Issue No. 06
ايمان العبد الغني :كيف يمكن لألفكار البسيطة أن تكون أكثر فاعلية من الخطط والسياسات التي تضعها الدولة؟ لولوة الوزان ..قادها الشغف لصناعة الحلي والمجوهرات السفارة الكندية تنظم ملتقى داعم للمرأة
Abdulwahab Alessa The mind behind Boutiqaat Game Changer of social commerce
HTTPS://STARTUPSMAG.ORG/
االفتتاحية األفكار الصغيرة والتنمية المستدامة كيــف يمكــن لألفــكار البســيطة أن تكــون أكثــر فاعليــة وجــودة مــن السياســات والخطــط التــي تضعهــا الدولــة لتحقيــق رؤيتهــا المســتقبلية؟
Location: Nouriya Residence, Bnaid AlQar Telephone: +965 51566770 E-mail: advertising@startupsmag.org E-mail: info@startupsmag.org Website: www.startupsmag.org Instagaram: @startupsmag
علينــا االهتمــام حقــا بعالــم األفــكار واختبــار مــدى جودتهــا وتحقيقهــا للمنفعــه علــى أرض الواقــع وهــذا واقــع ريــادة األعمــال .
Twitter: @startupsmagkw
كل األفــكار هــي فرضيــات نختبــر جودتهــا علــى أرض الواقــع ونتمكــن مــن اســتخالص نتائجهــا عبــر مراحــل تطورهــا المختلفــة ,وهــذا مايبــدأ بــه رائــد األعمــال عــادة ,فهــو يســعى فــي بدايــة تأســيس مشــروعه علــى الــى استكشــاف مــدى نجــاح وفاعليــة نتائــج أفــكاره .
Founder and CEO : Eman AlAbdulghani
ســعى الصنــدوق الوطنــي لرعايــة وتنميــة المشــاريع الصغيــرة والمتوســطة فــي عمليــات هــدر ضخمــة لالمــوال والجهــد والتــي وجهــت علــى شــكل ديــون هائلــة علــى عاتــق الشــباب ,بينمــا كان يمكنــه تحقيــق منافــع اقتصاديــة هائلــة وذات عوائــد ضخمــة إذا مــا تــم االســتثمار فــي هــذه األفــكار مــن خــال مصانــع اختبــار او برامــج احتضــان عالميــه لهــؤالء المبادريــن الذيــن تكمــن قوتهــم االقتصاديــة فــي إمكانيــة خلــق نمــاذج عمــل أو تطبيقــات تكنلوجيــة لحلــول مســتدامة ,وعلــى مــدى فتــرات االختبــار وبعــد التحقــق مــن جودتهــا وفاعليتهــا يمكــن تطبيقهــا علــى أرض الواقــع لتحقيــق أهــداف التنميــة المســتدامة وأختيــار األفضــل منهــا لالســتثمار الجــرئ . ان ترســيخ وزيــادة الوعــي حــول مفهــوم االســتثمار الجــرئ فــي المراحــل األوليــة للمشــاريع والمبــادرات ,هــو مايجــب أن تعمــل عليــه الحكومــة والقطــاع الخــاص فــي الوقــت الحالــي ,والــذي مــن شــأنه أن يكــون محــركا فاعــا لتحســين االقتصــاد الوطنــي وفــرص جــودة الحيــاة . إن أحــد الحلــول التــي يمكننــا العمــل عليهــا ســوية لتحقيــق أهــداف التنميــة المســتدامة وتوفيــر فــرص العمــل للشــباب هــي اعــادة توجيــه االســتثمارا ت الجريئــة لهــذه األفــكار ,وليــس عبــر فــرض الديــون والتــي يســعى لترويجهــا البعــض عبــر الصنــدوق الوطنــي الــذي خلــق مشــاكل اقتصاديــة واجتماعيــة أكبــر بكثيــر ممــا نتخيــل . مــن المهــم أن نتذكــر أن األفــكار الصغيــرة هــي التــي قــادت العالــم نحــو التغييــر .
ايمان العبدالغني مؤسس منصة ستارت اب eman@startupsmag.org
STARTUPS MAGAZINE
Creative Development Director: Mubarak AlReshidi Creative Production Director: AbdulAziz Safar IT Manager: Aby Sebastian Sales Manager: Linda Contributors: 1. Hamad Alsaqer 2. Eman Alabdulghani 3. Abdulwahab Alessa 4. Lulwa Alwazan 5. Mubarak Alrashidi 6. Sahar Albaharnah 7. Dr.Zainab Almeraj 8. Musaad Alrezouqi 9. Yasmeen Hayat estartupsmag@gmail.com
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April 2019
Our Contributors
Hamad Alsaqer
eman alabdulghani
Abdulwahab Alessa
Lulwa Alwazan
Mubarak Alrashidi
Sahar Albaharnah
Dr.Zainab Almeraj
Musaad Alrezouqi
Yasmeen Hayat ISSUE NO. 6
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what’s inside: 06 13
KDIPA organizes the 3rd EU-GCC Business Forum الغرفة تستضيف فريق منظمة
التعاون االقتصادي والتنمية
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Connecting with the Customer: Limbic Resonance
22
Meet Hamad Alsaqer the Founder of Openflick
30
The journey of establishing Women Techmakers & Google Developer Group
33
Dubai-based eyewear ecommerce platform Eyewa raises $7.5 million Series A
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Lulwa ALWazan An Artist who’s passionate about Jewelry Design
7 Places to Visit in 2019 Before They Disappear
Establish Your Local Fashion or Beauty Brand
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April 2019
الحكومة ال تصلح إلدارة
المشاريع والطاقات الشبابية
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09
Canadian embassy support women in international trade
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How to Set Your Business Goals and Targets?
38
Mind reading: Redefined
ISSUE NO. 6
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10 Books You Must Read If You’re Thinking of Starting a Business
44
FAITH CAPITAL CLOSES SERIES A INVESTMENT IN JUSTCLEAN
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KDIPA organizes the 3rd EU-GCC Business Forum
Authority
The opening ceremony was held at Hashemi Boat
(KDIPA) has partnered with the EU, Kuwait Chamber
Ballroom at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The Chairman
of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), and the General
of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry, H.E.
Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and
Ali Mohammed Al Ghanim, the Secretary General of
Development (SCPD) to organize the 3rd EU-GCC
the Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the
Business Forum, titled “An Oasis of Opportunities”,
Arab States of the Gulf, H.E. Abdul Latif bin Rashid
which was held on March 19-20, 2019, in Kuwait
Al Zayani,
Chamber KCCI. Startups Digital Platform (www.
Ambassador to the Delegation of European Union
startupsmag.org ) have participated in this forum to
to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia
explore and engage with other business partners.
and H.E. Dr. Sami bin Abdullah Al Abidi, Chairman of
Kuwait
Direct
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Investment
Promotion
H.E.
Michele Cervone D’urso,
the EU
STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019 opportunities in the GCC where he reviewed the investment climate and the advantages that are unique to the State of Kuwait and the role of KDIPA in encouraging direct investment and the benefits it gives and facilities offered to interested investors. The forum was attended by more than 450 senior officials, business leaders and economic figures in the EU and GCC regions. The forum provided them to exchanging views, networking and building relations. The forum, in its third edition, comes as part of the joint cooperation between the two sides to hold several events that will strengthen the EU-GCC investment relations and to complement the second forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in May 2017 and the first edition held in Brussels in May 2016. Council of Saudi Chambers and First Deputy Chairman for Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers, H.E. Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Director General of KDIPA, gave their opening remarks at the ceremony. In addition, Dr. Khaled Mahdi, the Secretary-General for the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, gave a keynote about the features of Kuwait’s Vision 2035, and their future directions on economic diversification and enhancing the role of the private sector in the national economy. The second day of the forum comprised of six specialized sessions on business performance in the GCC countries, investment opportunities in the GCC, and three sectoral sessions to review investment opportunities Innovation
in and
the
Healthcare,
Entrepreneurship.
