Small businesses can open doors to a big horizon, as they say, “Big happiness comes in small packages” and you can stick out like the proverbial sore thumb! If you’ll turn the pages to the first chapter of success stories of some of today’s big shots such as Apple, Etsy, Groupon, Under Armour and Instagram, amongst others, you’ll find out what I mean. Therefore, if “less is more” for your entrepreneurial soul, then Dubai is the place to be! The business capital of the UAE is infamous for keeping small-medium businesses on a pedestal. And the sky is the limit for those who are willing to break the glass ceiling with a Dubai-based company.
Why should you start a small business in Dubai?
It’s easy to see why a slew of entrepreneurs these days choose humble beginnings as a way to try something new, address a nagging concern, and make a buck or two while they were at it. They have limited capital, and it’s always wise to test the waters before taking the plunge into it. Without a doubt, businesses get to relish a smorgasbord of benefits, including UAE’s liberal tax system, after their business is established in Dubai, but initial expenses can’t be overlooked. Setting up a new business in Dubai can actually suck up your money like a vampire sips up blood in movies (pun intended!), considering the fact that the emirate is one of the fifteen most expensive cities in the world. You want to start your journey with a small business in Dubai because you:
- Hate to follow orders and want to become your own boss
- Can’t break the glass ceiling from within your office walls but outside of those
- Have a limited budget
- Are unemployed or don’t earn enough to make the ends meet and want a side hustle
- Have found a niche and want to fill it
- Want to experiment with your idea with readiness to wager a small amount of money
- Don’t have sufficient experience or knowledge about the local market
- Are not sure if your product or service is needed
- Might be short of working capital later
- Want to expand your business when you are actually ready
- Think it is too early to rely on your management staff and other team members
- Are mentally prepared for unpleasant surprises
- Know you might choose the wrong options on your way
- Have to control business from another location
- Need time and expertise to bootstrap your new business
- Agree that small businesses are easy to handle
5 most profitable small businesses in Dubai
Here are five top small business ideas that can be a huge success in Dubai. if you have entrepreneurial impulses running through your DNA and looking for a chance to bring your small business idea to fruition in Dubai but with less investment.
Manpower Supply Company/Agency
Dubai is so business-perfect and expat-friendly that investors and entrepreneurs will stop migrating to Dubai only when hell freezes over! The squeaky-clean city boasts a world-class infrastructure, well-maintained roads, excellent public transport and connectivity. Construction, of new structures and renovation and maintenance of existing buildings and roads is in action day and night. From manufacturing and recycling businesses to restaurants and cafeterias, businesses in almost every sector are rising in the city at the speed of light! With new businesses of all types and sizes popping up everywhere and shoals of ambitious job seekers and ex-pats in the quest for better job opportunities, Dubai is never short of skilled and unskilled workers and employers in need of them around the year. Do we still need to mention, how rewarding starting a recruitment agency in Dubai can be? And the part is that you don’t have to break the bank to start a recruitment company in Dubai.
Gadgets Repair Business
How can we not talk about the business of gadget repair when discussing the most successful businesses in Dubai? Today gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, play stations have become a part and parcel of our life (especially post pandemic!). Thanks to the internet, WFH, online classes, social media and tons of utility, gaming and entertainment apps. From Candy Crush to PUBG and Roblox, from Amazon Prime to Netflix, from Uber to UDrive, from Udemy to Duolingo, every app behind the screen of your teeny-tiny device is going the whole hog to grab your eyeballs. No matter how carefully they are being used, a time comes when they also need repair for whatsoever reason. As most electronic devices are expensive and some of them like smartphones contain valuable data of the owner, most individuals prefer to repair and reuse them over dumping them and buying new ones. And Dubai is no exception! Therefore, your gadget repair shop in Dubai is never gonna be customer-free. Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai is the hub of these small businesses. Not only you will find here plenty of gadget repair shops but also small businesses selling used and refurbished electronic devices and their accessories.
