For Abdelrahman Bin Kannoun, business is never far from his mind.
Whether he is sitting in a café, walking through a shopping centre, or scrolling through social media, he is constantly analysing businesses, how they operate, what they are doing well, and where they could improve.
That curiosity led him to launch several businesses over the years, including Chibi, but more importantly, it has shaped the advice he now shares with aspiring entrepreneurs across the UAE.
His entrepreneurial journey began in 2021 with a cup selling business he started alongside two school friends, Suhail and Sultan. Each partner had a different role, but the experience also taught Abdalrahman one of the biggest lessons of his career.
“The biggest challenge I faced was the relationship between partners.”
“A partnership can destroy the entire business if a serious disagreement happens between you and the other person. If there is no chemistry or compatibility between you, the project will not work.”
He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to build businesses independently whenever possible. That lesson became even more personal when he later launched a cookie business with another entrepreneur.
The venture performed well, but disagreements over the company’s future created another difficult turning point. While Abdalrahman wanted to invest in a larger production kitchen and expand across the Gulf, his business partner preferred to keep the operation as a home business.
“Our visions were completely different.”
Rather than continuing with conflicting goals, the two eventually decided to separate. Instead of walking away from the industry, Abdalrahman chose to start again from scratch. Without any formal pastry training, he spent months teaching himself through YouTube videos, experimentation, and countless rounds of testing.
“I opened YouTube and searched for Oreo cookie recipes.”
From there, he began adjusting ingredients, learning how different amounts of butter and flour changed the texture of each cookie until he eventually developed recipes of his own.
“I do not claim to be a professionally trained pastry chef. I developed and adjusted my own recipes through practice.”
Today, he says that process of trial and error has become one of his biggest strengths as a business owner. As his businesses grew, so did his audience on TikTok.
His live broadcasts initially focused on selling products and interacting with customers. Over time, however, viewers began asking a different kind of question.
Many wanted to know where to find reliable suppliers, how much to charge, whether influencer marketing was worth the money, and how to avoid costly mistakes.
“Many of those questions centred on one issue: middlemen.”
Many aspiring entrepreneurs, Abdalrahman says, pay significantly more than necessary because they rely on intermediaries instead of contacting manufacturers directly.
Rather than answering the same questions during every live broadcast, he decided to launch a workshop called “The Founder”, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build businesses from the ground up.
“The workshops serve two purposes. First, I want to support people and teach them how to establish projects. Second, I want decision makers and experienced business leaders to see that Abdulrahman Kanoon can activate and guide young people.”
His workshops often last between seven and nine hours, taking participants through every stage of launching a business.
From choosing a business name and designing a logo to finding suppliers, pricing products, managing logistics, marketing, and communicating with customers, the sessions are designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs a practical roadmap rather than theoretical advice.
One lesson, however, receives particular attention.
“I also teach people to source directly from factories rather than relying on local middlemen who double the price.”
“I show them how to find the factory, how to communicate with it, and even how to identify manufacturing defects.”
The same practical approach shapes his advice on handling criticism. Rather than reacting emotionally to negative comments, Abdalrahman believes entrepreneurs should treat criticism as another opportunity to improve.
“If the person is simply rude while pointing out a real weakness, I study the weakness and fix it.”
After watching the cost of premium chocolate rise dramatically over the past few years, Abdalrahman now hopes to establish an Emirati-owned chocolate chip company capable of supplying local bakeries and home businesses with high-quality ingredients at fair prices.
“My next goal is to create an Emirati chocolate chip brand. I want fair input costs so I can offer fair prices.”
His appreciation for the UAE’s business environment grew even stronger during a visit to Japan. Curious about how entrepreneurs launch businesses there, he asked a local chef to explain the licensing process. The lengthy approvals and paperwork stood in sharp contrast to his own experience back home.
“Here, someone can get a licence and start working within a few hours. We are very fortunate.”
That support, he believes, should still be matched by careful planning.
He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to understand their costs before spending heavily on marketing, avoid rushing into commercial premises, build a loyal customer base before expanding, and seek advice from people with practical experience rather than simply following trends.
He also advises entrepreneurs not to assume that bigger automatically means better.
“I do not recommend rushing into booths or physical locations.”
According to Abdalrahman, expanding too early often increases costs faster than profits, particularly once rent, staffing, and logistics are taken into account. He is equally outspoken about influencer marketing, warning entrepreneurs to calculate whether advertising will actually generate profit rather than simply higher sales.
“If you pay an influencer Dh5,000 or Dh10,000, you may sell enough stock to recover only the advertising cost and the cost of the goods. The influencer is the only person who has certainly earned money.”
He believes too many business owners chase visibility without first understanding whether a campaign is financially worthwhile.
The same philosophy applies to the way he approaches social media. Although his TikTok following has grown rapidly, Abdalrahman says he has never wanted sympathy or charity to drive sales.
“I do not want people to support me because I am Emirati. Support the business if the product is good and you genuinely like it. Otherwise, do not support it.”
He believes live broadcasts are one of the most valuable tools available to small business owners.
“When I first started, I did not know how to speak to viewers. I would hold up a cup, say what it was, and then fall silent. I learned how to talk, tell stories, ask questions, and keep people engaged.”
For Abdalrahman, however, helping others has become just as important as running his own businesses.
“The purpose of my live broadcasts is to help people. I believe that provision is in God’s hands. If I can help someone, I may be rewarded for it.”
He says he has never worried that sharing his knowledge would create more competition.
“I am not afraid that teaching others will take away my livelihood. If something is not written for me, then it was never mine to begin with.”
Even as he prepares to transform Chibi from a home business into a drive-through operation, Abdalrahman says his ambitions extend far beyond growing his own company.
He hopes to see more young Emiratis build sustainable businesses and create new industries rather than simply follow trends.
“More than money, I want senior people in the country to see that young Emiratis are working seriously and building new industries.”
For him, success is measured not only by the businesses he builds, but also by the entrepreneurs he helps build along the way.
Source: Khaleej Times