There goes a popular adage — “little hinges swing big doors.” The world of start-ups runs on this ideology. Look around: A vast majority of entrepreneurs were after all a bunch of ordinary folks who decided to take that plunge when risk was at its peak.
Deccan Chronicle explores what makes these young professionals jump into the world of business.
‘Believe in yourself and push your boundaries’
Mitali Tandon, 30 years
(Founder of ‘Morning Fresh’, India’s first natural hangover-detox drink targeted at millennials aged 21–40 years as well as health enthusiasts actively seeking natural solutions to maintain their work–fun balance).
Entrepreneurs who start early, as I did, have made enough mistakes by the time they are 30-years-old. By then, you’ve put yourself in enough situations to understand your strengths and limitations.
You also smarten up about your work and thinking and learn that more than the idea or approach to, it is consistency that works,” says Mitali.
Mitali used the advantage of her age to better gauge the pulse of her target consumers. “I have always wanted to create a natural detox drink that protects the liver, flushes out toxins and keeps you fresh after a night out,” she tells us.
“With a strong focus on wellness, our formulation has been designed to be caffeine-sugar-and-gluten-free — keeping our customers’ healthy lifestyle at the forefront.”
Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs:
1. Be consistent.
2. Zoom in and out of your business when you need to and believe in yourself.
3. Don’t be disappointed if others don’t understand you.
4. Stay versatile at work so you can keep finding avenues that help you learn, grow and push your boundaries.
Time to blossom
Jhelum Biswas Bose, 39 years
(Founder of ‘Jhelum Loves’ that creates products based on Bach flower therapy, aroma remedies and chakra healing theories, personalised as per individual needs).
Entrepreneur Jhelum Biswas Bose, who also calls herself flower witch, believes that when one is prepared, the pathways just show up.
An erstwhile English literature student who aspired to be a teacher and realised she didn’t have the patience for the job!
Jhelum first worked as a beauty editor and then a marketing head of a beauty giant for 10–12 years cumulatively before becoming a freelance writer. Later, she began exploring alternative remedies.
“Soon, I decided to make it a career, where I was not only healing myself but also creating skin and haircare products that healed others emotionally,” says Jhelum.
Thus began her organic move into entrepreneurship. “I created just one product with honey, which amassed a lot of appreciation. Then, the orders kept coming in, and that’s how ‘Jhelum Loves’ came about,” she adds.
Jhelum believes she found mental stability in her 30s. “Despite the risks of leaving the comforts of a regular job and perhaps unsettling your family life, starting entrepreneurship in your 30s is rewarding because you haven’t still lost your zeal. Moreover, by then, you’ve reached an age when you can judge things objectively,” she adds.
Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs:
1. Be well-versed in the area you want to create your enterprise in.
2. Get your finances, legalities and licenses in order.
3. Don’t rely blindly on those helping you.
4. Keep upskilling — be prepared to study and update your knowledge.
5. Stay alert and wise to changes around you — it’s what you need when you run a successful business.
Labour of love
Nibhrant Shah, 35 years
(Founder and CEO of Isprava Luxury Homes)
While many entrepreneurs believe that instincts to venture out on your own and clarity comes with time, Nibhrant Shah, believes otherwise.
“While I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, I knew the advantages of having experience,” states Nibhrant, who used his experience as an investment banker in New York and London to nurture and sharpen skills and character traits such as discipline, hard work and business acumen.
Then in 2013, he longed to escape his hectic life and seek a place offering tranquillity and luxury. Looking for a perfect home away from home, a getaway to Goa became the first chapter of his ever-evolving entrepreneurial story.
“Goa then was marred by gated communities, complicated paperwork and lax regulations, where purchasing a home was an ordeal. And the homes lacked a feeling of authenticity and exclusivity,” he remembers.
“So we made it our USP to offer a hassle-free purchase experience, taking away our buyers’ pain-points — from paperwork and procuring licenses to designing and construction.”
