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I created a WhatsApp group. Instead of individually contacting each electrician for a meeting, I will send a message to the group with the meeting time. Everyone will receive the message simultaneously and attend the meeting.

Future Plan is that in electronics, I am going to expand my product range, including items such as ACs and TVs, which I am currently selling. I aim to increase my turnover from one and a half crores to five or six crores.

I'm not afraid anymore because I've been running the business all these days, so I have no fear now. We'll be building a showroom above this shop. The shop will continue to operate as usual. As for the products you mentioned, if one of our customers wants an AC, where can they go? Don't worry, I'll provide it right here.

I used to work at Mahindra Finance, then at Pioneer and TVS Credit in Allahabad. After that, I started my own business in 2016. As my father was still working and my elder brother was employed as an engineer at Reliance in Mumbai, we initially opened the shop for my father to manage after his retirement. However, he didn't get involved in it. Eventually, I decided to leave my job and focus on my business. When my father was about to retire, he started thinking about what he would do after retirement and decided to open a shop. This shop is located within the premises of my house. After my father retired, he got bored within a month, so I took over the responsibility of running the shop.

There was an old mechanic who did wiring for me. We thought that people buy clothes online, but not everything like wires and sockets. This is a business that people prefer to buy offline, especially in rural areas. Opening a branded clothes shop in metro cities would be successful, but in Pratapgarh, a semi-rural area, branded clothes won't sell well. However, wires will sell easily because there is not much income here and everyone needs to maintain their houses. The PM and government is providing houses to everyone under a housing scheme, so people will need to buy electrical products like wires. My electrician suggested that it would be a good business, so I started it with his support.

Everyone is getting permanent houses made. If they get it made then they would definitely need wiring products. No one would buy such products online. If you are getting your house renovated, then you would not purchase wires online but from a local shop as there are many nitty gritty in it. so everyone purchases from a local shop, plus everyone needs it. Everyone needs lights, switches and bulbs for their houses.

I didn’t do any deep analysis for starting this business. But since I was in a job of risk analysis, and its risk analysis was that the electrical products have no expiry date. Like food products (FMCG) if your food product doesn’t get sale for few days then it will get expired and you will have to bear that loss. But here, we have all fast moving products and there is no expiry of them and there is no price issue. This is a profit making business. Plus in terms of risk, it is better than other categories of business like clothing or FMCG. If you are into clothing business, then its designs keep changing from time to time as life style is changing, so there is risk involved. But there is no risk involved in my business and nothing will become damaged. Imagine if there is no customer for 20 days, my product is not getting damaged, in fact, its value is getting increased. So it has less risk comparatively. Also, this line of business is not available here around in our area. So it is suitable for me.

The most important is the customer then inventory, then staff and then vendor. If you have good customers and even though you don’t have inventory then sometimes we will request our customer saying that we are out of stock and we can get you by tomorrow. Plus your customer is loyal, so he will come again. If you have a lot of inventory and no customer then it is of no use. If you don’t have customer, then there is no value of your inventory, staff and vendor. The first priority is the customer as they say customer is king. If there is a customer but some products are not available…Staff is at third because you have customer and inventory but your staff is not good, like you came here and I offered you tea and coffee, you thought his behaviour is good so you will buy the product. If staff wasn’t good and I have customer, vendor and inventory then you would not have bought from me. So I kept staff at third and fourth as vendor which means supply chain. The supply chain should be proper. I have customers, inventory and staff but I don’t have vendor, I have to buy right product from right person which will make you a successful businessman. So all four things are important. However in terms of priority, customer is first then inventory, then staff and vendor.

But all four of them are linked with each other, if anything goes wrong with one also then it will affect your business. So all four have important role in the business. But customers is the most in priority. If anything happens to even one of them, then our business will be hampered and you will lose on some profits.

For regular customers we offer good rates, good behaviour and trust. We try to make our customers as loyal customers and a trust should be built between our customers and us so that they are loyal to us. In this sector, there are lot of companies in wire. So we try to generate our image in a way that all products available here are trustworthy. Recently, many of the electrical shops have been raided in Pratapgarh and they received a lot of (fake) wires there. So we do meetings of electricians from time to time and we make them aware of our products. Somehow they influence customers so we try to maintain good relations with electricians. This is because the customer who has to get the wiring done, he will contact the electrician first. Then customer will ask him about the brand of wire and its quantity. So we work with electrician and secondly build trust with the customer and provide him with the right thing.

When any customer comes to your shop, what is your behaviour of talking to your customer, plus he is asking for some discount which we offer to them. Sometimes we don’t make profits on some products and try to adjust next time. I mean that you should be able to build trust with the customer and when he has to buy electronics should come to us.

Trust is built based on the way you talk to them. You give him proper information about the product that you are showing it to them. like we get products like wire, so we tell them about such features if that wire if fire proof or not. We show the testing of wire to the customer and show him the copper quality. We burn the wire with a matchstick and show him here at the shop. We also scan the product through a scanner to show if it is original or not. We do some testing of the products at the shop which other shopkeepers don’t do that. With this, our customers trust us that we are genuine and giving them genuine products. When they buy the right product, they trust us and they are happy customers who will further recommend us to another customer. I try to make loyal customers and for doing so, I need to build trust with them and offer good rates and plus show good behaviour. I have to work with all three ways and then he becomes as a loyal customer.

