Jamba Juice Taps Into The GCC’s Growing Healthy F&B Market

Landmark Group is bringing in a new brand to the GCC that they hope will satisfy foodies and health freaks alike. Jamba Juice, imported by the Group’s F&B division Foodmark, debuted their first UAE outlet at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall. According to Shobhit Tandon, Business Head at Landmark Group, they’ll be satisfying the existing healthy indulgence market niche while simultaneously onboarding new health-conscious customers who aren’t already familiar with the global brand. “Foodmark, which is our food and beverage division in Landmark Group, has entered into a master franchise development agreement in January 2014 to develop Jamba Juice across the Middle East. We plan to open a minimum of 80 Jamba Juice stores across GCC over the next 10 years,” explains Tandon.

What’s your take on the healthy market in the UAE?

In the UAE, consumers are broadly divided in two groups, one is the “Emerging Health Conscious”, people who want to change their lifestyle by adopting healthy habits in food and daily routine, and the other is “Progressive Health Conscious”, people who work out and eat healthy food routinely. We feel that this category will only become larger and stronger as we progress. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle is desirable, there are limitations to maintain it. Health and wellness, in the context of beverages and foods, is very fragile, in terms of sustenance and resolve. It’s not that people don’t want to have healthy food and drinks. But there is a common perception -and to a large extent, reality too, which plays the biggest hurdle- that they will have to compromise on taste. In short, people usually sacrifice health for taste when they feel like indulging, and vice-versa, when they feel guilty of the indulgence. Therefore, it is a very evident need gap of the millennials that Jamba has pitched in to fulfill. Jamba Juice gives its consumers the guilty pleasures of indulgence, but, at the same time, it is guilt-free. Not just guilt-free indulgence, but “healthy indulgence”.

How does Jamba Juice fit into the UAE market?

Jamba Juice is the number one smoothie brand in the United States. With over 850 store locations globally across the USA, South Korea, Philippines, Mexico, Canada and now the UAE, Jamba Juice is committed to spreading health and wellness across the world through delicious and nutritious beverages and food. Healthy living has become an important part of people’s lives, and Jamba Juice provides healthy and nutritional food with a quality, price and convenience that hasn’t previously been available in the UAE market. At the core, Jamba Juice is a provider of health and wellness in the context of beverages and foods- a context that has a direct impact on vitality and healthy living. Jamba Juice follows the principle of being global but thinking local, and in the UAE, it will provide new flavors to appeal to the unique taste profile of the region, including special date-flavored smoothies and juices, as well as healthy wraps based upon favorite regional flavors. With Jamba we’re bringing the world’s best smoothies to the Middle East, and we believe all our customers will have a fruitful day.

Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme For Business And Pleasure

Alessandro Cresta, General Manager of globally-renowned Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme, says that while over half the hotel’s guest roster is business-related, it’s all about turning your corporate trips into an opportunity to promote work-life balance. Cresta joined the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme 18 months ago, having previously worked in other French hospitality properties and across the European Union including Switzerland, England, Germany, Czech Republic, and also here in the region in Dubai.

“50% of our business is business travel related, but nowadays people are mixing business travels with leisure goals. We do welcome people from this region all year around for business and for leisure visits, and we are receiving official delegations as well at the hotel.” Part of the Palace Hotels Group, the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme is only one of their exceptional properties; Cresta says that the Group’s Hotel du Palais by Belmond in Biarritz is another gem, citing its location and arresting ocean view as just two reasons to visit.

“One of the most important facets to succeed in luxury is to anticipate the needs of the guests, and to give a lot of importance to the human being factor- the spirit and the values of the employees,” he adds, discussing their business-travel marketing approach. Cresta notes that the hotel’s staff excel at developing personalized service strategies, and that they consistently adapt their offerings to suit guest needs.

“On a very regular basis, we organize meetings, conferences and boards for French and international companies,” and for those guests they ensure that all business-amenities are readily available. It’s part of their larger aim to facilitate a smooth corporate environment for visitors, and an overall pleasant experience.

And when you’re ready to unwind after the conference is over? Cresta suggests the following agenda for your downtime: “Start by having a sports wake-up in the morning followed by a sauna [session] or a hammam, a healthy breakfast at Les Orchides accompanied by international newspapers, followed by a seat at La Terrasse to check email and computer work. A snack at La Cheminée is a must to taste the delicate dishes of the kitchen of Jean-Francois Rouquette, then you may go for two hours of shopping with a private driver. On your return, have a Haute Couture Massage or a Créme de la Mer treatment at our spa, then enjoy a wonderful cocktail at Le Bar, a dinner at lLe Pur’, and finally indulge in a cigar at La Terrasse… Enjoy!” One final nod to your busy schedule? The hotel spa specializes in treatments for jetlag. Pack your bags!

Recommended by the GM

Corporate Specs

“Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme features a set of different conference rooms, including two boardrooms. The latest and most modern techniques are available to meet the guest’s requirements. We regularly organize international meetings for worldwide companies with European offices based in Paris with a connection throughout the world with link-up facilities. Our spaces are very functional and adaptable to all kinds of events, press junkets and road-shows, and more. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme [has] a very large selection of more than 80 amenities for our guests, each of them adapted to the nationality and the preferences and the profile of the guest. This choice is based on our past experience, and this service is personalized as much as possible.”

Munch

“I love to have dinner at Le Pur’ by Jean-François Rouquette, our Michelin-starred restaurant, with its intimate atmosphere and its open kitchen. It is a must to see the ‘ballet’ of all the chefs preparing the dishes! My favorite dish is his crispy veal sweetbreads with white truffle from the Alba region.”

Exec Stay

“Our personalized service is essential to make stays productive and enjoyable. Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme reflects the true value of the companies through a unique luxury experience. We have nine Concierges in house; they are all part of the prestigious association Clefs d’Or and we are proud to mention that our Head Concierge is also the President of the Clefs d’Or in France, representing all national and international events. Our Concierges are attending to more than 200 requests per day.”

Plusses

“The very central position in the heart of Paris is certainly a wonderful perk, very next to the shopping area of the Place Vendôme and the Rue de la Paix, the Tuileries garden, the Opera House, and the bank and lawyers district of the Parisian center.”

