Tips to start an import/export business

Do you want to start an import/export business? Following tips would definitely help you in getting started your own import/export firm.

There are Embassies or Consulates in foreign countries that have been set up by many countries in order to boost exporting of their goods. The Consulates are present in different cities whereas Embassies are usually located in a nation’s capital. You can get industry directories and other important information related to this business through Consulates. Manufacture lists, directories and contact information such as email address can be obtained from the Embassy website.

Contacting a particular country’s Consulate is essential if you want to import goods over there. You can get the lists of manufacturers and drafts, in case if you are unsure what products the other country wants.

You should communicate with your country’s taxation department to get registration numbers or to know more about different policies that you need to follow. Trade barriers have been set up against certain countries and they are known as embargoes. For example, Cuba comes under embargo list in many countries. It is always better to get full details from your own government to know whether the country you are considering comes under embargo or restriction list or not. Next step would be to get in touch with that country’s Embassy or Consulate to know if there are any restrictions against products from your own country.

Gather all the important information about licensing requirements.  These days various countries have exempted license requirement for most of the products. But, if you are looking to import or export certain food items, chemicals, apparels, pharmaceuticals etc. then you would need a license in this scenario. It is always advisable to initiate your business with low risk products that are easy to exchange and have less trade barriers. To give you an example giftware is one such item that can be imported or exported easily.

To get reliable trade information you should go through research libraries and participate in the programs organized by the Chambers of Commerce. Such programs offer good trade information and will also help in increasing your network knowledge.

It’s important to bear in mind that when exporting goods every shipment deal will be different with regards to shipping and customs. Each company will have different set of products and will require different set of services. Hiring the services of a freight forwarder is a good option. They manage shipping and customs for goods being imported or exported to other countries. You need to understand their complete work procedure and question your queries in advance in order to avoid any untoward incident in the future. You have to be very clear with your shipping, license, insurance and all such important things.

Letters of credit are the easiest way of paying when trading internationally and are available with banks. Contact your bank to provide with letters of credit. With this service, the banks gives assurance that the goods are delivered before the amount is exchanged thereby reducing the risk of doing business internationally.

Again, it is recommended to participate in Trade Fairs or Missions. You will discover more options available in import/export business by consulting with your local Chamber of Commerce.

You can get full information related to import/export service providers at our website http://www.daleeli.com/en/category/all/all/Import-&-Export-Agencies/12825

How to choose the right advertising Agency – An insight

It’s always a difficult task to choose the correct advertising agency for your company. An advertising agency is responsible for shaping the success of your company/business and so it is of great importance that you analyze before taking that decision on whom to choose for your advertising requirements.

There are a few points that need to be considered before you choose the best advertising agency in Saudi Arabia. It’s not necessarily important to go for a big company always. It’s actually the smaller advertising firms that provide you with more powerful results. These small companies bring in a personal touch and have a better creative approach.  The bigger companies only showcase the big named clients they are serving and may not offer you the results you are looking for. The idea is to search for an advertising company that understands your requirement better and gets excited by the challenge that your business provides them.  This makes the advertising company to come up with more creativity and is likely to get better results than the big named advertising firms. Creativity is a major factor when it comes to good advertisement. It’s always better to check out their portfolio to get an idea as to how creative they are when it comes to creativity. Check out how the advertising company has helped its clients in growing their business. Ignore the awards that the advertising company has won, rather focus on getting an advertising company which can understand your business and can explain as to how they can help you grow.

It takes a lot of time to choose an advertising agency in Saudi Arabia and so it is very important to choose a one which can help you in different mediums of advertisement. It’s crucial to choose a company that can provide you with the complete marketing package as you do not really want to waste your time every time you feel the need for a different advertising medium. An advertising agency that can cater to not only press advertising but also to outdoor, radio, in-house media, digital marketing and public relations will help a lot. It is always better to choose an agency that has its own design team. A good in-house team always helps as it makes sure that the work is done on time. It’s always good to check out their previous work including brochure design and newsletter designs of their clients.

And finally before you take that final decision, you will have to analyze the costs offered by different advertising agencies. You should have a complete picture of the different costs as all firms have their own style of working. It is important to understand the creative costs and check for any hidden costs or any management charges.