For behaviour, there is a bulb product, we do marking by putting a date on it. the customer comes to me and the date expires by few days, other shopkeepers might not return, however, we give them benefit by returning that product and giving them new product. So the customer feels that we are late by a day and still the shopkeeper has accepted the return. This makes him feel that this shopkeeper is a genuine person and he is trustworthy and fulfill his commitment. At the time of selling, we tell customer to buy it and we will see it later. But when it comes to after sale service, people don’t fulfill it.

Yes, customer service that is after sale service. It means that do you provide after sale service of selling the product to the customer or not and you are fulfilling your commitment. Suppose you haven’t fulfilled the commitment and I sold a calculator to the customer and told him that come back to me if there is any problem. When they come back to me, I tell them to talk to customer service of the company and don’t come back to me. so like this the customer will never come to you again. When customer comes to me, I provide them customer service number to them, instead of them calling, I will call them on their behalf and raise a complaint. So this way, customer will feel that he has treated us nicely and fulfilled his commitment. So these are techniques to build a trust with the customer to have loyal customers.

When customer visits us, we do customer behaviour analysis to see what is his requirements. Generally, customer comes with a mind set for any product. For wiring, they have a mindset of Havells wiring brand which is a good brand. So I ask the customer about the reason behind buying this brand. He will then tell me that it is a good brand as they have seen its ads which has deeply embedded in their minds. Then we try to find out from their behaviour what they want. If the customer is rigid then we will give him Havells only. Otherwise, I will show him other brand products and he will buy if he likes them.

Remembering customer requirement comes with a practice. The brand will change when we influence our customers. Usually, every customer comes with a set mindset. If a customer comes to us saying that he wants Havells or RR or Polycab. We will guide them about the features, quality and its price. Generally, they come with a set brand but if they are not sure then we will tell them about the brands.

I have a few shopkeepers who buy products from me in bulk. I note them down in the laptop. So I have their record as well as customers’ record. So I keep checking that record also for customer analysis. The record about which product they bought and what not, so you won’t be able to understand all that.

For retail customer purchases, we keep a day book. Normally, we don't keep records of retail transactions. With years of experience, we understand that customers will come and purchase the product. We have a list of customers who have opened small shops. I record daily transactions in my day book. I don't keep any customer records, only the retail transactions that occurred in a day.

My laptop has inventory that I manage and use for billing purposes. I have a printer connected to my laptop specifically for billing. I create bills for the items purchased by customers. This helps me keep track of the total sales made in a month and allows me to calculate our profit and loss. I use Tally software to manage this process. It provides information on our best-selling product and the remaining stock. Instead of checking the stock physically at the shop, I can view all the details on my computer. If the stock is low, I can easily place an order for more. It's important to note that customer data is not stored on my laptop. I have other ways to know about the customers. However, I primarily use this software for creating bills. When I create a manual bill, I need to calculate a 9% tax. But with the Tally software, it automatically calculates the tax for me. All I have to do is enter the customer's name, select the products, and the software will display the price. Then, I can simply print the bill.

I rarely create manual bills. If a customer buys something, I give them a manual bill instead of using a computer. Later, I adjust the bill accordingly by entering the information manually into my laptop. I keep a daybook where I record all the transactions. For example, if you came here and gave me 2000rs, I would write down that information in my book. In the evening, I transfer all the entries from my daybook to my laptop, whether they are credit or cash transactions. This is part of my daily activities. I use Tally Prime software to do all the entries on my laptop.

Everything is maintained on the Tally prime software. It also maintains GST details. With one click, I would know my GST amount. It is a paperless work. Otherwise I will have to keep a bundle of papers. I purchase Tally recently in 2020. Earlier I used to have manual bills because I didn’t have high sales before. When my sales increased then I spent on these things, I didn’t have any staff earlier but now I have it.

There is a huge difference when it comes to making manual bills and using technology. One is you are saving on time. You get real data immediately about your stock. If you do manual entries, you would not know about inventory in the godowns. But here on Tally with one click I would have real time data. I would know what products I need to order. It also has payment option, I have linked it directly with my bank. Customers can also make payments online. It has many benefits. It saves time. If you do manual entry and turn on so many pages, it’s a hassle. However, in Tally, I would immediately know which product sold the most or which is not selling or which product is getting old and not sold or fast moving products. It will show your entire business activity.

Tally was recommended to me by a friend in the same business. I also tried another company called Marg, which was simpler but had fewer features. Tally provides detailed account information, although I am not fully knowledgeable about this software. It has everything and requires minimal effort on my part. Once I gain the necessary knowledge, I won't need to do anything. Tally can generate balance sheets, unlike Marg, and also provides profit and loss statements. In Tally, you can even generate profit and loss statements for individual parties, such as customers or small retailers. It shows how much the retailer has purchased from us and how much business we have done with them. It also provides the entire profit and loss statement for that specific party for a year. Technology is indeed beneficial.

I paid an annual amount of 17000rs as a one-time payment. This amount includes customer service and technical support. If I don't pay for customer support, they will not assist me with any issues related to the software. In case of any problems, they can trace the entire system using the IP address and resolve the issue. If I need help with updating stocks, I can call them and they will provide an Anydesk ID to assist me. Although there is a mobile app available, I haven't used it much due to my limited knowledge.

