Starting a business can be one of the most rewarding things in life, especially social entrepreneurships, where you create a community that implements solutions for social, cultural and/or environmental issues. In Kuwait, we are blessed to have a multicultural and diverse community of talented individuals, and we see new business ideas and entrepreneurs becoming successful in Kuwait all the time.

Yet there is still this idea that starting a business in Kuwait is difficult. Is this true? If we compare Kuwait to other countries in the region like the UAE and Bahrain, or to other developed countries, then yes, the process in Kuwait is very difficult. Fortunately though, the government in Kuwait realized how important SMEs are to the economy and has now introduced new legislations to make the process easier.

Today I have taken the time to answer more business-related questions from my clients and readers. I hope they are of help.

Question: I heard there is a new business center in Kuwait to establish companies. Is this true? Can I use it without a lawyer? What do you suggest? Do they speak English?

Fajer: Yes, there is a new center in Kuwait - it is called Kuwait Business Center (KBC). It is a new center, but I have been down there a few times for clients and I must say I am very impressed. There are many departments there and even a department of the KDIPA. The staff is friendly, professional and speaks English. They were extremely helpful.

It is always good for you to go to a lawyer in the early stages of your plan, so you can find out what type of company you want, what kind of commercial license you need and what kind of partnership would you like. Once you have agreed on these three points, you can try to establish the company yourself.

As a lawyer, it is more beneficial for me financially if you come in and ask me for advice before you go to the business center, but I would actually suggest that you go there first to establish the company, and then if you need assistance, you can always ask a lawyer to establish the company for you. I believe that I should share the information that I have with the public and I strongly believe that more people need to create sustainable jobs for themselves, and therefore I would like to see the SME market in Kuwait grow.

Skills

Question: I am a mother and wife and I do not have a job in Kuwait. I came in on my husband's visa. I read before that some type of work is not considered commercial, but I am not sure if it applies to me. I am a photographer, but I am on a dependent visa. Can I still take photos of people without establishing a company or having a commercial license?

Fajer: Yes, not all types of businesses require a commercial license. There are certain jobs that are seen as skilled and therefore have a more lenient set of rules when it comes to providing these services for the public. Legal consultations, music recordings and photography are seen as skills. Therefore, you do not need a license to provide someone with photos for a monetary amount and neither do you need a visa for such an act.

For any legal questions or queries, email [email protected]

By Attorney Fajer Ahmed