(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Sachin Kumar / The Peninsula
When it comes to starting entrepreneurial journey, majority of home-based businesses in Qatar bet on food. Around 45 percent of the members of ‘Souqagram' - which is a directory of small businesses on Instagram - are into the business of offering food.
Souqagram is a free App created by a Qatari startup which is available on both Apple iOS and Android.
'We have a database of over 1,200 small businesses across the gulf and out of them over 500 are from Qatar. Most of the small entrepreneurs in Qatar, about 45 percent, are involved in food business. After food business, another major category is of Abaya and Jalabiya. It is second biggest category in our database, Noor Hamade, co-founder of Souqagram told The Peninsula. 'We are a kind of bridge between customers and home businesses, she added. The app helps small businesses to grow their business by finding their customers online free of cost. When a customer download this app, he gets the full list Instagram accounts of home businesses in Qatar and the other neighbouring countries.
The app provides customers direct contact with the seller of product via whatsapp and also has rating and comments about certain product and its manufacturers.
The tech startup is looking to expand its business but will currently focus on Qatar. 'We want to focus on Qatari market because our aim is to help people in Qatar. We want to connect more small businesses in Qatar with customers so that they can grow and expand, said Noor.
There have been lot of steps taken by the government to encourage private sector and small firms. Earlier this month, Qatar Development Bank had announced the launch of an online portal for home based business in Qatar. The platform-‘matajercom.qa'- will enable home based business to upload and sell products online and will help them to reach out to a larger audience and showcase the products. By registering into the platform, the entrepreneurs will be able to view and purchase products online. Many home business have benefitted from listing in themselves in the app.
'Some of the names listed in our directory now have expanded their businesses. Some of them now have shops in busy areas, said Noor.
'Home based business are usually born out of hobbies. For example many women love cooking and at some point of time they decide to turn this hobby into business, she added. 2
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