I offer online payment, cash, and cheque as payment options. However, I don't have a card machine because very few people use cards here. Instead, most people prefer to use UPI for payments.

In terms of passing on my business, what can I say about it? Currently, my son is very young, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. With the advancements in technology in the future, there may not even be a need for him to be physically present here. If my son shows interest, he can take over the business, but if not, we can always hire an employee. Ultimately, it won't make much of a difference to me after I pass away, so why worry so much? If I transition everything to wholesale now, I won't have to be physically present here anymore. The billing process can be automated with software, and we can easily keep track of sales.

I have multiple payment options like Paytm, Google Pay, ICICI, and BOB. I have placed Paytm on the table. Since I have three current accounts, customers choose the one they have, like ICICI, BOB, or Paytm if they already have it. This caused confusion for me because the money was being transferred to different banks. So, I finally combined them into one account with a sound box. The other accounts didn't have a sound box. Initially, I didn't buy the sound box when they came to sell it. Sometimes, when I wasn't at the shop, my staff would receive payments from customers and call me to check if the payment was received. But now, with the sound box, my staff doesn't need to call me because they can hear the payment notifications through the sound box. They charged me 2000rs for this service.

They provide lifetime service after I paid 2000rs. If the sound box gets damaged or the battery weakens, they will repair it. When we file a complaint with their customer care number, they will notify the headquarters and their local technician will come and fix it.

I can see everything in tally software. I have a day book for recording. I enter everything like 18/9, 19/9. I received 12100/ on September 18th, 19000/ on September 19th. So I keep records for each day. I received 25000/ on the 13th, so I maintain every record and also maintain it online. It goes to my account. Yes, I record them online. I have another ledger on the Khata book app. I make entries there. If any customer has taken something on credit, I will also maintain that. Once the payment is made, I will also maintain that record. Someone has paid 3750rs. It is shown here. The collection was 3750rs. I haven't settled it yet, once I do that, it will go into my account. It is showing 3750. You can also check for yesterday. It is 4380/.

Yes, I can see all my online payments throughout the day. I have kept a record of this. Yesterday, someone made a payment of 3000/ and someone paid 1200. The names of the payers are also displayed, like Jiten Pratrap transferred 100rs and Amber Yadav paid 80rs. There were also payments of 3000rs and more. This information is for September 17th, and you can click on "view more" to see previous days' data as well, such as September 16th and 15th. You can check at different levels.

I don't get confused with these transactions because I remember them. The online payment will go into your account. I will add up the amount paid online and in cash. Online payments will go into my account. That's correct, I will spend one hour in the evening to combine my transactions in Tally.

I extend credit to my customers because they wont be able provide with immediate payment. This is a long-term engagement. Electrical work cannot be completed in a single day. An electrician will not list all the requirements at once. They will write an estimate for 50000rs, purchase the necessary items, and then return for additional purchases. They will request that I continue to supply them with materials while they make payments. To keep track of these transactions, I maintain a ledger.

I used the Khatabook app to keep track of credits. I give products on credit. For example, Atul Shukla took products on credit from me for 78000/-. Yesterday, he took products worth 750/-. We will upload this information, and when he needs it, I will give it to him with just one click. He frequently takes products from me, so if I check the report, he has taken wiring products worth 126316rs. He has paid me 48000, and he still owes me 78000rs. Here are the times he took products: yesterday for 750/, on 18th August for 4000, on 16th August for 6000/, and on 14th August for 16000/. I will maintain their credit on this app, so I won't need to use a diary. Local customers can come in, get the stuff, and pay later. I will make the entry on this app. This app will benefit me by sending reminders to the person whose number I have saved for the payment. The app will also send a PDF report to that person.

Before using Khatabook, I used to keep a diary, which I still have. Now, everything is on my phone. Even if I'm driving and someone calls me to ask about their pending payment, I can easily check it on my phone and generate notes. I can then send them a PDF report, which they can also download without any confusion.

I stay in touch with electricians and have meetings with them from time to time. We have a meeting with an electrician on the 23rd. We call them and provide them with product knowledge because electricians are influential in our business. I am not in touch with customers. If they come, I will offer them tea or coffee.

I send customers the photograph of the products through WhatsApp. They will send us a list of products and they would want to know its prices. I will send a quotation to them. Then I will send the photo of the product or if anyone needs TV photo, I will send through WhatsApp. Our loyal customers who only wants to buy from me and no other shopkeeper then they will send me a list of products as per their requirement, they will ask me its price and then come to my shop.

We have regular meetings with electricians. Since we sell Havells company wire, the company asks us for the support we need. We suggest having a meeting with electricians, and the company covers the cost of the meeting. They send their representatives and set up a base. We provide the platform and invite our electricians, while Havells explains their product features and promotes our brand. They also give us gifts, as is common for companies. For example, RR cables gave a bag or tool kit, and Havells does the same. This influences the customer because they rely on the electrician's expertise, as they may not have technical knowledge about things like 16 or 32 amperes. Whatever the technician suggests, the customer will use. So the electrician has the first influence. Therefore, we target good electricians and maintain a list of them. We try to have meetings with them and inform them about the products we have available. Then, the electricians recommend our products to the customers. We focus on electricians rather than keeping track of individual customers. Customers come to our shop to purchase products, and sometimes we give them a free gift.

