Lets Register

When I decided to get a commercial registration, I didn’t have a clue on how this is done and what the requirements were, to get one.

As I was told, by some friends, I needed to have 3 names ready in order to name my company (little did they know).  After some soul searching I chose the 3 names and decided to try my luck.

So, first, I went to the Ministry of Commerce and I saw a security guy who was operating the   machine that gives you a number-ticket. I told him that I wanted to have a registration for business.

The first thing he asked me was: “Do you have the money?”, “Do you have the capital?”, “What is your capital?”. I told him, yes I do, but what are the requirements?
He then forwarded me to another guy and then the second one asked me the same thing again and again!Then someone else told me that first I need to book a name for my company.

I was sent out of the building where there are two little offices that they do all the documentation required before registering anything.
The “office” was like 25 square meters and there were like 20 people in it trying to do different things. I went in and thought: “Oh my God, when will I finish?”

So I stood in a corner, just where the door opens and closes on you, with people walking in and out and waited till the girl became free. I don’t know why there are no proper offices to book names, really, these little offices are not supported with good access and they are particularly uncomfortable, especially for girls! And it is extra difficult in the month of June!

I guess they know that we have to go there and there is no other place to go to for such procedures, so they don’t care much on how comfortable their clients are!

The girl came to me and I told her I need to book a name for my company. She typed the name and said to me “you can’t have this name, it’s taken”. As I was prepared for such a situation I gave her the second name and she said the same! When my third option was rejected as well, I was in shock.  I had to spend like 30 minutes going in and out, consulting with friends, giving her different names and her saying that I can’t have them as they are taken! Shock!

I walked out of the office frustrated, helpless, disappointed and most importantly without a name for my company! I remember asking myself, how do people do it and why can I not get it done?!

I then had to go back home make another list of different names, much longer this time.

Apparently there are separate categories of names and their use. Names including the word “Oman”, have their own (much higher) fees. Names with the word “International” or “National) have different fees too.

So I had to squeeze my brain and find something that no one had, or a name that has not been used by anyone and at the same time it represented what I wanted to achieve with my company.

The next day I was happily back to the Ruwi traffic! And of course back to that little office again! The heat was still unbearable, the boys were still looking and pushing their way but I was decided to get the job done.

However, luck was not on my side once again. All the names that I gave her were all taken! What a catastrophe! I found out that I can NOT have names that don’t have an equivalent Arabic meaning or cannot be found in the Arabic dictionary!

I was limited and felt like somebody had slapped me! I left the office for the second time in a row frustrated, helpless and disappointed! The heat was killing me and I started seriously believing that there is no point in me getting involved with business at all.

When I went to my car I took a few minutes to recollect my thoughts and myself. Suddenly a beautiful, yet unusual name came to my head! And it was appealing, and yes, it had an Arabic equivalent. I said this is it and parked the car again and went for yet another round of that dinky office. And yes, you guessed well, I got the name booked. And finally I had the name for  my first company.

Although I thought my troubles had finished, the girl, good friend of mine by now, said that they had not. I had only confirmed that no one else could use this name, but it was not mine yet. I had to go home and wait for a message on my mobile, only then confirming that I got the name for myself.

After that, I took my slip and drove home waiting, once again, for my destiny to be decided by someone else! It is just a name for God’s sake! The same evening I received a message that the name had been approved and it was all mine (yaaay – big smile).

The next morning I had to go and get my ticket number from the same security guy, again. I patiently waited for my turn and I was observing how other young Omani men and women, were moving about the place, full of a purpose that somehow, I did not have. How do they know where to go? How do they know whom to ask? 

After sometime, my number showed up on the screen, so I approached the man and as i was waiting to get the registration, I was asked about my activities. What activities? Do I choose from a list or do I make them up myself? Such a frustration! I was not taught these things neither in school nor in the nursing college! But I managed by telling him what I want to do, he helped me in putting it as it should be in the papers.

Once all this was done and I started feeling more optimistic about life, they told me about municipality approval! What? Why do I need municipality approval? And for what?

Apparently, I was supposed to have an office allocated with a rental agreement and a sign board! Are you kidding me? How can I have a rental agreement without knowing if I can do the business? What if I don’t get the approval? Then I will have to pay that money?! It just did not make sense. Not any sense, just common sense. 

I went back home with my new registration happily and although very tired, I was very excited. I had achieved something. 

What comes next? How to get it done? In the ministry they didn’t have anyone to tell you what to do? Where do I ask? All they asked me there was about my activities (still laughing about it) and my capital.

They documented it down in the computer and printed the registration for me. No advisors for new business owners, no consultants, nothing! Were we not supposed to have an “information package”, a consultant, someone to guide us through?  Maybe some of us are not as smart as others.  But we do want to learn.  And we will. 

Only by asking around, I realized that I had to go to the Chamber of Commerce and collect a membership certificate. I had no clue about and no one told me about it (what’s new?)!

In the end, I went to my friend who knows a lawyer and showed him what I have and asked him to help me. 

He looked at my registration and pointed out “But this is not an L.L.C? You need an L.L.C for your business”! What? So my registration and my effort is gone just like that? He said no, this registration is a single owner registration and I could use it in many things but for a business agency, as I originally intended, it is better if I have an L.L.C.

So, I kept the registration, for which I had paid almost 150 rials, in a file and had to start another registration, through a lawyer’s office.  Very useful first lesson indeed and quite an expensive one too...