Once you decide on an advertising agency that will take care of your company’s advertising campaigns, it is very fundamental to demand the advertising agency for a dedicated accounts manager who would be handling the complete account of your company. It is equally important to have a good relationship with the assigned accounts manager as he would play a key role in your business growth.

Advertising firms play a very important role in the company’s growth and so the above points if followed can certainly help you in choosing that RIGHT agency for your advertisement needs.

Source :- http://blog.daleeli.com/how-to-choose-the-right-advertising-agency-an-insight/

How to find the best Day Care Centers in Saudi Arabia

A day care center will help in taking care of your baby with utmost care and attention. Once you have decided to utilize the services of a promising day care center all you need to do is take few important decisions to make sure that the selected baby care or day care center have matched up with your criteria.

It is very crucial to identify your priorities.  Do you want to hire the services of best child care centers in Saudi Arabia near your work place? What would be more convenient is up to you.  Would you want your child to be around many other children (baby care) or few children in a center? Few children will be more likely available in home daycare in Saudi Arabia. Make a note of everything so you can refer the list.

Doing your own research is also recommended. Ask from your trusted ones about well-known daycares and baby cares in your region. Personal references will definitely help you in finding them. To find out day care near your home you can visit Daleeli.sa website for guidelines and contact information. Daleeli has a list of childcare centers and home daycares in your area. This could be the best place to start searching.

You can visit and ask preliminary questions to the staff and manager at baby care centers. You can get the details from caregivers and home daycare providers about fees, working hours, and holidays. Moreover, they will also help with issues like sleeping, feeding and discipline.  Take schedule of day care or baby care daily activities and their policies. Finding out about health programs and safety policies and procedures is also very important. A good day care center in Saudi Arabia will heartily share its policies on everything. Hygiene issues from hand washing, diaper changing and handling sick children should be given utmost priority.

No doubt you should feel comfortable at the thought of having your child at the centers. Hence, it is very important to gather information about a center from as many sources as possible. You will also want a center that will inspire your child to get ready for school. A caregiver should always keep an eye on your child even when he/she is sleeping.

You need to ask the manager about what ratio they are maintaining at the center. Basically, there should be one caregiver for 2 to 3 infants or young toddlers and for 4 to 6 older toddlers or preschoolers’ one caregiver should always be available at their service. Your child will get 1 to 1 attention if this type of ratio is followed at the centers and thereby it will help them to have better social and emotional development.

Choosing a daycare is a very crucial decision. This information highlights only the specifics. Surely you’ll want a safe and clean environment for your baby and having experienced caretakers at the center should be your top criteria. Small kids are difficult to take care of and hence they need to have strong relationships with their caregivers. Ultimately, you will not want to hire services of inexperienced caregivers.

Source:- http://blog.daleeli.com/how-to-find-the-best-day-care-centers-in-saudi-arabia/

Beware of funds pleas on social media

The Ministry of Social Affairs has warned against video clips with appeals for donations on social media by unknown people as the money can reach terrorist organizations or drug addicts.

Such actions violate Saudi rules, it said, pointed out that some of those putting appeals are psychiatric patients or drug addicts, an online newspaper has reported.The ministry has made it clear that recently a number of video clips were found on social media showing youths appealing to people to help the needy or the disabled.

The youths who take these photos and record these clips try to pretend as if these people are of Saudi nationality and that government agencies have neglected them.

“After coming across a number of video clips, teams comprising researchers, psychologists and health specialists were formed to look into the cases. The teams revealed that most of those making appeals for donation are of unknown nationalities. A number of them did not even cooperate with the authorities which wanted to help them and provide shelter. 

These people think if they remain in the area, they will be able to collect money, as they pretend as if government organizations are ignoring them and do not take care of them. 
Medical examinations of some of them have revealed that either they are psychiatric patients or drug addicts and cashing in on people’s sentiments.