I have a group called Electrician Family. They are all members of the group. Whenever I get new products, I add them to the group, whether they are new or old. I make sure to inform the group about these products. I even display them on my counter. I have created this group on my mobile using WhatsApp. I also keep their numbers and names in my diary, such as Rahul Gour, Rakesh, Mahesh, Ajay Mourya, Rakesh, Daya Shankar, Rinkoo, and Jagdeep. These are around 20-25 electricians who are actively working with me. I keep track of their names. If you visit my shop and ask for an electrician, I will check the area and call the appropriate electrician for you.

The electricians who are actively working are the ones who bring us business. These electricians are categorized by the area they serve. Since I live in Achalpur, I will receive customers from this area specifically. I won't receive customers from faraway areas beyond the crossing. This is because there are already many electrical shops in that area and there is heavy traffic near the crossing. My target customers are from this specific area and not from Allahabad or Laalganj. However, I will receive customers who are within a 10-20km radius of this area.

We have different staff members with different roles at our shop. One person is in charge of dispatching and customer service. When you visit the shop and need products, this person will get them for you while I handle the billing. Another person focuses on collecting payments from people who owe us. I will provide travel allowance and cover petrol expenses for this person as their main job is to recover payments. They will be working in the field. We also have another person who is solely responsible for sales. The person in charge of collecting payments will handle recovery efforts and take orders from customers who want products, while also focusing on payment collection. Their role includes dispatching and customer service. Each person has their own specific tasks. The customer service person will process orders and handle stock dispatching. The salesperson's main goal is to increase sales for the month. They have a monthly sales target and a group where they post products.

Then we have a group on Whatsapp where we share our dispatch reports and keep track of the orders. We also have small counters where local shopkeepers can purchase from us. So this is how our dispatch and order process works. Everyone in the group is involved. Whenever we receive an order, it is posted in the group. For example, if someone needs 100 pieces of LED 8watt and 9watt, they will mention it in the group. This person is responsible for checking the order, preparing the products, and packing them for dispatch. The collection person has access to this information as well. They check what payments are remaining and visit the customers to collect the payment. That is their target. All of them work full-time with me, and I provide them with a good salary. The sales person earns 18000, the collection person earns 12000, and there is an additional 6000 for the collection person. I pay them based on their performance.

Everyone will arrive by 9.15 am and I will talk to them until 9.45 am. The field worker will go to the field and sit here. I have a break in the afternoon, which is why I called you at this time. My work is busiest in the morning and evening, starting from 10 am. I will check the customers to whom I need to send products or to the counters. We will review our dispatch orders. The dispatch worker will come with the transportation for the product dispatch. Those two boys are working in their field and will return in the evening. The collection team will give me the money they collected and provide a report on what has happened and what is happening in the market. They will all return by 6 pm. We will then perform the corresponding activity or update ourselves. This is our daily routine.

The concept of hiring three staff members for three different areas develops over time and through experience. You assess market conditions and strategize ways to grow the business. While I have previous experience working in a company, I am proficient in setting targets, reviewing progress, and providing incentives for achieving collection goals. As an MBA graduate, I am familiar with the various motivating factors, such as offering incentives.

I have visitors from different companies who also work for us. Staff from RR company and Havells have come here. They visit us to talk about their products and business line. They tell me about incentives, business sales, and support. By support, I mean they offer exclusivity in selling Havells products in a specific area if we give them a business worth 5 lacs. This is their way of showing appreciation. They also provide training and assistance.

When we hire staff, we assess their qualifications and needs. For example, there is a person currently working here. Previously, there was a staff member who used to steal because they were in financial need. This individual is facing financial hardships, living in a rented house, and is willing to work for a lower wage and put in extra effort. That's why I hired them. The collection staff member is an orphan and also needs money. I believe in meeting people's needs. Those who already have money are unlikely to work hard for us. That's why I analyze the situation in this way. I benefit from the experience I gained from my previous job at Mahindra, where I worked in the collections department. My role was to recover money from customers who had taken out car loans. I would visit them and handle the customer interactions accordingly. This job taught me the importance of treating everyone based on their capabilities and recovering money. I pass on these principles to my staff, and they work accordingly. If they are unable to recover the money, I personally go out into the field to assist. On Saturdays, I am actively involved in fieldwork in addition to my work at the counter.

When I'm not in the shop, my father sometimes sits in for me, but most of the time, I am there. I only take time off on Saturdays and Sundays, so if I need to go out, it's usually at night. I rarely take any other days off throughout the year. I handle my work by going out at night, finishing what I need to do, and then returning, as I can't close the shop. I have a helper who keeps track of the items customers ask for and sends me a message or calls me on WhatsApp to let me know what they need and how much it costs. Then, they collect the payment and give the items to the customer.

For example, when you arrive, you ask for a specific item. The boy will call me and inform me about your request and ask for the cost. I will then provide him with the cost. He is familiar with the location of the items, so he will retrieve it and give it to you.

I communicate with my employees through WhatsApp and phone calls. I call them daily, and we have a group on WhatsApp for that purpose. Currently, I haven't reached a level where I can create an app for communication. When I reach that point, I will consider developing an app. Once I have a turnover of at least 5 or 6 crores, I will proceed with it. Cost is not a concern at the moment.

