I recently experienced a rather weird scenario.
I woke up one morning and noticed my room needed to be repainted. The colour that was once bright had lost its shine and there were minor cracks on the wall. It seemed strange as I spend every day in that room and had never picked up on this before. That day, however, my room looked completely different to me.
I asked myself why I had never noticed this before. And then it hit me. It was because I was wearing contact lenses. My eyesight is not quite perfect. Although I can get away most of the day without wearing glasses, putting them on makes a huge difference, especially when I drive at night. My brother often teased me about it, especially if I asked him to read signboards that were far away when we were out and about.
“Wear your glasses,” he’d tell me.
“They don’t look great,” I’d reply.
Contact lenses were not the solution either. I could not get used to them and they took a few extra minutes to put in – time I could not be bothered to spare. Anyhow, I finally gave in and, consequently, the world came into a new perspective. I then wondered why I had not done this sooner.
As I became accustomed to a brighter, higher quality vision, it was hard to imagine going back to the eyesight I had before. What was once acceptable was no longer at all.
My story reminded me of a key aspect of marketing a business that many entrepreneurs overlook.
Just because a product or service is faring well in the marketplace today does not mean that you should sit back and do nothing. The business world evolves every day. Your customers today may not be the same tomorrow. If you lose them, it may be hard to win them back.
A friend of mine would often argue: “If it’s not broken why fix it?” She used to manage a small clothing business in Bahrain.
Her first collection was extremely popular and her line was picked up by a number of boutiques. But she did not evolve her designs any further, refusing to keep up with the latest fashion trends or integrate them into her work.
Instead she stuck to her tried and tested formula, continuing to produce the same line of clothing with minor variations. Soon enough, the boutiques she worked with cancelled their consignment agreement and stopped submitting new orders. She was devastated, and to avoid damaging her business any further, she lowered her prices. It worked for a while but eventually she closed the enterprise down.
A dentist I used to visit had a similar philosophy. His clinic was once the go-to place in Abu Dhabi but it’s not so any more. He never developed the business; during a recent visit with a friend, nothing had changed since my last visit seven years ago. He did not offer the latest in cosmetic dentistry – something his fellow competitors did – and by not doing so many of his customers took their business elsewhere.
This takes me to my next point. Use your customer’s loyalty and enthusiasm for your brand to help develop it further. You can do this by involving them in the process. Make them feel like it is their brand as much as it is yours. If you own an eatery, then ask your customers what they would like added to the menu.
Yes, the soul of your business should remain the same, but ignoring market trends could cost you customers.
By continuously developing and evolving, not only will you retain your current customers but you will also attract new ones.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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