From testing assumptions and listening to customers to trusting instinct and knowing when to take the leap, entrepreneurs in Sharjah share the lessons shaping their journeys
Entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight line. An idea may be where a business begins, but turning it into something meaningful and sustainable requires patience, adaptability and a willingness to keep learning.
As World Entrepreneurs’ Day approaches, H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), and entrepreneurs from Sheraa’s community are reflecting on what it takes to build businesses that go beyond growth to create lasting impact.
For Al Nuaimi, successful entrepreneurship starts with being willing to challenge your own assumptions.
“Founders should have the courage to test their assumptions, the discipline to listen to the market, and the openness to build the relationships and pursue the opportunities that can move their businesses forward,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, noting that access to markets, capital, partnerships and connections can help founders turn promising ideas into businesses capable of competing globally.
“This is what we continue to strengthen through Sheraa, connecting entrepreneurs to markets, capital, partnerships, and opportunities that enable them to grow, compete globally, and create lasting value,” Al Nuaimi said.
For the entrepreneurs themselves, however, the lessons of building a business are often more personal.
Growth happens in the details
For Noora Al Suwaidi, co-founder of Teel Floral Studio, entrepreneurship has much in common with her approach to floristry.
The studio uses colour, texture and movement to create expressive floral arrangements, and Al Suwaidi sees a similar process at work in growing a business.
“Entrepreneurship has taught me that growth rarely happens all at once. Much like working with flowers, it comes from paying attention to the smallest details, understanding what needs care, and knowing when to give something the space to take shape,” she said.
She believes businesses, much like flowers, move through different seasons. The key is recognising what has potential and continuing to nurture it.
For founders, that means accepting that progress may not always be immediate.
“What matters is continuing to nurture what has potential, learning from each experience, and trusting that something meaningful can be built with patience, consistency, and a clear sense of purpose,” she said.
Stay close to the problem
For Tayeb Hassan, co-founder of digital mental health platform Nafsi, the starting point was a problem that needed a different solution.
The DHA-licensed platform has grown to more than 10,000 users and secured more than 30 corporate partnerships across the Middle East.
Hassan believes entrepreneurs need to remain closely connected to the problem that inspired their business in the first place.
“Entrepreneurship often begins with recognizing a gap that others have learned to live with, and deciding that it can be addressed differently,” he said.
His experience in the mental health sector has reinforced the importance of empathy and persistence, particularly when building a service around people’s needs.
“When challenges arise, as they inevitably will, knowing why the problem matters can give you the clarity to adapt, keep moving, and build something that genuinely improves people’s lives,” Hassan said.
Take the leap
For Andy Coxall, managing director of Evolve Careers, entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly accessible as traditional career paths evolve and barriers to entry fall.
“There’s never been a better time to take the leap of faith and become an entrepreneur,” he said. “We can’t wait for others to address the issues we see out there. We’ve got to step up and own them.”
Taking that first step does not mean the journey becomes easy. Coxall points to entrepreneurial communities and support systems, including Sheraa and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, as important sources of encouragement and connection.
For aspiring founders, the message is simple: waiting for the perfect moment may mean waiting too long.
Know when to stop overthinking
For Nuno Veloso, founder of integrative coaching and preventive well-being venture Dragon Within, one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs can be getting trapped in analysis.
While data, models and frameworks have their place, Veloso believes founders also need to know when to stop analysing and start acting.
“Let go, and let’s go,” he said, arguing that entrepreneurs can become too comfortable relying on models designed to support learning rather than execution.
“Entrepreneurship is neither an exact science nor black magic. It’s about balancing practicality, adaptability, and timing. Let your gut feeling be the counterpart to your metrics.”
Taken together, the experiences of these entrepreneurs point to a broader lesson: lasting businesses are rarely built on ideas alone.
They are built by founders willing to test, listen, adapt and act. Sometimes that means paying closer attention to the smallest details. Sometimes it means staying focused on the problem that needs solving. And sometimes, it simply means taking the first leap before everything feels certain.
For Al Nuaimi, that combination of ambition and resilience is central to the entrepreneurial spirit.
World Entrepreneurs’ Day, she said, is an opportunity to celebrate those who turn ambition into action while reinforcing Sharjah’s commitment to creating an environment where entrepreneurs can “build with confidence, grow with purpose and make an impact that lasts.”
