As told to Anahita Masters
1. Tell us a little about your venture Superscribe. How long ago did you start up? What has been your motivation and what do you aim to achieve?
In this age of information and era of digital marketing, pull marketing takes precedence over traditional marketing more often than not. And pull marketing needs great content – not only to thrive, but also to survive. This is where Superscribe steps in.
We started off as Superscribe Content Writing Services back in 2009. We were one of the first digital content specialists in the country.At the time, our product offering was fresh, engaging content for websites, blogs, and reviews,aligned with online marketing strategies.
In 2016, the business evolved into Superscribe Content Solutions, where we have expanded ourbouquet of services to include content strategy, content marketing, and additional forms of content, including text, infographics, videos, and more.
2. Where did the inspiration for writing and content development come from?
Ever since I could remember, I loved writing in all forms – poetry, fiction, articles, speeches, et al. So, when the opportunity arose to write professionally, my curiosity was piqued. Today, we work with a team of more than 50 writers, editors, and infographic designers across the country.
My educational and professional background in Marketing helps me understand brands to make the content we create consumable by the target audience.
3) How has your experience been so far, with setting up anentrepreneurship business in Mumbai? Are there forums for women entrepreneurs to connect and support one another?
Mumbai is undoubtedly amongst the best cities in India to set up shop. There are a number of online forums targeted towards women entrepreneurs;however, I have found that many of them eventually go off-track and turn into platforms for members to market their products. There are a few goodplatforms focussed on the Bengaluru geography that actively support women-led start-ups.
4. How easy/ tough has it been for you, as a woman entrepreneur, to scale up your business?
I have never encountered gender-based discrimination from clients in the digital industry. As far as scaling up is concerned, the challenge lies more on the talent acquisition front.
5) Do you think being a woman entrepreneur worked to your advantage or brought challenges to your path?
I would like to believe that people tend to be less aggressive and more courteous towards women which basically makes business conversations more civil.
One surprising fact, though:While this generation is all about feminism and women’s rights, and I can see that many millennials care deeply about these causes, I have noticed time and againacross various women-led businesses, that even this generation prefermale bosses. There’s an underlying sense of resentment when reporting to a female boss.
6. Do you think women entrepreneurs support other women across the value chain of business? How have you impacted/ supported/ mentored the careers of other women?
The marketplace would be utopian if they did! Unfortunately, this is not the all-encompassing case. While I have met some highly skilled and wonderfully supportive women on my journey; I have also encountered a sizeable share of ruthlessly ambitious ones.
Personally, I believe that every client, vendor, and employee that Superscribe works with should grow.When one of our writers decided to pursue her passion for baking, we helped market her startup. We also encouraged a much-valued writer to move on when she got a career-transforming opportunity in the CMO’s office. I’m sure we did something right, as shereturned to work with us when she decided to change her job later!
Many of our campus recruits approach us to seek guidance on their career paths and further studies. We also give complimentary referrals of our channel partners to prospects regularly to help them expand their business.
7. What would be the top 3 things to watch out for if you’re a woman looking to start her own business?
- Never compromise on quality for profits
- Work with people who value your product offering
- Invest in good talent
8. How has the support of friends and family played a role in your being a successful entrepreneur? How do you balance your professional and personal life?
Their support has been invaluable, irreplaceable!Without the support of my family, especially in the early years, Superscribe would have grown at a snail’s pace.Besides, various members of my extended family and friends provide valuable vendor referrals that makes day-to-day running much easier.I have found that striking a balance is easier when you know your priorities, in ascending order. Aligning your life to meet them is a constant endeavour.
9. What next for Superscribe, and for Chintani?
- Actively increasing industries and geographies served
- Working towards making Superscribethe most preferred workplace for thebest talent in our industry; which will then work with us to deliver customer delight
- Constant renewal of skill sets to ensure that the team is updated with the latest standards in the English language, the current trends in audio-visual communication, and the most recent developments in the content industry
Avtar Madan
Poonam Sinha
Ruby Sinha
