Two entrepreneurs who started their venture from an attic now have an annual turnover of £500,000.
Yasin Patel, 38, from Bolton, and Hasan Khan, 45, from Oldham, originally worked together at a charity. United by a shared passion for fragrances, they often discussed their dream of one day launching their own perfume business.
They eventually decided to take the plunge by focusing on importing well-known perfume brands from Dubai and selling them online.
This went well for a few years until many other competitors also entered the market selling the same perfumes and competing on price. This resulted in little or no profits for all parties.
In 2011 the duo decided to launch their own perfume brand with limited funds and by borrowing from friends and family. They launched five perfumes and the business went from strength to strength. Their perfume house Al Aneeq was born.
Hasan spoke about their journey to success and the pitfalls they faced: “We have made many mistakes, from choosing the wrong supplier who charged too much to manufacture perfumes, to choosing fragrances that were unpopular.”
One major setback they experienced was a robbery in Ramadan 2024 when £40,000 of perfumes were stolen by a gang of thieves. It was only by the greatest luck they didn’t lose everything as Yasin had decided to start work at 6am that morning.
“The gang made one round in a transit van and came back for more, and they were warded off by Yasin and a neighbouring business owner,” Hasan explained.
“My business partner sustained some injuries, but luckily one of the gang members left his key in the fight, so the police were able to identify the culprit through DNA but no prosecution has been made to date.
Hasan added. “We have always refrained from getting a loan on interest due to our Islamic faith and have gradually grown over the years, through reinvesting profits and borrowing from others when required.”
Now Al Aneeq has a range of over 100 perfume oils and 20 Eau De Parfum. They are looking to launch another ten perfumes this year.
They are very popular on the Amazon platform and are now building their brand on TikTok shop. They also sell on their own website.
With the perfume market in the UK becoming increasingly saturated, Yasin reflected on their journey: “Every business begins with an idea; our passion for perfumes and the demand for Arabian oriental fragrances inspired us to start the business.
“The early days were difficult. With limited funds and resources, the foundation of the business was laid with a budget of just £250 by each partner.
“We started by sourcing from local suppliers in Manchester, selling online on a website and also in the back of a car outside mosques.
“In 2012 we were invited by Amazon to sell on their platform. We were one of the first sellers of Arabian perfumes on Amazon. We slowly started to see results and business started growing. Now we are based in a secure unit measuring over 2000 square feet.”
Looking back, Yasin is grateful for both the triumphs and the setbacks: “I am grateful for every challenge and success. Our story about our humble beginnings to a thriving business has taught us the power of perseverance and passion.
“I hope our story inspires others to chase their dreams and make a positive impact, no matter where they start.”
