Now the thing is that there is no market for cosmetics in this area. In order to buy cosmetic products and garments, I have to travel to another place which is located 3 km from here. Despite that, I try to keep as many products as I can at my shop. I mainly sell cosmetic products and garments at my shop. Apart from that, I provide mobile recharges for old people at my shop. In this area, there are a lot of people over seventy years of age. There is no mobile recharge shop here. That's why I offer mobile recharges at my shop for older people. So, this is how I am running my shop, but it's not like the business is good here. The reason for this is that most people prefer to do online shopping now. In fact, the introduction of online shopping has affected the business of most retailers like me. Nevertheless, I am able to make 200-300 sales every day. Sometimes the number of sales per day goes up to 500-600. If the market conditions are really good, then the number of sales can go up to 1000-1500.
The only issue is that I don't get enough customers at my shop. If my shop were inside a shopping mall, I would have many customers coming to my shop every day. In that case, I would be able to sell products at a fixed rate and keep a wide range of branded products at my shop. As I am a retailer, I have to keep all types of items and products at my shop. I have to keep both costly and cheaper products at my shop. If a customer comes to my shop to buy something, I don't want them to leave empty-handed. I always try to keep all the products that the customers want to buy. But if I don't have a product that the customer wants to buy, I will get it for them from somewhere. So, I always try to make sure that the customers leave my shop happy and satisfied.
My experience with business-related WhatsApp statuses was not great at all. There was one time when I uploaded images of 5-6 clothing items as my WhatsApp status. People on my WhatsApp friend list viewed these images and enquired about the price of these clothing items. I told them the price of these clothes items, but I didn't inform them whether there was any discount on the clothing items or not. I will only disclose the discount on the product when a customer comes to my shop to make a purchase. So, I tried to promote products on WhatsApp a few times, but I didn't receive a good response at all. The reason is that the current market condition is not good at all. As I have already mentioned, most people prefer to buy products online now. Nowadays, we can buy almost anything online.
Let me share an incident from a few days ago. I stock the Lakme Iconic Kajal at my shop, which has a printed price of 190 rupees. However, I sell it for 170 rupees. Recently, Lakme launched a new pack with two sticks of Lakme Iconic Kajal priced at 180 rupees. It is unlikely that customers would come to my shop to buy just one stick for 170 rupees when they can buy two sticks at Smart Bazaar for 180 rupees. This highlights the decline in the market for shop owners like me.
I sell all types of products, including pillow covers and bed sheets. There isn't anything that I don't sell at my shop. The thing is, local people can buy every product they need from my shop instead of going to the nearby market and paying a transportation fare of 30 rupees. So, customers can save a lot of their time and money by buying products from my shop. Whatever discounts they can get from the shops in the local market, I offer better discounts than them. I started my business after considering these factors, and I am still running my business in the same way as before. I haven't thought about doing anything different in my business. Right now, I am thinking about how I can grow my business. I would appreciate suggestions on things that I can do to expand my business. If you provide suggestions on how I can grow my business, I will take them into consideration and definitely implement them. If I achieve good results from doing that, I will wholeheartedly thank both of you. I have been running my business on my own for a long time. It is unlikely that I am doing something wrong, but I don't know what it is. I am dealing with and communicating with customers. I am providing products to customers. Despite doing all this, I am still not getting enough customers at my shop.
Opening a restaurant is one of my plans, but I need to have other options as well. As I have already mentioned, the market conditions are not good right now. Due to this reason, my business is not running well. If my business doesn't run well, I have to support and provide for my family. So, I need to have other options to earn money. I can't rely solely on my business. If I do that, I won't be able to survive. Therefore, my current plan is to relocate my shop to a better location where I can attract more customers. If that doesn't work, I will consider changing my business and opening a restaurant. These are my plans or dreams, and I don't know whether I will be able to fulfill them or not.
I have already told you about all the challenges that I am facing in my business. But the biggest challenge for me is the introduction of online shopping platforms, which have hampered my business in a significant way. Everyone knows that the market is declining because people now prefer to buy products online. Every shop owner and retailer will say the same thing as me. On top of that, people have started trusting these online platforms. However, the issue with buying products online is that you can't do anything if you find any defects with the product. Let's say you buy a Lakme product online. But after using this Lakme product, you find that it is causing skin issues for you. In that case, you can't do anything about it or go to anyone. But if you buy the same Lakme product from a shop and find issues with it, you can go to the shop owner and return the product. After that, the shop owner can contact the company and inform them about the issue with their product.