Vendors... The company representatives come to us voluntarily. They come and request the order, and I provide them with the order. After that, they deliver the supplies to our shop. They offer doorstep service. This is similar to how other branded companies operate. They have salespeople who visit us on specific days. For example, someone from Havells comes on Mondays, and someone from RR comes on Tuesdays. They all come and inform us about their offers, and if I like it, they take the order and leave. The order is delivered the next day. If there is a local product, the local vendor also comes to deliver it. All the vendors come to our shop; I don't have to go anywhere. All the vendors are reliable. If there is an emergency, I call them, and they come. I don't have to go anywhere. Generally, I deal with branded companies. All of them have their own employees who take the orders and deliver them to our doorstep. They also send someone to collect the payment, so I don't have to go or come anywhere.

I choose not to stock certain brands, like Bajaj, because their products are available in all the other shops as well. This is internal information that I am sharing with you. Bajaj is sold in my shop, as well as in that shop and the other shop. The owner of the small shop has lower expenses. The distributor sells the product to him for 10 rupees and sells it to me for the same price. However, my expenses are higher, so I sell it for 11 rupees while he sells it for 9 rupees. Customers may think that my price is higher and choose to go to him, causing me to lose a customer. That's why I don't stock products that are already available in all the other shops. For example, I sell RR wires in this area, and no one else does. I inform the company not to supply it to any other shop in this area, or else I won't buy from them. This helps me establish a monopoly. As a result, there are no variations in prices. When you come here for RR wires, I can tell you that it costs 25 rupees, and you won't be able to compare prices elsewhere. There are no other competitors because I have created a monopoly. So, I refuse some products and brands, mostly due to quality issues.

I don't compromise on quality because if we sell local products of poor quality, it will damage our trust and reputation. I have established a mindset among customers that we offer branded products at fair prices and guarantee their authenticity. Trust is built over time, and if I were to start selling low-quality local products, even if it saves money initially, it will eventually lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of trust. Customers may not be aware of what is considered local or of poor quality, but I understand the technical aspects. I don't prefer local products. For instance, the vendor from Kanpur, sitting below where madam is, provided a similar product at a lower cost. I purchased it from him, but the quality of that product was extremely poor. I even sold it at a lower price. After customers purchased it, I started receiving complaints. The entire drawer is filled with that product, resulting in a loss of at least one and a half lakh.

Products that are not sold are a loss for me. I talked to the vendor and he advised me to return them. But I don't have the time to pack and send them back. So, it's a loss for me. However, I haven't given these poor-quality products to my customers. They are still in the drawer, and I will dispose of them. What else can I do? I can't give them to anyone because they are of low quality, and I will lose a customer. We believe in the policy that one loyal customer brings ten more loyal customers, while one disappointed customer can discourage ten others. We follow this policy. I aim to build long-term customer relationships. If you buy a bulb today, tomorrow you may return for wiring. If you have any future requirements, feel free to ask for suggestions from us.

With all the good vendors, there is already a group. They share information about their products in the group. I will show it to you. The technology in the phone has made it convenient for us. We don't have to think too much about it. The vendors create the groups. There are two ways to communicate in the group: through broadcast messages or individual messages. For example, this Neelam company, it is from 2021. There are a total of 156 participants, and I am also a participant. Whenever they want to do anything, for example, if you see here, they have posted about their product. They share whatever they have in the group. All the 156 people are retailers. For me, the company is a vendor, but for the company, they have many counters. Similarly, all the big vendors create groups because they don't have time to speak with each and every one individually. If their phone is busy, then in the group, I will ask, "Sir, what is the rate for this product in this quantity?" and they will reply, and then I will say, "Okay, I will make the payment online and the product will be delivered." So we keep looking in different groups. That company doesn't create any group. Havells won't create any group. The employee of Havells will come and create an employee group for all the people. Havells is the distributor. I am a distributor, so Havells will create a distributor group. For example, there is Ganpati Enterprises of Havells. We have created a group of people like RR, Robin Singh. Like this, all are vendors. All our numbers are here, so whatever we want to do, we do it here.

Most of the work is done on WhatsApp. For example, let's take Raj Electronics. They have created a group of people where they share information with the retailers. For instance, if they have a new product, like R1 from Havells, they can quickly inform all the retailers in the group. This ensures that any necessary information reaches us promptly. It is common for everyone to use such vendor groups.

Our registration is in both Electric and Electronics. We also sell TVs. Now you might say you can't see the TVs. They are on demand because I offer a good rate. Our satisfied customers call us. I had the TV installed before you arrived. I keep TVs in the warehouse. I face space issues when customers visit. Look, this is a teacher. I sent him a TV at 12.28 before you arrived. He wanted this TV, so I sent it to him. I sent him something with good picture quality. Bhaskar Sukla is one of our loyal customers. I have the contact details of my loyal customers saved. If a loyal customer calls me and requests something, I provide it. If they ask for a TV, I offer them a good rate. They don't need to go anywhere else.

We also have a retail section. We need to keep both because we have customers for both. So, you need to keep in mind that we have retail as well. If you need a Bajaj induction, and you ask me for it, but I don't have it, you will never come back. That's because the main idea is to have a product mix in our store. A product mix means that we should have all the product lines available. If you come and buy a fan from us, and then you want to buy an induction but we don't have it, you will go to another shop. Your mindset will change and you will end up buying the induction from there too. This is why we are compelled to offer the entire range of products. Yes, we have a lot of stock in the warehouse and at home. Here, we only have 10-20% of the stock. Most of the stock is kept in the upper warehouse, while the lower warehouse is full.

