Starting Up

07 Mar 2020: Neil and Georgia debate on where women stand in the UAE's business environment, and get the thoughts of our amazing guests. #BeYourOwnBoss

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29 Feb 2020: Live on location at the Etisalat Hello Business Hub, Noor Shawwa, managing director of Endeavor UAE and Andres de Leon, CEO of Hyperloop TT share the sofa in the Startup Clinic, talking about the value of learning to fail. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone #BeYourOwnBoss

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29 Feb 2020: Ibrahim Abudyak, co-founder of The Smash Room tells Natalie about the role failure has played in his success as an entrepreneur. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone #BeYourOwnBoss

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29 Feb 2020: Michelle Strydom, the CEO & Founder of The SMG Group joins Natalie and George to share her Top 5 Tips using failure in business to go forward - live from the Etisalat Hello Business Hub. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone #BeYourOwnBoss

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29 Feb 2020: Live from the Etisalat Hello Business Hub serial entrepreneur Nazar Musa opens up about business failures: “If you haven’t failed I don’t know how you can be successful”. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone #BeYourOwnBoss

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22 Feb 2020: Meet our three finalists Paul, Catherine and Altaf and find out who will be walking away with a chance to be their own boss, thanks to Virtuzone and Evolution CBS. 

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22 Feb 2020: Startup mentor and tech leader Dana Labin, who is also the CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of Awok.com, weighs in on each finalist's pitch and tells us what drives a business idea to success. 

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22 Feb 2020: Andreas Wicksell is taking Keyflow from Scandinavia to Dubai.
It's an app that lets you skip the queues at your favourite nightlife destination. 

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15 Feb 2020: The co-founder of The Elixir Clinic tells us how she built the brand seven years ago, and expanded successfully.

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15 Feb 2020: We talk workspaces and licences in the era of a shared economy with the CEO of the newest free zone in the UAE, Tasawar Ulhaq.

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15 Feb 2020: Dr. Saif Al Shaali tells the Starting Up team how the one-year-old government entity is supporting entrepreneurs who have come up with solutions to society's problems.

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08 Feb 2020: More educators are starting mentorship programmes for students who would like to become entrepreneurs. Natalie and Neil are joined by Helen Al Uzaizi, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Environmentalism Director, Administration, at GEMS World Academy- Dubai; and Alexander Ghorayeb, and 8th Grade student at GEMS World Academy. They talk us through the new centre and what it can do to inspired students to be their own bosses.

#StartingUp in partnership with Virtuzone. 

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08 Feb 2020: Charles Wright and Kristian Stinson thought contact lenses don't have to be pricey and a pain to buy. They're the guys behind Hopi Contact Lenses, a subcription based product and service.

#StartingUp in partnership with Virtuzone. 

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08 Feb 2020: The first ever co-living and co-working space in the UAE will open soon, thanks to Jazeer Jamal, an angel investor, serial entrepreneur and venture builder. Through his startup studio Grow Valley, he's helping startups flourish while keeping their overheads low. 

#StartingUp in partnership with Virtuzone. 

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08 Feb 2020: Are lab-grown diamonds more eco-friendly and ethical? Koonal Randeria & Harshal Choksey of Fiori Jewels say absolutely.

#StartingUp in partnership with Virtuzone. 

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01 Feb 2020: Dubomedy co-founder Mina Liccione shares her top tips on how to make people laugh, and making a living out of it!Tune in to Starting Up in partnership with Virtuzone, for more tips to #beyourownboss.

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01 Feb 2020: Natalie and George look into how TV viewing habits have changed, thanks to streaming services. They're joined by Starzplay CEO and founder Maaz Sheikh and William Mullally, writer and film critic. Tune in to Starting Up in partnership with Virtuzone, for more tips to #beyourownboss.

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01 Feb 2020: MMA isn't only a sport and a workout. It's huge popular as a form of entertainment! Tam Khan, owner of TK MMA Fitness talks to Natalie and George about the business of fighting. Tune in to Starting Up in partnership with Virtuzone, for more tips to #beyourownboss. 

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01 Feb 2020: Singer-songwriter Ibby VK and soprano singer Bettina Schweiger are full-time performers in Dubai. Natalie and George ask them about the highs and lows of being your own boss in the entertainment industry. Tune in to Starting Up in partnership with Virtuzone, for more tips to #beyourownboss.

