Dotted with surprises

Naadia Mirza was quite disappointed when no one surprised her on her sixteenth birthday. However, this ignited the creative spark in her and soon, she started ‘Dottedi’, a ‘surprise store’. Started in 2010, ‘Dottedi’ helps people surprise their near-and-dear ones on their special days.  She began printing flyers and putting them up at shops. Soon, she started getting orders and her dream turned into reality.

Naadia’s inspiration comes from the basic joy of gifting and creating experiences straight from the heart. “From greeting cards, gift items to birthday cakes, we ensure that people have a great time,” explains Naadia.

Her talent, cutting-edge style and impeccable service leads and supports the enthusiastic team of ‘Dottedi’, which comprises events consultants, surprise consultants, customer care buddies and ‘operation-elves’! “We are always on the hunt for the best bakeries and restaurants as we want our clients to have the perfect surprise. Today, we have over 79 unique scrumptious gourmet products and offer a variety of cakes; from theme-based to exotic, tier and mini cup-cakes,” she says.

“For us, the customer comes first and it is through this principle that we have established a hard-working, customer-centric team that goes out of its way to make sure that one savours the best experience on their special day. We also take pride in being a collaborative start-up where everyone’s input is vital,” says Naadia.

People are apprehensive to give new ventures to try and this is one of the challenges she faces. She also feels that sometimes, people do not take her seriously as she is a woman entrepreneur.

The team, however, believes in hard work and commitment. “We burn the midnight oil and our work speaks for itself. Now, we are a team of ten and organise many fun-filled events. We are neither a local bakery nor a gift shop. So the challenge lies in trying to make the consumers understand and pre-plan their orders. We believe in the joy of gifting with a personal touch,” Naadia sums up.

She plans to expand the business to other cities and continue to plan special surprises for people.