Friday 03 / May / 2024
NAME: Khawla Nasser Khalaf Al Bahri
HOMETOWN: Barka
COMPANY NAME: Prestige
BUSINESS TYPE: Personalised Chocolate for Events
YEAR STARTED: 2015
CLAIM TO FAME: Delicious engraved chocolates
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 1
INSPIRATION: Chocolates and more chocolates
What inspired you to start your business?
I know everyone likes to serve chocolate in their events and celebrations. Be it for birthdays, weddings, or any special occasions, chocolates are must. So I decided to sell chocolates as a home business for these occasions. Since I was not satisfied with the quality of chocolates available in the stores I decided to open my own chocolate factory.
How do you describe your business to your best friends?
I tell them I have chocolates for all their needs.
What’s your favourite product that you sell?
Currently I have four types of chocolate in my small factory. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, free sugar chocolate, and black chocolate.
What was your greatest challenge when you first got started?
The biggest challenge was to have something different, something special that no one else offers in Oman to attract the customers. And I found it. I engrave names and pictures to my chocolates to match each event and I don’t repeat it.
What’s your biggest challenge now that you are up and running?
To keep it up after the novelty. But the demand is stable so we are in the right track.
What do you personally see is your greatest success so far?
My customers are happy with my chocolate and they come back again and again. I consider this as a big success.
What is your dream for your company?
We are very new. We opened in 2015. We want to stabilise first and then become a bigger company in the future.
What do you hope to see as far as the development of your industry as a whole in Oman?
People still import most of the products from outside although they like and prefer local products, because the offer is not big and diverse enough.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business here in Oman, what would it be?
Marketing. As much as you can and in any way. Through social media, word of mouth, and free samples it is important to let people discover you.
If you were chocolate, what kind would you be?
Dark chocolate because I am very sarcastic.
Barka, main road, R & B Building
+968 9790 7712 / +968 9247 7010
Instagram: prestige.chocolate