We sell TVs all year round. We offer competitive rates with a narrow profit margin. For instance, we have a 32-inch smart TV called Ego One with a one-year warranty, priced at Rs.11,000. Let's say you make a profit of 100 rupees per day and you attract 100 customers who spend 100 rupees each. However, if you aim for 500 customers but fail to sell anything, you won't make any profit.

We use WhatsApp status to display our products. Whatever products we receive, we showcase them on WhatsApp. Our loyal customers regularly check WhatsApp to inquire about the products.

We use Facebook for promotions. If you visit my page, you will see that someone reads something every day. I have created a Facebook page with my name instead of the shop's name for now. I have about 1800 friends, so 1800 people receive the information. We post all our products there. If we have something new, I will show it to you. We don't run ads on Facebook. This is my ID. There is Sri Electronics in the background and the shop in the front. We have products like Havells', RO, and Alkaline Water.

I have posted the ad (Facebook post). Now, like this. Today's meeting is at Sri Electronics, Jalwar, Pratapgarh, and the ad is for Havells. Take a look at this. I keep organizing meetings like this. This is done. Then, check out the Electrician meeting at Sri Electronic by Standard. It's a Standard company. They are aware of all this. Then, there is a Havells meeting at Sri Electronic. Jalwar, Pratapghad. They keep including all these things. There is an Electrician meeting at Jail Road by RR. So our customers, or rather, our friends, have the impression that many companies come to his place. This means that the products at his place must be good. There are numerous meetings happening at his place. Company representatives go to places where sales are good. So, in a way, you are changing their mindset. In a way, an environment is being created through Facebook and Status. It conveys that his shop is good and many people visit there. This creates a positive influence. That's why it is important. It's not much, but for people who see it, one person has liked it and now the whole locality knows about it. He might have 20 or 25 friends there, and they will also like it and see that RR, Havells, Standard; all branded companies are coming to his place. They are getting some quality. So, Facebook is being used.

I haven't tried Facebook ads. Some journalists contacted us, but we didn't proceed due to the high cost. We have a few billboards, and the branding was handled by the RR company. Their team takes care of everything independently. The company gives us the posters that you see. It also says Sri Electronic on them. The salespeople give them to us and we continue to use them. They give us things like these. I have thought about running an ad, but I don't have any information about it, madam, regarding what it is and how to do it.

I enjoy watching videos on YouTube that are related to business. Whenever we encounter any issues, we find it helpful to refer to product videos and read reviews. Generally, we find these resources quite useful. We also spend some time watching videos about different products. Sometimes, I get confused about which series or model and I watch the video to get clarification. In such cases, I rely on reviews from professionals in the field, like electricians, as they provide valuable information. However, we haven't uploaded any videos on YouTube ourselves. Personally, I have never uploaded a video of this nature. Although we have considered it, finding the time has been a challenge. We have plans in mind, but we haven't reached the point where we feel the need to create our own channel. It's impressive how YouTubers can earn money through their channels. Without any likes or subscribers, it seems pointless to put in the effort. Yesterday, I was watching a YouTube channel called Jam Jam, and they have even reached the diamond button milestone. Isn't that amazing? By the way, Jam Jam is a YouTube channel based in Dubai.

I have received reviews about my shop on Google maps. Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch, it is showing as Closed in maps. The actual reason is that there is a company called Just Dial that provides star ratings to shops. It seems that Just Dial has made a mistake in this case. They have created three listings using my number. One listing was created in my name in Sultanpur, and another one was created in someone else's name. When I checked the company yesterday, it incorrectly showed as permanently closed. I immediately raised a query to rectify this error. I had a promotional offer from Just Dial in the past, where I received a one-month trial for free. However, it seems that the person handling my account at Just Dial was not trustworthy. They used my number improperly, manipulating different IDs and causing confusion. I started receiving calls from people asking if I am Super Electronics in Sultanpur, but I had to clarify that I am Sri Electronics. This confusion resulted in the incorrect "permanently closed" status. Now, if you search for Sri Electronics on Google Maps, you will find it. However, due to my inactivity on the platform, I haven't received many reviews. Unfortunately, the reviews I do have are not reliable, as people often create fake reviews or ask others to write reviews for them. In this business, what truly matters are the local area, the quality of service provided by the electricians, our behavior towards customers, and our inventory. These are the aspects that make a real difference.

We also use Google a lot. If you want to find information about a product, such as its description, features, and ratings, we rely on Wikipedia. We gather all the information from there and present it to the customer. If a customer asks about Havells, for example, and we recommend RR, they might not be familiar with it. In such cases, we search for RR on Google and open the results. For instance, we can find that RR is available in 9 countries and all the details are provided online. This gives the customer confidence that the information is accurate if it is available on the internet. It is really beneficial for us and we can assure them that we are not making false claims. We can search for the product right in front of them and say, "Look, this is what it says online." We have to explain things to them, for example, by showing them a catalog. Sometimes customers might be skeptical and say, "You don't know about it." In such cases, we can open the internet and show them. We can say, "Sir, look, this company is selling it in the UK, as well as in the US and Germany.”

