Another month, another inspiring entrepreneurship story from our Talent Community, and this month, we are embarking on a flavor journey to discover the authentic taste of Algeria, right here in the heart of Helsinki!
Meet Iness Belleili, former Spark Program participant and Founder of Dziri, a catering service that dedicates to bringing the rich heritage of Algerian cuisine to the vibrant city of Helsinki. Dziri also boasts a delectable Instagram feed, filled with mouth-watering photos of classic Algerian dishes and guaranteed to intrigue your taste buds.
an idea years in the making
Although Dziri was only officially established last year, Iness has been hard at work growing the business gradually and already scored some loyal customers. Most notably, she has provided catering for multiple events by Startup Refugees and collaborated with other food entrepreneurs (and fellow Spark alumni!) to serve signature Algerian lunches at Oma Maa café. The original idea behind Dziri, however, was conceived way before then.
“I got the idea during an entrepreneurship class at Business College Helsinki and I’ve been developing it ever since. I got the chance to test my products for the first time at the Christmas Market last December,” Iness shared. After a few years of defining and refining the initial idea, and with the help she received from the Spark Program, she decided to take the leap, and we’re immensely proud that she did.
(Psst! If you are reading this before September 10th 2024, Iness will be providing light catering for our Spark Program Opening Day on that day too! We love to support our community!)
Wonderful breakfast spread by Dziri at Startup Refugees’ event (Source: Dziri)
focusing on the best customer segment
As the founder of a small and growing business, we asked Iness to share what she considered to be the biggest lessons and takeaways she has gathered on her entrepreneurship journey so far. Her message is clear and simple: “The biggest event doesn’t necessarily mean the more profit. Focusing on understanding your best customer segment is the best way to grow your business.”
She continued by talking about her recent experience at one of the biggest annual entertainment events in the Helsinki capital region – Flow Festival. A great number of customers visited Dziri’s booth, and with the scale of the event, Iness came in with certain expectations regarding profitability.
“We had more than 1500 guests visiting our tent and we expected to make a certain number of profit, but we didn’t due to several reasons.”
Despite this, Iness is still grateful for the whole experience, as it taught her “invaluable lessons about scaling operations, managing a large number of customers, and the importance of adaptability and coming up with a back up plan in unexpected situations.” She’s also more than happy to share these lessons in more details with other members of The Shortcut’s Talent Community, so do reach out and connect with her if you’re interested!
In the meantime, what’s the next step for Dziri? Currently, Iness is simply focusing on growing the business bit by bit, with the goal of taking more and more people in Helsinki on a culinary trip to experience Algerian cuisine and culture!
Author & Editor: Evan Bui
Dziri’s booth at Flow Festival 2024. (Source: Iness Belleili)
Check out our latest blog posts:
Entrepreneur of the Month: Iness Brings Algerian Taste to Helsinki with Dziri
Meet Iness Belleili, former Spark Program participant and Founder of Dziri, a catering service that dedicates to bringing the rich heritage of Algerian cuisine to the vibrant city of Helsinki.
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