I may not have been very confident about some decisions in my life, but what I was certain about was the career path I wanted to pursue.
Ever since I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to work in the communications and creative field.
When I graduated from university, it was my plan to get as much experience as possible, so I could establish my own consultancy one day.
When that day finally came more than a decade ago and I launched my consultancy, I had numerous services on the list; some of which I was exceptionally great at compared with others.
The more, the merrier, I thought. I also believed that an extensive services menu would open the doors to a wider client base.
However, because my service offering was diverse, my client base wasn’t exactly niche.
I remember a number of customers telling me how they didn’t know what kind of clients I catered to because it wasn’t clear in the way I described my business offering.
In addition, because I offered a wide range of services, the areas I was great at didn’t stand out.
I knew that if I had kept at that rate, I wouldn’t be able to attract the clients I was targeting.
I learned that to truly stand out, whether in the consulting sector or the business world in general, my services had to be unique, something that other competitors didn’t offer and, most importantly, to offer services that I was great at and had a strong track record to show.
Realising when things aren’t going to plan and the need to pivot and change course aren’t always as clear as one may think.
At the beginning, I doubted myself, thinking I wasn't working on the projects I wanted because I didn’t have the skills or the market was too saturated.
But then I realised my business wasn’t focused and my competitive advantage was lost in the sea of services I offered.
So, it was back to the drawing board, re-evaluating my work and how I wanted to work from that day onward.
What many start-up entrepreneurs tend to not keep in mind is how many times they will have to pivot throughout the course of building their businesses.
In some cases, pivoting will happen within months, such as in my case. In other cases, challenges such as an economic crisis or unprecedented pandemics may force entrepreneurs to switch gears.
I’ve launched many ventures and learnt that everything I forecasted in my three- to five-year business plan may completely change.
Pivoting is something I always need to consider and include in my plans.
Some of the best things that happened to my career are when things did not go according to plan. Pivoting helped me to open doors that I didn’t know existed.
Pivoting helped me to open doors that I didn’t know existed
Manar Al Hinai,
communications adviser
My advice is to conduct a review of your business operations on a weekly and monthly basis. Assess the challenges you are facing and see how you can pivot.
Doing so helped me to save a lot of time rather than focusing on the wrong areas. It also showed me where I could grow and develop my business further.
But here’s the thing about pivoting: Don’t wait too long.
In the business world, time is money and, as the saying goes: “When you snooze, you lose."
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications adviser based in Abu Dhabi
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Company%20profile
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
SECRET%20INVASION
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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