Source :- http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/860416

الطلب المتزايد على المدارس الدولية بالسعودية

المدارس الدولية في المملكة العربية السعودية

يتضمن النظام التعليمي مجموعة متنوعة من المناهج من شأنها العمل على نشأة جيل من المحترفين. وبالنسبة للمدارس الدولية  التي تزداد شهرتها عالمياً بشكل كبير، فيأتي كلاً منها بأشكال وأحجام ومناهج وأساليب مختلفة تتفق مع معايير دولية. لكي تكون المدرسة بالفعل مدرسة دولية، من المعروف جيداً أنه على هذه المدرسة أن تتبع بوجه عام منهج دولي أو محلي يختلف عن ما هو متبع في بقية مدارس الدولة برمتها. علاوة على ذلك، يتم دعم التعليم الدولي من خلال إدخال برامج دولية مثل برنامج إدارة الأعمال والتجارة الدولية وبرنامج المواطنة العالمية، ولعل أهم ما يميز التعليم الدولي ويجعل شهرته في ازدياد هو أن هذه المدارس توفر تعليم باللغة الإنجليزية معترف به عالمياً ويتميز بمعايير أخرى عالية الجودة في التدريس والتعليم. وبالنسبة للكثير من الآباء، سواءً المقيمين أو المواطنين ، يُعتبر التعليم رحلة يستطيع الطفل من خلالها أن يضمن له مكان في جامعة غربية وأن يكون مؤهلاً بشكل جيد في اللغة كما يضمن له 

مؤهلات أخرى عديدة.

وقد أصبح التعليم الجيد هو غاية وطلب اليوم حيث زاد الاهتمام به بدرجة كبيرة إيماناً بأنه يضمن مستقبلاً مستقراً. وتكتسب المدارس الدولية بالسعودية  شهرة واسعة تزداد يوماً بعد يوم فيما بين الطلبة المحليين حيث بات لدى كل أب وأم انطباعاً إيجابياً يفيد بحصول أطفالهم على فرصة التعليم الجيد في هذه المدارس. وقد مر التعليم بسلسلة من التغييرات في الحقبة الأخيرة، وبالرغم من ارتفاع سعر هذه المدارس، إلا أن المقبلين عليها كُثُرْ.

في الماضي، كان تركيز التعليم المحلي منصباً بشكل رئيسي على الامتحانات، بينما الآن وقد تغير الأمر ليصبح الاتجاه نحو عدد أقل من الامتحانات وعدد أكبر من التقييمات المتراكمة المستمرة. ولدى المدارس الدولية قانون انضباط صارم، وفعلياً يرتدي الطلبة زيًا موحداً.

وأشارت عدة تقارير نتجت عن استقصاء تم إجرائه مؤخراً إلى أن هناك 321 مدرسة دولية بالمملكة العربية السعودية  تقدم خدمات تعليمية بمعايير دولية. ويومياً، هناك أكثر من 180 ألف طالب يتم إدراج أساميهم أو تسجيلهم في المدارس، وهناك حوالي 8000 فصل يتم التدريس لطلابهم كل يوم. وتقوم هذه المؤسسات بتقديم تعليم أفضل مع الاهتمام بالألعاب الرياضية الحديثة.

وفي سياق متصل، توصلت الإحصائيات الحكومية إلى أن هناك حوالي 80 مدرسة دولية بالرياض    تضم حوالي 65 ألف طالب، بينما جدة وهي المدينة الأكبر في احتواءها لعدد المدارس لديها حوالي 95 منشأة تعليمية، ويليها المنطقة الشرقية التي تحوي حوالي 65 مدرسة تضم حوالي 80 ألف طالب.

أما مدينة الخُبَر، فتعد هي الأفضل في المنطقة الشرقية من ناحية احتضانها لمدارس أجنبية والثالثة على مستوى المملكة حيث أنها تضم حوالي 40 ألف طالب.

هناك نوعين من المدارس الأجنبية بالمملكة وهما: مدارس الجاليات التي تديرها سفارات الدول لمواطنيها الذين يعيشون بالسعودية، والمدارس الدولية التي تقوم بتدريس كلاً من المنهج البريطاني والأمريكي. هناك تقريباً 57 مدرسة خاصة بالجاليات في المملكة العربية السعودية.

