“Why the hell is our living room looking like a storeroom…and where do I sit,” I said as I entered my house after a long rough day at the office. My wife (Taniya) simply pointed at a pile of sarees and said “you can sit atop and let off some steam…anyway those Sarees needed ironing”
The exasperation was soon replaced by laughter and joy of seeing my wife pursuing her dream of starting an ethnic wear brand.
There were initial challenges starting from parents opposing the whole idea “You have studied at a premier business school and now you want to start a business…stick to your well-paying corporate job”
There were naysayers “Selling sarees is such a commoditized business…you won’t make it big..the market is too crowded”
And of course, the societal biases. I remember once a supplier entered the SUTA office looked at Taniya and then said “I want to speak to the owner of the store” pointing at me.
Ever so determined Taniya (Ta) and her sister Sujata (Su) marched forward taking every challenge in their stride and growing in strength and determination every day.
Today (almost 5 years since inception), the brand SUTA proudly boasts of supporting more than 16,000 weavers, has won several awards and counts more than 5 lakh customers across the globe.
Having seen SUTAs journey up-close, I cannot help but reflect on 3 lessons that I have learned myself and would like to share.
1. If you have conviction in your idea, have the courage to pursue it. Doesn’t matter if it is the most commoditized idea or even if it has a million naysayers.
2. Always think of community and the societal impact. The brand takes pride in the weaver communities that it supports (the financials are secondary).
3. Stay humble. It will keep your mind open to new ideas. Treat your employees with respect…build a happy and safe environment for them to grow.
4. Perseverance and patience are the keys to building any successful enterprise.
Author – Aditya Shaligram (Cofounder/Partner SMBNEXT Pvt. Ltd.) - Dedicated to women entrepreneurs in India
This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated
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