Digitalization, The
forum
concluded with a session on the prospects of EU-GCC trade relations. Sheikh Abdullah Al Sabah, the Assistant DirectorGeneral
for
Investment
Operations,
presented
during the session which dealt with the investment
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الحكومة ال تصلح إلدارة المشاريع والطاقات الشبابية
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April 2019 اســتهل العيســى حديثــه حــول أهميــة إشــراك القطــاع الخــاص فــي مجــال ريــادة األعمــال معلــا أن التدخــل الحكومــي الســافر فــي هــذا المجــال يفســده تمامــا .قائــا :بــان الحكومــة التصلــح الدارة تلــك المشــاريع والطاقــات الشــبابية مــن خــال دوراتهــا المســتندية وتعســفها االداري ناهيــك عــن تخلفهــا التكنولوجــي والــذي يعد فجوة كبيــرة بينهــا وبيــن الشــباب مــن الجيــل الحالــي .األجــدرأن يتــم دعــم تلــك المشــاريع والطاقــات مــن خــال الحكومــة
هـــــــذا مـــــــا كــــــــان يـتـــحـــــــدث عــنـــــــــه
عبدالوهــاب
العيســى الــذي
لمــع نجمــه فــي عالــم االعــام وأثبــت نفســه بجــدارة .هــذا الشــاب الملــئ بالحيويــة والطاقــة وحــب العمــل ليكتســح
وتســليم رايــة األدارة واالســتثمار للقطــاع الخــاص .
فجــأة صــدارة عالــم ريــادة األعمــال فــي
داعيــا بــأن الهــدف مــن وراء هــذا المقتــرح ,هــو فتــح بــاب
العالــم العربــي مــن خــال المنصــة التــي
االســتثمار للقطــاع الخــاص و اعطــاء فــرص أكبــر للشــباب
قادهــا إلــى العالميــة “بوتيــكات“.
الواقــع الــذي يعمــل مــن خــال الصنــدوق الكويتــي والــذي
أصبــح مثــاال ناجحــا للعديــد مــن رواد
لالنطــاق بأبداعاتهــم نحــو أفــق الســماء ,علــى عكــس يفتــرض ان يكــون حاضنــا وداعمــا وليــس بنــكا مقرضــا, فــكل مايقدمــه للشــباب هــو الديون والقــروض والتوقيع علــى عقــود وكمبيــاالت قــد تنهــي حيــاة الكثيريــن منهــم وتقودهــم نحــو االفــاس وقــد يعرضهــم ذلــك الــى الســجن . انتقــد الســيد عبدالوهــاب العيســى بشــدة األليــة التــي يعمــل بهــا الصنــدوق الكويتــي لدعــم ورعايــة المشــاريع الصغيــرة والمتوســطة لمــا فيــه مــن تدخــل صــارخ علــى مســاحة الحريــة واالبــداع التــي يعمــل بهــا المبــادر ناهيــك عــن ضعــف االمكانــات االداريــة وانعــدام برامــج االستشــارات والتطويــر العالميــة .
األعمــال واليتوانــى أبــدا عــن دعــم المبــادرات والشــباب الكويتــي الطمــوح ايمانــا منــه بأنهــم قــادة المســتقبل وصنــاع التغييــر. ارتبــط اســمه فــي صناعــة انجــح مشــروع تقنــي فــي المنطقــة ورغــم االنتقــادات الكثيــرة التــي تعــرض لهــا
والحــرب
الشرســة مــن خــال بوتيــكات إال أنــه
حيــث صــرح بــان اغلــب ان لــم يكــن كل مــن قــام بالتقديــم
أثبــت نجاحهــا بــل ويراهــن علــى تطورهــا
علــى الصنــدوق اليملــك ال % 20التــي يفرضهــا
الســريع فــي الخمــس ســنوات المقبلــة.
الصنــدوق علــى المبــادر لبــدء النشــاط بــل اســتنكر ايضــا أن تتــم إدارة وتوجيــه المبادريــن مــن قبــل موظفيــن اليملكــون خبــرة ودرايــة فــي هــذا المجــال .وكان األرجــح علــى الصنــدوق بــأن يعــزز مفهــوم االســتثمار الجــرئ , والــذي يعطــي مســاحة أكبــر للمبــادر للخــوض فــي تجربــة ريــادة األعمــال وتوســيع مــدارك فهمــه وقدراتــه للنمــو بــدال مــن التوجيــه األعمــى مــن قبــل الصنــدوق .
قابلــت ســتارت اب الســيد عبدالوهــاب العيســى لتحــاوره عن الوضــع االقتصادي ومســتقبل ريــادة االعمــال فــي الكويــت فــي ظــل جميــع التحديــات التــي يواجههــا رواد األعمــال.
وأكــد العيســى بأنــه يجــب علــى المجتمــع أن يعــي أهميــة المشــاريع التقنيــة والتــي تســتهدف شــرائح أكبــر وأن هــذا
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019 النــوع مــن المشــاريع يكســر جميــع
علــى الصنــدوق الوطنــي لتــم
الحواجــز الجغرافيــة التــي كانــت
رفضــه !.
موجــودة فــي الســابق .
بوتيكـــــات اليــوم هـــــو أعلــى
وبســؤاله عــن الحمــات االنتقاديــة
مشــروع تقنــي فــي المنطقــة
التــي يتعــرض لهــا مــن خــال
بقيمــة تتعــدى نصــف مليــار
بوتيــكات وهــل أثــرت ذلــك علــى مســيرة
نجاحــه
أردف
قائــا:
التزيدنــي إال إصــرارا كل ناجــح يتعــرض
للنقــد
ونحــن
فــي
بوتيــكات وصلنــا إلــى العالميــة وخطتنــا القادمــة ســتكون علــى مســتوى أكبــر بكثيــر ,نحــن نعمــل علــى االنتشــار العالمــي وســتكون منصــة بوتيــكات من أكبر المشــاريع التقنيــة فــي العالــم. وبســؤاله عــن نصيحتــه لــرواد
رائد األعمال يجب أن يكون
دوالر ,نتمنــى أن يقــود القطــاع الخــاص المســاهمة فــي قيــادة
مغامرا ,أن اليخاف من
وازدهارمشــاريع
المخاطرة فاألصل في ريادة
الشــباب
وأن
يكــون استثمـــــارا حقيقيـــــا لهــذا القطــــاع الحيــوي.
األعمال الخسارة واالستثناء
من الربح ,وأن ينطلق بمخيلته
كلمــة اخيــرة لســتارت أب قــال الســيد عبدالوهــاب العيســى:
وابداعه باألفكار المجنونة فهي
أنتــم مســتقبل ريــادة األعمــال
التي تحرك األسواق وتقودها
فــي الكويــت وأنتــم صنــاع االعــام الحديــث شــكرا ألنكــم الوحيديــن
من عالم إلى عالم آخر
الذيــن تهتمــون بدعــم هــذا القطاع, والقــاء الضــوء علــى مســيرة روار
األعمــال قــال :رائــد األعمــال يجــب أن يكــون مغامــرا ,أن اليخــاف مــن المخاطــرة فاألصــل
األعمــال ,وخصوصــا فــي هــذه الحقبــة المهمــة أنهــا
فــي ريــادة األعمــال الخســارة واالســتثناء مــن الربــح ,وأن
تشــكل محتــوى توثيقــي لريــادة األعمــال الكويتيــة .