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11 Jan 2020: We give you advise on how to leave your job and pursue your passion, and even turn it into a business venture. 
Farzana Kazemi, Founder and CEO, Trailblazer Consulting 
Avtar Gill, Head of Talent, Training and Development, GCC Consulting 

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11 Jan 2020: Nisha Mani left a high-paying job in finance to start her own jewellery business.

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11 Jan 2020: Khalil Dahmash and Varun Khemaney, the pair behind popular Jamaican joint Miss Lily's, share their top 5 tips on starting a food business. 

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11 Jan 2020: Preeta Sharma, Founder Hand Tied Box, tells Natalie and Neil why she made the decision to leave her job in oil and gas and pursue her flower delivery business. 

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04 Jan 2020: How can SMEs use new technology to their advantage? 
Fadi Hindi, Senior Partner of DigitAI and Founder of Algofy tells us!

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04 Jan 2020: Twins Plus Arabia started as a support group for parents of multiples.
Find out how founder Suman Manning turned it into an e-commerce site. 

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04 Jan 2020: Can SMEs get involved in Emiratisation, given their limited resources?
Danish Hadiri, Chief Partnerships Officer at Jobs for Nationals, says absolutely!

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04 Jan 2020: She went from intern to MD at the age of 22. Maryam Yusuf tells us what it takes to #beyourownboss, no matter how old you are.

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04 Jan 2020: Freelance fitness professional Rhys Hamer says SME owners don't have to sacrifice their health to get their business off the ground. 

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28 Dec 2019: David Mackenzie of Mackenzie Jones speaks about creating achievable new years resolutions for your business. #StartingUpWithVirtuzone

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28 Dec 2019: Find out how to break cultural boundaries to achieve lifelong goals the founder and proud owner of Society Café and Toplum restaurant, Sheikha AlMheiri. #StartingUpWithVirtuzone

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28 Dec 2019: How has Hitesh Lakhiani combined both dining-in and watching movies with his newly revamped restaurant Masala Studio? #StartingUpWithVirtuzone

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28 Dec 2019: How can you make your business thrive and succeed in 2020? Mihaela Nina and Alex Gheordanescu from Concerto TIC, a boutique advisory firm, share the top 5 tips to doing so in the New Year. #StartingUpWithVirtuzone

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21 Dec 2019: We have the team from Joie Brands and Sarood Hospitality to talk about brands from both a client and agency perspective. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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21 Dec 2019: Founder and CEO of KRUSH Brands Dubai Ian Ohan discuss rebranding strategies and its benefits. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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21 Dec 2019: Victoria Lambrianidi shares tips on how to successfully launch a re-branding campaign. She set up her second successful company, as an executive coach to entrepreneurs seeking fulfillment. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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21 Dec 2019: Zahara Malik, CEO and Founder of Grosvernor Capital talks about her journey of entrepreneurship thus far. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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21 Dec 2019: Marina Rabie, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Avantcha Tea, shares the inspiration and story in coming up with a specialty tea concept boutique. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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14 Dec 2019: Dressing for success - is it necessary? But how about StartUps? We ask Lucia Csobonyei, founder and image consultant at Your Unique Image and Jad Halaoui, COO & Co-founder of Washmen. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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14/12/2019: Kate Tavener from Shoeq joined us to discuss how she set up her business while on maternity break from her property development job. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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14/12/2019: Janet Waite from Seasons by design got us in the holiday spirit and explained how her creativity turned into a lucrative business. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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14 Dec 2019: Shane Phillips, CEO of the Phillips Group, joined us with his 5 tips for success. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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14/12/2019: Emma Carbery, founder and managing director of Mindfulness Dubai gave us a few ideas on how we can disconnect from work and destress in our downtime. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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07 Dec 2019: Instagram will be the main marketing channel for over 70 per cent of SMEs in the MENA Market. Priya Patel is the product marketing lead at Instagram, a Facebook company. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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07 Dec 2019: The UAE is home to a number of successful health and beauty brands, including Kathryn Jones Hand Blended Serums. Find out how Kat and husband James started the business. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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07 Dec 2019: Are you looking for a meaningful gift for your little one? Here's the story of Dumye Dolls, a creation by Sahar Wahbeh. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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07 Dec 2019: Kelly Heffy's Abra Cards is only one of many awesome businesses to come out of the UAE! Maya Itani tells us how to get your homegrown SME off the ground. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone

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07 Dec 2019: UAE-based designer Alina Anwar gives you her top 5 tips for starting your own fashion house. She also tells us why it's important to support local designers. #StartingUpwithVirtuzone 

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30 Nov 2019: What makes a winning start-up? Engineer Hassan Omar tells us what were the common themes at the UAE Ideas Awards.

