Business is booming in Dubai, and no industry is more so than online services. According to a recent report by Visa, ‘the UAE eCommerce market is on an upward trajectory. Its unique growth path, compared to both emerging and mature economies.’
So let’s examine some great online business ideas in Dubai. In this article, we’ll look at:
•Online tutoring
•Social media marketing
•Online fitness instructor
•Business consultant
•Virtual assistant
•Recruitment agency
•Online stylist
•Selling courses
•Cleaning services website
•Graphic design services
Online tutoring
When it comes to low-cost online business ideas in Dubai, teaching an online course requires very little in the way of investment. Essentially, you need to create a video on a topic where you have expertise, and then put it online.
This will show potential students what you can offer and how you can help them. You might be helping students with extra tutoring for existing qualifications they are undertaking, or it may not be based on formal training, and instead focus on other areas – from social media to speaking a new language.
You’ll need some basic apps – including screencasting software, but as long as you have established credentials in an area where people want tutoring and a computer connected to the internet, you can get up and running quickly.
Social media marketing
Often entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses are not able to hire a large agency, nor do they have time to do their social media marketing themselves. Here is where you come in – as an affordable social media consultant, helping them write, target, publish, and measure posts.
Coming from the outside, you’re also in a great position to create a solid social media strategy for your clients’ companies. To get into this industry, you need knowledge of all the major social media platforms, and how to drive engagement on them. Listening to your client’s business goals, and then working backwards to create a social media strategy is key to success. All of this can be done from home on your computer.
Online fitness instructor
The pandemic has meant a huge increase in online fitness instructors. It offers great flexibility –
you can take on more clients and be more selective in your work schedule. And of course, you can live anywhere in the world, and if you’re here you’re in Dubai, why not leverage the beautiful environment as part of your sales approach?
Of course, you need credentials as a fitness instructor, the necessary qualifications, and hopefully a strong social media presence – which will be your first avenue for getting clients.
Business Consultant
Can you help aspiring entrepreneurs? Working online, you can share your expertise to help them create better strategies and solve business problems. As with any service like this, you need a website that demonstrates your expertise and credibility.
It’s also worth focusing on a niche, so it’s clear exactly where your expertise lies, and in turn, this will make it easier for you to target your potential customers.
With this in mind, consider writing content around your subject area and publishing it across your platforms, as a way of using content marketing to introduce yourself to your future clients.
Virtual Assistant
If you have amazing organizational abilities, then this might be your area. Taking care of basic admin tasks, data input, and answering phone calls – you can do all this from your home as a virtual assistant.
With several platforms now in existence to help virtual assistants find jobs (check out Zirtual, for example) you can start to build up your client base from Day 1.
Recruitment Agency
The best way to start an online recruitment agency is to figure out your niche, an area that isn’t currently being served well. Then build up your client list. You may not be able to invest in the level of tracking tools that large agencies use, but if you build from your own existing network it’s surprising how many people you already know.
Plus, there are several free tools, notably LinkedIn, which you can leverage to get yourself started from the comfort of your own home.
Online Stylist
Becoming a personal stylist is something that can be done very effectively remotely. You can provide services for men or women (or both) to help them find the right clothes at the right price.
You need to be able to visualize what looks good and offer great recommendations (and using your connections to get the best prices) so your customers look stylish and are satisfied with the service.
You may start by giving your client a questionnaire and from there book a video call to discuss next steps.
Selling Courses
We have already looked at becoming a tutor. Selling a course is along the same lines, although you may be less involved in the day-to-day. Some courses can almost run themselves, so rather than being on-hand as a personal tutor, you supply the course materials, log-ins etc, and may only have minimal contact with your students.
As with tutoring, you need verifiable expertise in your chosen field and a good social media presence so the world can find out about your courses and sign up.
Cleaning Services Website
There are several cleaning services websites out there, so if you’re starting one up the key is to either find a niche or make the online booking experience so easy or unique that everyone wants to use your service rather than a competitor.
You need to build your contact list and make your site as attractive as possible, both for cleaners to sign up and your potential clients as well.
Graphic Design Services
When it comes to online business ideas in Dubai, setting up graphic design services is quick and easy, and there are a number of platforms already established where you can put your work and pitch to clients. Once you’re really established, you may find that you no longer need those third-party platforms, but they’re a great way to get started.
Either way, having a strong portfolio is an important first step.
Working with Creative Zone
If you’re asking yourself how can start a small online business in Dubai, now is the time to get your plans underway.
While the steps to set up in the UAE are not too complicated, a certain amount of prior knowledge is required. Specifically, it’s vital to ensure that your application for your license and visa is completely free from mistakes.
This can be somewhat stressful, so the fast track to getting up and running is through working with a company formation specialist.
They can also help you with opening a corporate bank account and offer important advice on the type of financial institution that would best suit your requirements.
Here at Creative Zone, we offer you the best solutions to start your company in Dubai. You get fast, reliable, and unbiased advice on your unique business setup requirements. We can help you choose the right kind of license for each business activity and take you through the entire process from start to finish.
You can let us deal with the hassle of registering a company while you focus on your business. Working with us means you get the best budget-friendly and cost-effective solution to help make your business dream a reality.
Over 10 years, Creative Zone has helped over 36,000 entrepreneurs set up their businesses in Dubai. Whether it be a mainland business setup, offshore company setup, free zone company setup, or issuing of trade licenses and any related activity for registering a company in Dubai, Creative Zone is your one-stop shop.
