Husband and wife businesses have commonly drawn on the romantic but practical motivation of simply seeking to build a dream together.
Amid economic trauma brought by the pandemic, that enduring business model is also being driven by frugality, convenience and framed by necessity.
As jobs evaporate and domestic budgets tighten, “couples commerce” yields attractive credentials, notably lower overheads and shared goals.
Following a career making life-saving medicines in the UK's biopharmaceutical sector, Kathryn Jones launched a UAE skincare products brand in 2017.
While she had “background knowledge to experiment and develop formulas”, husband James Thomas applied prior experience in a communications agency and as a UK business owner.
Ms Jones, 51, from Wales, says moving to Dubai in 2013 was a turning point, along with “knowing deep down that the corporate role I initially took was not the right fit for me”.
The mother-of-one says KJ Serums began out of necessity, when she couldn’t afford some top skincare brand prices.
"Dubai, being the hub of the beauty sector in the region, was the obvious choice to launch from," she says. "It's got an entrepreneurial spirit, even during these unprecedented times."
Another prime component was her husband.
While Ms Jones handles product creation and manufacturing, marketing and customer service delivery, Mr Thomas, 53, oversees delivery logistics, regulatory approvals/compliance, finance and retailer/distributor agreements.
And that brings significant operational and staff cost savings, as well as the positivity of a “cottage industry” with dedicated spouses at its heart.
“Commercially speaking, we feel there has been a noticeable trend towards supporting small local businesses during the pandemic,” says Ms Jones.
This business model has benefits such as minimal overheads, staffing costs, salaries [and] visas
“Once customers know it’s really you behind the brand, they are tremendously supportive.”
Mr Thomas, who also works as a freelance communications consultant, reveals there is a downside and the business model can be a “blessing and a curse”.
“Of course, you have benefits such as minimal overheads, staffing costs, salaries [and] visas,” he says.
“But, there is never an ‘off’ button when your livelihood is in your hands … weekdays, weekends and holidays blend into one seamless work stream.”
Mr Thomas says it’s essential to mark a “formal end” to the working day and week.
“Working so closely together, we have also drawn clear boundaries between our working relationship and our personal relationship ... allowing the two to become intertwined is something we found does not work for us.”
Latika and Sandeep Chawla, both 36, have experienced the positives and negatives of being married business owners for nine years since launching Giftbag.ae to fill a gap in the online gift delivery sector.
Operationally, Ms Chawla cites “team spirit” and communication as important benefits, including being accessible to each other at all times.
“Also, the understanding levels we share as a couple … no ego clashes, accountability issues, office politics,” she says.
“We share the stress and celebrate the victories of our personal and professional lives – it is a great feeling to live every aspect with your best friend and life partner.”
Ms Chawla, who has an F&B retail background, handles operations, business development and marketing from their Mankhool, Dubai, home.
Money saved is money earned for any small business owner
That arrangement removes office rent while also providing flexibility to work around sons aged 8 and 5, thereby reducing childcare costs and “mum guilt” by upping parental availability.
Mr Chawla runs a wholesale electronics trading business besides managing Giftbag’s strategic planning, decision making and technical demands.
He says the pandemic brought a “huge surge” in business as online shopping peaked, which suited a pay-as-you-go, service-oriented structure, free of management employee salaries.
“Working out of a home office and having only outsourced staff handling the majority of tasks other than the two of us, we do not have fixed liabilities weighing us and the business down.
“Money saved is money earned for any small business owner.”
Mr Chawla also highlights some negatives to their scenario, however, including no fixed incomes/salaries and the inability to switch off from “work mode” on evenings and weekends.
“It is tough as most date nights and any free time is spent discussing work issues,” he adds.
KJ Serums is exposed to elements of that but, while Ms Jones also cites the lack of potential for bonuses, health insurance and other corporate perks, she adds: “It’s always a question of is your glass half empty ... or half full.”
In the case of Melody Beale, when her job running corporate events fell casualty to Covid-19’s fall-out, she channelled her love of global foods to start a business with husband James.
Curious Elephant Soulful Sauces was established in May, just a month after the Australian-born Downtown Dubai resident lost her hospitality role. She applied foodie knowledge from extensive travels to recipes inspired by her Hong Kong heritage, while her spouse channelled planning, operational and finance skills.
“The idea of having my own business in the food industry had been there for as long as I can remember,” says Ms Beale, 32.
“The day after I was made redundant, I was scrolling through LinkedIn starting the inevitable job hunt and came across a video about pursuing your dreams and not letting fear of failure get in the way.”
So, she aligned a perceived gap in the market with her aspirations to create freshly made, chilli-based Asian condiments.
UK-born Mr Beale, meanwhile, used his experience from his day job as senior manager for a construction company, including setting up and operating firms in the UAE and beyond.
“Every country has its own hurdles, potential pitfalls to be aware of and ways to work around these and minimise your risk,” says the 36-year-old.
"It is important you try to understand these as best as you can before you start out and start spending money, as many involve incurring additional and unexpected costs, which, as a start-up, can be crippling if you don't have cash to fall back on."
Mr Beale says he has learnt some of these aspects the hard way.
"They have given me a foundation for operating a business in the UAE, which Mel doesn't have first-hand experience of and would otherwise need to have sought external advice on."
Ms Beale, who launched an online store last month, acknowledges that losing her job gave her the courage to mobilise an idea that could have remained dormant another 10 years.
It's not easy trying to wear many hats and cover all aspects, but that is the best way to keep overheads under control
“And as a couple, obviously the pressure and workload is spread a bit more,” she says, although her husband admits the line between work and personal life does blur sometimes.
“Even when we consciously tell each other we will not talk about Curious Elephant things for an hour over dinner, we always seem to somehow come back to it within 15 minutes,” says Mr Beale.
Both also agree having his wage gives “some level of comfort”, but that it doesn’t cloud their judgement when making business decisions.
"It's easy to take it for granted that every month this money will be coming in when, in the current pandemic situation, nothing is certain," Mr Beale continues.
“So, we are running Curious Elephant with its own working cashflow, while funding personal expenses from my day job.
"This takes some pressure off the new business to turn an immediate profit and means we don't need to cut corners to achieve short-term profit at the potential cost of long-term goals."
Overall, Mr Beale embraces the strengths of their business partnership.
"We are quite fortunate that between us we have a spread of skills that, although doesn't quite cover everything, gives a broad understanding of the full business lifecycle," he adds.
"It's not easy trying to wear many hats and cover all aspects, but that is the best way to keep overheads under control while building customer base and brand awareness.
"Going forward, our plan is to expand our team so that responsibilities and workload can be shared."
Giftbag's Ms Chawla anticipates more married couples launching businesses in this uncertain economic climate.
“Small business start-ups are the way to go, and with working from home becoming the new norm, it is very natural for husband and wife teams to start working together towards achieving common goals.
“Being entrepreneurs gives us the independence and confidence to make decisions and live life on our own terms.”
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Saturday's results
Women's third round
- 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
- Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
- 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0
Men's third round
- 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
- Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
- 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
- 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
- Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now