It may be simple to come up with a business idea that already exists in the marketplace but coming up with a unique business idea takes courage and persistence. Dubai is not short of innovative people taking on business ventures that stand out for their originality and uniqueness. The city is a magnet that attracts creativity and innovation in every field, here are a few online businesses that came into being due to Dubai's open spirit of entrepreneurship.

The Background Project - Havra Hajoori

Instagram: @thebackground.project

Five years into commercial photography and specializing in food has always required the use of backgrounds according to the theme and colors needed for the shoot.  The correct background can enhance the outcome of the image, which is much sought for by all the professionals and amateurs no matter what the product they shoot. I love the process of preparation, from the primary job of buying paints to color the background; to gathering the props for styling, then combining everything, shooting, editing & delivering the photos. It is great to see the sparkle of happiness in the client’s eyes when they see the outcome of their hard work and mine!

I moved to Dubai from India in January 2020 after my marriage, and one month later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. In the following months,under lockdown, I worked towards improving my styling and photographed new food items every day. The hours at home allowed me to create unique backgrounds for every shoot. Like every other artist, I posted my work on social media, and it was highly appreciated. Not just my photos, my backgrounds got appreciation as well. Amidst that, a friend happened to point out how hard it was to find good backgrounds and asked if I could help her by making one. Thus, the spark ignited. The Background Project came into being. The lockdown turned into a positive period for me.

The Background Project started as a small business and continues to grow with every board that I paint. I create my pieces with vision; each piece is a work of art, that I put my passion into. With great encouragement and support from my family, I have been able to add to my existing career of photography with my skill of making backgrounds. For me, it’s never been work because I love doing it!

Tailored Tokens - Amrita Bhojwani

Instagram: @tailoredtokens

What's better than a handmade and customized gift that's going to be cherished for life?

'Tailored Tokens' is an outcome of my undying passion for paper crafts ever since I was a kid. I used to handcraft cards for my friends and family on every occasion; this passion has now turned into a local home-grown business curating handmade and customized tokens of love!

Founded in 2018, it has helped spread smiles to hundreds of people with unique and creative 'tokens'. Because it's completely tailored to your needs, it has that added personal edge which makes the gifts so much more special and personal. Being a home-grown brand, it's the perfect solution for your gifting problems at the most reasonable prices that you can find in Dubai.

I am an Account Executive by profession, and this is what I do after hours. It has been quite a journey solely managing the brand right from client-servicing, to designing and printing, to crafting and packaging, to photography and editing, to social media management and marketing, all with just a few hours every day. Someday, I plan on growing my business and having a team to work with me to bring back the old-school way of gifting and spreading more and more smiles.

Style Your Gift - Khushboo Mahal

Instagram: @styleyourgiftme

I'm Khushboo Mahal, 35 years old, an ex cabin crew. After relocating to Dubai 10 years ago, I'm now a proud mother of two and an entrepreneur. My company, 'Style Your Gift', is born out of passion!

Being a mom to two kids can be very demanding, and since the beginning motherhood didn't leave me with any time for myself. However, there was always an entrepreneur in me waiting to tickle its way out. And it so happened that every gift that went out from us within our social circle on special occasions wouldn't leave without being bedazzled by me. The appreciation and compliments that came back got me thinking, and with my husband's motivation and support, 'Style Your Gift' came into being.

We are a gifting company with a flair for style; we aspire to add a unique touch to all our gifts. Personalized or themed, corporate or private, our gifts are created, and hand wrapped with love and presented with the intent to steal the limelight!

Fake Food Chef - Cymira Moen

Instagram: @cymiramoen

People know me as 'Fake Food Chef' in Dubai. Yes! My name is Cymira Moen, and I am a Miniaturist Artist. I make miniature food magnets and faux food that look exactly like real ones but made of polymer clay. I have been obsessed with miniature things since I was a child. I was always interested in collecting small toys, and my wish was to become a chef. However, I uniquely combined both of my interests and began to create faux, miniature pieces of food which looked exactly how a chef would make but non-edible and tiny! I love decorating food; the theme of my work is usually cakes, sweets and candies. I never thought I would get this kind of response from chefs, bakers, and that everyone will appreciate my work, and want to see more! It feels incredible, as I always wanted to do something very unique.

I started uploading my work on Instagram in 2018, and within a few months, I got featured in Gulf News twice. I took on projects with well-known restaurants and companies in Dubai, including Landmark Group for whom I made a miniature warehouse. I now am addicted to creating miniatures in different types of cuisines. I am happy and proud of where I am, and I hope you enjoy seeing my miniature sculptures too.

Lamac Crafts - The Bhanpurawalas

Instagram: @lamaccraftsuae

The COVID-19 crisis that most people saw as a setback, some considered as an opportunity to come up with a new business idea. My name is Alifiya, and Lamac Crafts was created by myself along with my in-laws Murtaza and Sakina two months ago when COVID-19 had just started. It is a brand of Overseas Pacific marble that has been into the business of supply and installation of marble for the last 27 years. When the COVID-19 hit UAE, our business, like many others took a hit. As we could not provide our core services of supply and installation to companies, we decided why not create products that can be used by everyone? That is when we came up with the idea of making marble products for homes and kitchens! Not just general products but products customized as per customer requirements. The best part about marble is the material is sustainable, robust, durable and looks good too.

Realizing that going digital is the only way to survive, we started increasing our digital presence to make our products reach the customer directly! Truly putting the motto of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, what we started as an experiment started generating sales. We make anything and everything from natural stones. To name a few, we have made marble serving platters, cutting boards, trays, baking products and are continually coming up with new ideas to increase our product range. Most of these items are created from leftover marble pieces. A company that had done only commercial projects for 27 years has now entered a field where we are now able to reach every household. To sum it up, the quote "Every crisis is an opportunity in disguise" has rightly defined our journey in this situation.

The UK Write House - Umme Kulsoom Khomosi

Instagram: @theukwritehouse

My name is Umme Kulsoom Khomosi, based in Dubai, the name behind 'The UK Write House'. I work on canvases and frames with customized quotes, realistic and comic digital illustrations, placards, tags, bookmarks and badges. In addition to that, I have recently combined a beginners guide to lettering as well. I am always looking to explore different materials and products that I can work on. I make anything that requires creativity and can be called art.

Designing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Since my mother is a jewelry designer, I have always watched her work on all those intricate details which inspired me to take up design as a subject.
I have a degree in Interior design which led me to practice different handwriting styles and variations, which is how I started with my lettering.

After my graduation, I realized I could never do a 9-6 desk-based job. Instead, I started working on traditional art; backgrounds made with watercolors/acrylics and lettering on them with pencil, pen and later on, brush pens which helped me understand the basics of colors, composition, lighting and perspective. Recently, I have transitioned to digital art which provided me with a lot more tools that I could work with and ever since, I have been experimenting and exploring through trial and error.

It's been a year since I decided to go professional and made a business account on Instagram, which helped me reach out to a broader audience. I was humbled to see the amount of appreciation which keeps motivating me to do what I love every day.

Get in touch with these businesses and order from your favorites! #SupportLocal