"I had planned to open a shop for fashion accessories two years ago, but did not have the resources. Already too much time has been wasted and I must get on to achieving my goals." Who do you think would typically confess to such a thing? A person who has let a lot of grass grow under her feet and is now in a hurry to move on, right? But these words rush out from the mouth of a 20-something undergraduate at Zayed University (ZU).
Mariam Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi is in a hurry to make a name for herself and give her ambitions concrete shape. Sharing her sentiments is her peer and future business associate, Sumaiya Ebrahim Al Qudaimi.
The two undergraduates who are studying business and marketing at Zayed University recently made it to the top ten finalists from a list of about 100 Emirati contestants who competed for the Manchester Innovation award for innovative business ideas.The prestigious award, instituted by the Manchester Business School, one of the largest in the UK, was brought to this region for the first time to showcase the ambitions and articulate the dreams of young Emiratis.
While the winner was a more experienced and older Emirati businessman, the fact that the two young girls were among the 10 finalists is an affirmation of the spirit and creativity of today's young Emiratis.
Both the Zayed University professors and the organisers of the award thought the young women's project proposal to be especially commendable. They were presented with a special citation at the awards ceremony.
The citation proved beyond any doubt that success and creativity are not some sort of exotic pickles that require age and maturation to acquire unforgettable flavours. That kind of traditional thinking has had its day. Today, there's hardly anyone who would agree that age and entrepreneurial abilities are directly proportional. The ability to think out of the box when presented with a challenge is a common byproduct of modern times. An ability that was amply represented in the business proposal of these two girls. The proposal, presented by Al Hammadi and Al Qudaimi, to start a health food restaurant called Hawa Society in Abu Dhabi, to begin with, is arguably not a unique one. There are quite a few such places in operation with varying end-goals.
But what Al Hammadi and Al Qudaimi did was to take an existing idea and give it novel dimensions at a time when the novel dimensions ought to have been the norm. They put together a concept in which diverse ideas, waiting to be unified in order to be able to perform a higher function in society, came together organically, naturally.
In other words, what the two young women did was to propose a project that would fill the gap in a highly modernistic society like the UAE where such an idea's time has long come.
There are two kinds of shape-makers - those who see something that would be required in the future and others who see what is already present in the now but simply needs to be put together for people to see what they have been missing all along. The two young undergraduates chose to be among the latter.
But this idea did not simply happen overnight. It was put together after careful consideration, comprehensive surveys and a lot of observation of what was required right now. Says Al Hammadi of her reasons for creating this proposal: "I always wanted to open a restaurant but something that would be different. Recently, during a routine check-up, it was revealed that my cholesterol was a bit high and that surprised me as I do not have any weight issue.
"But it also got me thinking about the importance of being health-conscious. Over 67 per cent of the UAE's population is obese and suffers from obesity-related diseases."
With her mind partially occupied by health issues it was only natural that when she heard about the Manchester Project from their business teacher, it was a matter of time before the dots connected.
Once the eureka moment was experienced, they spent the next few days thinking of the manner in which they could embellish the concept. A couple of surveys around malls, and an interview with a behavioural psychologist about the merits of integrating the special needs community with the mainstream was the spark behind their basic idea and they nailed it all down to the last detail before presenting it to their professors.
With the active cooperation from their business faculty - Jon Mayo, instructor in marketing, Constance Van Horne, assistant professor in management and innovation and Jack Zimmerman, an associate professor in finance and entrepreneurship - the girls put together their business plan within three weeks. Says Zimmerman, "From my perspective, the key criteria that led to their success was their incorporation of several innovative concepts. For example, Hawa is planned to be the first health food restaurant in Abu Dhabi with a menu designed by nutritionists. Additionally, Mariam and Sumaiya incorporated several other creative ideas such as an environment suitable for those with special needs, the use of technology for ordering through SMS or the internet and so on.
"What also worked was that their commitment, enthusiasm and initiative for the project shone through so strongly in the way they had put together their business plan. Although I coached them on the plan, the idea was totally theirs. It is their brainchild - start to finish.
"At the dinner hosted at Rotana, Abu Dhabi in honour of the finalists, we learned how well our students can compete against much more experienced entrepreneurs. This is a tribute to the Zayed College of Business Sciences education and faculty. We are strongly encouraging our students to enter other competitions in entrepreneurship and other business disciplines. Mariam and Sumaiya have inspired other students to take part in these competitions and other future external activities."
Zimmerman is particularly thrilled by the enthusiasm of these students and feels such contests are great learning opportunities for them.
"When I came here from Nevada University in August 2009, I was always very keen on encouraging the students to get into entrepreneurship courses or competitions. There is no extra academic credit for it and sometimes you might not get started on a new venture. But I always tell students, ‘The worst thing that can happen is you end up learning a lot about how to conduct business. You learn to think out of the box, translate your ideas into concrete plans, conduct market surveys and research to support your plans.' And this practical work goes a long way in raising the overall confidence ofa student.
A question of creativity
"The two girls told me about their business proposal and then over the next three weeks, updated me with their plan in a piecemeal fashion via email. I would look at it, send my feedback, ask for the changes and finally, we had the proposal ready."