Emirati ‘Trep Rashed Harb’s First Foray Into F&B

Emirati entrepreneur Rashed Harb says that while he’s franchising an existing successful model, it doesn’t make his business any less a brick and mortar startup: “Even though Alouette Crperie is a franchise, I still consider it as my own startup and a beginning to many other businesses.

Since this has been my first actual business experience, the hardest part was the early stages where I had to gather a lot of information, and reach out to some people and sometimes get rejected.” Abu Dhabi-based Alouette Creperie, an original concept by Majed Al Marzoqi, is exactly what it sounds like- a French-inspired dessert-lover’s haven. The 24-year-old entrepreneur approached Al Marzoqi for franchising rights, and hopes to begin welcoming guests at his Dubai location in late February of this year.

“The idea of franchising originally came from my passion towards establishing ing my own business, but since I didn’t have enough experience in this matter I decided to franchise an established business to gain an understanding of how the market works. I believe in fighting for what you’re passionate about and following your dreams as far as they go, hence I approached Mr. Majed, who was very welcoming in negotiating a franchising opportunity in Dubai.” Harb, an undergraduate of AUD with a Coventry University MBA, says that his Alouette Creperie will reflect the theme and menu of the original outlet, mentioning that Al Marzoqi undertook extensive research to develop the menu and decor for the F&B business.

In terms of finances, Harb is the sole owner and managed to get his project off the ground alone with the help of Tejar Dubai. “The projected ROI will be after two years of operating, and the total investment is AED1.2 million,” explains Harb. The new location of the Alouette Creperie will be on Al Athar Road in Jumeirah, and Harb says social media is playing a heavy role in his marketing tactics.

“While discussing the marketing tools with the franchisor, we agreed that social media is one of the most effective ways of communicating with our customers in the UAE. Social media tools provide businesses with maximum exposure, and helps the customer realize what your business has to offer. In this modern world, marketing through the social media channels is the most appropriate way to expose a product, where you can reach the maximum amount of potential customers while saving some expenses on your marketing budget.”

‘Trep Talk Q+A

How do you stay motivated?

Reading about success stories and analyzing successful businesses has been my greatest motivator. Whenever I feel pressured and overwhelmed, I read about how small businesses with small ideas that made it to the finish line and became globally recognized.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Emirati entrepreneurs?

I believe that the greatest challenge facing Emirati entrepreneurs is translating their ideas into businesses. Even though many of them have the potential, the knowledge and the vision, they face the fear of taking their ideas to the next level. Taking the first step into the business world needs a lot of courage and help, and Tejar Dubai provides you with the perfect help, amazing support, and complete guidance. You, on the other hand, need to believe in yourself and step up for what you’re passionate about. Some of the largest businesses in the world started with an idea that someone thought was a silly idea, but turned out to be a million dollar business. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is supporting and encouraging entrepreneurs across the UAE in various forms, which led to a huge increase in the number of entrepreneur’s in past couple of years. Following His Highness’ vision, the country is developing a lot of opportunities and possibilities for young entrepreneurs to enter the business world.

What process did you go through with Tejar Dubai?

In order to gain Tejar Dubai’s assistance, I had to go through couple of steps, which were interesting and challenging, but important to build the entrepreneur’s knowledge and acknowledgment towards starting a new business. Dealing with Tejar Dubai was like joining a new family where every member of the family supports, cares and mentors the other from every aspect. From the beginning, Tejar Dubai showed me the milestones of starting a new business and the possible obstacles that I might face to prepare me for the journey. They helped me prepare the business plan, financial plan, and find the most suitable location for my business.

Finally, after gaining the confidence and knowledge through various workshops, they provided me with the financial support to transform my ideas into reality. Tejar Dubai transforms every entrepreneur’s dream into a reality by providing all kinds of support, starting from the business plan up to implementing the business. Even after starting the business, Tejar Dubai continues to monitor and provide the needed help to insure that the business is going towards its projected plan.

The Buzz About Beehive: Peer-To-Peer Lending Makes A GCC Entrance

If the discussions conducted at the Entrepreneur Middle East Enterprise Agility Forum in November last year were any indication, then one of the biggest problems that SME owners in the region face is raising capital to grow and develop their respective businesses. This is especially true in the economic ecosystem of the UAE- a recent survey of 157 SME owners, founders and CEOs in the country by souqalmal.com found that only 28% of respondents had taken financing from a bank, of which 58% found the process to be an arduous one. With this being the scenario, it should come as no surprise that SME owners in the region are keenly looking out for alternative financing options to grow their businesses, and so, the newly launched UAE-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, Beehive, seems to be an answer to their prayers.

P2P lending, also known as marketplace lending or social lending, refers to the practice of investors lending money directly to borrowers without going through a financial intermediary such as a bank. While the practice is today quite prevalent in the U.K. and the U.S., it is still quite a novel concept in the Middle East. Beehive claims to be the first P2P lending platform for SMEs in the UAE, and it is designed to be an online marketplace that allows businesses to get direct access to lower cost finance, while also being a place where investors can diversify their investments, manage their risk and get better returns as well.

However, it must be noted that Beehive is not aimed at startup or pre- profit businesses- it’s instead targeted toward established businesses that have been in operation in the UAE for over two years, and are now looking for expansion capital to fuel their growth. “By using our innovative software platform, we’ve been able to streamline many of the processes required as part of the SME funding journey,” says Craig Moore, Founder and CEO, Beehive. “We believe both businesses and investors benefit from our online marketplace, in the form of reduced finance costs and better investment returns.”

“For many investors in Europe and the U.S., P2P lending forms a part of their alternative investments as part of a diversified portfolio, especially as saving rates have been historically low,” Moore adds. “Beehive thus offers local investors an opportunity to support UAE business growth while benefiting from attractive rates of return.” “Also, because investors can lend from as little as AED100 to creditworthy businesses, they can diversify their investments across a portfolio of companies that helps manage investment risk,” he explains.

“Each loan will make monthly repayments providing a steady income stream for investors.” But it’s not just the investors that benefit from Beehive- SMEs stand to gain a lot from it as well. “There is a significant funding gap across the MENA region, estimated at over US$200bn,” says Rick Pudner, Chairman, Beehive. “Although the UAE has a healthy SME sector, [with] there being around 300,000 SMEs representing around 60% of GDP and over 90% of employment, they still suffer from a lack of relevant funding options.”

