"Innovate to evolve" was the crisp message by Aayushi Kasliwal- Ghumakkad's former student turned entrepreneur. Aayushi did her early schooling at The Daly College Indore. She obtained BA (Hons) in Philosophy from Lady Sriram College Delhi before joining IBS Hyderabad for MBA. She is a finance professional turned entrepreneur. She worked in the finance sector for more than two years.
Even as an MBA student, she stood out. Here is a recall of Personal Effectiveness course which I took for Aayushi's batch in 2010 at IBS Hyderabad. When the whole class was still watching the video clip, Aayushi appeared to be answering the questions. It was an on-line test on listening skills. See the picture taken in 2010 below.
Aayushi credits her success in large measure to team work in the college.
Hailing from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Aayushi made designer soaps for Sankranti - the festival of kite flying! See the picture below:
Aayushi's story in her own words follows.
Aayushi has shared an exclusive two-minute video with you.
Aayushi's story is the fourth in a series titled 'Proof of the Pudding'. It showcases Ghumakkad's ten former students who have become successful entrepreneurs in last 15 years. Their enterprises may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories.
Thanks are due to the following entrepreneurs who came forward to share their stories.
Even as an MBA student, she stood out. Here is a recall of Personal Effectiveness course which I took for Aayushi's batch in 2010 at IBS Hyderabad. When the whole class was still watching the video clip, Aayushi appeared to be answering the questions. It was an on-line test on listening skills. See the picture taken in 2010 below.
Aayushi credits her success in large measure to team work in the college.
Hailing from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Aayushi made designer soaps for Sankranti - the festival of kite flying! See the picture below:
Aayushi's story in her own words follows.
How did the idea for your business come?
Two years back I
started with my business-Soapatite which deals in designer handmade soaps! These
range from honey, oatmeal, charcoal, aloe vera and lemon to even chocolate,
coffee, and green tea! The soaps are all handcrafted and hand-wrapped. No harsh detergents or
synthetic materials are added to the bars. Being a self funded start-up, I’ve
always focused on making soaps in small batches which in turn gives the utmost
perfection in each of them.
During the initial
days, I used to make a few batches of soaps and try them on my near and dear
ones and even gift them to friends and relatives. With sustained demand for
these soaps within my social circle prompted me to take it up to the next level
of turning it into a business.
Over a period of time, I
had a lot of requests for customized orders. What started as a hobby, soon
turned into a small home run business. What worked for me was that people
nowadays have become more aware of the harmful effects of the chemicals being
used in commercially manufactured soaps and are gradually looking up to natural
and organic living. My brand makes customised soaps and even takes bulk orders.
Has
your entrepreneurial journey been as exciting as you had expected it to be?
For all the
aspiring and budding women entrepreneurs out there, trust me there’s nothing
that can stop you from pursuing your dreams. Initially I did face a few hurdles
in convincing my family and friends about the whole concept of handmade soaps
as a business idea. But then when people started appreciating the whole concept
and talking about it amongst themselves, I think, that’s where my carpers got
their answers.
I feel Soapatite is still a budding start-up but what makes me going is the positive feedback from my customers. With almost two years into the business, I can proudly say that people love my soaps and I find great joy and utmost satisfaction when people come back to me and say that their skin feels very good after using Soapatite’s soap. Here is the link to her web page.
What
are the key challenges that you are facing in your enterprise and how do you
plan to overcome it?
It’s been close to two years,
since I started my entrepreneurial journey, and like any other startup founder,
I have had my shares of highs and lows. The initial challenge was to make
people aware of the harmful effects of chemicals which were present in the
store-bought soaps. And I believe, there is still a long way to go before
people appreciate the value of natural products, and come to terms with having
to pay a premium for them. While it’s a long mile ahead, the journey is
certainly paved with some interesting learnings, which has helped me to get
closer to my goal of becoming a master in my chosen field of endeavour.
As far as marketing for my brand is concerned, it has been mostly
As far as marketing for my brand is concerned, it has been mostly
through below-the-line activities like sampling, exhibitions and word of mouth. I also participate in many exhibitions in my hometown and nearby cities. Social media has helped me a great deal to receive online orders and to take my business to cities like Guwahati, Baroda, Gandhinagar and Surat.
What
is your message for present students who want to take the entrepreneurial dive?
Sharing some lessons from my entrepreneurial journey here, which I feel may benefit my
budding peers.
1. Constantly Innovate to evolve, be dedicated and creative
and improvise based on customer feedback, take criticisms in your stride; success
can come from even the most basic ideas with a ‘twist’; learning is a perpetual
process, learn and grow.
2. Assign redundant and
less important work to staff, so that you can devote your time and energy to other
major tasks. While as a startup you would prefer to keep it lean in size, it’s
preferable to identify and allocate least important tasks to some other capable
person
3. Put your CSR learnings
to practice. Realize, that its not purely about you and your business. It’s
equally important to give back to the society by being a socially responsible
and ethical person. Take out time to serve and help others. Trust me, it’ll
make you feel so much better about yourself and in turn help your business too!
4. Appreciate and celebrate small victories, even if it
means rejoicing over a small Thank you note from a customer; you don’t always
need a big, outstanding client to mark your success. Recognizing small achievements
can raise your morale and give you that motivation to keep going.
5. And most importantly,
enjoy this beautiful journey and lead by example, as only a contended and
passionate person can build a great start-up!!
Aayushi has shared an exclusive two-minute video with you.
Aayushi's story is the fourth in a series titled 'Proof of the Pudding'. It showcases Ghumakkad's ten former students who have become successful entrepreneurs in last 15 years. Their enterprises may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories.
Thanks are due to the following entrepreneurs who came forward to share their stories.
Name
|
MBA Graduation
|
Business Area
|
Venture Name & Location
|
MBA(HR) IBS(2010)
|
Career Coaching
|
HRscope Consultants, Patna
| |
MBA(HR) IBS (2010)
|
Entertainment/ Theatre and Performing Arts
|
XpressionZ, Bangalore
| |
MBA(Mktg) IBS (2012)
|
Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer
|
Tualmagis, Mumbai
| |
Aayushi Kasliwal
|
MBA(Fin) IBS (2012)
|
Designer Soaps- manufacture and supply
|
Soapatite, Indore
|
Preksha Jain
|
MBA(Mktg) IBS(2013)
|
Designer Apparels and Accessories
|
Preksha Jain – The Fashionate, Kolkata
|
Anjali Raj
|
BBA IBS(2013)
|
Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby
|
ILove9Months, Kochi
|
Ishita Raksha and Nidhi Upadhyay
|
BBA IBS(2013)
|
A Gourmet Dessert Studio
|
17 Sugar Street, Hyderabad
|
Sriram Gundepudi
|
MBA(HR) VVISM(2016)
|
Employability Skills Training
|
Digi Freaks,Hyderabad
|
Amrut Charan
|
PGDM(Fin) VVISM (2016)
|
Digital Marketing, Web/App Development
|
Aresol India, Visakhapatnam
|
More stories of these young achievers will follow soon. Stay connected.
Thanks for browsing,
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 22nd Jan 2018
#Entrepreneurship #IndiaShining #StartupIndia #IBSHyderabad #VVISMHyderabad #GhumakkadHB #GhumakkadHarsh #Soapatite #AayushiKasliwal #WomenEntrepreneurs #Innovation
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