ينطلــق بمخيلتــه وابداعــه باألفــكار المجنونــة فهــي التــي تحــرك األســواق وتقودهــا مــن عالــم الــى عالــم آخــر وعلــى ســبيل المثــال :لــم تــم عــرض فكــرة بوتيــكات فــي الســابق
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إعداد
إيمان العبدالغني ومبارك الرشيدي
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019
الغرفة تستضيف فريق منظمة التعاون االقتصادي والتنمية
بتنظيــم مــن مؤسســة الكويــت للتقــدم العلمــي وبالتعــاون مــع المجلــس األعلــى للتخطيــط والتنميــة ،اســتضافت غرفة تجــارة وصناعــة الكويــت يــوم الثالثــاء الموافــق 16أبريــل 2019فريــق منظمــة التعــاون االقتصــادي والتنميــة OECD القائــم علــى إعــداد دراســة "مراجعــة أوضــاع وسياســات العلــوم والتكنولوجيــا واالبتــكار فــي دولــة الكويــت" ،حيــث تــم عقــد لقــاء لهــم مــع ممثلــي الغرفــة والشــركات الكويتيــة بهــدف اســتكمال خطــوات إعــداد هــذه الدراســة ،وللتعــرف علــى رؤى القطــاع الخــاص فــي إطــار تحديــد نقــاط القــوة والضعــف فــي منظومــة اإلبتــكار فــي دولــة الكويــت. افتتــح اللقــاء الســيد /علــي محمــد ثنيــان الغانــم – رئيــس ً ً ومعربــا مرحبــا بالمشــاركين غرفــة تجــارة وصناعــة الكويــت
عــن ســعادته بالجهــود المبذولــة مــن قبــل الجهــات المنظمــة ً بعــدا بالــغ األهميــة لهــذا المشــروع الوطنــي الــذي يمثــل فــي نجــاح خطــة التنميــة وتحقيــق رؤيــة الكويــت ،2035كمــا
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يهــدف إلــى االنتقــال باالقتصــاد الكويتــي مــن اقتصــاد ريعــي إلــى اقتصــاد معرفــي مــن خــال البحــث عــن وســائل التنميــة واالبتــكار والتوصــل إلــى فهــم شــامل لنقــاط القــوة والضعــف فــي منظومــة االبتــكار فــي البــاد والفــرص المتاحــة لتطويرهــا مــن خــال سياســة الحكومــة الهادفــة إلــى تعزيــز مخرجــات االبتــكار التــي ستســاهم فــي تنميــة الثــروة ً ومؤكــدا أن تخصيــص الوطنيــة، هــذا اللقــاء للقطــاع الخــاص يعكــس العالقــة العضويــة الفاعلــة والمتفاعلــة بإتجاهيــن بيــن مؤسســة الكويــت للتقــدم العلمــي والقطــاع الخــاص. ثــم تحــدث الســيد الدكتــور /عدنــان شــهاب الديــن – مديــر عــام مؤسســة الكويــت للتقــدم العلمــي فــي اللقــاء مشـ ً ـيدا بالعالقــات الوثيقــة التــي تربــط بيــن المؤسســة والقطــاع الخــاص والتــي تعتبــر تجربــة فريــدة فــي العالــم .ثــم تطــرق إلــى هــذه الدراســة التــي عمــل علــى إعدادهــا فريــق مختــص وذو خبــرة غنيــة مــن منظمــة التعــاون االقتصــادي والتنميــة لتقيــم الوضــع الحالــي لمنظومــة العلــوم والتكنولوجيــا واإلبتــكار فــي الكويــت ،وبحــث إمكانيــة تطويــره. وتبــع ذلــك عــرض لمراحــل الدارســة ونتائجهــا األوليــة، اســتغرق الحــوار حولــه قرابــة الســاعتين ،وإنتهــى اللقــاء بغــداء تكريمــي اقامتــه الغرفة لفريق الباحثين والمشــاركين.
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019
An Artist who’s passionate about Jewelry Design 1. Tell us about yourself and what is your background in jewelry design. I have business degree from AUK in Finance and Management. Jewelry, gems and pearls have always been my passion since I was a young girl. I took courses in Diamonds and gems at GIA (The gemologist institute of America). I was also a student in (L'Ecole Van Cleef & Arpels') school in Paris and ended up in a short course at (Central Saint Martins) university of arts in London. I started the business between family and friends, and traveled to international exhibitions in Hong Kong, vicenzaoro in Italy, Jewelry Arabia in Bahrain (and many others) to study the market and get relations within the industry. In 12/12/2018 Lulwa Jewelry was officially introduced to the Market as A Kuwaiti brand and I had opened my private boutique in Kuwait City.
2. What inspires you as a jewelry designer? As the only girl in the family my passion in jewelry started out of curiosity through the beauty of my mother and grandmother’s jewelry, when I was 6 years old. My mother taught me how to purchase items with value like gold and diamonds and took me to Salhiya complex and the old gold souk in Mubarkiya every ‘Eid, birthday and special occasions to buy me jewelry. The love of jewelry had grown up with me until
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I had the opportunity to be part of it. I believe that the inspiration of jewelry designing comes from everywhere and anywhere like my designs and ideas, especially my signature pieces. Passion creates ideas and good ideas create a market.
3. How did you find the acceptance as women designer in the market especially in a competitor market like Kuwait? Gender isn’t a problem with entrepreneurship it all depends on an individual’s circumstances/ situation. We will inevitably face challenges. Talking about the middle east countries and culture, sometimes because you’re a young lady in men industry you must be strong enough to continue the path even if you face constrains on your way.
4. Tell us more about your collection and pieces? Every piece is carefully designed to be a work of art to bring my vision, thoughts & emotions to life through each piece. My pieces have a message of: beauty, femininity, & representation. Whether in its simplicity or extravagance, each piece tells a story. it represents the brand’s attention to not only the details of each design, but the message every piece sends. Every collection is precious to my heart, making every piece in the collection a
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representation of my feelings & a discovery of my personality. In the topic of collections, the closest collections to my heart are: - Because i love yellow diamonds, - T ouch of sun (The divine moment where you’re blind-sided by the beauty of the sun, when it’s yellow sparkles flash and dance across an ocean to reflect beauty. We’ve recreated this in our Touch of Sun collection.) - B ecause I love traveling, hiking, swimming and challenging myself to face my fears, The Rowana, represents a strong lady who loves to travel among the mountains and discover her strength. She is a true explorer, and the pieces she chooses to adorn herself with represent that. The collection resembles her edgy persona using geometric lines and cut creases)
5. What are the obstacles you have faced through your journey and how you overcame them?
7. What would you recommend new designers to do in order to follow their dreams? Be strong, believe in yourself, challenge yourself, think well before starting your business.
I believe that the inspiration of jewelry designing comes from everywhere and anywhere
For a new startup business, every day is a new challenge and no matter how big or small, we have to face it and deal with it. Government papers, finding a good location, doing it all alone is a forever challenge for startups, they have to face it until the business grows strong.
6. How would you see your business in 5 years?
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My work will be featured in the Kuwait Jewelry show in April and my future plans for the business is to expand in the GCC countries as the 1st year and then be able to enter the worldwide market online or by exhibiting and collaborating with department stores in Europe or worldwide Part of my business plan is to exhibit in different countries because it gives the opportunity to interact directly with customers, understand different cultures and how it reflects the buyer’s ways of purchasing jewelry.
Your passion will take you to the right location, no matter how long have you been trying if you had the vision to reach to a certain level by determination you will reach it.
8. Any last Words for the entrepreneurs?
Have some time for yourself, read and educate yourself in anything you want to be good at. No one knows everything, we all learn every day. In Business, ups and downs is a must yet you have to know how to deal with it cleverly. Grab opportunities, listen to advises and surround yourself with good supportive friends.
9. Last word for startups THANK YOU for always being a supportive platform for Kuwaiti Creative you.
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019
Connecting with the Customer: Limbic Resonance
‘Limbic Resonance’ by Amanda Sage exhibited at Burning Man 2011
Throughout history, humans have been connected through group experience: hunting together, building together, parenting together. We desire to be connected so strongly, we’ve developed a brain system wired for connection and accounting for the majority of our decision making. Entrepreneurs need to tap into this primordial sense of belonging to create
beyond simplistic neocortical cerebral consumerism. They need to spark that limbic resonance by triggering those dopamine circuit-promoted feelings of empathic harmony and maybe even those norepinephrine circuit-originated emotional states of fear, anxiety and anger.
a product or a service that imbues limbic resonance.