While Zimmerman gives credit to the creative spirit of the two girls, he reiterates that the culture of ZU played a very important role. "At ZU, nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in both our students and in the community is very important for us. Entrepreneurship is a critical element for the future economic diversity of the UAE, and it must be driven by our future leaders. We have a number of initiatives under planning at ZU, including an Entrepreneurship Club that will be launched next semester."
"We're extremely proud of the achievement of these girls and by having this highlighted in the media, I am sure many more of our students will be inspired by them," says Sulaiman Mousa Al Jasem, Vice President of Zayed University.
Al Hammadi and Al Qudaimi shed more light on the details that went into their proposal. "First, we wrote down our mission statement, then we articulated our idea of creating a restaurant that was healthy, socially and technologically connected and environmentally conscious, a novel start-up prototype in the UAE," says Al Qudaimi, "In the proposal, we wrote, ‘Our restaurant will work with several partner organisations including the government, hospitals and health food stores to promote a healthy lifestyle through its menu, facilities, services, social events and programmes...' Then we set about researching and substantiating these statements by conducting pre-proposal surveys."
Doing the groundwork
The girls spent a week compiling data that would validate the need for such a restaurant beyond any doubt. Their health research revealed that over 65 per cent of UAE residents suffer from obesity, a fact well documented now. Nearly 45 per cent of the people they interviewed were genuinely concerned about what they ate.
In another survey they conducted in their community, in colleges and malls to understand the needs of the consumers, they recorded that nearly 65 per cent of males interviewed preferred healthy food, while only 35 per cent opted for fast food. Among women, almost 70 per cent preferred to have a nutritiously balanced meal and only 30 per cent said they would go for convenient food.
To support their proposal for a need to have a dedicated section for special needs people, the girls conducted a survey around Abu Dhabi that indicated that nearly 17 per cent of special needs people were reluctant to go to a public eating place because they could not communicate with others. They sought the support of a behaviour management specialist who confirmed that it was in the interest of society to integrate the special needs people with the mainstream. That led them to include the concept of a specially marked yellow-tiled walkway (into the restaurant) and a Braille menu, which is a first in the UAE.
So detailed is their 15-page business plan that it is easy to even understand the purpose behind the architecture of Hawa: a place that is easy to access, it offers ample comfort as well as privacy and is geared to enabling families to enjoy its ambience.
The business plan also provided impeccably calibrated statistics on investments and returns indicating that the establishment should reach a break even point after four years.
After such exhaustive but passionate channelling of their ambitions and hard work, elation was the mildest of emotions upon hearing that they made it to the top ten finalists. Today, they are in a chrysalis-like state, all set to leave behind their cocooned existence, spread their wings and take to the skies. The girls are very pleased with the recognition the selection has brought to them as many of their friends and colleagues in class are now exploring the possibility of working on their own business projects.
"The acknowledgement from such a prestigious institution has made all girls in our class feel that success in a project like this is within reach. We have set an example for others and we are glad we will be able to guide them on this," says Al Qudaimi.
Says Al Hammadi: "I think the most important thing we learnt from this is that it is important to have big dreams although we were not confident at the time that we could make the grade.
"This experience showed us that even if something is a lot of hard work, we can do it. Nothing is impossible. We met a lot of people in the course of our research and got a better understanding of human social behaviour. We learnt much along the way such as the importance of being organised, thinking straight, staying focused, planning, and of course learning how to articulate our ambitions and dealing with different people."
They also believe that one good idea leads to another. "I think this project opens the door for other new projects that we didn't think about before. We also discovered that we had a hidden talent for communication and creative thinking. Last but not the least, what really pleased both of us was the fact that despite our relatively young age, we were able to compete with people who are far more experienced and senior to us."
This project is not one of those that will sound good on paper and be relegated to the files. Both Al Qudaimi and Al Hammadi are absolutely in love with the idea of opening a restaurant that will balance health and ecology. "We plan to finish our graduation and then apply for a loan to the government agencies for our project. I am positive that we will get all the support of the authorities to raise the funds to start Hawa Society. Our parents are also very supportive. We are keen to start on this project once we complete our studies," says Al Hammadi enthusiastically.
The Award
The first ever Manchester Innovation Award in the UAE is an initiative of Manchester Business School (MBS) Worldwide in coordination with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. The MBS is the UK's first and largest campus-based business and management school.
The award, sponsored in the UAE by the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council and Etihad Airways for the first time, has been instituted to initiate, encourage and nurture an enterprising spirit among Emirati nationals.
About the restaurant
This is the concept of Hawa, a restaurant inspired by the purity of air.
- It would be a place that would serve real health food, made from ingredients that were certified organic. It would have a multicuisine menu designed by nutritionists which would cater to a variety of palates with a low calorie count and taste appeal being its USP. From weight watchers to the passionately health-conscious to people with medical conditions that call for controlled diets, the menu would have something for everyone.
- This restaurant would also integrate areas where special needs diners could enjoy a meal out, as would the visually challenged who would have an area made for them with the menuin Braille.
- The restaurant would position itself as eco-friendly, making its own compost, recycling used cooking oil for bio-diesel fuel and recycling waste.
