Come and have a homemade biscuit at Global Village .
Passing by the countless stalls in Global Village, an unfamiliar name catches my attention. I walk towards a smiling woman sitting inside the small kiosk.
Decorated with pots of tea and coffee, UAE national Mona Obaid's stall can easily be confused with the many other snack shops around. But what stand out are the biscuits. They are baked with care and a passion for all things good.
Over a simmering cup of 'kadak chai', Mona chats casually of small dreams, which actually came to be.
From cookbooks and television shows, Mona picked up the threads of baking biscuits. What started as a small feast for Eid grew in to a full-time job in a matter of months. Now she bakes biscuits every day at the stall and sells them to passers-by in big colourful bags.
Not easy
Unsurprisingly, the path to success was not an easy one.
She said: "There were so many things I was unsure of. I did not have the equipment, space or money to start a business." But with a supportive family and deep faith in her idea, Mona set out to learn the baking business. From basbousa to chocolate biscuits, her menu steadily expanded.
The hard work and dedication have paid off. "Many customers keep coming back to my stall. They say my biscuits are fresh and tasty," she said with a hint of pride.
After developing her baking skills, Mona realised that for her business to truly work she would have to dip her feet in the world of retailing and decided to open a stall at the Global Village. The Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders was next on the agenda. It actively supports young entrepreneurial talent.
Support
With the Establishment's support she could receive a discount of 25 per cent on the rental costs of the stall, which would help immensely to cut costs.
After a couple of failed attempts at pitching her idea to the Establishment, she finally got lucky the third time around, and received approval.
The initial excitement and joy soon turned in to goose bumps at formally starting a business. Arranging for funds was the least of her concerns as she set about planning her big break with great care and detail.
With all the preparations in place, she began a hunt for the perfect name. The answer was just as simple and appealing as her biscuits — Biscutati or simply 'My Biscuits' in Arabic.
Journey
Reflecting on her journey to date, she recounts incidents that helped shape her personality.
"Once a woman sent me a phone text message after buying my biscuits, saying that my project was a failure and my biscuits tasted awful," she said.
When asked how that affected her, she responded with a shrug and said: "Why should I listen to one woman when there are many others who like my biscuits?"
She reiterates the contribution of her family to her success. "My family has played such an important role in all of this. They helped me with the money, decorated the stall and even attend to customers when I'm tired."
Her experience at the Global Village has been satisfying, but for a small complaint. "The music at times is so loud I am hardly able to hear the orders," she said, while attending to a customer.
But such complaints are minor as Mona is all set to open her own food store in the near future and bake her way to glory.
