Vitaliy Chiryassov: Aspiring to Streamline the Business Consulting Industry in the UAE
In this interview, we’re talking with Vitaliy Chiryassov, an entrepreneur who operates multiple businesses, including an international consulting company, and an author of a popular blog about all things business.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, we’re curious about your story. Can you share some of the Important stages you went through on your way to big business?Â
The start of my career was in 2009, when I co-founded a legal and strategic consulting firm. After this, I opened my own business. Thanks to a competent business strategy the company began to grow. From one small office in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, I reached a national level in just a few years, first opening a second office in Almaty in 2015 and then in Astana in 2016. Eventually my company became one of the leaders in Kazakhstan in the field of business consulting.
That’s when I thought about expanding internationally. After carefully studying different options I chose the UAE for our first international branch, and decided to launch a consulting company there. We’ve studied the market, the details of opening a business in the UAE, crafted a specific strategy and opened a Dubai branch in 2018. Thanks to our hard work the company became successful in the Emirates.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, What motivated you to start a business in the UAE?Â
A: As you know, the Emirates is one of the quickest-developing countries, and it’s perfect for opening a new business. It has low taxes for international companies, manageable business registration fees, and government support. The UAE provides numerous advantages for new companies, but many people are still unaware of them.
But I thought it can also be confusing. When you first start learning about the intricacies of it all, the Free Zones vs Mainland, which permissions work in what state — it’s a lot.
It seemed that if I could clarify this complexity, I’d be able to provide real value to companies entering the UAE, and even assist the government in making the Emirates more business-friendly, really unlocking the potential of this incredible market.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, Can you tell us more about your business in the UAE?Â
A: UPPERCASE is a multifunctional consulting company. We work with international businesses and their owners and specialize in providing services in migration, corporate, tax, legal, accounting, and other areas.
Essentially, our main area of expertise is assisting international businesses in expanding an existing company to or establishing a new business in the Emirates, and getting all they need in terms of ongoing support. We take care of things like license renewal, managing risks, and minimizing legal threats.
We also help with dispute resolution, deal structuring, and provide strategic business consulting to oil and gas companies, banks, leading real estate, and construction players.
Our high-quality, 360-degree approach to meeting customer needs guarantees effective project development in international arenas.
At UPPERCASE, most of our clients are enterprises and medium to large businesses. But we’re more than just a consulting company. We’re constantly innovating in our industry to enhance service quality and cut down operating costs for businesses expanding internationally. One of our key innovations is UPPERSETUP, an online platform. It allows enterprises from various sectors to access vital industry information, plan their growth, and connect with top consultants. For newcomers to the UAE market, we provide step-by-step automated guidance tailored to their objectives. We’re building an innovative business community by combining the latest technology and industry best practices, drawing on our decades of experience.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, What sets your company apart from competitors?
A: Our advantages are a personal approach to each client, quality of service and absolute reliability. If we take on a case, we bring it to a successful resolution, without exception. Our team consists of only experienced consultants with extensive regional knowledge and the right connections. We can actually help you get into the UAE market, not just make empty promises.
And I think the real indicator that these are not empty words is that to this day, 70% of our clients come through referrals, which means we must be doing something right. (laughs)
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, How difficult was it to get to where you are now, especially as it relates to business development in the UAE?
A: It wasn’t easy, and it definitely required some adjustments. The Emirates is unique, with social and religious traditions that go back centuries and still play a significant role in everyday life, including in business practices. For example, the way meetings are conducted, the importance of building personal relationships, and respecting local customs and holidays are all integral to doing business here.
But that’s just one part of it — the other part was really about learning the complex regulatory system. There was a lot to learn, especially with the intricacies of regulations in each of the over 50 free zones, each slightly different from the other. There was definitely a learning curve.Â
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, How did you come up with the idea to streamline business registration and consulting with an innovative online platform?
The idea came naturally, just by thinking about the challenges present in the UAE’s business consulting market. It’s a growing field, and like any emerging sector, it’s experiencing its share of teething problems. There’s the complexity of regulations, an oversaturation of about 2,000 consulting firms, not all of which have integrity — some, unfortunately, focus on short-term gains. As a company entering this market it’s tough to identify which firm you can trust and which — not.Â
I thought about how I could offer my clients quick tips, cost reductions, and detailed guidance on paperwork, procedures, timeframes, and fees, which are UPPERCASE’s signature, but on a larger scale. The solution I came up with was UPPERSETUP.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, How far along is your development of the UPPERSETUP platform?
We’ve already rolled out the platform and are now testing it with UPPERCASE clients. We’re planning a public launch in the next three months, within the first quarter of 2024. During this period, we aim to integrate with various free zones, add thousands of services to the platform, and kick off a referral program. We’re also focusing on enhancing the user interface and experience, including adding notifications and supporting more payment methods.
Q: Vitaliy Chiryassov, What’s your strategy for evolving UPPERCASE in 2024 and further into the future?
Certainly, I have a strategic plan for developing the UPPERCASE consulting group and innovative products in the industry. However, in this fast-changing world, it doesn’t make sense to plan several years ahead. It’s essential to remain flexible and align with trends.
I’m ready to share what we expect this year. 2024 is set to be a year full of events. We’re focusing on improving service quality, further systematizing business processes, expanding our client base, and launching new directions within the group. These initiatives are aimed at stimulating the company’s growth and enhancing the satisfaction of our clients, partners, and employees. We’re also planning a full launch of the UPPERSETUP platform and its recognition by the professional community and government regulators. We expect an increase in the company’s revenue and profitability.
Most importantly, we’re actively working on building an effective and engaged business community around UPPERCASE.