhere to: "http://on.fb.me/R89y5R

1 Log in to your Twitter account and go into ‘Settings’. 2 Once you are inside the ‘Settings’ area, choose the ‘Design’ option from the left menu. 3 Scroll down in the ‘Design’ settings page and click on the ‘Change header’ button to choose and upload a header image from your computer. 4 Use the slider to resize the uploaded image as needed. Click ‘Save’ when done.

Tips to remember: The image to be uploaded for the header must be under 5 MB. Twitter recommends 1200x600 as the image dimensions. It might take a few tries to get the perfect fit in combination with your Twitter profile and bio text that is centralised and placed over the header image. 45

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Leadership

How to find gold in your office? Business leaders can break barriers with their team by nurturing and encouraging success, writes Michael Tolan.

ith the 2012 Olympics still lingering in the minds of so many of us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not difficult for us to imagine the dedication, hard work and sacrifices that were made by so many athletes just to have a rare chance at grabbing a precious

medal for their country. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting that every four years the eyes of the world are on the competitors, who in fact are the performers, whose challenge is to break barriers. This is the name of the game, to do better, be better and to become the best.

Yet, many of the tired and weary are forgotten instantly for their heroic efforts, having walked or limped away without the prize, dreams fading of that one ounce shiny token tied to a ribbon, marking their holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements for eternity.

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Leadership

World records have always been challenged in these events, as someone new steps up to defeat what was considered to be the best timings or score possible to be made by a human being. Breaking barriers. It is no small wonder that, the 2012 Olympics were no different and that events 100 years from now will attract new barrier breakers. The unthinkable, the impossible, become miracles at first, exhilarating moments, and then accepted as possibilities and finally common knowledge and fact. Spectacular feats of courage are shining examples of the human ‘strength of spirit’ that sets our imaginations alight, speaking to us all in one common voice, in one language, the language of possibilities and excellence coated in perspiration, the trademark branding of hard work. We therefore find ourselves as spectators, bound to each other’s humanity and celebrate each victorious broken barrier as our own, witnessing the impossible as it manifests itself into the ‘possible’ before our very eyes. As the dust settles, and the winners head home, we all go back to our lives and quickly disconnect from the union we held so firmly in appreciating the art of human achievement during the games. So what can leaders in the business world take away from this the ‘greatest show on earth of possibilities’? Breaking barriers. For a start, examine the basic pay structure of each athlete? According to Olympic rules, they should be amateurs, which, ipso facto means, they are not driven to action by monetary rewards. How about their job description? “ Your job is to do better than anyone in the history of sport has ever done in order to get the gold,” seems to almost sum up the role. So why do athletes compete? Why do they dream to become part of an Olympic team, sacrifice and overcome so many boundaries for no money and take up the quest to accomplish what many would consider an almost impossible task? Leaders today can be reminded

Michael J. Tolan is a speaker, writer and corporate mentor and board advisor to several organisations. He is the creator of Mission I’m Possible series of motivational workshops through FirePowerLeadership.com and is the Chief Inspirational Officer of the World Class Academy of Excellence (Follow him on Twitter mtolan@worldclassgroup).

that the human spirit is just that, a spirit, motivated to greatness by aspirations of becoming the best, recognized as a champion by their country or peers, respected as someone who is ‘an example’ to be followed. Companies that realise these significant truths, that remember these fundamental basics that glow in the hearts of everyone who has ever been praised for their performance, will also break barriers. In fact, they will discover the real gold mines are hidden within the very people around them. People fundamentally want to perform well, and they want to win. The medals that companies offer that are over and above a paycheck will determine the amount of excellence within their ranks, and very often the companies’ loyalty quotient. Team members within organisations can be brought out of a mundane haze that places them into a daily rut. Creating the race track of excellence is one of those secrets. They should be powered by the right recognition schemes and nurturing management. Management and leaders who understand the importance of polishing personal esteem by allowing growth creates energy of alchemy within the organisation. When leadership at the helm of a company realise and recognise that a glass of water instead of a whip will get more authentic effort and appreciation out of its rowers,

The medals that companies offer that are over and above a paycheck will determine the amount of excellence within their ranks, and very often the companies’ loyalty quotient.

