Business In Dubai For Foreigners – Dubai, UAE’s massive economy makes it an attractive place to start or grow your business. But how do you know where to begin? Here are seven of the most popular business ideas in Dubai, as well as tips on how to get started and succeed in each one.
Business In Dubai For Foreigners
Retail Management
Having a small retail business is one of my favorite ways to make money in any city. It’s something that you can do from anywhere, and it doesn’t take up much time since you only need to be there when you are open. On top of that, retail businesses tend to have pretty good margins, meaning they can pay a good amount on profits.
Plus, if your store is successful enough, you could always eventually sell it for more than what you paid. This can be especially appealing if your business has an interesting story or origin (e.g., if it started as a creative project). I highly recommend reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki to learn more about how I think about building my businesses.
The great thing about running a retail shop is that once you get rolling, most of your business comes from repeat customers and referrals. That means all you really need is some way to get people into your store. For example, maybe advertising online works best for you or maybe going door-to-door with flyers works best because it allows people to browse while they’re at home.
Regardless of which strategy makes sense for you, getting people in their feels like half the battle right there! If someone likes what they see at your shop—and assumes that it will be consistent every time—they’ll come back again and bring friends!
Uber, Careem, / Grab Taxi driver
Whether you know how to drive or not, a lot of people are making money driving in one of these services. A report from income reports shows that some drivers are earning over $17,000/month by working around 40 hours a week.
I’ve heard people say that they love their job so much because they don’t have to do it full-time—they can choose to work for three or four hours each day and then do something else during most of their remaining time. Some have even said that making money with Uber is so easy that it feels like cheating! Business idea 3 – Party planner: If you enjoy hosting parties, consider starting a business as a party planner (or using your existing skills to become one).
You can create themes and schedules that fit your clients’ needs or simply be available for hire whenever someone wants to throw an event. If you want help getting started, check out Think Tank Events. The founder has created an amazing video course where he shares his own story of going from party guy to successful entrepreneur who generates $25 million per year through his company.
Freelance Writing
If you’re interested in writing, there are a number of markets to explore (or you can take content writing jobs from bigger companies). TechCrunch and Mashable both hire freelance tech writers; if you know JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python or Ruby on Rails, WordPress is a good place to start.
One of my personal favorites for fun side projects is actually doing freelance work for local businesses in my city. Many of them are looking for help with their blogs or websites. If they like your work or think it’s a good fit they might even give you a full-time job offer.
Side note: always check if your intended freelancing platform has escrow services. Although I did not have any issues so far, I wouldn’t risk an entire month’s worth of income by working without such a system. Freelance platforms that support escrow include Upwork, Guru, PeoplePerHour, Fiverr and Toptal.
I prefer Upwork because they support most international currencies, have great reviews/feedback as well as thousands of clients/projects open to bid on. With smaller jobs / clients make sure you clarify that payment will be made via an escrow service before proceeding with contract signing etc.
Mashable Hires Part Time Writer! At Mashable we’re always looking for new voices to join our team!
Graphic Design
The UAE may not have a long history of graphic design and marketing, but it’s quickly catching up. Local businesses are constantly improving their branding, becoming more creative and taking bolder steps to create awareness of their products and services. As a result, there is a real need for skilled local graphic designers who can help them visualize ideas, develop new concepts and promote brands across multiple digital channels.
If you’re talented with an eye for design—and have some experience in graphics or related fields—you could be sitting on a gold mine in Dubai. Here are some tips to help get your business started:
In addition to finding clients and bringing them leads (through social media platforms), another important way that you can grow your business is by networking at industry events in Dubai.
Join professional organizations like IABU (International Advertising Bureau United Arab Emirates) and attend weekly meetings where professionals from all types of industries gather to discuss common challenges, share stories and learn from one another. It’s one of best ways to pick up useful tips, make strong connections within your industry and find opportunities to gain valuable insights that can advance your career!
Tour Guide
If you are an expert in your city’s history and/or culture, why not tour groups around for a living? This idea is a bit unique and requires some investment in start-up costs. However, if you’re passionate about your area of expertise, then it could be worth checking out. One thing to keep in mind though is that many of these jobs require extensive licensing – including guides who offer bike tours and walking tours.
Be sure to check with your city on what specific requirements you need to meet before starting business as a tour guide. These can vary greatly based on each location so make sure to do your research first. To give you a quick example, NYC wants their licensed tour guides to have experience or formal training plus at least $1500 cash in hand before applying for a license.
To give you another example, Portland wants licensed guides to have passed the general exam plus two endorsements within 180 days prior to application; and they must also take courses through Travel Portland Tourism Training Institute or equivalent training program.
Many places may want things like proof of liability insurance but I highly recommend having at least $10,000 coverage if possible (this also helps ward off unlicensed competition). You might find that meeting all those criteria turns into quite an investment!
Virtual Assistant / Personal Assistant
The idea of working as a virtual assistant is attractive to many people, because it’s an online job which allows you to work from home. Because you work online, it means that your location isn’t an issue. It also means that you can set your own hours, which makes life much easier for stay-at-home parents who might want or need to fit their job around school runs and after-school activities.
Or if you don’t have kids but want a part-time job which fits in around other commitments, then being a virtual assistant could be ideal. If working from home works for you (and there are many advantages and very few disadvantages) then it could be just what you’re looking for! Business idea 7 – Exotic pet business: So I never thought about making money by selling pets until my girlfriend bought a pet snake so she could learn more about taking care of them.
At first I said ew when she told me she was going to get one but now that I know more about them they kind of interest me! They aren’t anything like dogs or cats so they require different things to survive and they have different dietary needs etc. They do eat live food most of time which sounds gross but apparently its not nearly as bad as it sounds. There are some benefits like lower vet bills etc.
Bookkeeping and Accounting
It’s no secret that accounting is a strong business in most countries. The need for financial skills is always high and it can be lucrative. If you have good bookkeeping and accounting skills, you could start an Accounting and Tax services firm at your home country or Dubai.
Just imagine there are thousands of people who need your service, why not to be one of them? You will save cost on office space and other stuff since you can just do it from home as a virtual company. This way, you don’t even need to hire anyone to assist you with your job as they are all done by yourself! Sounds interesting right? That’s great!
Also Read: Minimum Investment To Start Business In Dubai
Conclusion
While some businesses might require a minimum local presence to get up and running, there are plenty of viable small business ideas in Dubai for foreigners. We’ve talked about good opportunities in online marketing, buying and selling gold, establishing an Amazon storefront, selling local products on Etsy, or starting a YouTube channel for coaching.
Regardless of what you choose to do though, having solid knowledge about how to start a business from home means you’re better equipped to succeed. If you don’t have that yet – or if your current idea could use some fine-tuning – then check out our guide to starting a home-based business (it’s helpful even if you’re not looking at working abroad).