I like doing business, but currently, my health is not cooperating with me. I have contracted COVID-19 two to three times, so I am very weak now. I have not taken any injections either. I am a volleyball player and still play for 1.5 hours daily. However, my strength is now low, and I find it difficult to drive. I experienced weakness after having COVID-19.
If there is a festival, we have more customers. Otherwise, we only have 5-10 customers daily. After the Corona, the business is down. It was going well before, but now, the work is less. The public does not have enough money, so it is difficult. People are not shopping as they did before. They have reduced their expenditures and are also being careful. When a pandemic happens, we are helpless. The business was going so well, and Corona put a brake on it.
Recovery is happening slowly. My shop was closed for many days. When Corona came for the first time, I was in Rajasthan. I was stuck there for 4 months. I got COVID-19 then. I was here during the second wave. I had Corona for the second time. I closed the shop again for 3-4 months. I lost 25 kg of weight. My condition was so severe that there was no guarantee. I somehow came out of that depression. I have reopened the shop with courage. I have fewer items in the shop now. I am slowly finding my pace. If we are not healthy, then everything is a waste. Both of my daughters supported me a lot. That is why I am here. I was losing weight by 2 kg every week. I thought I would die.
This area was good, and there were no problems. My business was going well in the beginning. However, as the business declined, the income also decreased. I even struggled to pay the rent for several months. I had to borrow money from others. When the business is doing well, I repay them. Unfortunately, there are no savings. I am just trying to keep the business going.
Nothing is difficult for me. Although I am weak now, I find it challenging to fold and arrange the materials. It takes me more time to fold clothes and put them back in place. I feel tired quickly..
No, I'm not thinking of hiring any staff. I don't have enough profit to pay for that staff. If my business is doing well, I will keep staff. I am planning to accelerate my business. If I gain enough momentum, I will keep someone. Yes, there was one, but I haven't had any staff for the last 15 years. I used to pay him Rs. 200-250 daily. He is also from our village. He used to stay with me at my house. Only my wife and I were there, so he stayed with us. He used to come with me. We used to go to the village together. We closed the shop at that time. We had to attend weddings or other functions, so we used to close the shop for 10-15 days and then go. He left because he got married. He was the only son of his parents. He went back to Rajasthan to work there. I did not hire anyone after that. No specific reasons. I had the strength to do everything alone.
I still have the passion to run the business and manage 4-5 staff members. However, the business is not doing well. Once the business picks up, our interest will automatically increase. There are days when we have sales for 2 days, followed by 2 days with no sales. It is like that.
My memory has declined. I used to have a sharp memory before. After Corona, my memory has also become slower. Previously, I could even remember people's phone numbers. Now, I can't even remember a single number. I write down the brand names on a piece of paper and buy them when I go to the market. I don't have a separate notebook for that. I write them down and once I have them, I cross them off. I do it in a similar way to how it is done in a medical shop.
I don't have enough earnings to open a new store, not now or in the future. I can't trust anyone. If I open a new store, who will manage it? I prefer to stay here. We can't rely on anyone else for that store. We never know if they will handle it honestly. I have to handle everything within these four walls. Any expansion should happen within these walls.
If I have enough stock, I won't have a problem with the customers. They will start coming here. If I have a full stock, I believe that customers will come from even 50 km away. I have that confidence. There is no tension in that case. I will feel confident only when the stock is full. Once the business improves, I will also be content.
competition is everywhere. Every lane has 3-4 shops. They will get whatever income is destined for them and customers meant for me will come to my shop.