their ship will sail boundlessly into new uncharted waters. Nurturing, measuring, announcing and praising internal achievements in people within the ranks of teams driving the organisation is the new magical ‘neuro-fuel’ that costs next to nothing, and yet its ROI is huge. The corporate business race run by SMEs is a daily, minute-byminute challenge very often uphill. Set the vision and mission for the team. Give them all a big enough reason to run their best race, everyday. Measure successes and be boisterous in praising successes along the way. Remember, every sunrise is a new day of opportunity to grab the medals of success. Keep in mind you are cultivating champions who hopefully will run the longest marathon of all, their careers, with you. Give them the chance to win their own gold medals with your own excellence awareness scheme. Keep it authentic and genuine. Start today. Nurture the learning and development opportunities of your team and give them the chance to turn the impossible barriers into their own personal career victories, so that they can proudly and confidently feel and say, while wearing your logo, “I’m Possible too!” Golden moments, priceless.

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Leadership

How to roll off negativity, quickly? Anesh Jagtiani makes a case in point on the power of positive thinking.

ou've probably heard that one of the most common practices of successful people is positive thinking. But how easy is it to really make this a practice in your life? Sure, you've probably had good days where you could

keep your thoughts positive and empowering. But what about those days when it just seems that nothing is going right and you can't seem to keep the flies of negative thought from ruining your picnic? If you're curious about the solution to this

dilemma, this simple yet powerful strategy might be just what you're looking for...

Reframing your thoughts

The first key to stamping out negative thoughts fast is to accept that your thoughts not only

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Leadership

Anesh Jagtiani is the CEO of Empowering Leaders Group (M. E). He is a professional speaker and trainer. His leadership program helps managers motivate and retain their top people, improve their effectiveness in communication and maximise the bottom line of companies. He is also a TV anchor of a show called TOP GUNS on ZEE TV where he has interviewed the 12 most successful Indian entrepreneurs of UAE. He can be reached at anesh@elgme. com or www.elgme.com.

influence your actions, but that they are also influenced BY the actions which you take in response to them. In other words, when you allow fear to influence you to act fearfully, that fear is only going to grow more and more powerful. But if you refuse to allow fear to influence you to fearful actions, and if you choose acts of courage instead, you'll find that your fear will take on a context: excitement. Think about this: biologically, the differences between fear and excitement aren't any different. They both cause accelerated heartbeat, rapid breathing and a heightening of your physical senses. But there is an enormous

Your thoughts and emotions are influenced by what you focus on, and the more you focus on what's important to you, the less thoughts and feelings of fear and worry will hinder you from taking positive action.

difference in the frame of mind that accompanies fear and that which accompanies excitement, and that frame of mind is influenced by your experiences. For example, if you fear rejection and choose to retreat into the privacy of your own thoughts, you're only reinforcing what you fear through what psychologists call "self-rejection." On the other hand, you choose to act in courage by either approaching that prospect, or speaking to that member of the opposite sex who you're afraid of being rejected by, you give that fear a new context. And the more persistent you are in confronting your fear with acts of courage, the less like fear it will seem, and the more excitement you'll feel. This is the fastest and most effective way to stamp out "negative" thoughts. Now, in case you're thinking that this sounds way too simple to be true...

Making the switch

Have you ever changed your mind about something? Of course you have...but what really changed? Most likely it wasn't your mind; it was your actions... and those actions changed because your priorities changed. In other words, you decided that a new action was more important than your original action. This is exactly the key to reframing your thoughts by taking new and empowering actions. The next time you’re overwhelmed by worry or fear, or any other kind

of negative thought, ask yourself this: "What action is this negative thought keeping me from taking?" If the action is stupid or if you don't have it planned out, then your "negative" thought might be completely valid. It might be telling you that you need to develop a more solid plan of action. But if the action is something which would be beneficial to you or someone you care about, redirect your focus to what's really important. Your thoughts and emotions are influenced by what you focus on, and the more you focus on what's important to you, the less thoughts and feelings of fear and worry will hinder you from taking positive action. You'll also be more empowered to confront your negative thoughts with acts of courage, and those actions will reframe your thoughts.

TIP The next time that you have a "negative" thought, stop and think about what that thought might be trying to tell you. Most often, once you discover the source of your negative thoughts, they lose their power to influence you. But if you keep trying to bury them, you'll miss the insight that they hold, and the more persistent they'll become. "What you resist will persist."

