Amazon-owned Payfort is to spend Dh1 million backing its start-up and small business customers hit by tougher economic conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The #StartUpStayUp initiative will involve a three-month digital marketing campaign promoting more than 100 of its customers' businesses across a number of media channels, the Dubai-based financial technology firm said in a statement on Thursday.
These include organic, paid and influencer social media campaigns, video content production, email marketing campaigns and internal marketing promotions.
“The Payfort team understands that this is a critical time for many start-ups and small and medium businesses ... we aim to help as many businesses as we can to accept payments online quickly and improve the cash flow,” said Omar Soudodi, managing director of Payfort.
The new initiative aims to help businesses by increasing traffic on their websites, driving more sales. The company said the campaign will be launched in the UAE before being rolled out to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
It has teamed up with Emirates NBD bank in the UAE, Commercial International Bank in Egypt and Saudi British Bank in Saudi Arabia to promote the campaign through customised announcements to a targeted audience.
“We are pleased to partner with Payfort in this initiative … [it] will provide our customers with attractive offers and benefits, providing enhanced value and convenience especially during this time,” said Suvo Sarkar, group head of retail banking and wealth management at Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest lender by assets.
Under the initiative, Payfort, which was founded in 2013 and bought by Amazon in 2017, will also promote participating businesses on its own digital channels and waive the maintenance fee it charges them. It is offering support to start-ups in more than 10 categories, including grocery, food and beverage, fashion, beauty, entertainment and e-learning, among others.
"Start-ups need support now more than ever … this initiative will lead them towards operational continuity and economic sustainability during these hard times,” said Rashwan Hammady, head of retail segment and product at CIB.
Saudi start-ups are facing “unprecedented challenges” due to the pandemic, said Khalid Almuammar, general manager, mid-market and SME at SABB.
“The impacts have resulted in widespread layoffs, in addition to companies shifting their strategy or pivoting their offering to continue. We aim to help new businesses to get off to a good start and contribute to a more diverse and sustainable economy,” he added.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
