Elli Kasbi, founder of Dubai-based Elli Junior, recently spoke with reporters about her personal investment approach and how she grew her baby product company from the ground up. After moving to Dubai nine years ago, the former corporate account manager opened Elli Junior in 2017, filling a gap in the market for sustainably-produced designer baby products. Kasbi leveraged her experience working with SME customers to connect with Swedish brands and acquire exclusivity rights for the Middle East market.
Despite obstacles such as limited resources and a small budget in a highly competitive market, Elli Junior has grown into a platform that offers over 300 brands. Kasbi attributes her success to understanding customer needs and having the correct product assortment. With minimal marketing spend and through word of mouth, she has expanded her business by adding online and offline marketplaces, her own organic product range, and a nursery interior design service.
Kasbi, a mother of two young daughters, remarked that while it is hard to save money in Dubai, it is important to stay grounded and be sensible with money. She does not own credit cards or like long payment terms, and believes it is important to have savings in place for education and an emergency buffer. Kasbi is also very traditional in her investment approach, primarily investing in gold and real estate.
Looking to the future, Kasbi plans to continue to grow Elli Junior and eventually exit the company to invest in and help other entrepreneurs. She also hopes to retire one day in Thailand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elli Junior gained strength as Kasbi’s online business model enabled her to help small businesses that had recently opened to sell locally-made products via her marketplace. Kasbi’s story highlights the importance of understanding customer needs and steadily building one’s business through hard work and smart investing.

عبدالرحمان زمین پیما
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آرمان جعفری
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