“Beehive offers businesses the opportunity to reduce their cost of finance and accelerate their time to finance by reducing the cost and complexity of conventional finance sources,” Pudner says. “Because investors bid to lend in a reverse auction process, it means that businesses receive the lowest rates available from the crowd.” And the platform that Beehive offers is indeed getting noticed in the market- since its soft launch in October last year, the company has funded six UAE-based businesses, providing each of them with a cash injection of between AED 100,000–AED 500,000, which was culled from more than 500 local investors.

One of the companies that got funded through Beehive was change management consultancy GENYX, which was seeking capital to bring new associates on board as part of its client portfolio development strategy. “We found the Beehive process to be customer-friendly, easy to execute, and swift,” says Dave Dimmell, Managing Director, GENYX. “Many banks are not focused on SMEs; those that are have bureaucratic processes or often seemingly unhelpful managers who don’t clearly see SME requirements. Beehive is making a very valuable contribution to the SME community in the UAE, and we see them as a strategic partner for SMEs.”

Dimmell’s comments are are representative of the market reaction Beehive has seen in the past few months. “We’ve had a fantastic response to Beehive,” Moore says. “All of our businesses have reached their funding target in 14 days or less and at highly competitive rates, which has delighted our clients. Our online marketplace directly connects SMEs who need credit, with investors who are eager to provide it.” According to Pudner, who was formerly the Group CEO of Emirates NBD, the timing is right for UAE SMEs to take advantage of the Beehive concept to grow their businesses.

“P2P lending is estimated to originate around $9 billion of loans globally in 2014, but with current growth rates, this is projected to be $1 trillion in the next ten years,” Pudner says. “We feel the timing is right for the UAE to embrace and take advantage of this technology to drive local economic growth.”

“With the prospect of Expo 2020, in addition to some of the regional initiatives, we feel there’s a real spirit of optimism amongst SMEs,” Pudner adds. “And by bringing investors and businesses together, we’re really excited that Beehive can help foster mutually beneficial partnerships for growth across the UAE community.” As for Beehive itself, it does seem safe to say that the buzz about the company is only going to get louder- Moore says there are plans underway for Beehive to grow beyond the borders of the UAE, and more. “We do have plans to expand, not just geographically, but also our product range,” he says. “Conversations are already taking place in markets that we believe will benefit from our innovative approach to help solve SME financing. Watch this space.”

How Beehive Works

Beehive‘s online marketplace facilitates flexible funding for established businesses seeking investment between AED 100,000 and AED 500,000. Individual investors can invest from as little as AED 100 and bid to lend money, choosing how much they will lend and at the interest rate. Beehive then facilitates the loan agreement between the business and investors, charging a small percentage fee of the loan amount. The business receives funding typically in around seven days, and investors receive monthly repayments at target rates of between 8% and 12%.

ACTS Chairman Khaled Awad: Qatar Adopts Measures Of Preparedness, Prevention And Precision

“ACTS establishment was driven toward the embodiment of integrity powered by materials engineering knowledge. In our customers, empowering our work with technical solutions that will enhance the quality of the project. We have a large realm of services, spanning from testing and quality control to geo-engineering, and covering a wide spectrum of construction materials and environmental assessments,” says Khaled Awad, Founder and Chairman of Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS). A multinational organization established in Lebanon in 1996, ACTS opened a branch in Qatar in 2003, later expanding to include Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Presently, the company operates in different countries and has more than 600 employees throughout the MENA region. ACTS is currently involved in a multitude of projects in Qatar. According to Awad some of the most prominent ones include the geotechnical and geophysical works for the Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy (IDRIS) with Ashghal, the framework for local roads and drainage for Ashghal. “As well, we have recently completed the geophysical works for the first stadium for 2022 World Cup, and we are working on the Green Line, Golden Line and Red Line of Doha Metro for the geotechnical and environmental works.

Also, we have site laboratories in Sheraton park with QDVC, in Barzan a project with Descon at RasLaffan, in the East Corridor with China Harbour, and last but not least we have been awarded the quality control and testing works for the Lusail Road development project (CP4) with Midmak-Yuksel.” ACTS contributes to the industry’s ecosystem by offering a slew of training programs in various tracks related to material engineering and technology. The major topics of the training programs include field and laboratory testing and evaluation of concrete and construction materials, concrete advanced technologies and mix design, understanding of ready mixed concrete, construction practices, mass concrete, hot and cold weather concreting, field quality control, inspection of structures, non-destructive testing and special investigations, soils testing and evaluation, and hot mix asphalt technology.

ACTS additionally acts as the Local Sponsoring Group for the American Concrete Institute (ACI) in the Middle East, and they facilitate ACI certification to individuals dedicated to pursuing a higher standard that remain valid for a period of five years. “These programs are designed for all personnel employed within the concrete industry. The average training program duration is three days,” says Awad. In addition they are in partnership with ASTM and recently announced a new intensive environmental training course called ASTM Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment Processes, to be staged in Doha next month. “In the same mission framework, we organize yearly an international conference themed Future Concrete, which has become a regional forum for presenting and discussing the latest advancements in concrete construction practices.”

The sixth international Future Concrete conference, held recently in Doha, welcomed professionals from across a number of industries. “The expert knowledge imparted through the presentations from Future Concrete is what makes the conference very relevant. The size of the infrastructure projects in Qatar is expected to exceed US$70 billion (QR245 billion) in the next seven years, which we will not see in any other part of the world. This requires special attention to the quality control and sustainability aspects in order to enable buildings and facilities to have a longer life.

Most of the structures in Qatar that are currently under construction need to be completed within a short timeframe. Here comes the role of technology to speed up the execution while maintaining the highest quality standards, and this definitely requires special efforts. The conference was a very well-attended, and the sharing of best practices, key developments and new technology updates were all very much appreciated by the attendees,” says Awad. The conference highlighted the use of advanced technology in large scale, concrete projects in Qatar, and how it can be used to maintain project integrity and sustainability through ongoing quality control and recycling of materials.

Future Concrete also imparted alternative strategies for projects data and information usage: how to manage and service these projects in the most possible cost effective way. Overall, this can actually create a unique knowledge system in Qatar– if the concerned authorities are able to know how to extract and document relevant to be of use in future projects and facility management and service. “There have been many developments in the concrete industry and technology used to make and recycle it. The GCC region -and Qatar in particular- have been leading the way in using advanced technologies in large-scale projects. The conference discussed some case studies related to these technologies and how they can effectively be used in other projects. There are several challenges when it comes to big projects, and these challenges might last for the next 100 to 150 years. The most important aspect here is to implement these projects in the right way, so that we cut down maintenance costs in the future,” says Awad.