يشرف على المدارس الدولية عادةً منظمات دولية مثل منظمة شبكة إدارة التعليم العالمي سابيس SABIS، والمجلس الأوروبي للمدارس الدولية ECIS، أو جمعية دول الشرق للمدارس والجامعات MSASC، بينما يشرف على مدارس الجاليات مخطط المناهج المتبع في بلدانهم.  

Only 3 million Saudis have health insurance

Only 3.11 million Saudis have medical insurance or 30 percent of eligible citizens in the country, while 7.85 million or 79 percent of expatriates have coverage, according to the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI).

With a new company entering the market within the next 90 days, in addition to the current 26 companies operating, 52 percent of the market in the country would be covered, a source at the CCHI was quoted as saying by a local newspaper on Friday.
He said that no company has been suspended from operating over the past six months, after six firms had their bans lifted for violating various rules and regulations in the first six months of 2015.
He said that the CCHI had approved four basic criteria to which firms have to comply in terms of fee structures. Policies must adhere to the limits set by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, he said.

He said medical insurance firms must base their policy prices on technical and objective criteria and should not be less than what would be required for treatment. They should not also base prices on those charged by their competitors, the source said.

Policy prices must be based on supply and demand, and the criteria laid out in health legislation. Article 36 makes it mandatory for companies to justify prices when renewing policies. Violators would be referred to the CCHI for further action, he said.

The government was still studying the possibility of introducing private insurance in the public sector. This matter has been taken up by the Ministry of Health and CCHI, which is primarily concerned with medical coverage for private sector employees and their families.

He said the CCHI’s plans for 2016 include the possibility of providing health insurance for a few government departments across the Kingdom. The implementation would start with a major advertising campaign over six months in Arabic and English.

Finding the Right Interior Designer in Saudi Arabia

Interior Designers in Saudi Arabia

People like to spend their quality time at home after a hard day’s work. They want to feel comfortable with the ambience and this totally depends on the quality of interiors one have at their home. Long working hours and travelling time in the city gives anyone little space to decorate or to do interior designing of their homes. Maybe you are not perfect to do this job. Hiring an interior designer in Saudi Arabia is the best solution to say good bye to all your worries. It is good to consider the services of an interior designer or decorator and they will be giving you some fancy ideas in revamping or building your dream home.

It is very important to do a little research on your dream home before you hire the services of an interior designer. You have to be very peculiar with what exactly you are looking for in terms of theme and ambience. The rest of the job will be carried out nicely by professional interior decorators in Saudi Arabia. Charges may vary depending on the kind of project.

Some points are important to remember when you hire the services of an interior designer.

1. Most important factor in interior designing is budget. The resources which you want to purchase should also match your budget. Since, the interior designer’s charges can be decided after some negotiations but resources cannot be adjusted.
2. What type of style or theme you would like to give to your home is also very important. The interior designer will be able to better understand your criteria depending on your style statement.
3. Designing a home and not thinking about color is like making an iced cake with salt. Be sure to know about yours and your family members’ favorite colors so that can be recommended to the interior decorator.
4. You have to be particular about the kind of home accessories you are keeping. Unnecessary items can make the entire designing look odd.

5. Discuss each and every part with all the detailing. The best interior designers in Saudi Arabia know their job well. They know how to reflect your sense of style with captivating décor, furniture, accessories, color and fabric.
6. If you want to reduce your expenses on resources you may discuss this point with the decorator. Having a word with the designer will always be useful for you.
7. The interior designer should listen to you carefully when he/she comes to your home for discussion. They should also be conducting survey of your entire home.
8. They should be able to present you with creative solutions and ideas for the project. They must also be able to make the necessary product selections for your project.
9. They should get paint and fabric samples in helping out with your favorite color and design theme. Moreover, flooring samples should also be presented in the demo.
10. Last but not the least; they must suggest you on how to enhance your home with design basics of balance, texture, color, etc.

If you do your research in advance and do the proper consultation with the interior designer then decorating your dream home could be a hassle free experience.

Originally published at http://blog.daleeli.com/finding-the-right-interior-designer-in-saudi-arabia/