Success in business often hinges on the ability to think broadly and non-stereotypically. Smbat Alikhanyan and Anara Malakhova, owners of Global Tax Assistant, are convinced that the key to prosperity in the business world is freedom of thought, thorough preparation, and the ability to see the big picture.
Smbat Alikhanyan: I worked in public service from the age of 20 to 30, then left when I realised my presence there had lost its meaning. That’s when I understood I wanted to become an independent businessman, making my own decisions about my fate and life. I came to understand that even in the most difficult situation, like in the desert, it’s always possible to extract water.
Anara Malakhova: Originally, I am an accountant by education, with three honours diplomas from different universities, including studying at Cambridge. I worked in the Big Four, was the CFO of Fendi and Monster Energy. But I dreamed of my own business. My first entrepreneurial experience was at the age of 16. At a certain point, I realised I wasn’t ready for the usual work schedule anymore. I started doing bookkeeping on weekends and evenings. When the income from the business began to exceed my salary, I completely left employment. Our business is called Global Tax Assistant. We provide consulting services: accounting, auditing, legal support, and corporate provider services. The head office is in Dubai. Project offices have been opened in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with plans for Oman. According to official data, about a million Russian speakers live in the UAE. In the region as a whole, this figure might reach two million. Our target audience is Russian-speaking companies doing business in the region — we serve more than 10 percent of the roughly 2,000 to 3,000 active Russian-speaking enterprises. Our business is based on two principles: serving clients and we do it — seeing things through to the end. Recently, following the example of UAE rulers, we created a client happiness department to ensure not just quality of services, but client satisfaction. In this world, there are no borders. We are creating a world without obstacles. The Emirates are the most vivid manifestation of such a world, where all nationalities live side by side.