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S U C C E S S I S A D E S T I N AT I O N

H AV E YO U A R R I V E D ?

CORPORATE

LIFESTYLE

WATCHES AUTOMOBILES DESIGNER JEWELLERY BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE GADGETS EXOTIC DESTINATIONS FINE DINING

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Corporate Lifestyle

Firing up the new SLS AMG Roadster O ne must have seen an unending list of opentop super sports cars, but SLS AMG is among the few to persistently command a strong on-road presence. However, the major grouse with buyers is the speed of the top folding down. In the SLS AMG Roadsters case, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done and dusted with in just about 11 seconds. Quite impressive, given you get while cruising at speeds of 50 kmph. Apparently, the Mercedes Benz engineers and designers were given a single objective in the early stages of the development process for the SLS AMG: let your automotive imagination run wild. The result is hugely impressive supercar with the engineering attributes of a racing vehicle. With its purist style, lightweight design, fabric top and superior dynamic qualities, the SLS AMG Roadster delivers a

fairly good driving experience. Obviously, the doors open upward given the roadster is convertible, but that does not hamper its style statement in anyway. A bonnet measuring nearly two meters and a rear-positioned flat passenger cell lend this super sports car its incomparable charisma. With its AMG 6.3-litre V8 front mid-engine, the SLS AMG Roadster boasts of a commanding standardfit 8-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. By switching to dry sump lubrication, design engineers made it possible to mount the engine deep behind the front axle. This was the only way to eliminate the need for the oil pan which would normally be located beneath the engine. In combination with the AMG Speedshift double-clutch transmission with Race Start function, the unit delivers a unique level of performance.

It is a thrilling, powerful and breathtaking experience. The vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding dynamic qualities are enhanced by a lightweight aluminium frame and an extendable rear aerofoil which is deployed at speeds from 120 kilometres per hour. The kit inside the car is nothing short of impressive, but go for the add-ons and be prepared to spend 900,000 dirhams. However that is down to personal taste, the carbon fibre trim for example. Arguably the most striking on the dashboard are the ventilation outlets featuring a jet engine look. Other fancy bits include AMG sport seats with firm lateral support and excellent long-distance comfort, an AMG performance steering wheel and, in the centre console, the AMG Drive Unit with E-Select selector lever, reminiscent of the thrust lever in a jet.

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Corporate Lifestyle

The golden eye gear Porsche Design launches the 'Gold Collection' of Luxury Sunglasses for Men exclusively at Paris Gallery

orsche Design has announced the launch of the new 'Gold Collection,' a truly unique, luxurious and rich set of sunglasses for men. The four designer sunglasses with frames made of pure gold are, as Porsche Design says, 'engineered, and not just perfectly designed.' With lenses that come in three colour variants, brown, gold mirage, and blue mirage,

these sunglasses are fundamental, not decorative. They are luxury as a result of sheer purity. The collection is available exclusively at Paris Gallery stores in Dubai Mall and Dubai Festival City. At Porsche Design, each object is reduced to its essential function. From that a clean linear shape is derived. Only the most advanced materials of the highest quality are selected for

the making of a Porsche Design product. Traditional craftsmanship is combined with the most modern technology to craft sunglasses with designs derived from the precise knowledge of optics and physiognomy. Porsche Design products are an example of timeless aesthetics, a mirror of classic modernism, and an uncompromising essence of passion, performance, purism andprecision.

The Gold Collection P8499-A: Colour of lens: Brown, 24 ct. gold mirrored / Shape: Rectangular / 18kGold& Platinum / Made in Japan Retail Price: AED 69,700 P8124-B: Colour of lens: BlueMirage / Shape: Rectangular / 18k Gold and Platinum / Made in Japan Retail Price: AED 53,080 P8447-A: Colour of lens: Gold Mirage / Shape: Rectangular shape / 18k Gold / Made in Japan Retail Price: AED 30,380 P8447-A: Colour of lens: Brown / Shape: Rectangular / 18k Gold / Made in Japan 30,380