One example? Preserving existing structures and preventing damage from the elements: “The weather in the Gulf and Qatar combines all the factors that lead to steel corrosion, and therefore to concrete deterioration. Understanding concrete technology and translating that knowledge into adequate specifications and stringent quality control will enable better durability and thus reduced maintenance costs. This is key in ensuring that the speedy construction will not become a future burden on the country infrastructure maintenance budgets,” continues Awad, “the other sustainability drive is recycling concrete waste into aggregates.

This will not just address resource scarcity, but also help reduce the environmental impact of concrete production in Qatar which is expected to reach unprecedented levels in the coming years. It is noteworthy to commend the research work undertaken by the Qatari Ministry of Environment and TRL, as it is a solid platform for the use of recycled aggregates in concrete.” Awad further adds how construction is still a laggard industry with respect to technology adoption. He believes there is a multitude of technologies which could be used in different parts of the supply chain. “And we are witnessing the applications of those. As far as quality is concerned there is a need to deploy integrated quality control tools to capture and mine data.”

Subsequently, different technologies centred around the transfer of this wealth of data into management and streamlining processes could be developed. “Qatar is set on a solid growth path. I believe it currently lacks the necessary KPIs for this growth with respect to the associated environmental impact. By implementing such KPIs, Qatar would be able to develop an environmental knowledge base linked to construction activities, very valuable regionally and even globally.”

ACTS Chairman Khaled Awad: Qatar Adopts Measures Of Preparedness, Prevention And Precision

Subsequently, different technologies centred around the transfer of this wealth of data into management and streamlining processes could be developed. “Qatar is set on a solid growth path. I believe it currently lacks the necessary KPIs for this growth with respect to the associated environmental impact. By implementing such KPIs, Qatar would be able to develop an environmental knowledge base linked to construction activities, very valuable regionally and even globally.”

ACTS is the Local Sponsoring Group for the ACI certification in the MENA region

• Concrete Construction Special Inspector
• Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I
• Aggregate Testing Technician Level 1
• Aggregate Base Testing Technician
• Concrete Strength Testing Technician
• Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician Level 1
• Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician Level 2
• Shotcrete Nozzleman

The 2015 MENA Salary Guide: The Compensation, The Benefits, And The Rates Of Satisfaction

Does your staff grumble that they feel underpaid or that they believe that their work is worth more money than they are making? They’re not alone. For 26.6% of respondents in the Bayt.com Employee Retention in the MENA Workplace poll, February 2013, competitive salary and benefits packages were the most important factors for employee retention in the MENA region.

Moreover, 45.2% of respondents in the same poll left their last job because they weren’t paid enough. Bad pay and benefits is selected in yet another poll by Bayt.com, the Workplace Dynamics in the MENA poll, June 2013, by 20% of MENA professionals as the top reason why they would leave their job.

In order to have a closer look at the current situation of working professionals in the MENA region, Bayt.com conducted its annual MENA Salary Survey 2014. The survey results –based on data collected online from more than 9,500 professionals from the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia– give insights into the salary levels, compensation packages, bonuses, and costs of living in the region. The survey also measures overall employee job satisfaction.

Current Salary Levels, Satisfaction and Expectations

Across the MENA region, 53% of professionals surveyed in the Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey 2014 indicate that they receive a basic salary plus benefits, such as housing allowance, transport, children’s education and more. For over a third of respondents (34%) who receive a basic salary along with other benefits, the basic salary consists of 51-75% of their monthly salary, and 14% state that they also receive a commission on top of their basic salary and benefits. The preferred pay structure in the MENA is a 100% fixed-pay structure (favored by 53% of respondents).

A large proportion of MENA professionals are not satisfied with their income, with 45% claiming to be dissatisfied with their pay, compared to just 3% who are highly satisfied with what they receive. 28% believe that men and women receive equal pay for doing the same work. The majority (67%) of professionals surveyed believe that the salary they receive is less than what other companies in their industry pay. Over a quarter of MENA respondents (28%) do not expect to receive a raise in 2014, though 37% anticipate receiving a pay rise of up to 15%.

Across MENA, the most common benefits received by employees are personal medical insurance, bonuses and transportation allowance. For 35% of MENA professionals, foregoing part of their salary to work more flexible hours is something they would consider. According to 62% of respondents, their company does not pay for any overtime they do. Companies that do pay for extra office hours, for the most part, pay a normal hourly rate (43%), though 41% pay time and a half. Only 22% of companies in the MENA region pay employees for time spent doing civil service.

Drivers of Loyalty At Work

38% of respondents in the MENA state that loyalty to their company is not based on the salary they receive. Rather, they consider that their loyalty is based on their line manager (42%), opportunities for long-term career advancement (40%), senior management (35%), and their colleagues (34%).

End of Service Benefits

Less than half (48%) of MENA respondents receive an end-of-service gratuity, while 14% receive a pension upon retirement. 31%, however, receive neither, though 51% of those who do not currently receive a pension state that they are interested in a pension plan to which they would contribute a percentage of their basic salary, in addition to the company’s contribution.

Insurance Plans

The majority of MENA professional (68%) have access to medical insurance for themselves through their company, and 36% have access to insurance for their dependents, too. For the most part, companies are responsible for payment on medical insurance claims– both for personal and dependents. Although, a further two fifths of respondents share responsibility of medical insurance payments with their employer. Insurance plans are active from the first day of hire according to 41% of respondents.

Salaries and The Rising Cost of Living

83% of respondents in the MENA predicted an increase in the cost of living in 2014. Among other factors affected by the rising cost of living in the region, this rise has limited the ability to save. In matter of fact, 36% of MENA professionals claim to save nothing from their monthly salary. Despite this, 44% of respondents believe that they are better off, in terms of quality of life, compared to other people of a similar generation in their country of residence.

61% of MENA professionals believe that salaries in their country are on the rise. This is considered to be due to inflation and the rising cost of living (62%), as well as economic and opportunity growth (34%) and pay rises in the public sector (17%). Factors observed by MENA professionals that are inhibiting salary increases include poor economy (43%), employer-friendly laws (35%), and poor corporate performance or decreased profitability (21%). Overall, 29% of respondents believe there is a skills shortage in the region.

