In early 2023, Sofia launched an Instagram page selling abayas with unique patterns and modern designs. She didn’t have a physical store, a warehouse, or a big budget — just one freelance model, a friend who helped take photos, and a plan to post daily content.
The early signs were disappointing.
“No one noticed. No likes. No shares. No sales.”
Like many entrepreneurs in Dubai’s fast-paced digital market, she learned quickly that creativity alone doesn’t bring visibility. She hired a freelance social media manager with a tiny ad budget — just AED 500/month — and focused on short-form video content.
For three full months, the response was minimal. She made just 3–4 sales. Frustrated, she almost quit.
One of her reels unexpectedly went viral — showing a quick transition of how her abayas could be styled in multiple ways.
Within 48 hours, she received over 150 orders.
I was shocked. I wasn’t even ready. I didn’t have stock. I didn’t even know where to source 150 abayas from.
But instead of panicking, Sofia took action. She visited the Deira abaya market, spoke to every tailor and fabric wholesaler she could find, and negotiated small-batch prices on a per-piece basis.
That moment changed everything.
Despite her growing business, Sofia was still selling without any trade license — a risk many home-based entrepreneurs take without knowing the consequences.
I thought licenses in Dubai are only for big businesses. I didn’t know I could afford one.
That’s when she contacted CSPZone.
After learning she already had a residence visa, we advised her to start with the E-Trader license, a legitimate way to run an online fashion business from home in Dubai.
She launched her licensed fashion business within 3 working days — and never looked back.
With a legal setup and a growing customer base, Sofia reinvested her profits. She later upgraded to an E-commerce license for just AED 5,500, which allowed her to:
Today, she’s running a fully compliant online business in Dubai, fulfilling regular orders, launching new collections, and planning to export to GCC countries.
This story is inspired by one of our real clients (name changed for privacy). If you’ve overcome challenges and built something inspiring in the UAE — we’d love to feature your journey.
Email us at info@rca.ae
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Start Your Fashion Business Legally — From Just AED 1,050
At CSPZone, we help people like Sofia turn side hustles into serious, legally registered businesses:
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