Despite only launching in 2019 and having to negotiate their way through a global pandemic, Dubai-based start-up Black and Blanc has so far come up smelling of roses.
The brand specialises in prestigious flower arrangements, which are inspired by the passion for floristry, interior design and well-known French fashion houses.
Founder Hamed Eslamian shares his inspiration behind the concept with Arabian Business and reveals growth plans for the future.
When did you come up with the idea of Black and Blanc or realise there was a gap in the market for the business?
The first time I got to know about the idea of Black and Blanc was on one of my trips to Paris. I saw the idea and instantly knew there was a big gap in the Middle East market for this product, from the high-quality Infinity roses arranged in a very minimalistic design, I immediately knew this could be a very successful product and a winning idea in the region. However, we didn’t look at this idea as a regional business.
From day one we wanted to grow the business internationally and every step we took from day one was considering this aspect of the business.
Is the company bootstrapped or have you raised capital from investors? Can you take us through your funding journey?
The business was initially bootstrapped with a very small amount of initial investment. However, after some time and after seeing a very fast growth in the business, we did raise some capital from family and friends to further expand the business in the region.
With regards to our future plans, we are looking for further investment from an angel investor to further expand our presence in the physical retail industry and establishing a distribution hub in Europe.
With regards to our future plans, we are looking for further investment from an angel investor to further expand our presence in the physical retail industry and establishing a distribution hub in Europe.
Tell me about your expansion plans?
After having a strong presence online, we have realised that there are still customers who prefer to make physical purchases in stores. Therefore we are considering some plans to open a couple of stores in the region and as mentioned we are also looking to open our distribution hub in one of the European countries.
Where would you like to see the company in the next five years?
Our long-term plan is to turn Black and Blanc from an online flower store to a gift marketplace. We have the experience and we have the knowledge in this area and we are planning to bring other retailers with a similar product under the same umbrella.
What advice would you give anyone looking to start their own business in the region?
I think a lot of young entrepreneurs are very hesitant about starting their own business. I know the market is not very stable and I know there are very large competitors in the market in every industry, however there is always chance for improvement once you have a good product accompanied with a good service.
And you don’t need to compete with the biggest players in the markets. You could start with a very niche product in a very niche market and slowly expand your products and service offerings.
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