Writing and entrepreneurship are the two things I am passionate about in my life. Though they may sound like completely different career choices, there are many similarities between the two. There are also valuable lessons that I learned as an entrepreneur from my writing journey.
Though I have written a lot over the years, I often face situations when my mind turns completely blank and I wouldn’t know how to start writing an article. I’d have a writer's block for days. But then I remembered advice shared by a fellow writer, who once told me to just turn on my computer and just write.
Entrepreneurs often feel stuck not knowing where to start. My advice is to start small but just do it. We have a saying in Arabic that goes: Makkah wasn’t built in a day. A couple of my friends have great business ideas. But their fear of failure stops them from taking the first step. I distinctly remember one of them saying how she was afraid of never becoming a successful billionaire so she’d rather not start a business at all.
When I first started out, I made so many mistakes that make me cringe when I reflect on my journey. I lost money, didn’t delegate and wasted my time. But these mistakes offered valuable lessons. They redirected me to the right path and helped me grow. This brings us to the importance of editing and accepting it as a part of the process for writers and entrepreneurs.
As a writer, my work gets edited countless times. I would work on an article, leave it, come back to it, and maybe delete it altogether and re-write it all over again. What a reader would read in a few minutes or so would have gone through a lengthy process of writing, editing, and researching.
Depending on a piece I am writing, I sometimes ask a fellow editor or a writer to have a look and give me their input. Before publishing my first novel, I approached close friends and fellow writers to read it and share their feedback . Their insights gave me an inside track on what my readers may like or dislike.
A business is also a work in progress. You edit it as you go with the help of mentors, fellow entrepreneurs or business experts, who serve as your business’s editors. In an ever-changing market, you need to accept editing as part of your growth journey. Sometimes you need to take a break to come back stronger.
Just like writers, entrepreneurs often face mental blocks. When the Covid-19 crisis hit last year, I faced a number of these. I would sit in front of my computer, feel helpless and literally not know what to do.
As a writer I knew that the best thing to do when facing writer’s block is to do something completely different or nothing at all. That's what I did. I engaged in other hobbies, took a break from work and enjoyed days doing absolutely nothing. That distance away from work helped me see the big picture, provided me with mental space to be creative and helped me to come back stronger.
As we celebrate reading this month in the UAE, borrow lessons from writers. Don’t be afraid to take the first step. Just start. You may not get it completely right at the beginning but that is what the editing process is for. Edit as much as you need and remember to take a break whenever you feel stuck.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
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Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
