LinkedIn rolled out a new feature to help small businesses and freelancers promote their service on the professional network platform at an event in Dubai. WAM
LinkedIn rolled out a new feature to help small businesses and freelancers promote their service on the professional network platform at an event in Dubai. WAM
LinkedIn rolled out a new feature to help small businesses and freelancers promote their service on the professional network platform at an event in Dubai. WAM
LinkedIn rolled out a new feature to help small businesses and freelancers promote their service on the professional network platform at an event in Dubai. WAM

Business

LinkedIn unveils new feature to support freelancers and start-ups

The Open For Business service allows smaller entities to promote their services more prominently

Fareed Rahman
Fareed Rahman

November 05, 2019

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LinkedIn rolled out a feature that aims to help small businesses and freelancers promote their service on the professional networking platform.

The new feature named Open for Business was unveiled at an event in Dubai, with the city's Burj Khalifa lit up with the LinkedIn logo. The feature allows freelancers and small business owners to promote services to the 660 million worldwide members on the LinkedIn platform, according to a statement from the Dubai Media Office.

“Small businesses and freelancers play a critical role in the growth and future of our global economy,” said Allen Blue, co-founder of LinkedIn.

“And with 660 million members and 30 million companies on the platform across the world, LinkedIn is uniquely positioned to help them be more productive and successful, whether they are based in Dubai or Dundee.”

LinkedIn users on the lookout for freelancers or services can search and filter through Open for Business members to locate the most suitable providers. Once members appear in search results, people can view the full list of services they provide with a link to their company page, if available, and send them a direct message for enquiries. The feature also enables members to ask their network for service provider recommendations.

According to figures from the Dubai Statistics Centre, small and medium-sized businesses contribute more than 47 per cent of the UAE’s annual GDP and represent 95 per cent of companies in the country. Early-stage start-ups make up nearly 50 per cent of companies registered in Dubai.

“Support for small and medium-enterprises is a critical pillar of Dubai’s economic policies and strategies. Open for Business aims to address the challenges these companies face in reaching potential clients,” said Abdulla Al Basti, secretary general of The Executive Council of Dubai.

In 2018, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, visited LinkedIn's regional headquarters in Dubai and reiterated the emirate's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship through economic measures that facilitate business activities and attract talent, the media office said.

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