chatting up with Maryam, the founder of #Fairy #Tale #Party
If you want the milestone occasions of your life to be absolutely special, then Maryam and Khaled of The Fairy Tale Party are your go-to people. Whatever your dream for your event, The Fairy Tale Party can bring it to life.
The Fairy Tale Party is located on the first floor of Saar Mall, and offers a wide range of products and services for the most treasured life events – birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, engagement parties, and even weddings.
When we talked with Maryam of the Fairy Tale Party, we saw confidence and passion personified. Read on for select advice from the best in the business.
Please tell us more about yourself, your partner, and your business?
I graduated from NYIT with a professional accounting degree back in 2006, and then pursued my master’s degree in Islamic Financing from De Paul University. I had always been stuck with numbers in my academic and professional life, but felt I had the passion and drive to do something different. I decided to write my own story: The Fairy Tale Party.
My beloved husband, Khaled Alalawi and I turned our shared passion for events planning into a reality, and it became a fairytale worth telling. Back in 2012, we planned our very first event for a family member. It was a huge success, as it brought fresh, new, and unique ideas to the world of events. We decided to launch an Instagram account and create a presence on social media. That helped to expand our existing customer base as we introduced new services.
The Fairy Tale Party is located on the first floor of Saar Mall, and offers a wide range of products and services, such as birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, engagement parties, and even weddings.
What was the motivation and idea behind The Fairy Tale Party?
Our frustration with the limited ideas normally implemented in parties ignited our business. I have seen kids crying over themes and ideas they wanted for their birthdays: a spider’s web, for example, or a princess carriage. We actually make these dreams come true.
Why did you feel that this was something people needed?
It came to our attention that some party planners think primarily about profit; therefore, you see many ideas being repeated. We believe that every customer is unique, and we have the creative touch to make his/her party stand out from the crowd.
Did you choose a specific age group to target?
There is always a little misunderstanding about the age group we target at The Fairy Tale Party. We believe that no one is ever too old to have his/her fairytale come true. We would like to take this opportunity to announce that we will officially start taking requests for engagements and weddings from 1st November, 2015.
What has been the most challenging step in your journey with The Fairy Tale Party since you began?
The most challenging step has been to position The Fairy Tale Party in the market, and to convince customers to believe in our services: the quality, creativity, and human touch we put into our relationship with them. Obviously, there are other challenges that everyone faces—getting licensed, finding the capital, and finding the right place to operate—but all of that felt like nothing when we started seeing the satisfaction in our customers’ eyes.
How do you present yourself differently from competitors in your field?
We present ourselves as the fresh, creative minds, with top-notch party supplies and international standards. We are the guarantors of the ultimate customer experience.
Do you have any future plans for your business? For instance, expanding further?
Yes. We have a strategic plan that we have set until the end of 2017, by which time we are looking forward to having our own events hall. We will start catering from within, and hopefully start taking corporate events as well.
Are you getting support from any organisations in #Bahrain, such as Tamkeen? How is that experience going so far?
We think that with the support we are getting from Tamkeen, we can create another success story.
Do you feel that catering to different and unique tastes is a big challenge in comparison to selling something that caters to all?
It is definitely challenging, but we love challenges. They make us unleash our talent. We previously mentioned that one of the things we disliked about the market was that it kept on repeating itself. We do not want to be one of those planners.
Tell us about your experience managing a business with your significant other.
It is a journey that we hope will take us very far. Our success has happened because we are working together as a team. A bird cannot fly with one wing, and this business cannot grow without having my significant other by my side.
For someone already in your position (or someone who wants to be), what tips do you have?
Never give up. Put your fingerprint on everything you do. Let the customers identify your work without branding it. Entrepreneurship is the best choice you have in the market now. Be creative, be a fighter, and start your own business.
This interview was originally published and conducted by Startup MGZN here: [Link]