Tandem, experienced financial advisory and business intelligence consultancy, will be hosting its 5th instalment of GoSolo, a series of entrepreneurial workshops pioneered by tandem and to be held at the Shelter in Dubai on Wednesday October 13th, 2010.
This month's session, Raising Capital for Your Startup, will include a discussion led by the founders of tandem, Rabih Brair and Amir Farha on the industry, and insights on what investors are looking for in today's market. The topics include the regional investment landscape, the selection criteria that investors look at and a Q&A session with one of the founders of Duplays.com
Rabih Brair, Managing Partner, tandem, said, "Hosting a Q&A session also allows attendees to engage with a Dubai-based entrepreneur on real-life experiences and practical advice on starting a business in the region. This is the type of invaluable guidance that entrepreneurs are looking for."
The UAE's economy has always relied on small-to-medium businesses and the trend seems to be becoming more pronounced. The Dubai Department of Economic Development alone reported almost 12,000 new licenses issued last year, marking a sharp increase in the number of startups. Tandem's estimates show that early stage ventures are led by the internet, technology and communication (ICT) sector (39%), followed by business services (16%), retail (12%) and media (11%).
Amir Farha, Managing Partner, tandem, commented, "Entrepreneurs often themselves in unfamiliar territory when starting a business, and lack the knowledge and expertise to develop reliable plans, appropriate business models and strategies to grow their business."
Past workshops have provided an overview of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and tackled the issue of evaluating a business idea, writing a business plan and understanding the financials in the context of a start-up. Over 120 people have attended the workshops so far.
"We have had a full house for the past four sessions and have met with a diversified audience from very different backgrounds, ranging from university students to experienced corporate executives," added Brair.
Tandem is a business advisory firm targeted at startups and SME's in the region. Their goal is to help entrepreneurs through guidance and mentorship and a range of services such as business plans, feasibility studies, financial forecasts and market research. Tandem also facilitates access to capital for its clients through its network of investors. The company has been involved in the launch of several fast growing startups such as Toolman Maintenance Services, Cherry on Top Events, Ignite Fitness and Wellness, and Klipp Media Monitoring.
