Huzaifa Mufaddal Ali, the owner of Art of Dates, holds over 3 years of expertise in sales and owns multiple businesses. His company excels in offering top-notch products, which are equally tasty too!
Apart from owning Art of Dates, his interest lies in the Real Estate industry, and he plans to expand the business in the same direction. Learn more about Huzaifa and his journey through this interview below.
Starting The Career
We were interested to learn about the career journey of Huzaifa and the inspiration which led him to today’s position. So we asked, “Which career path led you to where you are today?”
Huzaifa shared, “I was a regular student preparing for my college final year when I realized I did not want to work a 9-5 job. I wanted to realize my potential through entrepreneurship. I started my business with the ambition of being my boss.”
“What inspired you to develop the idea for your company?”
“I have always had a major sweet tooth. Desserts were always my favorite part of a meal, and my love for them pushed me to put my spin on desserts. As a Muslim, I followed the Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings very closely, and I learned about his love for dates from his teachings. So, combining these two inspirations led to the creation of the Art of Dates.” Huzaifa replied.
Business Priorities
The priorities in a business change over the years with the changing situations. We asked, “How have your priorities in terms of business evolved since you first started?”
Huzaifa shared, “When I started this business, all I had with me was the knowledge I obtained through my studies, and being a newcomer in the market, I soon realized that I had to prove myself quickly to keep up with my competitors.
I prioritized growing my business over leisure and took every opportunity to grow my company. Sometimes I had to prioritize my work over my relationships, but my family’s support never faltered.”
Challenges In The Industry And Keys To Overcome
Every company experiences some challenges in its course of functioning, and what helps them move forward matters the most! So we asked, “What are the most challenging situations your company overcomes?”
He shared, “In the challenging situations, we struggled with mostly everything, marketing, sales, accounts, but with time, I learned everything and started to overcome it slowly by developing many skills.”
“What’s the key strength to overcome it?”
Huzaifa replies, “As a detail-oriented person, I focus on the small things that matter. So by focusing on important details, I strived to perfect my brand. I overcame the challenge of marketing my business by finding key players who could cooperate with me and using their creativity to strengthen this brand image.
Also, I had to learn many new skills, to help develop the different aspects of the brand, which is a company there is a team to do, an entrepreneur is an accountant, the Salesman, the HR, the PR, and the Boss.”
Unique Features
All businesses have features that make them stand out from the crowd and be unique. We asked, “What makes your company stand out from all the other businesses in your industry?”
“I believe that our concept and our products are the unique aspects of my business. While other luxury brands do sell various high-quality dates, our company not only sells high-quality dates but also offers incredibly unique and delicious fillings. How I have incorporated an aspect of my Indian heritage with a part of my Saudi Arabian culture sets my business apart in this industry.” Huzaifa shared.
Current Services Of The Company
We were intrigued to learn about the services offered by Huzaifa’s company so that our readers might find it helpful. So we asked, “Tell us something about your services. What are you working on now?”
He replied, “We are working on making Dates a part of your daily lifestyle by promoting it as a healthy alternative to sugary snacks. And rather than only serving dates on occasions, we want to encourage the incorporation of Dates in your everyday meals.”
“Not only are we promoting it as a healthy replacement for sugary snacks, but pre work out protein drinks as well which are filled with chemicals whereas dates are a natural source of sugar and energy.” Huzaifa further added.
Building Bond With Employees
Good relations with all the employees encourage them to perform better and uplift the company. So we asked, “How do you build trust with your employees to boost productivity without causing burnout?”
“I believe being a good listener is the best way to gain an employee’s confidence. By listening to their feedback, problems, and ideas, I strive to gain their trust, and by helping them overcome said problems and acknowledging their ideas, I strive to boost their productivity.” Huzaifa shared.
Adapting To the Latest Technologies
With technological advancements, businesses must adapt to the latest trends and technology to compete better. We asked, “How do you stay on top of new technologies and trends in your industry?”
Huzaifa shared, “We frequently and regularly study the market and our customer’s needs, and we try to always provide them with products that are hard to come by in this industry, such as customizable gift boxes.”
Advice To Beginner Entrepreneurs
The beginners find it inspiring to hear the stories of successful business owners, and even a tiny piece of advice would be helpful for them. So we asked, “What advice would you give starting entrepreneurs?”
He shared, “One thing I would advise a starting entrepreneur is always seek advice from those who have experience. Even though you might not be able to act on all the advice you receive, you can form your plans based on them.”
Connect with Huzaifa Mufaddal Ali on LinkedIn.
Find Art of Dates on Instagram.
