Meet Ms. Batool Dadabhai, Founder of Affinity by Batool
Fashion always remained my true passion. Even after I joined a corporate division of Dadabhai Group, you could find me designing and participating in fashion exhibitions. Working at Arabian Neon was more of a learning process for me. It made me understand the corporate side of business and that has helped a lot in managing Affinity by Batool.
If you ask me who is my greatest influence in business, I would say it’s my dad. He is the one who saw that my passion lied elsewhere from the corporate world and encouraged me to pursue it and believed in my abilities.
Three years ago, when I thought of starting Affinity by Batool, it wasn’t easy. The economy was declining and perhaps it was not the right time for anyone to start a new venture, but I knew it was NOW or NEVER. I had to take the leap and it all happened because of the enormous support I had from my dad and my family. With them at my sides, I knew that nothing could stop me!
That’s how Affinity by Batool became a reality. We are a Bahraini fashion house – a multi designer store and production unit all under one roof, focusing on being creative and unique. For me, teamwork is the most important criteria for any business because no one person has all the solutions. I always look for bringing in more creative minds to add value to my team.
My perspective in life is that making a mistake is not the end of the road; it is a beginning as a new lesson is learned. The growth of a woman in workplace depends on both the male and female factors around her. If they are supportive and open minded, then nothing can stop her from reaching her true potential.
To everyone who is looking forward to start a business, I would always advice you to first understand the positives and negatives before jumping into it. Its always better to be an employee before being an employer as it is a learning path that no one should deprive themselves from.
