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Sed ut perspiciatis unde.
SubscribeWe’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Farah naz Siddiqui. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Farah naz below.
Farah naz, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
For me success is hard work, consistency , positive attitude and confidence in once talent.
I started in pandemic and things were pretty unpredictable, however I stayed positive and carefully evaluated the risks and opportunities.
I knew if I want to make this a success i will have to push my limits. Along with preparing for the startup, I started reading about charcuterie history and charcuterie businesses. All this gave a great boost to my confidence.
Along with that ,I started my market research for good quality halal charcuterie products , fresh produce, various artisan crakers ,condiments etc. This involved ample amount of time on internet and in markets (observing all covid protocols). I only choose products which I would feed my own family. I try my best to create a perfect blend of best and fresh items on the charcuterie board.
Success is an ongoing process it is to strive to become better version of your craft everyday. This is achieved when you never stop learning ,thus I also learned about food styling ,food combinations, good halal alternates and likewise. With focusing on the food items i give a lot of attention and thought in making it as beautiful and inviting as possible, as they say “You eat with your eyes first”.Having said that I am still learning.
It is never a smooth road to success but being consistent is the key. I have had loads of ups and downs loads of failed designs and it takes extraordinary amount of physical and mental positivity and hardwork to stay on track. Advice- never pass your frustration in your work or your client!
Last but very important part of any success story is transparency and honesty with clients. There are no short cuts and there are no ifs and buts. Give your best to every order, put all the love you can and you will for sure get it back.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I love bringing beauty and character to everything around me. I love food and I love to entertain people in the most beautiful and perfect way possible. I always try to add fun and excitement to whatever I do, be it food or activities. I am a charcuterie artist and I create Halal charcuterie for all kinds, be it spreads, boxes ,boards , custom or themed charcuterie you name it and I try my best to get it made for you in the most beautiful and thoughtful way possible. My grazing boards are tempting and delicious thus I named my business Graze.licious.
It all started during pandemic. I did my certification in event planning and worked as a design consultant for few months when pandemic hit and the world shut down, but not my urge to learn and follow my passion, so I took an online certification for event decor. Luckily, I had a great teacher/mentor who opened our minds towards so many possibilities around us.
I became more and more interested in polishing my talent and starting my own business. I started my search as to what can I do which involves my passion, my creativity and whatever I have learned throughout.
Luckily pandemic gave me ample time to search and dig into potential opportunities and finally found what i was looking for -CHARCUTERIE!
I did all what needed to be done and started my business in November 2020.
Initially I invested in creating charcuterie for family and friends, which was well received and it made me realize how these boards can bring excitement and pleasure around us. Also it helped me make my portfolio over social media.
Couple of months later I got my first order, and the rest is history
I would specially like to mention here that I had some amazing people who supported me, be it family, friends, bloggers, influencers, or other small business owners.
I strongly believe that learning is a never ending process so for me everyday is about exploring new ideas and pushing oneself to bring betterment in ones craft.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I strongly believe in hard work and honesty towards one’s crafts and sincerity towards the clients. What ever much I have earned in terms of clientele or reputation is the result of immense hard work, alnighters, running a one man show, starting work in earliest hours, testing ones physical and mental strength and of course my passion towards my craft.
You need to understand how important the quality of your product is in building your reputation. Each and every detail needs to be well thought through it has to taste good and also look good. Never compromise on quality and train yourself to create beauty within your work and also learn to say NO when needed , If you can’t maintain quality and beauty in a certain budget never accept the order. You can always make changes and work around the budget if you communicate well and honestly with your clients.
I always believe that which ever way you potray your business only that kind of customers you will attract. So make it lavish ,make it chic and make it lux.
Another important factor in creating a good reputation is how you convey your message across. Sound communication skills goes a long way.
Above all my clients are a blessing for me and I try my best to deliver more than they expected. I love to surprise my clients – ofcourse in a delightful way.
I add surprises , I add layers of tastes and textures to my charcuterie, I take note of my client’s wants and try my best to create something which is fit for that particular client.None of my boards are identical and you will get somthing new and fun everytime you order my products.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
In my experience social media is the strongest and most efficient means of growing one’s clientele. I am still in the process of creating more content and introducing more products to target more and more audience through social media.
You need to go out there and market you product through which ever opportunity comes your way. Try to create PR packages for influencers, market your product to those who have a good following on social media. Take part in your local small business society.
Try to create and bring innovation to your product, and work on creating interesting content to keep the audience attracted.
Word of mouth, is another very important factor in increasing the clientele, Try and give your best for all your products and you will see your clientele increase gradually.
Collab with other small businesses as it will benefit both the parties. Always support other small businesses be it your own competitor, I believe if you give good you will receive it back many folds.
I seriously believe that the most important source is your own work and talent. If your work or your product oozes class,quality and finesse you are already a winner.
You have to learn to understand the customer and deliver accordingly, this takes time and you will learn along the way.
I am so thankful to the community, friends ,family and ofcourse my clients who have supported me and helped me built a good clientele.
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