So just exactly how are these feelings felt?
Companies need to connect with the customer. They need to elicit that primal sense of belonging and move
The limbic system supports a variety of functions
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including emotion, behavior, motivation, longterm memory, and smell (the close proximity of the latter two is why we deeply associate scents with saudades). Our emotional life is largely housed in the limbic system, and this house itself is built on the foundation of the various psychosocial experiences we encounter throughout our lives, in more simple terms — the formation of our memories. Anatomically speaking, the limbic system or paleomammalian cortex, is a set of brain structures located on the edge of both sides of the thalamus (the part of our brain which receives and processes sensory and motor input signals), immediately beneath the medial temporal lobe of the cerebrum primarily in the mesencephalon. Its structure consists of the amygdaloid nuclear complex (the amygdala is principally associated with our ability to display empathy and elicit fear), mammillary bodies (important for sensory memory), stria medullaris, central gray and dorsal and ventral nuclei of Gudden (helpful for spatial navigation and orientation). This processed information is often relayed to a collection of structures from the telencephalon, diencephalon, and mesencephalon, including the prefrontal cortex (the CEO of the brain), cingulate gyrus, limbic thalamus, hippocampus
(our brain’s main memory storage space) including the parahippocampal gyrus and subiculum, nucleus accumbens (limbic striatum), anterior hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area and midbrain raphe nuclei, habenular commissure, the entorhinal cortex and olfactory bulbs (used for smell). The concept of Limbic Resonance was affectionately advanced in the book A General Theory of Love (2000), and is one of three interrelated concepts central to the book’s premise: that our brain chemistry and nervous systems are measurably affected by those closest to us (limbic resonance); that our systems synchronize with one another in a way that has profound implications for personality and lifelong emotional health (limbic regulation); and that these set patterns can be modified through therapeutic practice (limbic revision).
ventral nuclei of Gudden (helpful for spatial navigation and orientation).
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In other words, Limbic Resonance refers to our capacity for empathy and non-verbal connection that is present in most humans, and that forms the basis of our social connections. This is where social-minded founders need to insert their unique selling proposition if their business is to thrive virally via this emotional contagion. Customers must be considered as a community; a superorganism that is encouraged to feel.
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Meet Hamad Alsaqer the Founder of Openflick
Description what is (OPENFLICK.com) is doing in few sentences?
Why and how did you come up with the idea of (OPENFLICK.com)?
OPENFLICK.com provides complete event related equipment rentals which are perfect for a wide variety of uses, from a backyard theatre for your family to a film festival or movie night and everything in between.
I noticed that consumers were comfortable booking flight tickets and renting cars online, and presumed that with time they would become comfortable ordering other items like screens and furniture too.
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019 How long have you been in this business?
What have you learned from running your business?
Since 2010, (OPENFLICK.com) has been Kuwait’s first indoor/outdoor event related items rental platform.
From running my business, I have learned that I don’t need to lean on others for support. When you have a dream or goal, the most important thing is that you believe in yourself.
What is your management style? For myself, the best approach to management is to switch back and forth between styles. But when I have the downtime, I like to encourage the team to bond. A good manager is one that invests in building a closeknit team that works well together. Of course, this managerial style only pays off in the long run. For more immediate crisis situations, I choose to reassign tasks or pick up the slack myself. I use threats and negative motivation only as a last resort.
How did you get your first customers? Via Customer Development Tools as most marketers know that, as well as Social Media Platforms has helped us reach and understand our audience better.
What was your plan for making it different to everything else that was out there? We had a specific plan and growth strategy to our business and customers, we kept our customers happy and fulfilled their wants and needs. What are your goals for the future?
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Do the best you possibly can in every area of your business, and when you make a mistake, just learn from it. There is no failure, just feedback
from your experience give me one definition of what is an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurs, in the purest sense, are those who identify a need and fill it. It’s a primordial urge, independent of product, service, industry or market.
Last word for Startups platform and magazine? Well, thank you for the interview and wish you all the best. Openflick.com
Our long-term goals involve growing with a company where we can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much value as possible to the team.
Which do you think is most important: the right market, the right product, or the right team? The right Team because in the beginning, you know a lot more about the team than you do know about the product, which hasn’t been built yet, or the market, which hasn’t been explored yet.
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Discoveries 7 Places to Visit in 2019 Before They Disappear There are plenty of top world travel lists based on where everyone is going, usually in greatest numbers. Instead of simply going with the crowd, however, why not plan your travel this year in order of ecological/historical importance? It’s an easy way to categorize, but not easy to prioritize. We’ll look here at places in peril that can still be enjoyed now — while actually helping the cause through proper booking and travel practices. Traveling with good intent, we can be purposeful in our choices, believing these precious touchstones of our planet may be prolonged and preserved.
The Great Wall of China
With our quickly shifting world political scene, who can predict the best time to visit this world wonder in geopolitical terms? Whatever the case, the next available window of opportunity might be wise, since the mighty Great Wall of China appears to be disappearing. In fact, while the Wall’s tourism value can’t be lost on the industry in China, over tourism, farming practices and non-sanctioned re-use of its stones and bricks for new buildings all are diminishing the once-great structure. Large sections of the imposing
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battlement, of course, are still intact and ready for visitors. Simply by eschewing mega tour groups, you can make a statement and do the Wall a favor. Intrepid Travel offers numerous, small-group itineraries that include the Great Wall. Or consider a personallyguided day trip to more remote, less-traveled areas of the Wall, complete with hotel pickup and drop-off by a local guide, booked through purveyors such as Viator. com for as low as $80 per person.
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April 2019 The plight of Africa’s iconic wildlife is as evident as ever on travel and nature documentaries, showing how enviro-degradation and poaching take a huge toll on these special species and their ecosystem. Embarking on an eco-safari allows adventurers to witness wildlife while helping conserve species. Kensington Tours offers the South Africa Family Safari (nine days, from $6,723), a mini African bucket-list adventure that explores Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and Table Mountain, among other stops. Most importantly, you’ll be able to track the classic African Big Five (lion, elephant, Black rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, leopard) on safari with no rifles in sight. Sunrise, when animals become active, is a great time for viewing. After nightfall, the nocturnal predators go to work. Both types of forays are offered by Yellow Zebra Safaris, whose charity efforts have long support local wildlife protection and conservation programs.
Cape Town, South Africa
It’s telling that the home page of Venice’s official city tourism website is subtitled “Sustainable Venice” and packed with tips on low-impact tourism. Indeed, tourism — along with climate change, industrial fishing practices, and the volume of container and cruise ships — has been hard on the canal city, its historic buildings and bridges. Without tourism, on the other hand, the economy would be in as much peril as the environment. Striking a balance is key, so choosing a trip with conscience allows you to enjoy the city’s gondolas and cathedrals without guilt. Get away from the crowds and go green with a mynatour.org bike tour of Venice. Using pedal power will not only help out, but also put you in a positive state of mind.
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Venice, Italy
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HTTPS://STARTUPSMAG.ORG/ Writer John Muir, the naturalist and champion of this iconic California parkland of towering granite cliffs and skyscraper sequoia trees, surely would be saddened at its current state. Time, overuse and climate have produced crumbling rock faces and thirsty redwoods, among other issues. Still, paying attention to the plight of Yosemite National Park and its surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains could help going forward. By hiking, camping and exploring here for even a few days, you can see why Muir and famed photographer Ansel Adams adopted Yosemite. Ironically, it is through their writings and photographs that we realize exactly what is at stake. Eco Adventure Cooperative takes the guesswork and planning out of taming your environmental footprint while enjoying Yosemite, so you can spend more time gawking at El Capitan, Half Dome and 600-foot Bridalveil Fall. Purchasing a definitive black-and-white Yosemite landscape from the Ansel Adams Gallery, of course, puts money back in the park’s conservation coffers.