Since then, Nibhrant has celebrated tremendous success by crafting homes with the brand’s signature aesthetics, furnishings, facilities and amenities, their concierge service, seamless purchase experience, etc.
For Nibhrant, the experience and insights he gained in his 30s definitely helped in manoeuvring through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
“The experience, expertise, financial resources and backing that you lack in your 20s to support your business, you have just the right amount of all of those in your 30s. Then, there is the enthusiasm and the sheer hunger to achieve big goals, not giving in to any excuses and pushing yourself harder to do better,” he says.
Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs:
1. As an entrepreneur, you’re always on the move — working, thinking about your business — whether you’re at a business meeting or networking at a social event.
2. Incorporate meaningful structure and plan for your life — end your day by summing up everything that went right and wrong in it and prioritising your next day.
3. Choose a day in the week, perhaps Sunday, to note down the positive things that happened. List out your short- and long-term tasks so you can build some structure around your work.
Dream chasers
Cheenu Kala, 33 years
(Founder of Rubans Accessory)
Cheenu Kala’s is the rags-to-riches story that could inspire every enterprising wide-eyed youngster to take the plunge. She tells us how she left home when she was 15-years-old, with merely Rs 300 in her pocket.
“I had to pretty much fend for myself, learning things the hard way,” she says. Then with a chuckle, she adds, “I don’t think I even knew the spelling of ‘entrepreneurship’ then but I knew I wanted to be successful, which during my initial days meant getting three meals a day. I wanted to be the best, whether it was as a door-to-door sales girl, floor manager for an apparel store or part-time waitress.”
But what Cheenu walked away with from those difficult times was experience, which became her biggest asset.
“I developed a keen sense of consumer understanding while working as a salesperson in the apparel store. For instance, I’d guess what customers were looking for by their turn out and would suggest options based on their fashion sensibility and give them their own space to discuss and decide what to buy.”
Cheenu would go on to realise that this consumer understanding was a subject in MBA curricula, called ‘Consumer Behaviour’.
When she decided it was time to be an entrepreneur, she founded ‘Fonte Corporate Solutions’, a company that specialised in corporate merchandising.
But with her innate interest in fashion, in 2016, she started Fonte Fashions India Pvt Ltd — parent company of Rubans Accessories — to bridge the gap between customer expectation and products sold in the market, offering jewellery for everyone and every occasion, in over thousand designs in western and ethnic jewellery, at suitable price points.
Cheenu also believes that 30s is the best age to do anything new. “It sets in the right balance of experience, exposure, confidence and risk-taking,” she asserts.
Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs:
1. Pursue what you are passionate about because passion gives purpose to life.
2. When starting your entrepreneurial journey, don’t keep options — no Plan B’s. If you do fall, fall forwards, not backwards, so you see where you are falling.
3. Develop the ability to thrive in chaos because then the journey will be exciting, no matter if you are in your 30s or not.
Business before pleasure
Hari Singh, 38 years
(Owner of Briggs Brewery, Bengaluru’s first home-grown craft beer)
Hari Singh talks about how the brand hopes their array of unique and international collection of craft beers serves as the bridge between stories among patrons, serving the perfect mug of cold beer as they swap conversations and build relationships.
“I’ve always believed that the best stories unfold over a great beer,” states Hari, who previously worked in the corporate world for five years. Someone who always wanted to run his own firm, Hari started a couple of businesses, with zero investment and watched them sink.
“However, the learning experience helped me make correct decisions. It’s truly been a long battle of patience and persistence that got me to where I’m today.”
As for being in his 30s, an age perceived to be quite flexible in manoeuvring the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, Hari believes age is just a number. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in the 20s, 30s or older. What matters is if you are mentally, emotionally and physically aligned with your passion and in managing your ups and downs,” he adds.
“That being said, I do believe that in my 30s, I’ve actually started learning and thinking about every decision, every risk. And it’s an added advantage that you work with today’s youth, who’s constantly teaching you fresh ideas, innovativeness, patience and persistence,” he says.
