Business Strategy & Operating Models: How the business will actually run

Executive summary

Of US business establishments born in 2013, 79.6% were still operating a year later, 50.6% after five years and 34.7% after ten, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.¹
More than 53,000 companies joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in the first nine months of 2025, so new businesses compete for the same customers, staff and suppliers.²
Ideas and capital are rarely the constraint. Clear roles, processes, systems and measures usually are.
An operating model turns the strategy into decisions people can act on: structure, processes, technology, people and performance measures.
We design it before money is spent on systems and hiring, then keep it current as the business grows.

01Market context

Most businesses do not fail on day one; they fade. US data shows roughly one in five new establishments closes within a year and half within five.¹ The UAE is one of the most active places in the world to start a company, with tens of thousands of new Dubai Chamber members in 2025 alone.² That brings opportunity, and competition for every customer, hire and supplier.

Exhibit 1 Share of new US business establishments still operating

After 1 year79.6%

After 5 years50.6%

After 10 years34.7%

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, establishments born in March 2013, published January 2024.

The difference between the businesses that last and those that fade is often how well they are run: whether roles are clear, processes are written down, systems fit the work, and the founders see the right numbers early enough to act.

02The challenge

Strategy without operations. A plan exists, but nobody has decided how the work actually gets done.
Founder bottleneck. Every decision runs through one or two people.
Systems before process. Software is bought before the process it should support is designed.
No shared numbers. Founders and investors look at different figures, or none.

03Our point of view

Design how the business will run before spending on systems and people. Keep it simple enough that the team can follow it and specific enough to measure. We work from the customer backwards: what the customer needs to experience, what has to happen to deliver it, who does it, with which tools, and how you will know it is working.

04How we work

Clarify. The strategy, the customer promise and the economics that must hold true.
Design. Structure, roles, core processes, decision rights and the technology each process needs.
Measure. A small set of performance measures, with owners and a monthly review rhythm.
Hand over. Documented, tested with the team, and updated as the business changes.

Exhibit 2 From strategy to how work gets done

Clarify
Promise and economics

Design
Roles, processes, systems

Measure
Scorecard and rhythm

Hand over
Documented and adopted

The Market Concepts.

05What you receive

An operating model on a page, with the detail behind it.
Organisation design: roles, responsibilities and decision rights.
Process maps for the core customer-facing and back-office processes.
A technology map showing which system supports which process.
A performance scorecard and review calendar.

06Measures of success

Decisions made without waiting for the founder
Processes documented and followed
Time from enquiry to delivery
A monthly scorecard that founders and investors both use
Unit economics tracked against plan

07Risks and governance

Over-design. We size the model to the business, not to a large company template.
Compliance. Licensing, data protection (UAE PDPL³) and sector rules are built into the processes.
Adoption. The team helps design it, so they recognise and use it.

This paper is general guidance and not legal advice.

08Illustrative scenario

ILLUSTRATIVE — NOT A CLIENT CASE STUDY

A family-owned trading company in Dubai has grown to 40 people. Orders, pricing approvals and supplier payments all wait for the managing director, and nobody can say which product lines make money.

A simple operating model assigns clear owners for sales, procurement and finance, documents the order-to-cash process, sets approval limits and introduces a one-page monthly scorecard. The managing director’s time moves from approvals to customers and suppliers.

09Frequently asked questions

Isn’t this only for large companies?: No. Smaller businesses benefit most, because each unclear role or missing process costs them proportionally more.
How long does it take?: Typically four to eight weeks, depending on size and how much already exists.
Do you implement it?: We can. Business Launch, Technology & Integration and Execution Oversight pick up from here.

Business Strategy & Operating Models