A visit to the DED
This was now our second time to the DED (Department of Economic Development) and we were a bit unsure what to expect.
Our first visit a few weeks earlier had not gone as planned. We had arrived on that occasion to reserve our business name and register it in the appropriate business license category. We had researched the pros and cons of the different categories that were options for this business and were fairly confident with the category we had selected. However when we went to register the business under our chosen category, the clerk confidently advised us to register under another category.
Warehouse Shopping
This week in the business setup phase we were out viewing warehouses / workshops in Dubai Investment Park (DIP).
Our plan is to custom fit each door and window screens which means we need a large workshop to cut and assemble the screens. But to predict what size a business will eventually grow to and thus calculate the size of it’s premise is a challenge for every new business. While you can do all the best business modeling and planning, whatever the prediction indicates is really just an educated guess at best. So with that ‘best guess’ model as a guide we started our inspection of potential locations.
First clients
In order to secure the partnership with our manufacturer Meshtec, we had to sign up our first five clients. Our aim was to ensure there was a market willing to pay for a premium screen product while also ensuring our design was sound.
Screen Manufacturer Research
One of the critical components of the business that dropped out of the planning process was the question: who was going to manufacture the screens? We had a number of options but no clear path. Some of these options included being an agent for an already established overseas company, designing and manufacturing ourselves in the UAE, purchasing from an agent, purchasing directly from China or importing the components directly from a manufacturer.
The Business Plan
The next stage for our startup now the concept had been market tested was to develop a business plan. This meant dusting off my old MBA notes and reviewing some of our previous business plans.
Testing the screen door idea
Now we had a business idea we needed to asses whether a market existed here in the UAE. Testing a physical product such as these screen doors and windows is a difficult proposition.
Our first approach was to look at the market in other countries particularly those with a similar climate. Australia was the natural choice as a start point and we quickly realised it was a very mature market. The product is well known and there is strong demand. Other countries such as South Africa and the US also showed a strong and growing market.
The beginning of an idea
It all starts with a frustration.
After selling out of our old business in Abu Dhabi we were looking to start something new. As we were sitting around the backyard one day we noticed that our flyscreens kept getting damaged (young kids and a couple of cats will do that!). We also felt frustrated that we couldn’t sleep at night with our bedroom door open as there was no way to secure it. This lead us to think how we solved these problems back in our home country of Australia.
A new adventure has begun
A revolution in home and building security is coming to Dubai and Abu Dhabi! Safety Screens is currently being established with its HQ in Dubai so join us on this journey as we bring mesh security screen doors and windows to the UAE.