“Uncertain times call for a cautious approach to managing work and money. As an entrepreneur, the future is never easy to predict but daily news, observing your work environment and daily lives of people helps you take a macro and micro view and arrive at reasonable conclusions. So, where are we today? Data tells us that there are clear signs of economic contraction and the Government is taking steps to boost growth. But, in trying…
Building your own business can be a truly amazing journey and a life-changing experience. In today’s economy, quite a number of people may think of starting their own business at some point, and become entrepreneurs. Especially, where women are concerned, they may think of working from home, or even turning their passion into a business! But, being an entrepreneur means that you are in control and you have to take the reins. It may not always…
To the founder of Sheroes, Sairee Chahal, the idea of starting a digital networking site occurred when she saw many women around her quitting their jobs over family obligations, the most common one being raising a child. Sairee wanted to show these women that it wasn’t the end of the road for them. She wanted them to be able to share their stories while simultaneously helping them find jobs. A former journalist, Sairee started Sheroes…
On starting a venture aimed at teaching people in India foreign languages, Pranshu Bhandari realised that people who wanted to learn English outnumbered those who wanted to learn a foreign language. When a job application is rejected because somebody has no working knowledge of English, it becomes a necessity. CultureAlley, that Pranshu has co-founded, taps right into it. She founded it with Nishant Patani in 2013. Their HelloEnglish app has brought about significant change in…
There is good news for Indian women entrepreneurs. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) — the pre-eminent voice of the country’s business and industry — has struck a partnership with the Griffith Business School in Australia to work towards enhancing business opportunities among female entrepreneurs in India. The FICCI Ladies’ Organisation (FLO) is spearheading this initiative for the apex industry body, and innovators from the Australian state of Queensland and women…
Anita Sharma was paralysed from the waist below when she was barely six months old and says the happiest moment of her life was when she could finally drive her own car when she turned 28. After calling many driving schools around the country, Anita decided to start her own to help all Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to learn how to drive. On My Own was founded in 2017 in Amritsar, Punjab. The cars that…
Based in Pune, Pooja Apte-Badamikar’s BlinkGreen has caught the attention of people across the country. What is so special about BlinkGreen? They make footwear which is upcycled from tyre scraps. Sourced from a local ragpicker, the tyre scraps mainly belong to trucks and are then upcycled into fashionable footwear by local cobblers and tailors who make it colourful. All the designs are made by Pooja herself. She put things in motion with Rs 50,000 she…
Hailing from Nari, Maharashtra, Godavari Satpute runs her own paper lamp-making business, which she founded in 2009. At 38, she runs her own manufacturing unit in Nari, while also offering employment opportunities to the women in her village. Although her husband lost his job and the family did not have the income to feed their children and keep themselves afloat, Godavari remained determined. But when she spotted a paper lamp at a local market, she…
In a conference held in Mumbai earlier this month, Metropolis Healthcare managing director Ameera Shah has said that starting a small business could be extremely lonely. She shared anecdotes on how her success and failures were affected by mentors or the absence of one, according to reports. Speaking to a group of gathered HR professionals, she said, “Being a woman entrepreneur multiplied the loneliness. Often, you want to reach out to your friends and talk…
A three-day event organised by Tie Global in partnership with the US embassy marked the start of mentorship program AIRSWEEE (All India Roadshow for Women’s Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship) Scale-Up Fellowships last month. Seema Chaturvedi, chairman of AIRSWEEE, said women were more aware of environmental necessities in society as they have generally been addressed as problem solvers in the Indian context. This is why, she said, woman entrepreneurs come up with sustainable ideas. Asked about…