Yosemite National Park, United State
Perched high in the remote Andes Mountains, in Peru’s Cusco Region, the rock-framed cascade of interlocking green terraces, stairways and altars seems to float in thin air when the fog is just right. The magical, mystical vision of this sacred place fits its ethereal vibe, so what’s upsetting the balance at Machu Picchu? Since the former Inca settlement was revealed to American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, it has suffered more than a century of pure over-tourism. Today, conservation and preservation projects are helping immensely, and part of that is controlling the number of visitors. Evolution Treks Peru offers eco-conscious day tours on train and bus trips to the sacred sight starting from around $400. One of the original pack-it-in, pack-it-out proponents, REI offers multiple Machu Picchu packages, ranging from around $3,000 to $9,000 for seven- to fifteen-day treks and multi-sport adventure packages in and around Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu, Peru
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STARTUPS MAGAZINE
April 2019 Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is another obvious and documented victim of warming ocean temperatures, a planetary wonder that may or may not be recoverable. Warmer water is bleaching the coral, which form the connected living structure of the largest organism on Earth. Situated off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, the reef ecosystem comprising hundreds of islands and thousands of reefs is an aquatic wonderland for snorkelers and divers. Getting under the waves to see myriad species of technicolor corals, sea fans and fish up close can be for a good cause. Swim with turtles, dolphins and sharks, too, on trips from Ocean Safari. The outfitter, which offers a half-day tour to two dive spots for just $149, is Advanced Ecotourism Certified and approved by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The theme of planetary stewardship continues with trips from the Quicksilver Group, which guides outer barrier reef and island adventures and is a Climate Action Innovator, actively reducing emissions and tracking its carbon footprint.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The plight of this delicate polar region is probably the most obvious in terms of urgency. Ice melts quickly in this warming world. Maybe we’ll reverse it, but for those who don’t want to take their chances, the time is now. Precisely due to its pristine natural environment teetering in the balance, outfitters are required by the Antarctic Treaty to have a permit to visit Antarctica. Book through tour companies such as Lindblad Expeditions and Nature World Safaris, which offer small-group, smallship cruises to travel unobtrusively through smaller passages. From there, guided pontoon-boat and helicopter tours net visitors close up views of glaciers, ice sheets and wildlife without intruding in an impactful way. For this type of edge-of-the-world exploration, expect to budget anywhere from $13,000 to $35,000 or more for a 14- to 24-day expedition led by Antarctic experts. Pricey, to be sure, but once-in-a-lifetime adventure takes on multiple levels of meaning as we traverse our changing planet.
Antarctica
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Establish Your Local Fashion or Beauty Brand Sahar Albahar na
In the last few years, we have seen a boom in local fashion and beauty brands. Consumers are looking for something different-‐something they don’t find in every mall, something that isn’t worn by every person.In addition to consumers, social media influencers have shown an interest in and support for local brands, like Huda Beauty.
Understand Your Market and Your Competition
>
In order to stay ahead of competitors, you can use Porter’s 5 Forces model to analyze your business.
> Competitive Rivalry
o W ho are your competitors? How do their products compare to your products?
> Supplier Power
o I s it easy to find suppliers? Will it be costly for you to switch to another supplier?
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Buyer Power o Can buyers control your prices? Are they only willing to buy your products for a certain price? Do they have other alternatives to choose from?
> Barriers to Entry
o How easy is it for new competitors to start a similar business? How easy would it be for them to copy you?
> Threats of Substitution
o How likely is it that your customers could
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April 2019 substitute your products with different products? If competitors reveal new products, then your customers won’t need your products any longer.
Target Market Common sense will tell you that you need to identify your target market first. I tend to agree, but when it comes to local beauty and fashion brands, sometimes you need to test your product in the market first in order to see which customer segment will buy from you. For example, my own perfume brand was originally intended for women from 27 to 50 years old. But I have had 17-‐year-‐olds buy my perfumes, as well as 65-‐years-‐olds and all ages in between.I also initially targeted my perfumes to women only, but retailers advised me that the current trend is to have unisex perfumes; since one of my perfumes was strong and suitable for men and women, I decided to sell it to both genders. You will mostly learn about your customers after launching your products in the market. With that in mind, let’s move on to the next point: Start SMALL.
Differentiating your brand The appetite for fashion and beauty in the region is tremendous. Consumers are willing to buy local brands, but you need to ensure that your customers actually need your products. I always remember not to blame the customers if they are not buying my product. It is my responsibility to sell something they need and are willing to spend money on. Suppose you want to launch your own make-‐up brand. First, think of your customers. Are you a well-‐ known makeup artist who has a customer base waiting for you to launch your own brand? If not, why would customers want to purchase your brand? Maybe it’s the packaging that attracts their attention. Or perhaps you want to create a cruelty-‐free and vegan makeup line, which is all the rage at the moment. Similarly, if you want to launch your line of traditional dresses, you need to think beyond the design. What is your label telling your customers? Does it make them feel empowered?
Start Small You have worked hard on your brand, and you have finally received your inventory. Now, you want to tell the world about it. Be careful. You really need to test the market and your prices first. If this is not your first venture in creating your own brand—in other words, if you are sure of your prices and customer engagement—then you can ignore this advice and go big. For most first-‐time brand founders, you can test the products with one or two retailers with minimal marketing (for about 2-‐3 months) and see if people are willing to pay the price you set. Joining local exhibitions is another good way to engage with customers and listen to their observations about your brand. Don’t take any negative criticism personally. After testing your product, you can then determine whether your prices should be increased or lowered. Once you have decided on the price, you can go bigger and target more retailers to start selling your local brand.
Be careful. You really need to test the market and your prices first. Social Media Influencers Four years ago, if you launched your own brand and paid a decent amount of money to a social media influencer, you could guarantee some sales. In fact, some brands even used to sell out their products. That situation is changing, though, so I wouldn’t advise you to rely only on social media influencers. You need to gain the customers’ trust and be authentic. The more you understand what your customers want, the more you will be able to sell.
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The journey of establishing Women Techmakers & Google Developer Group WTMGDG Kuwait by Dr. Zainab AlMeraj
It’s been an exciting year and a half since Women Techmakers Kuwait (WTM Kuwait) was put on the Google chapters map. It began in 2016 when three tech women myself included, attended the Arab Women in Computing conference in Lebanon. The conference looked at developing talent of Arab women and promoting their visibility in the computing fields.
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At one of the booths I met the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional Google developer group leads Salim Abid and Rayan Zahab, the only Women Google developer experts in the MENA region. They highlighted that we didn’t have enough tech women experts in the MENA region visualized and that they had resources that could help build and utilize talent within local communities.
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With that said, the rest was left to my imagination and creativity to see that those seeking tech skills have opportunities to develop whether it be find others with expertise or offer them a chance to give back to the community, get visualized, and have tech women expert voices and faces in Kuwait come to light. During the second largest event DevFest in October 2018 we announced the merge of WTM Kuwait with Google Developer Group Kuwait now branded as WTM & GDG Kuwait City. This move allows for added diversity between in the audience and the tech expertise.
The team that is making a difference:
Over the course of 2018 and 2019 we have grown to 30 coorganizing volunteers and over 1000 group members on both the group’s main platforms Meetup and Instagram (@wtmgdgkuwait).
The vision and how impact can be made:
As an active researcher and advocate in tech and humans rights my focus is on driving change from the grassroots level. This is usually done through initiatives that come to be when open spaces, talents and collaborative spirits come together in communities such as WTM&GDG Kuwait.
It is worthy to note that there are no limitations in joining as a volunteer. This means that even non-tech persons are able to contribute.
The WTM&GDG Kuwait coorganizing team consists of undergraduate/graduate students, early career employees, entrepreneurs and mid to advanced tech professionals. In addition to advancing their knowledge in new tech our volunteers have learned soft skills, leadership, presentation skills, team building, event management and communication skills that gives them an added boost to their resumes. They have gained coaching, guidance, visibility and the chance to network with tech professionals to help find employment. Finally, they have also gained a sense of belonging to a community that they helped establish and grow. It is worthy to note that there are no limitations in
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joining as a volunteer. This means that even non-tech persons are able to contribute. The more significant relevant factor is that volunteer contribution is the precursor that generates momentum to the success of events when time and circumstances permit.