Top Expenses

Dining out is considered to be the top monthly expense by 31%, followed by travel (29%) and entertainment (18%). Holidays taken by MENA respondents in the last 12 months have mostly involved travel to local destinations (33%). 36% of respondents have not been on holiday in the past 12 months.

Getting the Salary Equation Right

Keeping your employees once you have them is a thorny problem. Although it’s not only about the money, it does play a fundamental role when comparing offers from potential employers. Our studies have shown, time and time again, that top talents are invariably first and foremost seeking some degree of medium to long-term job security. These professionals look for companies that provide a healthy degree of career longevity and sustainability for their staff. Fair compensation and benefits fall under this bracket including a compelling salary, performance-based bonuses, personal (and family) health insurance, retirement schemes, and children’s education support.

Three Necessary Factors To Establish A Qatari Silicon Valley

Two years ago, I moved to Qatar with my family to teach at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. I moved here from San Francisco Bay Area, where I had been living for almost 20 years, building a number of tech companies from the ground up in various fields such as B2B e-commerce, healthcare mobile technologies, online education, and crowdfunding. Upon arriving in the region, I started to get involved in the tech startup ecosystem in Qatar and neighboring Arab countries.

I began to wonder how the Silicon Valley success story could potentially be replicated in Qatar and the Arab region. How could we establish a culture of innovation entrepreneurship in the Arab world? What would it take for the next billion-dollar technology company –the next Google, the next Facebook, the next Uber- to come out of this region?

During my brief time in Qatar, I have witnessed the attention the Qatari government has shown towards human capital and its keen desire to provide knowledge and education through renowned universities located in Qatar Foundation’s Education City. I have also had the privilege to see the encouragement and support given to Qatar’s youth to be creative, inventive and entrepreneurial to help them turn initial ideas into fruitful projects from various organizations such as Enterprise Qatar, Qatar Business Incubation Center, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and ICT’s Digital Incubation Center.

Despite the great support the Qatari government provides to cement the culture of innovation entrepreneurship in Qatar, there is much more to be done. Innovation is a process that leads to the development of new products, services or processes that change people’s lives for the better, and in the meantime, generates substantial economic benefits for the innovators and their backers, or great societal benefits for certain communities. Innovation is a long, grueling and unpredictable process that follows nature’s law of the survival of the fittest. In this case, the “fittest” are the innovators who, on the one hand, do have the skills and stamina to endure the “experimental and iterative nature” of the process, and on the other hand, are able to continue to acquire and develop the resources (capital and people) needed to succeed.

The diagram below summarizes the various phases of the innovation entrepreneurship process and identifies the key forces that support it. The culture of innovation in Silicon Valley was spurred through the development -either organically or through government-driven initiatives- of these various forces. The same is now being recognized in various parts across the world from Berlin, Germany to Beijing, China.

Looking deep into these factors, one can easily identify three specific areas which require further development in order to achieve similar results here in Qatar specifically and the Arab region in general.

Firstly, as the diagram shows, the innovation process starts much earlier than the first glimpse of the idea appears –with the development of the would-be innovators themselves– the entrepreneurs who not only can think big but also have enough enthusiasm, passion and perseverance to endure the long and unpredictable innovation process. New research in innovation has identified that true innovators are typically driven by a desire the change the status quo and a healthy appetite for taking calculated risks. An environment where these desires are encouraged and developed will produce more would-be innovators than an environment where they are suppressed.

Silicon Valley, by its very nature, is a magnate of skilled migrants (from inside and outside the U.S.) whose profiles closely match the behavioral profiles of would-be innovators. Qatar, and the Arab World at large, should work on encouraging its youth to develop the behavioral skills required for future innovators. We must influence existing cultural habits that oppose change and hinder risk-taking. Universities also have a role to play in developing not just the technical abilities of their students, but also the behavioral skills that are needed to succeed in the innovation journey.

Secondly, as ideas move from the early-stage startup phase into the scale-up phase, significant follow-up funding is required. Because of the risky nature of the innovation process, this funding cannot be secured through traditional loan-based vehicles of financing (banks, etc.), but through a different financing vehicle known as venture capital. Qatar, and the Arab World at large, needs to develop its homegrown venture capitalists. These institutions are slowly starting to emerge in places such as Egypt, Jordan and UAE. They are, however, much more risk-averse compared to their American counterparts, and they tend to deal only with companies in the “growth” phase.

Thirdly, as the company enters the scale-up and growth phases, and as it hopefully succeeds in raising significant amount of funding to fuel its growth, it needs to acquire the talent necessary to move forward: skilled professionals who have years of expertise working in product development organizations in various roles from administration and sales, to marketing and engineering, HR, etc. In Silicon Valley today, as in other parts of the world, you will find plenty of professionals who have worked for decades in places such as Yahoo!, Google, Intel, Oracle, and the like.

These professionals have the expertise required to organize the teams and establish the processes required to scale-up and grow a startup. Many of them are of Arab descent and are ready to move back to the Arab region and work at promising and well-financed startups, in part due to a strong desire to raise their children in an Arab or Islamic culture. With the absence of established organizations in the Arab world today which develop technology-based products and services, recruiting and retaining these experienced professionals is key to building the innovation ecosystem in the Arab world.

The Role of the Qatari Government

In light of the above, I believe that the Qatari government should continue to establish and support incubation centers to educate entrepreneurs and innovators, and provide them with the needed skills and support to help them succeed. These centers provide needed training, support and funding for innovation experiments in the startup phase. But this is not enough. The government must help build and partially fund capital venture partnerships, staffed with experienced innovation entrepreneurs and investment professionals, who collectively possess the needed expertise and the ability to make investment decisions based on the value-creation viability of a startup and its founders. With the right incentives, these funds will be able to invest in the scale-up phase of the right startup venture, and will be able to attract and recruit the experience required to staff the company’s management throughout the scale-up and growth phases of the company.

Today, in countries like China, startup founders and investors are demonstrating big successes and reaping great profits from risky journeys they embarked on when establishing companies like Bidu and Alibaba– companies that generated wealth matching or exceeding most Silicon Valley firms. I believe that the next decade will witness the emergence of similar successful ventures in the Arab world, and Qatar can and should be part of these successes.

