Local Commercial Agency – About US
Industry-leading trading agency and master franchiser
UAE experts in online and offline trading
Sell fearlessly
How LCA came to be
Ada’s part of the story
Ada came to UAE first time in 2015 as a salesperson of a Egyptian developer to a Cityscape tradeshow. With friends she decided to open Real Estate brokerage agency, they hired a company setup firm, and got scammed. She made it her personal mission in life to inform Polish community about company formation procedures, UAE law, market practices and true, real government costs, fees and processes.
By accident, she became known, for knowing law, regulations and procedures in the matter of life and business of expats, and started to open companies for other people. In all mainland jurisdictions, all freezones. She was a PRO on sterioids, solving immigration problems, licensing issues, and became the main go to person for her comminity. Since then she opened almost 300 companies, made over 400 residency visas , collected many debts. She accumulated knowledge and experiences of her clients journeys, and
7 years of consulting business men and women considering entering UAE market, she came to few conclusions
– If a company wishes to trade their product in UAE, the entering cost is high while involving setup cost and manpower fieldwork required plus the factor of time.
– Entering local market requires local know-how, as potential partners have agenda of luring businesses from abroad with promise of Shiny and Wealthy Dubai.
And then she met Aadil….
Aadil is a 2nd generation Indian who was born and raised in Dubai. Although Dubai was a growing city with high aspirations, it was not yet renowned internationally as a metropolis and business hub. It owed its recognition as an export and re-export center because of Jebel Ali port, as a natural geographic gateway between East and West, and an ideal strategic gateway between developed and emerging markets. Aadil grew up with the city, and experienced its development as an insider in all phases of its growth.
He spent 17 years of his career in the travel & aviation industry that included roles in cargo operations, airline reservation & sales, business intelligence & data analysis, business development, agency management, sales & marketing, intrapreneurship, and commercial operations, among others. Towards the end of his tenure in the industry, he had successfully pitched and grown the airline representation portfolio in his agency from 4 to 21 principals.
His job was basically to pitch Dubai to airlines around the world and convince them why the city would be an ideal hub to start their flight operations to. The job had its challenges because Dubai was yet to make its mark on the global stage and become the vibrant city we know it for today, so much so that internet penetration was below 30%. In 2018, he decided to leave corporate life behind and embark on his own entrepreneurial journey as a business consultant. He borrowed the principals of airline agency representation and used them to support SME’s in Dubai to grow their business. He successfully consulted for companies from a diverse portfolio of industries such as Tourism Agencies, Haute Couture Fashion, Motorcycle Garages, Financial Brokerage, and International Trading.
And then he met Ada.
In early 2021, Ada completed the business incorporating process for an ice cream company that had become hugely successful during the Dubai Expo 2020. She then brought in Aadil to support with their local expansion plans. Within a short span of 7 months, the company had acquired spots in more than 30 locations in the UAE, including Emarat Gas stations, Reel Cinemas, and Global Village. He is now supporting the brand grow with its franchise business model.
Over the past few years, Ada and Aadil have helped many entrepreneurs and brands with business incorporation, and then kept a tab on their clients’ business journeys and success rates in this market. Many struggled to understand the cultural business practices and to build a solid network of channels partners and service providers. This observation from their clients’ experiences made them realize that since this market didn’t allow to conduct business without a legal setup, what it most needed was a platform which allowed foreign businesspeople to enter the market legally and safely to test run their products. A platform that took care of not just their legal setup but also their online sales, warehousing, fulfilment, distribution, banking, VAT, and government aprovals. This way they could gauge if the market is suitable for their business to flourish before fully committing themselves financially. And thus, the idea of Local Commercial Agency (LCA) was born.
It is important to note the context of this platform from a European’s perspective. Ada is a Caucasian Polish woman; i.e., a ‘Gora’ from the West. Non-Caucasians such as those from the Indian subcontinent, Far East, and Arab countries outnumber Westerners in the UAE by a magnitude. They have a certain way of doing business with each other where price negotiation is ingrained into the transaction. Westerners are generally locked out of this price favorable treatment.
Ada recognized that she would always be charged and serviced differently from the others. No matter how long she has been a resident in the city, she would always be considered an outsider. Aadil, on the other hand, fits right in. Being born and raised in Dubai, the city’s DNA is infused within his system. He benefits from the local culture, religion, environment, prices, business connections, and personal relations with key stakeholders in the government departments.
The LCA platform got a phenomenal response from cautious European entrepreneurs and brands who were looking for a turnkey solution that guaranteed easy entry and exit options. The platform invited brave businesspeople from Europe who brought in a diverse portfolio of products – from protein bars to beauty & personal care electronics, to sustainable cutlery, and many others – to be curated exclusively for successful local distribution and sale.