Retail Price: AED

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Corporate Lifestyle

Samsung launches curved OLED TV

Samsung launch the first curved high definition OLED TV in the UAE

its viewing experience since it is curved, but, astonishingly a viewer sitting on the extreme right can easily see what’s going on the left hand of the screen. Going ahead, this could well become the norm of television screens. To the best of our knowledge, never before has an electronics manufacturer attempted this design. Samsung would rake in loads of sales but the price point pushes the barrier a bit. The Curved OLED TV is available in 55-inch across all UAE retail outlets and is priced at AED 32,999.

amsung launched another innovative product, the Curved OLED TV, the very first curved TV to hit UAE. The revolutionary TV marks a new level in innovation that delivers immaculate true-to-life pictures from any angle due to its unique arched display and innovative features. Vinod Nair, General Manager CTV Business of Samsung Gulf Electronics commented: “Samsung is dedicated to developing innovative TV solutions, beyond what consumers could expect or even imagine. With its curved screen and its compatibility with Samsung’s Evolution Kit, we believe that the Curved OLED TV truly pioneers a new era of TV viewing. We are proud to be able to bring this groundbreaking product to the UAE market, offering our consumers the most immersive experience available combined with flawless picture quality.” The Curved OLED TV boasts 20 per cent richer color reproduction and 50 per cent sharper contrast compared to other HD products, offering a crisp and clear viewing experience for the whole family. State-of-the-art technology such as the Multi View feature also sets the Curved OLED TV apart and gives viewers the opportunity to watch two different programs

simultaneously on the one screen.

Picture Quality

OLED panels consist of thousands of self-emitting diodes that deliver richer and brighter images compared to current TVs. The Curved OLED TV also boasts exceptionally fast response times that virtually eliminate motion blur and crosstalk. Self-emitting pixels are laid directly on the color display panel meaning no color filter is required and absolute blacks and pure whites are created without the need for backlighting. Leveraging its expertise in display technology, Samsung has optimised the picture quality of the Curved OLED TV to deliver a comfortable viewing experience with unbeatably rich colors and crystal clear images. The arenas of the ages gone by were, the setting of many an epic battles. While the battles and showdowns remain historic, the seating pattern of an arena is timeless. Inspired by the ovalshape of a grand spectator arena, the display of the Curved OLED TV sits within a curved premium metal frame, similar to the arenas. A single cable for all connections reduces clutter and completes the minimalistic design with a “Clean Back” finish. We had doubts regarding

Premium OLED TV Features

The Curved OLED TV also offers exclusive features such as Multi View and Evolution Kit. Multi View allows two viewers to watch two completely different full-screen Full-HD content, even in 3D, on the same display. To top it off all this can be achieved at the same time. With the advent of the football season (EPL and Champions League to be precise), the never ending fights over toggling between the football and daily soaps are sure to end thanks to this technology. This feature is enabled by Samsung’s 3D Active glasses, which come with built-in personal speakers providing crisp, stereo sound. The lightweight glasses isolate one program at a time for uninterrupted viewing and allow the wearer to switch between the two sources with the touch of a button, without changing glasses. All models will be Evolutionary TVs allowing consumers to easily update hardware and software via an Evolution Kit so that they can stay up-to-date with the latest Samsung innovations.Samsung’s Curved OLED TV also incorporates the latest Samsung Smart TV features like the new Smart Hub interface, which organizes entertainment and content into three convenient panels: Social, Apps as well as Photos, Videos and Music.

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Corporate Lifestyle

Roger Dubuis unveils limited edition Excalibur 42 Precious Dial S

wiss watch-maker Roger Dubuis has unveiled the stunning Excalibur 42 Precious Dial limited edition collection, for watch connoisseurs in the Middle East. These glamorous versions of the iconic Excalibur model feature unique dials crafted from materials such as mother-of-pearl onyx and lapis lazuli. The three versions of the Excalibur 42 Precious Dial are produced in a limited series of 188 pieces only. Each of them bear the prestigious, ‘Poinçon de Genève’. The Excalibur 42 Precious Dial is available in pink-gold and white gold with onyx or lapis lazuli dials. Each of the timepieces is encased in the characteristic 42mm case and powered by the RD622 automatic movement, which is built on 32 jewels, packed with a 52-hour power reserve. The Excalibur collection is a perfect example of the Haute Horlogerie and avant-garde spirit that embodies all Roger Dubuis collections, and has become an icon of the brand. Its 45 mm and 36 mm models are joined by the 42 mm version with an interpretation of the line’s signature codes. The Excalibur 42 watch challenges contemporary notions of elegance, using the power of its design to show its watchmaking pedigree and declare its unique identity. Roger Dubuis was inspired by the ‘world of the warrior’, while creating the Excalibur Collection. The collection is dedicated to nobility and control, and, is reminiscent of the world where chivalry and power were held in high esteem, a time wherein duels and combats were demonstrations of bravery. With its audacious designs and its extraordinary mechanisms, the 42 mm version retains the distinctive features of the Excalibur line: triple strap-attachment horns, an immediately identifiable fluted bezel, and Roman numerals stretched to the limit.

