Local Enterprise
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Pilates classes. Starting off with just two trainers and herself, Asma’s business soon grew to include three trainers and two receptionists to keep up with the number of classes and customers. In 2011, Asma’s dad approached her with a great surprise. He owned an old villa in Jumeirah where the tenants were about to move out and offered to give it her. “That was one big surprise for me. The location was perfect and this was an opportunity of a lifetime. What’s better was that it was a clear sign of approval from my father which meant a great deal to me,” she recalls fondly. Initially, Asma was going to renovate the old villa. Her brother Tariq recommended that she just demolish the villa and build her new centre from scratch while expanding her services, and that’s just what she did. When we asked Asma how she funded this big venture, she replies with a smile, “First, I applied for what I refer to as a type of crowdfunding: At home! I received great financial support from my parents and siblings who helped finance my initial costs.” She also applied for a business loan from Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Fund for to cover the costs
Issue 10 - OCTOBER 2015
of outfitting the new centre and became a member of Dubai SME for further financial and administrative assistance. Asma credits both these local government agencies for great financial and administrative support in setting up her business and recommends them to all Emiratis who want to establish their own enterprises.
services that include Pilates, functional training, physiotherapy and holistic treatments, and much more. Asma has also teamed up with the renowned nutrition and weight loss specialists, the Wellness Brothers, to offer high quality supplements and weight loss programs that are to be dubbed “The Downsize Me Program.” She has
MOST OF MY CUSTOMERS HAVE STAYED WITH ME SINCE THE FIRST STUDIO. EVEN IF A TRAINER LEAVES, THEY KNOW THAT I WILL ALWAYS BRING THE BEST STAFF. THEY KNOW ME AND THEY TRUST ME.” In April 2014 and after three years of hard work, Asma opened The Hundred Wellness Center in Jumeirah in her new, two-floor, 10,000-square foot space. The new centre is a one-stop shop for health and wellness that Asma likes to call, “The Happy Hub.” The new centre is packed with
also partnered with fellow Emirati, Ibrahim, who runs the café at the centre. She says that it is important to find like-minded individuals to work with, and that’s just what she found in her strategic partners who source only the best, most wholesome, and healthy ingredients for their products.