MICEit Wants To Make MENA Event Planning Seamless

MICEit‘s co-founders were inspired by a problem they’ve faced working for over a (combined) 23 years in the hospitality industry. “We have firsthand seen and identified the troubles of managing an event both as service providers and event organizers,” says co-founder and COO Rola Fayyad. Fayyad, alongside founder and CEO Mohammad Turki Khalil, claim that MICEit “will streamline the long and hectic event planning process”. Khalil has been active in the hospitality industry for 13 years, mostly in marketing and sales with vast experience in MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing, and exhibitions). Fayyad has been involved in the hospitality and aviation industries for over a decade, primarily in marketing, sales, and commercial management.

Here’s the thing though; even after reading all the online material I can about MICEit, I still can’t wrap my head around how extensive this portal is. You can tell that their experience in the industry has played a huge role in making sure that they cover just about everything. It’s not just booking venues, and sorting out plane tickets and hotel rooms; you can sort out A/V services, registration and ticketing services, and even florists. Having all your needs sorted out through one portal is very helpful, especially given that you have the rates and options right in front of you. Fayyad mentions another benefit when she points out that “one of the biggest pains for event organizers is collecting various quotations from multiple vendors.” All the different costs of an event will boil down to just one bill.

Where better to launch MICEit than in the founders’ native Jordan? MICEit’s co-founders said that their primary audience has been “the top 300 corporate event bookers”, and they’ve received tons of support from hosts and vendors alike. So while they are trying to bring Jordan to the forefront, Fayyad is also looking beyond its borders, as they are “focusing on international clients to book in Jordan, our service will simplify their procedure as they aren’t located here.” Being a web-based portal, it comes as no surprise that MICEit hasn’t been a capital-intensive venture, though it does come with its own costs.

Fayyad listed “operations, administration and website development” as their current payouts, but expects their balance sheet to look a little busier once they work towards regional expansion, in anticipation of “more incurred costs for travelling, marketing and development.” As they don’t have any angel investors, she admitted that she is hoping to find one soon to help fund MICEit’s next stage, which is estimated to cost US$150,000. Regarding ROI, Fayyad couldn’t give us any numbers, but said that MICEit will “breakeven in two years from commencement.”

Setting numbers aside, the portal itself is a priority: “Website development started in September and the MVP [model-view presenter] was out in November.” Fayyad and Khalil took on offline events to “test the product to confirm our algorithm is correct.” The website’s beta version has since been launched, and both Khalil and Fayyad have been working hard on fine-tuning it since they began in early 2013, when they started conducting market research. “We started pitching to Oasis500 to get seed funding at the beginning of 2014, and successfully joined their batch one in August.”

Being a web portal, it’s expected that a sound marketing strategy can truly make or break your business. Fayyad further delved into their marketing strategy, whose main goal is to “increase our visibility in the market and influence bookers towards technology for events.” While breaking old habits is no easy feat, she claims that it hasn’t been all that difficult. “In Jordan, it’s easier since we have the experience and connections,” said Fayyad, “so performing sales calls closes deals and word of mouth is strong.” That said, she did say that their approach would have to be different in newer markets that they expand to, giving the UAE as an example.

Social media also plays a huge role in helping MICEit bring in as many potential clients as possible from as many sources as possible. MICEit currently has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the ever-popular Instagram. Their most effective platform? “Twitter gives us the best results as we can target our audience.” A subtler feature of MICEit that I noticed (and appreciated) that I thought played a positive role in marketing is having a product or service Arabic-enabled. It sounds like something trivial for a venture from the Middle East, but you’d be surprised. Having an Arabic-enabled MICEit is a standout feature. “All booking engines are in English and rarely support Arabic; we want to break that habit and go local,” referencing a 2012 Google report that claimed that Arabic-only web content only makes up 3% of all web content.

Despite the fact that MICEit is still at a nascent stage, it appears that they’ve achieved quite a bit. They’ve organized events in Jordan for Google for Entrepreneurs, Google for Developers, and Startup Grind Jordan, and they have already signed eight memorandums of understandings with companies to be their exclusive portal for event planning. “Our sales pipeline consists of up to 35 events for the upcoming year, impacting on revenue of $40,000!”

MICEit will be making its way into the GCC in Q2 2015, though Fayed didn’t confirm which country will be first, as they are trying to find solid partnerships to make the transition smoother. “We are still working on which country to penetrate first, noting top MICE countries are UAE, Qatar and Oman.” They also hope to diversify the types of events on their roster, with Fayyad hinting at opening the platform up to social events after the third year. The co-founders want to make seamless events a reality- MICE and easy!

Artistic Inclinations: MENA Platform Lets You Buy And Sell Fine Art Online

With annual art fairs like Art Dubai and Galleries Night, plus cultural districts such as Alserkal Avenue bringing in visitors to see regional and international artists and showings, there’s evidently a great interest in MENA artists and artwork. It’s an ideal time to start investing in hallmark works, but when we think of buying art, admit it, what comes to mind? Quiet hallways and elitist artsy types.

This is where Artscoops comes in, an online platform specializing in buying and selling art from MENA artists and commercial galleries. Being an online avenue, it can reach the niche of art buyers who are more comfortable browsing collections in the comfort of their homes sans the intimidating mise-en-sce?ne of a gallery. When asked about establishing an online art space instead of having an offline presence, co-founder Raya Mamarbachi pointed how there’s already major galleries doing that effectively across the Middle East.

With online art platforms becoming more familiar internationally, there’s a need for a platform dedicated to MENA buyers too, adding that Middle Eastern buyers, “especially young buyers”, are busy and would likely take advantage of browsing online. With access to an online global market, lesser-known artists can have a wider reach, and first-time buyers can take the initial step in acquiring their first piece, which will be a step toward art-buying becoming a mass adopted cultural movement.

How did Artscoops get started? Growing up in a household with collector-parents, Raya Mamarbachi -whose background is in digital and traditional marketing and online ventures-always had a penchant for galleries and museums, believing art to be a better investment than stocks. While helping a charity auction for Syri-Arts in October 2013, Mamarbachi checked with organizers to determine the ratio of pieces that were bought physically in Lebanon compared to the ones purchased online. The result? “It was something like 30:70 with the majority being bought on the Internet. This proved there is a market for an online art business.”

