Bonbons Factory offers Belgian halal chocolate hampers

Dutch Moroccan Hanan Ouald Chaib, who sells halal chocolate bonbons, says, “This small gift does a lot for people’s hearts. I truly believe that chocolates connect. Not just my bonbons… when you have chocolate, you eat and enjoy it. There is silence for a moment, you drink a cup of tea or coffee with it and have a good talk with your company. Lovely!”

Her company, Bonbons Factory, sells halal-certified Belgian bonbons and is spanking new. She started it as a hobby in December 2016, but registered it officially on April 1 this year.

She became an entrepreneur after a few bleak years where she couldn’t find work as a recent university graduate. “It became clear that finding a steady job was not an option because of the bad labour market in the Netherlands and the prejudices towards women with a full hijab, abaya and head cover. Sitting at home would drive me to depression, so I knew I had to start something for myself,” she recalls.

Photo: Hanan Ouald Chaib, Bonbons Factory's franchise owner, Netherlands / Courtesy of Bonbons Factory

For someone who claims to have had little knowledge about social media, entrepreneurship or bonbons (other than they were delicious), Hanan dove right in.

When she heard that there was an opening for a franchiser for halal bonbons, she immediately applied for the job. “For me it felt like I was waiting for one year, but in reality it was only three or four days. When I heard they picked me, Allahu Akbar, I cried and got my prayer blanket and thanked God. I knew this would be a beginning of something. What precisely, I didn’t know yet,” recalls Hanan.

Photo: Some of Hanan's halal chocolate bonbons / Courtesy of Bonbons Factory

In order to earn the franchise for halal chocolates, she had to sell 50 boxes of them as quick as possible. “I had no money, so my husband paid for the first delivery. …I signed myself on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and so on. In less than a week, I sold all the 50 boxes. I was so proud and felt grateful,” she says.

Less than three months old, Bonbons Factory is thriving. Hanan says the biggest order was 50 kg for a wedding. She says she invests a lot of time, money and creativity in decorations, new boxes and marketing. At the recent halal expo in Eindhoven in April 2017, she said she got a lot of compliments for her stall and made a few potentially major clients.

Photo: One of Hanan's displays / Courtesy of Bonbons Factory

“Everyday is a challenge to stay and act like a Muslimah and a businesswoman. I am and remain a servant of God, and in the end I will only take my actions with me. And I also take that into account as a businesswoman.

“Everyday, I learn something new. I work very hard, and sometimes I sell nothing. I stay positive because at other times I make profit. I worry about the investment, and I have a few sleepless nights. What I am doing may seem easy, but I work very hard.” She says she has learnt the value of listening to her customers. For her, the challenge is not just about selling, but about showing her creativity to the world. “And I love to share everything. If someone asks me where I buy my bowls, I don’t make it a secret! Whatever I wish for myself, I wish for another, Alhamdulillah,” says Hanan.

Photo: A sample of Bonbons Factory's gift box for Eid / Courtesy of Bonbons Factory

She says she has learnt that running your own business seems easier than it actually is. She spends hours in shops alone to get inspired. While she browses products and shop displays, she thinks and makes mental pictures of designs and tries to visualise the end products.

Her goal as a businesswoman is to eventually open a physical shop in the Netherlands for her bonbons. “And my dream is to have one in Dubai Mall next to the Cheesecake Factory, or a department in the Cheesecake Factory, where people can come and connect.”

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