The Bollywood celebrities endorsing the brand help to build trust with customers. For example, in RR, Akshay Kumar is a brand ambassador. As the Asia Cup is approaching, advertisements are being planned. You see, the impact of a brand ambassador is around 10%, it's mainly about branding. However, the image of the product in the customer's mind is crucial. About 80% of the general public recognizes that Havells is a good brand, even if they may not have extensive knowledge about it.

By utilizing technology, your inventory costs have decreased. Previously, if you needed any technology, such as when you're sitting here and I can place an order from here, we would put it in the group and the stock would be available for delivery. In the past, without technology, you had to maintain a certain minimum stock level. However, with the implementation of technology, inventory costs have reduced. Information is now provided immediately. A group has been created so that all electricians can receive it promptly. Status updates can be uploaded and customers can receive information instantly. Everything is happening quickly. These are the advantages. You continue to receive information. For instance, like the app I just showed you; if technology was not available, we wouldn't have access to this incentive.

We also sell our products online. We used to sell on Meeshoo and Flipkart, but we have stopped selling on both platforms now. Unfortunately, we experienced some losses during that time. Let me explain what used to happen when we were selling on Meeshoo. We would send the products from our end, but they didn't provide any training on packaging or instructions. After registering, they would assign us a 10% product line, and we would receive orders through email, without any phone calls. If we failed to check our email and a product was returned or not confirmed, we would be penalized. Additionally, if a customer returned a product for any reason, such as issues with packaging or simply changing their mind, we would be fined Rs. 400. Even though I didn't earn 400 rupees, there were 4 products returned in a month, resulting in a loss for me. The company didn't take any responsibility for this, and they didn't support us with packaging either. It was just a person coming to pick up the products and taking their share of the profit, while we had to wait for our payment for 20 days. The customer paid Meeshoo immediately, but they deducted their fees and transferred the remaining amount to me after 15 days. I realized this was causing a loss for my business, so I decided to close it. Moreover, it's not practical to expect everyone to check their email regularly, especially with so much technology available. It's challenging to keep up with updating the catalogue and managing everything alone. Should I hire an employee just to handle that? Just like you have shown your catalogue online, we have an induction process for new customers, but sometimes the products are not in stock, and I still end up getting fined stating why have you not maintained stock? So we stopped because of these problems.

Yes, we were also selling on Flipkart. The people who provide training from above, a girl would call and say, sir, do this, do that. They don't explain anything when they come here. We would understand some things, but not everything, so why should we do it? If we don't understand, why waste time? Either come here or send a permanent person for training. In the beginning, they promised to provide support and training, but they didn't fulfill that promise. And during registration, they would call you multiple times, saying sir, take this, there is a lot of profit, etc. However, when it comes to packaging and payment, there is no support. Whatever support they offer, you have to email them and wait for a reply for four days. Who has so much time to email back and forth? Either they should hire a permanent employee, maintain a certain amount of stock, or provide minimum rates and stock availability, but that's not possible. They don't want to spend anything. On top of that, they take a fixed 5% or 10% cut, and Meesho takes 6% of the amount. When a product was returned and we were fined, they still received their 6%. They claim they provided the courier, but who will pay for that? These are the reasons why I incurred losses and decided to stop selling through them.

Actually, what I just told you now happened two years ago. At that time, I didn't have an employee and handled everything by myself. I questioned the need to hire someone for a salary of 10,000 rupees just to handle products. I thought it would be more efficient to have someone, like an accountant, who could be available 24 hours with a laptop. They would be able to quickly confirm orders and handle them in a timely manner. However, the profit margin was not very high. It made me wonder if it was necessary to keep the profit at a minimum. Additionally, if 10 customers returned products, it would create a problem. In my case, I had kept 4 blowers that were returned, and when the customers returned them, they were all scattered and the packaging was ruined. So, the question was, who would take care of returning them to retail? They were left there. Even now, they call me frequently, urging me to become more active and do various things. However, I simply didn't want to engage in those activities. Instead, I decided to sell the products at retail and make money that way. The main reason for this decision was that our shop was not doing well before. Earlier meaning I'm telling you about 3-4 years ago.

Earlier, I was busy with both a job and running a business, so my physical shop wasn't doing well. I decided to sell online, and it was successful. However, when my other responsibilities increased, I didn't have time for online selling. I used to sell online when my shop wasn't running, but I stopped after receiving complaints.

Online is more expensive. We sell it at a lower price than online. For example, we have a Bajaj Spended model in stock. If you buy it on Flipkart, it will cost you Rs. 2200. But if you buy it from us, it's only Rs. 1700. We are selling it at a profit, not at a loss. You can compare the prices on Flipkart. They are selling it for Rs. 2300 and we are selling it for Rs. 1700. It's important to note that no product is cheaper on Flipkart because they are not manufacturing the product themselves. They are also buying it from a vendor, just like us. The difference is that they add the delivery cost and their commission, which is why they can't offer it at a lower price. They have created a brand image where people think online shopping is cheaper, and many people believe it. What we do differently is that we provide excellent customer service and add an emotional touch to everything. This is why people come to us and buy from us at a lower cost. For example, I have the Neo model. It sells for Rs. 3000 online, but with us, it's only Rs. 2700. We sell a lot of them.