One initiative has been to bring both developers and nongovernment organizations (NGO’s) a little closer through a Hackathon competition promoting social good, which was first hosted in 2018. Many local NGO’s have limited funding and are unable to communicate successfully with their representative communities due to lack of tech solutions. The Hackathon being a prime example and opportunity to develop solutions for these communities.
It was a simple idea that brought local talent together to solve just a few of the many problems faced by local communities. This year at the International Women’s Day convention and Hackathon for social good, two NGO’s pitched their dilemmas. 1- “Abolish 153”, needed a dashboard style implementation to manage, monitor and communicate with domestic abuse victims.
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2- The Kuwaiti Blind Association needed Arabic optical character recognition technologies and games for their Arabic speaking blind community. The Hackathon resulted in three winning teams whose apps and websites will be pitched once again to the NGO’s and with the support of our main sponsors AlAhli United Bank and NIU, their solutions will be seen through to completion and handed to the NGO’s. Overall the Hackathon was deemed an overriding success reaching positive solutions. An initiative like this addresses multiple issues: it promotes a healthy tech ecosystem, empowers youth by building portfolios and C.V.’s and benefits the underrepresented communities and their nonprofit organizations, everyone wins.
The challenges involved: 1- Funding- to be able to secure enough funding to see a project through to fruition and to support and sustain growth. We have very little financial support as a young thriving team with ambition. 2- People- pulling together a team of like-minded people individuals to implement the objectives knowing they share the same vision. Expat communities have a lot to offer but reaching them and energetic youth has been challenging. 3- Premises- having access to appropriate tech venues
where the team can collaborate productively and hold events. We’ve been fortunate to have some venue support by Kuwait University but other options are needed. 4- Resources- availability of sufficient resources to cover large events (literature, computers, equipment). 5- Marketing- to reach the target audience through a strong marketing campaign well in advance of the event and to have continuous marketing support. 6- Obtaining an appropriate license that covers our initiatives is still a minefield but is currently being addressed slowly in order to plan for long term collaborations. Like any non-profit volunteer group, the challenges are not insurmountable but have to be addressed. In Kuwait there are very few technology non-profit initiatives. In order to achieve the ‘New Kuwait 2035’ vision, UN Sustainable development goals and a healthy tech ecosystem there needs to be an agenda that supports nonprofit community efforts such as WTM&GDG Kuwait. These issues call out to CSR initiatives that seek impact on a long term national level and not event-based. There will always be excuses, however it’s doing something about them that drives change.
To sum up: The WTM & GDG Kuwait initiative has grown quickly despite very little support.
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It is open to everyone, locals, expats, students, government and private businesses and employees. This is the fundamental building block towards a strong tech community that advances, drives change, innovation, discovery and knowledge. Everyone has something to gain and most importantly offer
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Dubai-based eyewear ecommerce platform Eyewa raises $7.5 million Series A “With a roundtable of experienced regional and international investors, we now have access to a wealth of knowledge to help us better shape our future. With this funding, we will accelerate our growth and provide great eyewear products to even more customers across the entire MENA region,” added Mehdi Oudghiri.
Eyewa-Team-A Dubai-based online eyewear retailer Eyewa has raised $7.5 million in a Series A round led by Wamda Captial and joined by Choueiri Group’s investment arm Equitrust, South Korea’s leading online and multimedia retailer GS Shop, French Partners, 500 Startups, Usus Al Khwarizmi, and Kuwait-based Faith Capital, the startup announced today. This round takes total investment raised so far by Eyewa to $8.6 million. The startup had raised its $1.1 million seed in January last year. Founded in 2017 by Anass Boumediene and Mehdi Oudghiri, Eyewa currently sells different types of eyewear including sunglasses, contact lenses, and prescription glasses on its platform. The startup that offers free shipping on all orders in both the countries sells products from many leading eyewear brands including Ray-Ban, Emporio Armani, Burberry, Persol, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Nike, and Lacoste. Anass Boumediene, commenting on the investment, said, “Not only is this recognizing all the effort our team has put into building successful operations in UAE and KSA, but it is also celebrating an exciting future for our startup. We are in the right market, at the right time, with the right team to make it big.”
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Mehdi, speaking to MENAbytes about its indirect competition, when the startup had raised its seed round, had said, “Ecommerce is still relatively underpenetrated in the region when compared to other global markets. Educating customers around the convenience of ecommerce requires heavy marketing investments. As Amazon/Souq, Noon or Namshi, they actually take care of the heavy lifting of the education of customers on ecommerce. The way we see it is that customers will make their first purchase on the generalist e-commerce, and once they are comfortable with purchasing online they will buy from niche ecommerce players that have a much better offering and an expert service that is more catered to the specific product they are selling.” “The same way customers don’t buy eyewear from Carrefour but rather from specialized optical stores, we expect the same behavior to happen online. It is a transition that already happened in many countries, with MisterSpex in Germany or LensKart in India for example,” he had added. Eyewa that has grown its team from two to 25 since its launch in late 2017, plans to use the investment to further expand its operations across the region. Abdullah Al Rugaib, Eyewa’s Managing Director for Saudi, said that the investment will help them further invest in their local infrastructure and build a bigger Saudi-based team.
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Canadian embassy support women in international trade
Business Women in International Trade event on Women Empowerment Embassy of Canada to the State of Kuwait
Gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and the realization of their human rights are key Canadian priorities, both in Canada and abroad. Canada is proud to proclaim its government feminist and to advance these values throughout its diplomatic, trade and international development initiatives. Canada has intensified its long-standing
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commitment to the human rights of women and girls with the affirmation of feminist values as core to its foreign policy efforts and launch of its Feminist International Assistance Policy in June 2017. The Policy places achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at the heart of its efforts. In conjunction with the recognition of
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International Women’s Day, the Embassy of Canada in Kuwait, in collaboration with Canada’s Business Women in International Trade (BWIT) program, organised an event on the subject of “Women Empowerment” on March 4th, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel which included presentations by a Canadian BWIT Champion Speaker, Ms. Diane Craig and a Kuwaiti Speaker Mrs. Alia Al-Khaled and another Canadian speaker, Mrs. Amy Johnson. The BWIT program is part of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and provides targeted products and services to help Canadian women entrepreneurs internationalize. Ms. Craig, is the President and founder of Corporate Class Incorporated. Recognised internationally for her Executive Presence Training System, Ms. Craig facilitates customized executive and leadership presence coaching, workshops and seminars to organisations around the world: from Europe to the Gulf Region, Asia, South Africa and across the Americas- North, Central and South. During her presentation, Ms. Craig addressed a wide range of businesswomen in Kuwait as well as businessmen supporting women’s empowerment in the country which is a stated priority for the Government of Kuwait. Her keynote message focused on how today’s leaders can help advance this key initiative to help all citizens prosper politically, economically and socially. Incorporating an interactive discussion regarding the gender equality perspective of business integrity, as well as business ethics in Kuwait, the event helped to promote potential partnerships between Canadian Businesswomen and local Kuwait organizations that support and deliver business opportunities for women entrepreneurs and exporters. This initiative helped to enhance awareness in Kuwait of the Canadian women entrepreneurship ecosystem and the Government of Canada’s inclusive approach to Trade. The program also included a Kuwaiti woman speaker: Mrs. Alia Al-Khaled: Development Affairs Researcher and General Manager of two companies
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in Kuwait - Edarat for Management Consulting and Wartung Building Contracting Co. Mrs. Al-Khaled shared her experiences from her recent participation in a FemParl event organized by the Government of Canada, and which took place in Cairo and Beirut in early February 2019. #FemParl MENA, a 4-day, 2-city learning and networking event, brought together a number of female Parliamentarians and activists from across the Middle East and North Africa region for a productive and intense program of knowledge sharing, leadership, training, networking and social media advocacy. In Cairo, the program focused on governance, communications and inclusive economic growth. In Beirut, it focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as women, peace and security. During her presentation, Ms. Alia focused on her participation in the FemParl initiative and the outcomes which resulted from this valuable experience. The third speaker, Mrs. Amy Johnson is an awardwinning executive with over 15 years of international experience. She has managed established and start-up sales and project offices for multimillion-dollar client accounts in the event, branding and retail industries in Canada and the GCC, with a specialization in sporting events. Amy currently works as Director of Community Engagement at Qatar Foundation. In her presentation, Mrs. Johnson talked about ‘women empowering women’ and its importance. She also spoke about Canadian women in business in the region, and internationally as well as her perspective on the same. Finally, she shared her experience working as Community Engagement Director in a leading women empowering organization in the region, Qatar Foundation. The event was opened with welcoming remarks by Ambassador of Canada to Kuwait, HE Louis-Pierre Emond, followed by a statement by HE Dr. Khaled Mahdi, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Kuwait Supreme Council for Planning & Development.