Excalibur 42 Precious Dial Lapis lazuli/Mother of Pearl/Onyx precious dial Movement: RD622 Self-Winding Components: 179 Case: 42mm white or rose gold Thickness: 4.50mm Jewels: 33 Calibre: 13 ¾” Frequency: 4.0 hz Water resistance: 3 Power: 52 hr

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Events Calendar

Networking opportunities Important business events across the globe LIGHT MIDDLE EAST 2013 Date: 07.10 – 09.10 2013 Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre

& Hospitality, Transport, Energy Management, Disaster Relief and Green Building.

heritage area to acquaint visitors with the deep-rooted traditions of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

Light Middle East is an event that showcases Lighting Design and Technology. It’s one of the largest exhibitions in the region for the lighting industry. The 2012 edition presented 220 exhibitors from 22 countries showcasing over 350 international brands and welcomed 4,557 trade visitors from 72 countries.

FUTURE BUILD 2013 Date: 08.10 - 10.10 2013 Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre, Dubai

POWER + WATER MIDDLE EAST 2013 Date: 23.09 - 25.09 2013 Venue: Abu-Dhabi National Exhibition Center - Adnec, Abu Dhabi

www.lightme.net

CITYSCAPE GLOBAL 2013 Date: 08.10 - 10.10 2013 Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre Dubai is at the centre of property development and Cityscape Global 2013 is an event dedicated to discuss the various factors that go into building a well planned city, enroute a glittering skyline.

www.iirme.com

FUTURE RETAIL 2013 Date: 08.10 - 10.10 2013 Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre Future Retail is the Middle East’s premier meeting of international retail leaders. In 2013 it will define what it takes to optimise retail business in the MENA region and abroad, providing strategic insight into the industry’s most critical challenges, including location planning, partnership building and marketing &communication avenues.

www.futureretail.ae

FUTURE CITIES 2013 Date: 08.10 - 10.10 2013 Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre, Dubai Future Cities 2013 will focus on the pillars that create the foundation of a Future City: Security, Water & Waste Management, Tourism

www.cityscapeglobal.com

FutureBuild is an international conference and networking event dedicated to the design of the built environment 2030-2050 and beyond. It will investigate what radical and transformative technologies and ideas might be being employed by that date, with a focus on the whole building, energy systems, communities and occupants. FutureBuild is a platform for the discussion of the challenges, innovative solutions, paradigm shifts, significant step changes, emerging technologies and unconventional ideas needed to create a built environment that is adapted to future needs, while basing these on solid projections and scientific methodologies.

www.future-build.net

ADIHEX - INTERNATIONAL HUNTING & EQUESTRIAN EXHIBITION 2013 Date: 04.09 - 07.09 2013 Venue: Abu-Dhabi National Exhibition Center - Adnec, Abu Dhabi The Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club. This national event will play host to camel auctions, saluki beauty contests, art competitions and traditional hunting and equestrian activities. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase the latest camping, hunting, equestrian and weaponry equipment from over 500 brands. Plus view a designated

www.adihex.net

Power + Water Middle East is the leading event in the region for power & water industries. Held in partnership with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), the 2012 event welcomed 108 exhibitors from 18 countries and over 2,800 unique visitors from 47 countries. The 6th edition of Power + Water Middle East takes place 23rd – 25th September 2013 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and features workshops, conferences and exhibitions.