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30 Nov 2019: How does media mogul Vip Patel manage to juggle life wearing so many hats and still manage to win awards?

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30 Nov 2019: What’s a pre-incubator? We chat to Diala Daoud about helping start-ups get ready for the incubator-stage

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30 Nov 2019: Meet Dubai College students Rayan Malik and Yousuf Zia who are taking the entrepreneurship world by storm and they're not even 18 years old yet

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16 Nov 2019: Natalie and George try Project Lip's lip plumping product. It's apparently big business!

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16 Nov 2019: How can SMEs get repeat business? Have a listen.

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16 Nov 2019: Stewart Miller, Co Founder, Platform Studios, tells Natalie and George he will open a third branch, and it will be on your smart phone. 

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16 Nov 2019: Joey tells Natalie and George why his restaurants are always packed despite so much competition. 

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16 Nov 2019: Does Dubai need another food app? Find out why this one is different. 

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09 Nov 2019: CEO Arif Saiyad tells you how to get your business funded.

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09 Nov 2019: Dina Ghandour moved her brick-and-mortar business online and found huge success.

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09 Nov 2019: Brad McMechan tells you how to sell your business successfully.

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09 Nov 2019: Stefano Iorini tells us how his bottled water company is trying to do its bit for the planet. 

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12 Oct 2019: Design and technology expert Amol Kadam, Co-Founder of RBBi gives us Top 5 Tips on digital marketing.

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12 Oct 2019: The latest news and views on small business - and a chat with ARN's Mohamed Suleman about Hazzaa Al Mansoori's imminent return to the UAE.

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12 Oct 2019: The China-UAE trade relationship is of growing importance, Marian Han from  IDEAS Investment Holdings Group tells us about UAE businesses can cap.

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12 Oct 2019: Need help #StartingUp? Najla Al Midfa, the CEO of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) and Ferakh Lakhany, Founder of Arabee Learning tell us what you can discover at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival on 25-26 November.

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12 Oct 2019: From a career in corporate IT to camel milk soap - our Everyday Entrepreneur Stevi Lowmass tells us why and how she made the transition.

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12 Oct 2019: How do we spark joy in life and work? Trainee KonMari consultant Heidi Afifi and Arianna Posenato from Maiolica talk about decluttering our lives in Work Life Balance.

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12 Oct 2019: What role do men play in developing Women in Leadership? Eva Mourino, Senior VP of HR at Siemens Middle East and Nic Watson, MD of Naseba join Natalie and George in the Career Clinic.

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05 Oct 2019: Andrew Laity founded the Inphota. He tells Natalie & George how he came up with a genius way of getting people attending events to give feedback and it's not in the form of boring questionnaires.

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05 Oct 2019: Alyssa Al Maiahi, founder and CEO of Mint stalk, a boutique social media management firm is our Everyday Entrepreneur. She's the woman that can come up with a plan to grow your business' following on Instagram.

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05 Oct 2019: Ehteshamuddin is the founder Junk Bot. He tells us how he makes robots and encourage people to make them too.

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05 Oct 2019: Founder of Marketbuzz & Director of Events at TIE Dubai Mita Srinivasan joins Natalie & George for Career Clinic.

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28 Sep 2019: Tariq Abu Samra founded Blooming Box after seeing a gap in the e-commerce gift market.

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28 Sep 2019: Francisco Pellegrini, who knows a thing or two about running a successful e-commerce business, tells us all about his latest venture: Yalla Baby Box.

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28 Sep 2019: Haneen Asfour founded Level Up DXB to help her peers become more employable. 

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28 Sep 2019:What makes a candidate employable? 