Yes, the products we sell here are also available online. It doesn't personally affect me, but it's beneficial for us. It's an opportunity we offer to our customers, where we inform them that the online price is lower by a hundred rupees. Even with this discount, we still make a profit. Nowadays, all customers search online. Everyone wants to check the cost and the profit and loss. We check here and show it to them so we can easily send it. That is an opportunity for us as of now. However, people who are not aware of this option buy online. Once a customer comes to me, once or twice, they become my loyal customer. I am committed to maintaining this relationship, whether it is because of my behavior, the product pricing, or my nature. I have never lost a customer. Once I sell a product to someone, they always come back to me.

All the vendor companies have provided their apps to me, such as Havells. In those apps, I am able to see the rates - the price and the minimum price. If you take a look, Havells, RR, and other vendors have their own apps like RR Connect. In these apps, you can find my name, Vishnu Kumar Dubey, and my mobile number. If you need any information, for example, currently, the Summer Bonanza scheme is running. I clicked on it and now the information is available. It shows the sales for this month and the number of incentives. I have achieved the highest level, which is level 3. The requirement was to reach 203, and I surpassed it by reaching 205. As a result, I received an incentive. I received my incentive as the 36th person, meaning that in addition to what I sold, the company gave me incentive points. The company regularly runs these types of programs. All of us use these apps. Please note that these apps are not for customers; they are specifically for me and are provided by the company. This extra profit is a bonus for me. The company informs me that if I sell 200 of their coils this month, there is a specific scheme running and I will be eligible for it. We strive to achieve these schemes, and we succeed!

I share updates on Facebook Usually, once a month, we hold a meeting. The great thing about it is that we get to review all the electricians. For instance, if you attended my meeting, I would give you a gift and provide you with food. Whatever I do, you will be encouraged to attend the next meeting. At that time, I will ask you about your business generated for Sri Electronics, considering you attended the previous meeting as well as this one. This way, we review their progress every month. And I conduct these meetings every month. The next one is scheduled for the 23rd of this month, and I will continue to hold them every month. The reviews keep happening. As the attendees experience these reviews, they understand the importance of providing me with business. Therefore, they won't suggest any other shop. Whenever they recommend someone, they will suggest Sri Electronics because they know I organize numerous meetings and invite company representatives to join. During these meetings, I introduce the person from Havells so that they focus on my business instead of my face. It's essential for you all to bring in more business, as it determines whom I can invite. I mentally set a target for them, aiming for at least one lakh in business generation. If each contractor brings in a minimum of one lakh, and there are 30 contractors, the total business turnover will be 30 lakhs. Targets like these are established. For example, even the person who simply paid and left is an electrician. They visit customers, complete the work, collect the payment, and deliver it here. This way, my time is also saved. In a sense, they become my employees. All the electricians are essentially treated as employees, and I occasionally give them gifts.

I rely on my thinking abilities, and for relaxation, the representatives from the company visit me here. For instance, the person from Havells comes and updates me about their product. Almost all the company representatives come here. In today's fast-paced world, you don't have to go anywhere; instead, all the company folks will come to you. There are some local products that I purchase by going to Kanpur. For example, if you consider the GI boxes and such, I have them manufactured in Kanpur under my name, "Sri". So, I have to visit Kanpur for this purpose.

We write the date of purchase on the bulb because of the guarantee. The company provides the guarantee. In order to prevent the bulb cover from getting lost, I have used a permanent marker to write on it. Starting from today's date, if the bulb gets spoiled within the next year, I will replace it with a new one for you when you bring it.

Nowadays, there is government support available. When I started my business, I didn't have any funds. I took a Personal Loan (PL) for 3 lakh rupees. This means that the government has a scheme where anyone who needs money for their business can get a loan from the bank, with the government providing security. It's like we are providing security so that you can take the loan. Bank of Baroda (BOB) gave me a loan of 6 lakhs, and I also took a PL of 3 lakhs. So, in total, I received a loan of 17 lakhs from ICL.

I had a significant fear, but despite that, I decided not to quit my job at the age of 32. One advantage I had was that if my business failed, I wouldn't have to worry about paying rent. Additionally, my father is in the police force, so I didn't have many expenses or burdens from the family. With my father's pension, I could manage the expenses for a few days, which means I could survive. If I had to pay rent for the shop and if my father didn't have a pension, I might not have taken this step. Running a business gave me a sense of purpose. Even during the first one or two years when my business didn't do well, I didn't have the burden of paying rent or supporting the family. My father took care of the household expenses, allowing me to survive.

I wasn't married at that time, back in 2016. I got married in 2020. However, I started working at this counter permanently from October 2021. Before that, I had a job in the field. Either my father or a boy used to sit here and manage everything from morning till evening, but the business wasn't doing well. Since I started sitting here permanently, the business has been doing good. The best part was having my father's support. If I hadn't left my job today, I wouldn't have left it even at the age of 36. I would have had more responsibilities, like my child's education. Now, the responsibilities are not much because he is still a small kid, only 2 years old. If I had more responsibilities, I wouldn't have been able to quit my job. I used to earn Rs.30000 there, which was fine for me. Since my father was there and he could take care of the household expenses, I didn't have to worry about paying the rent for the shop, so I saved a lot of money. So, for 6 to 7 months, I managed with those savings. These were the circumstances, and considering the decisions, I have four friends who are all into business. If the business didn't work out, I couldn't afford to take the risk. I took the risk because I had the support of my family. My elder brother was working and my father was taking care of the family. Even if my business didn't work out for one or two years or if it was a failure, I would probably have to go back to work and start with a salary of 10 or 20000. That's what would have happened.