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How to Set Your Business Goals and Targets?
By Steve Ashby
Fear is powerful.
A sort of “Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t” scenario.
According to a lot of recent articles I’ve read, one of the biggest issues for people considering the entrepreneurial life is fear. Especially people who haven’t clarified their goals, so they are at the mercy of fear.
In both instances, you can be consumed by the fear. Or having established your goal, you can take positive steps to address each of the issues provoking the fear reaction.
Fear of the instability of earnings, of not being able to attract new business, of not being able to make ends meet. Probably (although this is highly subjective) there’s less fear about whether they can produce good quality work. Mind you, for many salaried workers these days, there are also a fairly heavy set of fears. Fear of being made redundant, fear of losing work/life balance through having to work insane hours to keep the job, fear of working for the boss from hell.
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In other words, break it down into its constituent parts. Fear is a very powerful but often generalized emotional response. Your goal on the other hand is specific and measurable. I suspect that once fear has been broken down like that, it can never assume the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” size again. Suzanne Jeffers’ book “Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway” saved my life when it first came out 20 years ago. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you’re feeling the least bit fearful about becoming an entrepreneur; or have made the
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transition and are worrying yourself sick. For me, the most powerful antidote to that fear I felt 20 years ago was Taking Action. To do that, according to Jeffers, you need to take action on each bit of the fear, even while still feeling the emotion. The activity quickly dispels the negative emotion because you get this delicious “that wasn’t so bad!” feeling, followed shortly by “Huh! You know what, I CAN do this! “We
Once the fear’s been broken down you will find that you’re quite able to deal with most of the specific aspects, which should reduce the overall fear response.
You’re a small business at the moment. You need to act like a highly efficient business. Acting that way will reduce your uncertainty and enable you instead to become (and stay) highly positive and optimistic.
You will need at a minimum: A clear, compelling, measurable goal: “I will start my business on (date) with my brand, website, product/service ad materials, audience location and social media campaign ready to roll out. Plus, a payment mechanism in place.” This business goal encompasses… A brand that represents your personality and style which enables you to STAND OUT and be noticed. An extremely clear view of what you’re selling, for how much, and who to (and an equally clear view of what you’re NOT selling – You MUST NOT try to be all things, to all people, at any price). A fit-for-purpose website which is intuitively easy to navigate and ridiculously fast.
A process for defining EXACTLY what you’re doing for the client, how much you’re charging and your Ts &Cs. This is to avoid you doing too much for free… which you should rightly be scared rigid about!!! Core business admin processes for quoting, invoicing, chasing debt and so on. A successful method for juggling your time to meet your business priorities (such as getting new clients while servicing existing clients) and running your business and your life.
A process for quickly and professionally resolving the inevitable breakdowns. Things like dealing with the unreasonable client, chasing unpaid invoices, being let down by suppliers, having something from your private life intrude on your business life. Here’s a little technique I was given at the same time 20 years ago when I was immobilized by fear: “Respond, don’t react”. Give yourself time to consider the BEST thing to do, which may not be the FIRST thought that comes rushing into your head! There are no guarantees in life. But the best way to deal with the fear of uncertainty, is to take well thought out, measurable, achievable actions to bring certainty into play.
MUCH MORE FREEDOM TO ACT than the
And remember, as an entrepreneur, you have average salary slave.
Stay confident and focused on your business goals and targets.
A marketing strategy for getting to, and engaging with, your target audience.
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Mind reading: Redefined
Yasmeen Hayat, Msc Centuries ago, we embarked on a quest for knowledge of the magnificent makeup of man. While science has made many advancements in understanding our organs and ways to fix them, we have had less progress in deciphering the most complex organ of all, our brain. This is because unlike others, the brain is the organ responsible for our thoughts, feelings and reason. It is the organ of the mind: an abstract concept that, until just recently, was thought to have no physical properties. The brain is the organ of the mind just as the lungs are the organs of respiration, and the heart of circulation. But could we actually physically see thoughts and feelings the way we see air enter and leave our lungs? Could we see consciousness the way we see blood pumping through our hearts? Could we read the brain and know what the mind is doing in that exact moment? Could there really be such a thing as “mind reading”? Not too long ago the answer would have been “probably not”. Sure, we can see abnormalities in the brain but
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observing abnormalities in a person’s mind seemed to be a stretch. Thus, the dichotomy was established: dealing with the mind was the job of psychology and therapy while dealing with the brain was the job of doctors and medicine. Today however is a new dawn, recent developments in the mind-blowing fields (pun intended) of cognitive, behavioral and affective neuroscience have, in only but a few short years, made extraordinary strides in revealing how the abstract mind emerges from the physical brain. In fact, advancements in brain scan technology have allowed us to observe not only the neural signals of our thoughts, feelings and behavior, but even, to some extent, those of our sense of self and our subjective experience of consciousness. So, what exactly have these advancements told us this far?
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April 2019 In the beginning separate brain regions were found to be responsible for different psychological phenomena, for example the limbic area was responsible for emotions, the prefrontal area was responsible for reasoning and so on. But the brain is not just comprised of different areas working independently, it can’t be. Because If the brain makes the mind and the mind gives us a feeling of a unified self, then the brain itself must be somehow unified as well. After countless scans and studies, scientists have found that large-scale networks unify the brain’s different areas. A holistic system exists where areas in these networks talk internally within the network as well as externally to other networks, the product of these “conversations” is your total conscious experience, basically what is responsible for creating a person’s state of mind at a given moment. What this means is that if you scan a person’s brain and see what large networks are active, you can physically see what the person is experiencing mentally in real time. It is like having an inside look at the architecture of a person’s mental events and behaviors, in other words it is like reading a person’s mind. One of the largest and most connected large-scale brain networks is the Default Mode Network (DMN). It was named the Default Mode because it seemed to be our brains default state of being, activating when the mind is at rest. It is the network active in self-generated thought. Active when we reflect on ourselves and our lives, when we contemplate events that happened in the past, might happen in the future, or will never happen at all. It is active when we dream, imagine and when our mind wanders. It is the network responsible for us having a feeling of a self, separate from our surroundings. The moment you engage with your environment however, whether you are doing a task or concentrating on a something, your default mode network switches off and the other largest network takes over, your Cognitive Control Network (CCN). It deals with the here and now and supports goal-directed behavior. Here is the important part, The DMN and CCN are anti-correlated, meaning that when one is active the other can’t be. Try
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it yourself, attempt doing a math problem while thinking about what you might have for lunch tomorrow, you can’t do both at exactly the same time. You can jump back and forth between the two but you can’t solve the problem while simultaneously thinking about what’s for lunch at grandma’s later. This fluctuation between the DMN and CCN (managed by another network: The Salience Network) usually goes unnoticed. The discovery of these large-scale networks has barely been around for a decade but have told us so much about the way our minds work. Its implementation to psychological disorders has shed a lot of light on the nature of these disorders. From mild depression all the way to schizophrenia, scientist have found a link between an imbalance in these networks and many different psychological disorders. For example, an overactive DMN and an underactive CCN has been seen in both depression and schizophrenia, disorders linked to skewed
advancements in brain scan technology have allowed us to observe not only the neural signals of our thoughts, feelings and behavior, but even, to some extent, those of our sense of self and our subjective experience of consciousness self-generated thoughts and a disconnect with the environment. This view gives us a holistic look at what it is like to be a person with a disorder and how their brain as a whole communicates with itself in a faulty way. In my 10 years in the field I have watch it grow at an exponential rate. Its innovation has opened up a whole new world of psychological treatment and medication. These treatments that aim to regulate these networks are revolutionizing psychology and psychiatry, and I for one am very excited to see it keep evolving and enhancing the way we conceptualize the human mind.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
10 Books
You Must
Read If You’re Thinking of Starting a Business by Jacob Huff
1. Th e E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber If there is just one book you need to read it’s this one. While it’s a little dry, it will help you think of the ins and outs of business that you’ve never thought of. The book has a practical way of looking at how a successful business runs from day to day. One of the biggest take away for me, was how to structure partnerships in a business. They can make or break you, but the tips on how they should work in this book are incredible!
