We had this wonderful opportunity of speaking with Vida Moradi, Founder and CEO – Volonté Business Management. Volonté specializes in operational plans and market research. Their clients range from startup companies to large corporates. They are committed to empowering their clients’ organizations at every level of the company by providing insight into their management needs. They strive to help their clients achieve their business goals by expanding their capacity for growth. By doing so, they enable them to increase their market share and revenue stream.
Let’s take a closer look at Volonté Business Management from Vida herself.
1. Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
September 2022 will mark the 20th anniversary of my migration to Dubai, UAE. I was in middle school when I came to UAE. The next 20 years were spent on education, personal development, and career. When Covid hit, I had just come back to Dubai from completing my doctorate degree and working in Europe. In September 2020, right at the heart of the pandemic, I started my company and obtained an official license to operate in UAE. This is my first entrepreneurship experience and the past 2 years have been great. I have learned a lot, met lots of great people, and developed a successful business.
2. What are your goals?
My goal is to be the leading management consultancy firm in terms of both, quality and results in the region. I want to help my clients by creating roadmaps that would enable them to achieve their business objectives, whether it is improving efficiency, increasing profits, or starting and growing the businesses. I also want my company and my team to be known for our integrity and our commitment to providing the best possible services to our clients.
3. What is your and your company’s biggest strength?
Resilience and adaptability
4. What was the path you took to get to where you are today?
My parents always worked hard to implant the value of education in my life. I was blessed to have received solid support from my family in various stages of my life. After graduating from high school, I started my higher education path by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 2008. After I graduated, I decided to continue my journey by pursuing management roles, so I started working part-time while studying to get my master’s degree in Project Management.
After graduation in 2016, I took a year gap and started taking an independent courses with Harvard Business School. After 12 months, I had successfully completed 4 courses with the prestigious school and was ready to start the final stage of my academic journey. I got a full-time job and my proposal for a Doctorate degree in Business Administration was accepted at the same time. It took me 4 years to complete my degree and graduate. Meanwhile, I relocated to Europe to complete my residencies and gain work experience as an overseas management consultant.
I came to UAE in December 2019, and Covid hit within 2 months. After 3 months of lockdown, I started my company in September 2020 and have been successful so far.
The value of education can never be underestimated. It is the foundation upon which our future depends. Education shapes our views of the world and helps us to understand our place in it. It teaches us how to think critically and independently, and how to make informed decisions.
I believe, education is not just about acquiring knowledge. It is also about learning how to apply that knowledge in a way that is beneficial to ourselves and others. A good education can open doors to opportunities we may never have thought possible. It can help us develop our talents and abilities, and to realize our potential.
5. Why did you start this company?
There are several reasons why I decided to start my own management consultancy firm. First and foremost, I wanted to provide the support that Startups and SMEs, like me, needed and were not there for them. It was more of sentiment than business. I remember feeling so lost and confused when I wanted to start my own business. I did not have the budget to go to the big consultants and I needed advice and handholding.
Second, I saw a need in the market for a firm that could provide truly independent, objective, and tailored advice to Startups and SMEs with small teams and limited budgets. I also believed that my experience of working with a variety of entities in the UAE and Europe can give me a unique perspective and add value to my clients.
6. What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges I have had to overcome is finding the right balance between work and personal life. It can be difficult to find time to invest in your relationships and pursue your hobbies when you are always working on your business. I had to learn to make time for the things that are important to me outside the work, and it is something I continue to struggle with.
7. Give us one word that describes you the best.
Determined, Meticulous.
8. What makes you excited about Mondays?
Mondays signify a fresh start to the week. I get excited to tick off the last week’s goals and set new goals and numbers. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
9. Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
Innovation and creativity are two of the most important qualities that a management consultant can possess. After all, part of the reason that clients hire consultants is to get help solving problems that they haven’t been able to figure out on their own.
One project that required me to be especially innovative and creative was when I was working with a large manufacturing company that was struggling with declining sales. The company’s managers were stuck in their ways and resistant to change, so it was up to me to come up with a new strategy that would turn things around.
After doing some research, I concluded that the company needed to focus on developing a certain new product rather than just trying to sell more of the same. I presented the idea and the proposed product to the board and after some convincing, they eventually agreed to give it a try. It turned out to be a great decision. The company’s sales started to rebound and within a few months, it was again back to the usual graph.
This project was a great example of how important it is for a consultant to be able to think outside the box. As a management consultant, it is always important to be prepared to come up with creative solutions to the problems that your clients are facing. You never know when you will be called upon to be the one who comes up with the next big idea.
10. What are the key values which helped you to overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership.
My values, which I later set to be my company’s values, are RICH: Reliability, Integrity, Commitment, and Honesty. One memorable incident in my leadership journey was when my team and I decided to walk out on a project because the client was not being honest about their true needs. It was at the beginning of our entrepreneurship journey and the company could really use the income. It would have been easy to stay and just do the work, but it would not have been aligned with my values. And so, we left.
It is always difficult at the moment to stand up for your values, but it’s always worth it in the end. Because when you do, you attract people and clients who share those values, which makes for a much more positive and productive work environment. I have learned that values are the foundation of any successful business, and my values have led me to success both in my personal and professional life.
11. What are your company’s services/solutions or products compared to the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services.
We serve two main verticals: Startups and SMEs. We help startups build their business plans, and support them with feasibility studies, market research, and financial forecasting and investment. Similarly, we support SMEs by conducting gap analysis, operational plans, policies, procedures, and automation.