Startup of the Week: Improve your well-being with Hobby House Qatar's wide range of unique workshops!

Sonkie

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Every Thursday, ILQ features a different Qatari startup in our ‘Startup of the Week’ segment. Qatar has some of the most creative, unique, and impactful startups in the region, and we cover them all across a variety of industries in Doha—from fashion and beauty, to food and dining, health, education, technology, and more!

This week, we're learning something new and productive while meeting new friends with Hobby House Qatar (HHQ)—a Doha-based pop-up creative & business workshop service for adults.

HHQ collaborates with artists around Doha to provide them with the opportunity to share their knowledge of the art form they’re masters of. As HHQ's workshops are hosted at local homegrown entities, most of which are run by young entrepreneurs, one of the young company's ultimate goals is to help foster, nurture, and grow new talents.

Founded by Qatar expat of 13 years Rochelle Zonnenberg in 2016, HHQ offers workshops that are unique and aren't widely available anywhere else within the country.

Some of HHQ's past workshops include latte art, coffee cupping (tasting), the art of plating, dine & dye (a natural dyeing workshop), home interior styling and design, etc.

Our workshops cater to a small number of people as we focus on the quality of information and the experience delivered," said Rochelle who also shared that the business is a product of her own search and frustration to find a find a one-stop shop that teaches new artistic skills and enhances existing ones.

When asked about the relevance of HHQ to the people of Qatar, Rochelle has this to say:

"Qatar has a constant influx of people every year that come in looking to start a new life, make new friends, and build relationships. We cater to such new, old and local residents by providing them with an artistic experience that is educational, fun and relaxing. With limited entertainment options available within the country, our workshops offer people the convenience of picking up a craft that they could indulge in during their free time thus giving them purpose and an outlet to unwind as we strongly believe this increases their overall well-being and quality of life."

She also believes that the adult mind needs ways to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. "It is an absolute must in order for us to function at our optimal level."

For this, some sort of foreign stimulation is required, according to the mom of two. "And exploring an art form and picking up a hobby is one of the best ways to do so."

Rochelle is also kind enough to share the advantages of enrolling with HHQ instead from its almost endless number of competitors which offer the same services in Qatar:

HHQ's workshops focus on skill and techniques and all participants learn and complete a project with a 3-hour time frame
HHQ offers tailored basic and advanced workshops that are specifically developed for working people and busy stay at home moms
HHQ's workshops are hassle-free and can be booked at a click of a button via our website. All information is listed on the site like workshop details, location, and cost, etc.
The cost of an HHQ workshop includes a kit and tools to take home + refreshments

Referring to benefit that Qatar is getting from startups such as HHQ, Rochelle said that as the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup in history is a melting pot of culture and diverse talent, a platform like HHQ effortlessly provides the exchange of ideas and expertise considering the increase in traffic of newly-launched businesses around Doha.

In a nutshell, HHQ is quite simply an artistic hub that creates an ecosystem for artists and small businesses to thrive. It's where knowledge, crafts, and expertise are exchanged with the aim of getting people to step out of their digital comfort and make real connections.

Rochelle's team conducts workshops in various locations in Qatar and sessions are priced starting from QR 100 to QR 400 depending on the type of workshop and number of participants. They also host free workshops monthly.