Tom and Neil answer this question with Dr. Imad Hoballah, Provost of the American University in Dubai and Ms. Cynthia Samaha,  Career Services Manager at the university.

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21 Sep 2019: Find out how Harry Tregoning turned his frustrations with dealing with estate agents into a business. Tregoning Property will soon roll out in the UK, too. 

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21 Sep 2019: Here's an incredible story about a Dubai university student with a great idea for a startup. Rishav Jalan, Co Founder, Wrappup sharing his top 5 tips to getting ahead in business. 

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21 Sep 2019: E-mobility company KiwiRide started in the UAE and now operates in Europe. Arnab Ghosh tells us why e-scooters are the way forward. 

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21 Sep 2019: Claire Gittus founded Aspire Beauty Co., an e-commerce platform that sells organic, vegan and cruelty-free products.

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21 Sep 2019: Find out why more Emiratis are encouraged to start their own businesses instead of taking over the family business or getting a job in government. 
Natalie and Neil speak to Hamda Khalil Ali Hussain, Senior Manager at Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund for SME, the funding arm of Dubai SME.

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14 Sep 2019: Leena Gauba, who runs Imperial Healthcare, a chain of hospitals with a few branches in the UAE. She's our Everyday Entrepreneur.

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14 Sep 2019: There is no shortage of salons in the UAE. Another one has just opened - it's called Maria Conchetta Salon. It's owned by Amreen Khan, a marketing executive who decided she wanted to be her own boss. She joins us to tell us about it.

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14 Sep 2019: The guys who founded GYM Nation, a homegrown chain of gyms that are now going up against BIG international fitness chains. Frank Afeaki and Loren Holland tells why they deserve to be our STARS and SUPERHEROES.

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14 Sep 2019: The owner of the newest vegan joint to open in town, Manisha Advani of Soul Sante.

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14 Sep 2019: The man behind Gates Hospitality, Naim Maadad joins us in studio to tell us how he launched & operated some of the world’s best Hotels, Resorts, Spas & Lifestyle Restaurants.

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07 Sep 2019: Haroon Juma, Founder of Simply Solved, gives SMEs some advice on dealing with VAT.

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07 Sep 2019: Meet the guy who runs one of the top ten drone companies in the world: Rabih Bou Rashid of Falcon Eye Drones (FEDS).

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07 Sep 2019: What are the skills that we can't learn in university? 
Deena Al Hashimi, CEO of Sxill, tells us!

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07 Sep 2019: Paul Haddow, MD Expat AC, says maintenance guys in the UAE are hit and miss.

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07 Sep 2019: Where do the ultra-rich hang out? 
Romika Fazeli, Managing Director of Emirates World Club, gives us the scoop.

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07 Sep 2019: Scoopi is home to the world's most expensive ice cream. Would you pay AED3,000 for the Black Diamond?

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31 Aug 2019: Diana Hamade is the founder of Diana Hamade Attorney at Law and partner at EKP based in Dubai. She gives us her Top 5 Legal Tips for Startup Up. 

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31 Aug 2019: Attorney Preeya Malik started The Daily Prep Company with her sister Puja in Canada. She tells us how they both juggle their full-time professional careers to run their company across timezones.

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31 Aug 2019: Idriss Al Rifai is the CEO and co-founder of Fetchr, now entering it's Series C fundraising stage and he says it's not easy, even for a (not-so) Everyday Entrepreneur. 

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31 Aug 2019: Rob and Katherine quit their day jobs to launch Furchild a raw organic pet food business when their dog Maximus fell ill and they haven't looked back.

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31 Aug 2019: Amanda Perry, CEO of Vitality, the region's first female-focused business accelerator, is in the Career Clinic answering your questions on entrepreneurship and small business.

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24 Aug 2019: Stuart Douglas is a chef, turned restaurant supplier, who founded Chef 2 Chef and gives us his Top 5 Tips on business success.

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24 Aug 2019: Ola Sinno from Spill the Bean talks single-origin coffee, organic food, and the juggle that comes from starting a chain of outlets and a family at the same time.

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24 Aug 2019: What is a trashbot? Simran Chowdhry from Bluephin explains how she and her fellow students at American University of Sharjah invented the award-winning "Roomba for the water".

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