Mamarbachi decided to set that up with her mother, May Mamarbachi, an art collector and seasoned entrepreneur, who has represented The Victoria & Albert Museum of London for The World Ceramics Show in Damascus. As a mother-daughter team, their “start was challenging, but as our roles and skills are complimentary; the dynamics work well.” Raya is responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the company, while May handles managing Artscoops’ relationships with artists and galleries featured on the site. “When you work with a family member, [the] most important [thing] is to not mix personal and business life.”

As art enthusiasts venturing into the business side of a creative industry, legal agreements with artists and galleries took time. Another challenge? Their online payment gateway proved to be difficult since they wanted to be transparent to their user base. Mamarbachi also stated that there’s still the “fear when buying art online”, referring to people’s doubts about the artwork authenticity and seller reputation. No need to worry though, all of the works on Artscoops comes with a Certificate of Authenticity provided by the gallery or the artist.

The numbers are looking positive for them too. In an art and finance report released last year by Deloitte, it was found that 79% of art collectors and 69% of art professionals think that the online art auction market will become a successful business model. Artscoops’ revenue streams include a mix of commissions from the website’s sales, having an art advisory/consultancy arm for corporations and individuals and online auction and offline themed pop- events- the Holiday Pop Up event, being the most recent. When they first started, their selection consisted of artists they knew and recognized.

Currently, they are looking for artists that are “analytical about our world, its turmoil and try to express this in their art”, while also considering their educational background and issues expressed in their art. In terms of their criteria for artwork to be sold, it is based on the subject and engagement with their mediums- be it photography, oil and acrylic paint, video or installations. As of December 2014, the most affordable piece you can get is Maya Hage’s oil painting of Radiographie at US$800. The most expensive one is Hussein Madi’s Untitled 1 and Untitled 2 individually priced at $57,000.

Despite being a young site (they launched in September 2014), their “multi-phase” marketing approach helped them gain momentum. Artscoops were initially (and still presently) using online media and mass marketing, building followers through their own networks and social media and by physically attending global art events. They also welcome competition, confident that what sets them apart is “continually updating their database, offering additional features on the website, independent content/weekly editorials and our contacts both with galleries and artists alike.”

What’s on their agenda? Besides looking for partners, artists and galleries from the MENA region (and abroad), they’re planning to offer additional features for the website and there’s an app in the works too. The founders are also looking into introducing other mediums such as video, installations, art books and design objects.

Notable Mentions

This Iranian artist is famous for his distinct jars and bowls painted with calligraphic texts consisting of poetry snippets or everyday terms from daily life in Tehran. A regular in contemporary Middle East and Arab art auctions over the last couple of years, his work is part of The British Museum’s collection.

Khosrow Hassanzadeh

One of Iran’s leading artists, Hassanzadeh creates figurative paintings different mediums including ink, collage, silk screens and ceramic tiles. His work is part of public collections at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Tehran British Museum or the London KIT Tropen Museum.

Hussein Madi

Born in Lebanon, Madi created his first alphabet-themed composition in 1973. He’s since moved on from graphic work and sculpture, focusing on individual letters, rather than words or sentences. His work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the British Museum and Tokyo’s Ueno Museum.

Numbers

“Artscoops’ portfolio comprises of more than 160 works from 45 artists from the MENA region.”

Mediums

“Photography has, so far, been the favorite medium of Artscoops purchasers. Selling sculptures online is a very difficult as a medium. Buyers prefer to buy up-and-coming names or well established artists than ‘unknowns’. Furthermore, price point is important online.”

Five Essential Steps To Creating Content That Works For Your Business

Most businesses are now aware of the need to create fresh, new content for their websites, perhaps in a bid to improve sales or customer service, or to raise brand awareness. However, not all of these businesses are aware of just how crucial it is to have a carefully considered and organized strategy in place for content creation. Before going ahead and spending good money and valuable time on content creation, there is a lot to consider: audience, reach, aims, timing, delivery, to name but a few. These five essential steps along with an all-important planning document available below, will ensure that each and every new piece of content has been carefully organized to ensure it reaches exactly the right people at the right time in order for you to maximize its efficiency and meet your goals.

1. Define Your Goal

Content marketing can have huge payoffs, but to make it work for your business you must invest time, and lots of it. If you want that time to be well invested, it’s important that you start with the end goal in mind. Before you begin, get very clear on the goal for your content marketing efforts. With content marketing there are a number of possible business goals you can have:

1. Brand awareness
2. Lead generation and nurturing
3. Customer conversion
4. Customer service
5. Upsells
6. Subscribers

Depending on your scenario, each one of these goals could be a good fit for you. Perhaps you’re trying to create a program that increases awareness? Maybe you are looking to improve your position in the search engine results, or simply drive more leads into the sales funnel? Get focused on the end result before you start and you’ll stand a far better chance of building an asset that works for your business in the way that you want it to.

Get Subscribers, Get Customers

When someone opts in to receive email from you, they give you permission to market to them. Well-crafted permission based email marketing can allow you to develop one-to-one relationships en masse, like no other marketing channel can. Step one is to acquire subscribers, then over time through anticipated, personal and relevant emails, you can turn those subscribers into passionate buyers. Soon after launching in 2008, the Content Marketing Institute found that their email subscribers closed to customers three times faster than non-subscribers. Since then they have focused around the one goal of growing their email subscriber base. It now stands at over 90,000.

How to Get Subscribers

In order to build an email subscriber base, you will need to offer something of value on your website as a fair exchange for a new subscriber’s email address. Few, if anyone, will give up their email to be added to a newsletter, but many will happily exchange their email to download a premium piece of content such as an e-book, a cheat sheet or an educational course on a topic that’s relevant and interesting to them. To get more subscribers, offer more content like this. A simple cheat sheet or resource guide promoted in your website’s sidebar and on pop-up forms will do well, but by far the best strategy I’ve found for growing an email list is the content upgrade.

Content Upgrade

Recently I’ve noticed a few of my savvy marketing friends adding bonus content to their blog posts. Brian Dean who wrote a great blog post called Google’s 200 Ranking Factors had added a free Ranking Factors Checklist as a bonus to his post. I also saw that LeadPages.net were giving away free bonuses with all of their blog posts. Not a generic bonus but a specific bonus with each piece of content- something that would help the reader get even more out of the post and take their learning to the next level.

