‘Fake it till you make it’ may be a classic business mantra, but it could be sinking your company. In recent years, the UAE has become known as a leading location for startups. Perhaps the leading location. Indeed, a huge 95% of businesses in Dubai are SMEs and new...
Business and Leadership Skills
When good bosses turn bad: Seven deadly sins of bad managers
If you’ve ever done any management training, you’ll have been inundated with advice on how to lead effectively. You know the kind of thing: empowering your employees, communicating effectively and celebrating creativity? All hallmarks of a good boss. But doing the...
Likeability in business: What is it and where can I get it?
What are the traits required to be a business success? A capacity for hard work, certainly. An appetite for risk, no doubt. Determination and a resilience to setbacks, absolutely. What about likeability? Plenty of entrepreneurs out there will have grown up in the...
What can entrepreneurs learn about marketing from industry giants?
For entrepreneurs wanting to take their company into the big league, there’s much you can learn from those who have already made it. Whether you’re in tech, consumer goods, or media, you’re likely more than aware of the titans in your industry – and the size of their...
Great customer service: It’s all about emotional engagement
The world of business is not a sterile one, made up of spreadsheets, data and documents. Pseudo-entrepreneurs may believe that, but it’s a fallacy. The cold, hard fact of the matter is that business is about one thing, and one thing alone. People. As a CEO, how you...
Five signs that you are not ready to be an entrepreneur
Note this article also appeared in Entrepreneur Middle East and can be viewed here. It has never been easier to become an entrepreneur. But are you ready? Modern technology has connected us to the point where it is feasible to run a startup business with no office...
Seven things salespeople get wrong – and how to fix them
What’s the difference between a great salesperson and a mediocre one? A 2016 report looked into the behavioural traits that separate ‘world class’ salespeople from everyone else. Responses were gathered around the world, talking to everyone from account managers to...
How to become a motivational leader
It’s one thing to be motivated. It’s another to be motivational. Over the years, the vast majority of investigations into what motivates employees have come to similar conclusions: It is not always the more obvious incentives such as money, rather it is the actions of...
Five signs you’re ready to start your own business
Note this article also appeared in Entrepreneur Middle East and can be viewed here. Let’s get started. It’s that simple. If you want to launch your own business, the first thing you need is to start that process. In the words of one of the world’s most famous...
Five ways the startup leader is failing the team and the company
Note this article also appeared in Entrepreneur Middle East and can be viewed here. The boss is always ultimately accountable. The character of the business itself trickles down from the top. That’s why a toxic leader will develop a toxic team and a productive leader...
The nine keys to unlocking great public speaking
Note this article also appeared in Entrepreneur Middle East and can be viewed here. Your heartbeat is raised, your palms are clammy, you swallow hard and the words you had prepared so painstakingly just seem to spin in your head as you look out into a sea of expectant...
Five skills every Dubai startup founder needs to develop
Note this article also appeared in Entrepreneur Middle East and can be viewed here. Dubai is a global hot-spot for startups, buzzing with business activity of every kind. Everything is working to support the entrepreneur in this vibrant city. It is tax free, has...