www.powerandwaterme.com

MIDDLE EAST WORKBOATS 2013 Date: 30.09 - 02.10 2013 Venue: Abu-Dhabi National Exhibition Center - Adnec, Abu Dhabi Saudi Aramco has chosen the Seatrade Middle East Workboats & Offshore Marine event to launch its Global Workboat Technology Forum and reach the international audience that attends the exhibition and event. With the aim of promoting the latest innovations in the Workboat Sector, the one-day Forum will see a number of technical papers presented that will encourage audience participation and offer a platform for knowledge sharing and discussion with the possibility of new business developments with industry leaders.

www.middleeastworkboats.com

SAUDI FOOD-PACK 2013 Date: 15.09 - 18.09 2013 Venue: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi Food-Pack 2013 is the 3rd

Sept - Oct. 2013

Robust RAK

Events Calendar

Networking opportunities Important business events across the globe international exhibition for food processing and packaging. The trade show will give exhibitors the opportunity to network and close deals with decision makers in this growing sector.

www.recexpo.com

SAUDI MARINE SERVICES SHOW 2013 Date: 14.09 - 15.09 2013 Venue: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The International exhibition of ship building, marine, offshore, machinery and equipment will showcase the latest ship building, repair & maintenance technologies, products and services which also include the offshore rig maintenance latest techniques. The participating key decisions makers are including ports, ship building

companies, dry docks, ship owners, marine repair & maintenance companies and the professionals from operations and maintenance departments with major local & international shipping lines and offshore rigs.

www.saudimarineshow.com

INFDEX - INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE & DESIGN EXIBITION 2013 Date: 19.09 - 22.09 2013 Venue: Doha Exhibition Center, Qatar INFDEX 2013 will be a gathering of regional and international industry designers, manufacturers and decision makers, creating an environment bursting with unrivalled opportunities to earn profit in the Middle East’s most

stylish and affluent design market. www.indexexhibition.com MEDHEALTH & WELLNESS 2013 Date: 23.09 - 25.09 2013 Venue: Oman International Exhibition Center, Oman The first Oman Healthcare Conference aims to address the present and future state of the Sultanate’s healthcare sector. It serves as a platform for industry experts and stakeholders to share and discuss tangible solutions to the variety of healthcare issues and encourage collaborative efforts for the development, improvement and growth of the Sultanate’s healthcare industry.

www.medhealthoman.com

Robust RAK Sept - Oct. 2013

Column

Innovation is a must Utpal Bhattacharya argues in favour of innovating and thinking out of the box, especially in times when people are being still laid off.

hat goes up must come down; we have seen that in the economic cycle that has taken us through some agonising times in recent years, and continues to affect us in so many ways. But we are also, now, witnessing an economic recovery in our region, including in real estate and trade, although our lives have changed dramatically, as we have many more new entrepreneurs in our midst. Many skilled professionals that were laid off, have been forced to set up their own businesses, and the wheel of production has continued to turn, gaining some pace in recent months. For small businesses, capital has always been difficult to come by, but following the recession, it has been even more difficult to access funds. Successful entrepreneurs, however, have been always found innovative ways to solving their financial problems. I have known a restaurateur in India, who, when he found it

difficult to pay salaries on time and his staff deserting him, decided to offer partnership to key employees. He had the business acumen to offer large stakes to his chefs and market managers, while reducing their cash benefits drastically. He had offered them their equity at a valuation, which was too lucrative for those that wanted to be part of that business, to reject the offer. He had also given them a buy back option at the market rate in five years. Of course his offer worked, and of course his restaurants have done well. In recent times, I have come across bankers and financiers, who have had cushy jobs in international markets like Dubai, from capital that was focused on Europe, the US or even the Middle East. I describe this as loss for one market and gain for another that desperately needed both capital and skills. This also means that many financiers and bankers are trying new things, as structured products and hedge funds are not

Summing up

working and many of them do not have jobs any more to sell these products. The problems start when, after being made redundant from selling hedge funds, or say publishing, somebody starts a business of selling hedge funds or decides to get into publishing on his own, especially in times like this when large, established, successful institutions have failed. Most people have this approach because they do not know what else to do, but the result is not always positive and at best indifferent, as I have found out over the years. A more effective result can be expected from retraining, re-positioning and adapting to new realities and innovating. The chances of success are much higher in trying something new than trying to reinvent the same old thing that had made one redundant. Bold strategies like what my restaurateur acquaintance adopted does make a difference, after all.

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