I followed suit and implemented the same strategy on my own website starting with my podcast episodes. Instantly I went from adding just a few email subscribers to more than 80 per episode. I now create content upgrades for every piece of content I post to my blog, and if you are serious about building an email list then you should too.

2. Define Your Audience Persona

If your content marketing is to be a success then you must plan your content to fill the wants and needs of your audience, not your own. This is an important point. Business owners and marketers all too often bend their content to their own thinking. If you do the same, your content marketing will fail. Before you begin your content marketing program, get very clear on who you are talking to with your content by developing audience personas. Most businesses will have at least one audience persona, but others will have several.

For example, a nursery school will have all these audience personas: children, parents, teachers and local authorities. Content for each of these personas would be very different. You can develop your audience personas by asking a few key questions of your audience:

1. Who is he or she?
2. What information does this person need?
3. What does this person care about? Don’t assume the answers, instead interview your audience. Take time with this process but don’t shoot for perfection, you just need to be detailed enough to guide your content creators.

3. Create A Content Segmentation Grid

In the past we would advertise our businesses by blasting our message in the general direction of our audience persona. The theory went that if you blasted loud enough and long enough, eventually you would reach some of your audience. While advertising does still work, there is much waste, because naturally for most it will not be the right time, the right place and the right message. To ensure you deliver the right content at the right time you need to study your customer’s buying process and your own sales process. Consider what content your customer needs when they first come to know of you versus the final stages of a negotiation. At each stage of their buying process (and your sales process) different types of content will be required to help move them to the next stage.

If you are a small business-to-business (B2B) company you may have a simple sales cycle something like this:
Contacts People who have contacted you or with whom you’ve been in contact.
Leads People you have identified as being in the market for your solution.
Qualified opportunities Qualified as having a need and the budget for your solution.
Finalists Considering your solution as one of finalists.
Verbal agreement You are chosen.

Define your own sales cycle, and then using a content segmentation grid, map your content to the ap- propriate stage. Why is a content segmentation grid important? It stops you falling in to the “spray-and-pray” trap. Instead of creating content and throwing it out anywhere at any time, the content segmentation grid helps you plan and deliver relevant messaging (that moves people towards your desired action) by ensuring the right content is received by your audience at the right time.

I should note that whilst the grid is drawn in a linear fashion, don’t force your audience through every step if they are ready and willing to move faster. If someone contacts you qualified and ready to do business with you, give them your case studies and product information, don’t send them your white papers designed for awareness and education. Some will drive slowly through your content cycle, some will drive at break-neck speed. Ensure you have a slow lane and a fast lane set up for both.

4. Ensure All Your Content Has A Call-To-Action

Effective content that works for your business will always give opportunity for your audience to respond. Whether that be sharing your content via social media, downloading your content upgrade, buying your product or service or any other action you want someone to take. If the body of your content has served its purpose it will have engaged, educated, inspired and built trust with your audience. That trust can be repaid to you in kind, such as a share or comment on your blog, or in business with the purchase of your product or service. Always tell your audience what they should do next. Keep them moving through your content segmentation grid.

Call-To-Action Tips

Here are a few tips to consider that will help you craft calls-to-action that elicit a better response:
Micro-commitments Early in the buying cycle use small micro calls- to-action such as “share this post on social media.” New engagers are more likely to make a micro commitment and it makes them more inclined to make a larger commitment later.

Ask questions End your content with a question. It will encourage your readers to post a comment (a micro-commitment).

Clarity Make your calls-to-action very clear. Use simple language and display your main call-to-action in a stand out color.

Reduce friction Use the minimum number of form fields possible for sign up forms. Make it frictionless for your audience to take the next step.

You can see how I apply these rules myself within the call-to-action I’ve included further on.

5. Build an Editorial Calendar

If I have to name just one thing that will be responsible for making or breaking your content marketing, it is the editorial calendar. For your efforts to be successful you need to approach content marketing less like a marketer and more like a publisher. Instead of short-term tactical content campaigns you need a long-term strategy consistently delivered over time. I have been using content marketing in my business since the beginning, and whilst I have had many successes during that time, by far my best results have come recently. When I compare my Google Analytics statistics from October 2013to October 2014, every measurable metric is up: traffic, time-on-site, bounce rate and conversions, they are all improved. While I made many small improvements to my content marketing approach over the course of 12 months, the one big change I made was consistency.

Consistency Doesn’t Mean More

In the past I published no less than I do now, in fact give or take I probably posted more then, however the frequency at which I published was inconsistent. I now stick to a strict calendar; my podcast is released every Tuesday, my marketing cartoons every Friday, and it’s a schedule my audience have come to expect and look forward to. Consider this, could Entrepreneur magazine have built such a large audience and subscriber base if it published every once in a while as opposed to every month? Highly unlikely. You need to apply the same consistency to your publishing schedule, and the editorial calendar is the tool to help you do that.

What Exactly Is an Editorial Calendar?

The editorial calendar is much more than just a calendar with content assigned to dates. A good calendar maps content production to audience personas (see point 2), the content segmentation grid (see point 3) and the various media channels you are using. Beyond dates and titles for your content, your editorial calendar should also include the following:

Prioritized list An inventory of content. Could include content ideas, content from third parties or old content you will repackage.
Content producers/editors Who is responsible for creating and publishing the content?
Channels A list of channels where the content will published, such as your blog, Slide Share, e-book etc.
Dates When the content will be created, edited and published-setting deadlines.

Set up your calendar in a way that works best for you. I prefer to use a simple spreadsheet which you can create with one tab for each month or all on one sheet. Across the columns you might have:
– Headline
– Content type
– Audience persona
– Person creating the content
– Date due
– Editor
– Channels
– Publish date
– Status (I like to color code this red, amber, green)
– Notes
– Call-to-action

Whilst you can use software as a service offerings like Kapost, HubSpot, Contently and others to manage your editorial calendar, the best tool when you are starting out is a spreadsheet. I have our editorial calendar loaded to a Google Drive spreadsheet where all my team can access it online. It’s a simple set up and very effective.

Using these five essential steps will ensure that your content is efficient, that it will be well-timed, and honed to the audience that will make the greatest difference in meeting your goals. Once you put this simple process in place, you’ll ensure the same results from every new piece of content. Your content really will work wonders for your business! Has your content creation thus far achieved the goals that it set out to? What difference do you hope to make by using these steps?