Dubai: Women entrepreneurs in the UAE need guidance to further develop their businesses, according to Muna Al Gurg, director of retail at the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group.

“One of the most crucial things that female entrepreneurs need to do is find a mentor — that really helps a lot,” Muna said. “I think they reach a point where they don’t know how to grow and be high impact. By high impact, I mean you take your business to another level, so your revenue is much higher.

“High impact also means job creation. When you build a business, it’s not just about making money, it’s about creating jobs.”

Muna, an MBA holder from London Business School, started her career in advertising before taking over the retail side of Al Gurg Group interests in 2010, and looking after IDdesign, Better Life and United Colours of Benetton.

“I had worked for so long in marketing and handled all those brands. When it came down to actual retail, I was comfortable taking it on, particularly after the MBA and learning what I had learnt,” said Muna, who is now a board member. She is also chairwoman of Young Arab Leaders, a non-profit organisation that aims to develop talent in the region through mentorship and education programmes.

“Start-up and entrepreneurial ideas are growing in this region. There are a lot of platforms that entrepreneurs can go to, I think they just need to explore these platforms,” she said.

Mentors

Some of these include Impact Hub Dubai and Women’s Angel Investment Network, which offers mentorship and angel investment to women entrepreneurs.

“Through mentors, I think you can get through to the angel investment people. So people that are part of Endeavour who are mentors to these people are actually people who may want to invest,” she said.

Entrepreneurs in the country are also taking part in social entrepreneurship. “People are thinking along the lines of how can my business have a good impact on my community. I see that as a growing trend.”

On the importance of start-ups to think of expanding regionally, she said: “It’s incredibly important to think from that point of view because entrepreneurship is not just about making profit, it’s also about creating impact — providing jobs to the people of your community and building a brand to solve a problem.”