Want to start a business from home? Qatar Living will tell you how!
There is little doubt that Qatar is a goldmine for entrepreneurs and those who dare to dream. While investing heavily into a new, capital-heavy business may not be everyone’s cup of tea, this country provides avenues for entrepreneurs of all sizes.
Many of Qatar’s expatriate businessmen and women started small, within the confines of their own homes, before expanding to become much bigger establishments.
You may be a small-scale entrepreneur — a freelancer, a craftsman, a designer, a baker, or a photographer — but you have a place in Qatar’s growth story.
Qatar’s understanding of the importance of home-based entrepreneurs has made it much easier for them to set up their businesses. By giving the entire process a solid structure, authorities have also made such businesses more accountable.
The concept of home-based businesses isn’t new in Qatar. According to Qatar’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, more than 1,450 home businesses already operate here.
Significant government support exists for home-based entrepreneurs, which ties in neatly with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and promote sustainable development.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ALLOWED HOME BUSINESSES IN QATAR?
Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry currently allows people to run 15 small businesses from home, making licensing procedures for them very simple.
Legally allowed home businesses include preparation of Arabic sweets, serving meals on occasions, tailoring, sewing women’s clothing, embroidery, making dresses, parcel and gift-wrapping activities, website design, photocopying, photography activities, packaging documents, memos, bindings and letters, making and preparing perfumes and bukhoor, making and preparing cosmetics, preparing pies and pastries and arranging fresh and artificial flowers.
If your talent lies in any one of these areas, you could soon start earning from the privacy of your own home.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO START A HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Legally starting a home business in Qatar is no longer a big hassle. Here are some basic requirements for kickstarting your dream home business.
Age requirement
The owner must be at least 18 years old to start a home business of his/her own.
Residency
The owner should compulsorily reside in the house where the business will operate and have permission from the landlord to operate the home business from the premises.
Registration fee
A nominal fee of QAR1,020 will be needed to register your home business.
Employment restrictions
The home business owner will not be permitted to hire workers from outside Qatar or bring them in on a work visa. All labor requirements should be met from within the country.
Ministry approval
All home businesses must have proper approval from Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce.
Direct sales
Sales to the end customers should compulsorily be made directly from home.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A HOME-BASED BUSINESS LICENSE ONLINE
Access the portal
Visit the National Authentication System and log in with your username and password. If you do not have credentials, create one. You can access the link here.
Select the service
Once you login, you can search for different services. Navigate to the Commercial Licenses section and select ‘Application for Home License.’ Fill out the required information and pledge not to violate licensing conditions.
Pay the fee
Submit QAR1020 to complete the application process and obtain the home-based business license.
Required documents
* Qatar ID copy of the applicant.
* Proof of property ownership (in case of one’s own house, villa, or a building completion certificate for vacant land).
* If the house is rented, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is required from the property owner as well as their ID copy.
* An NOC from a guardian and their ID copy if the license is for a first-degree relative.
* For home-based food businesses, health and compliance certificates with civil defense requirements are necessary.
ADVANTAGES OF STARTING A HOME-BASED BUSINESS IN QATAR
If you are considering starting a home business, this section, which lists some of its advantages, is for you.
Scalability
By using the house you live in to start on a small scale, you can save vast amounts you will have to pay as rent to lease an office space. You can adjust the workspace according to your business needs and expand as you go.
Time saved in commute
If you rent an outside space to start your business, reaching it could burden you greatly, especially with fuel and other costs soaring. But do the business from home, and voila, you will have saved on commuting time and costs. That money can be rerouted into the business to further improve it.
Work hour flexibility
Do you like being your own boss, in your own office? Welcome to the life of a home-based entrepreneur who enjoys the freedom of working at their own pace. You can be a one-man or one-woman company through social media, emails, and messaging apps. And at the end of the day, you will have the deep satisfaction of successfully juggling multiple hats simultaneously.
Low budget startup
Starting a home-based business is any day cheaper and easier than setting up a brick-and-mortar establishment. With only limited financial implications in place, you will get more confidence to experiment with new ideas in your business.
Reduced overhead costs
Home-based businesses will have fewer overhead expenses, like rent and electricity charges. This cost savings will allow you to pass on the benefits to the customer and price your produce at very competitive levels.
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Hello everyone, my name is Julie I live in California, few years ago I was financially constrained, I needed money for my business so I tried seeking for loan from my bank but I was not granted due to my low credit score I tried seeking for online loan, and all I got was fake companies from India who requested many fees upon fees and yet couldn't get me the loan. So a friend introduced me to a New York based loan company ( universalcreditloans@aol.com ) they grant loans to people irrespective of their credit score. I was lucky to have qualified for and be given $150,000.00 at 4% interest rate for 5 years to revamp my business. if you need any financial assistance for your business or personal need, contact them through this email address they will help you. universalcreditloans@aol.com
Very commendable efforts by the Ministry but I think the process could be even easier. Requiring the Landlord’s QID is an obstacle in times when data protection is so critical. I do appreciate the rationale behind the requirement for the Landlord’s QID and NOC, that is, to ensure the property is not being used in a manner contrary to the lease agreement and without the landlord’s knowledge. However, in my humble view that should be a matter for the landlord and tenant to settle in person or in court and the ministry shouldn’t have to be involved there. Allow the tenancy laws to operate. The tenancy laws suffice. Again that’s just my humble view. Many people live in company accommodation and those who work for large companies with hundreds and thousands of employees face the difficulty of how to obtain the landlord’s NOC and QID for a business their spouse (under their sponsorship) is seeking to register. Most HR departments are clueless about this because it is so new. The new rules apply to photographers and not all photographers execute their work from their home. I was wondering, could exceptions to the Landlord QID and NOC rule be made for photographers who go to clients’ locations to shoot or landscape photographers? Another obstacle is, persons who are sponsored can’t even view the application form if their phone number is registered under their sponsoring spouse’s name. Why? In my humble view, anyone should be able to view the application form to educate themselves on the requirements. Jamaica is regarded as being one of the easiest countries to start a business, maybe when the legislation is being reviewed the decision makers may look at other countries to see if the process could be further simplied.
Very commendable efforts by the Ministry but I think the process could be even easier. Requiring the Landlord’s QID is an obstacle in times when data protection is so critical. I do appreciate the rationale behind the requirement for the Landlord’s QID and NOC, that is, to ensure the property is not being used in a manner contrary to the lease agreement and without the landlord’s knowledge. However, in my humble view that should be a matter for the landlord and tenant to settle in person or in court and the ministry shouldn’t have to be involved there. Allow the tenancy laws to operate. The tenancy laws suffice. Again that’s just my humble view. Many people live in company accommodation and those who work for large companies with hundreds and thousands of employees face the difficulty of how to obtain the landlord’s NOC and QID for a business their spouse (under their sponsorship) is seeking to register. Most HR departments are clueless about this because it is so new. The new rules apply to photographers and not all photographers execute their work from their home. I was wondering, could exceptions to the Landlord QID and NOC rule be made for photographers who go to clients’ locations to shoot or landscape photographers? Another obstacle is, persons who are sponsored can’t even view the application form if their phone number is registered under their sponsoring spouse’s name. Why? In my humble view, anyone should be able to view the application form to educate themselves on the requirements. Jamaica is regarded as being one of the easiest countries to start a business, maybe when the legislation is being reviewed the decision makers may look at other countries to see if the process could be further simplied.