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2. Tribes by Seth Godin Divisions in America are stronger than ever. In some ways they are good, in other ways they are bad. But it’s a fact that human beings are focusing more and more on being a part of small groups of like-minded people. We can no longer lump people into one or two groups and expect to reach one of those groups. This book will help you understand how things are changing and what you can do to reach people.
3. D elivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh Customer service is key for the growth of any business. If there is one company that set the bar for what customer service should be, it’s Zappos. This book is written by the founder of Zappos and he breaks down exactly what it takes to sell a product and sell it well. It’s also packed with random little tidbits of knowledge of what it’s like to work in a startup.
4. Good To Great by Jim Collins This book is filled with example after example of how good companies with solid ideas, took things to the next level. There are so many important factors that make up a great company. In this book, Collins goes over each in a simple to understand way, for anyone not familiar with business. Some of the ideas in this are a little complicated for beginners, but most can be understood by slowing down and doing some research on google, in regard to some of the situations mentioned.
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5. G rowth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday Ryan Holiday may not be a house hold name, but he is responsible for some of the greatest marketing campaigns out there. He ran American Apparels marketing division without finishing college. He has been responsible for the marketing of numerous top selling books. And he has been able to grow email lists of over 50k without spending a dime. The marketing tactics Holiday lays out in this book are practical for anyone. The best part, he markets with little to no budget.
6. How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis Don’t let the corny title fool you, this book is one of the best to understand the entrepreneurship lifestyle. You might not know who Felix Dennis is, but at a young age he created a media empire. However, this book isn’t all sunshine and roses. It’s a look at the more frustrating side of working for yourself. Filled with low points and the anxiety of his journey, this book is actually a border line argument against starting a business. Anyone considering going full time with their business needs to read this!
7. Getting Things Done by David Allen If you start a business, you’re going to feel overwhelmed at some point. At first, you’ll be filled with energy, ready to conquer the world. But the daily grind will get to you. Your email will get filled beyond belief. You may have work that keeps you up all night. Some of you, if you’re fortunate may have multiple businesses to run. But, if you follow the basic organizational rules and tactics in this book you will be productive and will stay on top of your work. I can’t stress how much this book will keep your day to day life together. There is a reason top executives use Allen to organize their lives.
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8. Rework by Jason Fried When I think modern day business books, this one is at the top of my list. Not only does the book break down how to do business in today’s world, but covers a vast range of questions business owners have when starting. The book topics include, investors, product creation, long term business planning and many others. I don’t think I’ve every read a book packed with as many insightful points as this.
9. Essentialism by Greg McKeown In the business community, this is the most talked about book I’ve seen in a long time. I’m not talking about average business folks. I’m talking about top CEOs, founders and societal leaders discussing how meaningful this book is. It’s focus is on keeping the important things important. Not just in business, but in your personal life as well. The perfect book to help you avoid burning out.
10. People Over Profit by Dale Partridge I hope whatever business you start does well. But, I’ll be honest, if your business doesn’t help others beyond just a basic service, it’s a basic business. Don’t start a basic business, start a business that can impact more lives than you ever imagined. There are more important things in life than just earning money and Dale Partridge breaks that down in an exceptional way in this book. Partridge had success early on in his entrepreneurial journey. But when profit stopped being the priority, he made more money than he ever had. This is one of those books that could truly change your life.
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Startups Updates
By: Mubarak Alrashidi
We are dedicating this page to celebrate the achievements in the Kuwaiti startups community and spotlight their big success stories in brief.
Tabeeby Raises $770,000 Tabeeby is a Kuwaiti-based medical directory has successfully secured a US$770,000 from Ground One Ventures, a private investment company based out of United Kingdom. This investment will be used to enhance and develop Tabeeby’s platform and technical development which will serve their clients and potential users in the future. Source: Arabian Business
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Online Coffee Marketplace “COFE” raises $3.2 mil in Pre-Serie A Another success story comes from the Kuwait App … COFE. For those who are unaware of COFE, COFE is simple a marketplace for café that delivers your cofe to your doorsteps or office. The minds behind it have secured an investment of $3.2 Mil in Pre-Series A. The round was led by Kuwait’s KISP Ventures with Lebanon’s Cedar Mundi, Oman’s Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital and Dividend Capital from Bahrain, and Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding and Arab Investment Company from Kuwait.
Nalbes raises $2 million for its Series B Round Nalbes is an online fashion marketplace that is focusing on the GCC region has successfully secured a $2 million in its series B Round from undisclosed investors. Founded in early 2017 by Abdulaziz Alanzi & Bader Alanzi, Nalbes sells clothing, bags, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and kids, through its website and mobile apps.
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FAITH CAPITAL CLOSES SERIES A INVESTMENT IN JUSTCLEAN
The following is a press release announcing Faith Capital’s investment of $8.0m in JustClean’s Series A. KUWAIT CITY, 24 FEBRUARY 2019 — Faith Capital announced today the recent close of a $8.0m (KWD 2.45m) Series A round of financing in JustClean, a Kuwaiti laundry technology startup, in order to expand ongoing GCC marketplace operations, in addition to expanding B2B logistics and SaaS initiatives. Additionally, JustClean will be pursuing strategic partnerships with other regional startups in the cleaning sector. Having been founded in 2016, JustClean has expanded its laundry marketplace operations from being a B2C model active only in Kuwait, to a B2C model with active users in Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE, in addition to rolling out logistical support for marketplace vendors and a recently launched Point of Sale and comprehensive laundry management software solution. JustClean intends to roll out a full suite of these services in Qatar by the end of the year, in addition to a gradual Saudi launch of the SaaS product. “JustClean has differentiated itself from regional competitors by offering technological solutions to problems faced not just by consumers, but by operators of laundry businesses as well,” says Athbi Al-Enezi, a Co-Founder of JustClean. “The user experience is of
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paramount importance to everyone in this market, however, we’ve seen most of our competitors completely neglect the B2B value chain. JustClean will cater to both B2B and B2C segments, and intends to ultimately be the solution provider of choice for cleaning business owners across the MENA region.” “As the first and only institutional investors in JustClean, Faith Capital is dedicated to succeeding in the GCC cleaning sector with the help of our expansive resources, including advisory team members with decades of combined experience in operating and scaling businesses in challenging competitive environments,” says Mohammed Jaffar, the CEO of Faith Capital and JustClean. “Our past entrepreneurial experience in this region has left us well-equipped to scale JustClean regionally.” “We have spent the last few months hiring additional resources for JustClean in a wide variety of positions from across the MENA region to ensure that we are well-positioned for success, “says Nouri Al-Enezi, a CoFounder of JustClean. “It is with great pride that we say that JustClean is now home to one of the most sophisticated startup teams in the MENA ecosystem.” Faith Capital Holding is a Kuwaiti Venture Capital firm specializing in early stage technology startups…
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