Real Estate Business
House rents in Dubai take the lion’s share of most immigrants’ income. And businesses also need to rent a commercial space to start a company in the emirate. If the real estate business is not profitable in Dubai, I don’t know what is! Chock-full of tourists, ex-pat residents, foreign businesses and jobseekers 365 days a year, Dubai is a money-minting machine for property brokers. Not just that, short-term rentals and holiday homes also have gained tremendous popularity rather quickly among investors and travellers alike in Dubai, where leisure meets business. And the joy of joys is that starting a property rental business in Dubai is easy, and it doesn’t require a hefty investment. The cost of a Dubai real estate brokerage licence starts from AED 13,000 which can vary depending on the type of intended business activities. With a carload of other benefits that the city offers such as tax advantages, your real estate agency is sure to deepen your pockets and touch the skies in the city of skyscrapers! You might want to read Adam Global’s informational blog on starting a real estate business in Dubai.
Handyman Business
Taking care of about 2,964,000 people currently (in 2022), Dubai largely depends on foreign workers for a wide array of maintenance, repairing, remodelling, plumbing, refurbishing, and electrical fixing works. Yes, the working area of a handyman service business is that wide. Whether government authorities or private companies, small firms or large corporations, households or businesses, property owners or tenants landlords, hotels or small cafeterias, no business can do without handyman services. Neither do they have expertise in the area nor do they have time to get involved in these sorts of tasks! These are the services that require skilled pairs of hands only, and the best part is that you can easily find those hands in the city of dreams. Thanks to the liberal visa regime of the UAE government that a swarm of unemployed or under-employed individuals from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines and many other developing nations is able to flock to Dubai to fulfil their dreams. So, you already know where your inventory is and who your clients are! All you have to do is choose the type of handyman service that suits you the most. Depending on your expertise, field knowledge or personal interest, you can either offer handyman services from home as a part-time job or form a full-fledged handyman service company with a handful of staff. And the cherry on the top is – the business of handyman services in Dubai can be established with a very small investment.
Website Development
The next and the last small business idea on our list which is not a money-sucker is a website building business. Most businesses can’t do without a website to show off and sell their products and services. For eCommerce businesses, their website is everything. Although people are getting tech-savvy but not up to that extent that they can build their website all by themselves. Most entrepreneurs and individuals looking to start a business are time-poor and often cash-rich in Dubai, and they won’t mind coughing up on outsourcing their website building part to the experts. So, if you master the website designing skills and are passionate about crafting others’ dream websites, apps or other online platforms or know website designers in your circle who are worth their salt, any business related to website and graphic designing can be the best bet for you. No worries, if you’re not a whizz at web designing, the internet is bursting at the seams with a range of easy-to-use web building tools and templates such as Wix and WordPress. By investing a little amount of time and effort, you can acquire the skills in a heartbeat, which is sufficient to get started with your website development company.
Meet Adam Global, Your Small Business Setup Advisor in Dubai
Whether you want to challenge yourself, create a legitimate source of alternative income or simply take baby steps toward global business domination, you just need that spark ignited by your passion to make a difference in your life, more than anything else, to get going! And if you think, you’ve got that fire to turn your nugget of an idea into pure gold, allow us to become part of your journey to make it free of any bumps or pit holes. Our experienced and qualified business setup advisors in Dubai can help you set up your new business from scratch cost-effectively and efficiently. Neither do you have to be wary of the paperwork involved nor the non-compliance with the UAE rules and regulations when you are working with our amicable and expert Dubai business advisors? As we are a one-stop spot for all sorts of business needs, you can rely on our almost two-decade-year-old expertise in the industry for all your big-little requirements before as well as after your business formation in Dubai.
Our business setup consultants in Dubai will never let you make a wrong choice whether it is about choosing a business activity, trade name, jurisdiction, office location, trade licence, legal form of the company, or even an international bank for your corporate account. Remember, when you are starting a new business, every decision is crucial for it. And it not just takes years of experience in the field, but also a thorough knowledge of local law to be able to take informed decisions. Meet us to know how hiring an Adam Global Dubai business advisor is the first step you’d love to take to reach where you want to go. Click here to avail of a free consultancy from our small business formation specialist.