Yes. I have peak seasons during Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Teeja, Navratri, and Holi. I do small business during festivals. I keep something in the shop during 'Teeja', and I keep 'Abir' during Holi.I keep garlands of God during Diwali and Dusshera. Garlands are available for decorating at home. Stickers and rangoli are also available. Yes. I buy things according to the festivals. I do everything according to 'puja-paath'. I do not do anything extra; I keep something in the shop and not waste it in a year. Sales happen during festivals. But no matter how much we wish, it would never get fulfilled. I am self-satisfied, nice, and healthy. There are no issues.Yes. I have peak seasons during Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Teeja, Navratri, and Holi. I do small business during festivals. I keep something in the shop during 'Teeja', and I keep 'Abir' during Holi.I keep garlands of God during Diwali and Dusshera. Garlands are available for decorating at home. Stickers and rangoli are also available. Yes. I buy things according to the festivals. I do everything according to 'puja-paath'. I do not do anything extra; I keep something in the shop and not waste it in a year. Sales happen during festivals. But no matter how much we wish, it would never get fulfilled. I am self-satisfied, nice, and healthy. There are no issues.
When more customers come during festivals, I ask the customer to purchase materials from somewhere else if they have an emergency. I cannot provide fast service due to limited space. If a customer asks for immediate material, I would not be able to provide it. There is someone standing behind you as well. I caught you and left the person behind. Then I caught the person behind. My behavior may become bad if I do not give a proper response. You should give a proper response to someone. I would provide you with some materials and then find someone else. I do not have greed. Satisfaction is the most important. If you have self-satisfaction, God will give you more.
We just take God's name and be normal. Even if no sales are made all day, I am still happy. I am happy whether I get it or not. I will try to be happy and chant Sita Ram. There is this saying that God is always there to watch over you, which is in Ramcharitamanas. The house gets managed. If we are doing good deeds, then God will definitely bless us. He will make sure that you get your daily bread. Nothing changes in the budget as such; we make the necessary compromises immediately. I will work according to my budget and not more than that.
Yes, customers bring designs to my shop. I don't know. They screenshot them and ask me if I have those designs or clothes. I get confused. We try to find the types of clothes that the customers want, but we don't always have the same ones. We try to suggest wearing something else. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don't.
I don't want a large shop. Either I open the shop in the main market. This location is far from the market. People don't understand, and I have to convince them a lot. The clothes that I sell are expensive, and customers see and say that it is expensive because they don't know what pure muslin is. I don't keep clothes for everyday wear, so they find them expensive and they don't buy. They prefer the market only. That's why I will grow very slowly. I want people to come again and buy things; they should know that I don't make a lot of profit. That's how I will attract proper customers. Many people aren't interested because they find it expensive.
By God's grace, I have everything, including a house. I need to earn at least 30K per month, which I don't get. I have been trying to improve my business, but I am unable to do so. I know how to do a lot of jobs. I have worked in a grocery shop, a jewel shop, an iron shop, an arrack shop, and a whiskey shop. I have also worked in cinema theatres. Customers come to me because I have all quality stuff in chappals which comes from Bangalore also. I have nice models as well. Mainly, I have all the models that they want. So, through word of mouth, sales are going well. But now, I want to start a business that is actually in demand. I am planning to open ice-cream or juice shop. There are no shops close by, so it may work out for me. I am experienced to open any type of business by God’s grace. I want to open the new business in the same shop. As This place is very familiar and nostalgic to me. I can go anywhere without any fear, even if it means leaving my family behind for a few days.
Top 3 priorities for my business: Social media, improve internal communication which is lagging and then logistics.
I always feel that I can do better, that there are things I haven't done before or will do in the future. For example, in the past, I didn't keep a large amount of stock, so now I plan to keep more stock. If I can't do it now, I will do it in the future. This is applicable specifically to a clothing business. My goal is to sell my current stock as soon as possible so that I can buy new stock. The stock is the main focus, and once I have sold the old stock, I will bring in new stock. The selling of stock depends on the customers, and sometimes I also have to stop selling.
We are not able to reach out to people. We are only able to reach out to the people who are in the contact list. I don't have that many followers on Facebook. As I told you, I'm far away from social media. I don't even use Facebook or Instagram. If more people connect with me then I might be able to sell more. I'm only selling it to people whom I know. Everyone likes to wear nice things. If you give them something nice, they will wear it nicely.
We faced difficulties related to the business in the beginning. When we wanted to buy materials from somewhere, we had to decide if we were buying at the right rate or not. We made a lot of mistakes initially. What is the rate at which we are delivering to the next customer? Is it cheap or expensive? We had an idea that we were going somewhere wrong, so we fixed that issue. Day by day, there is an improvement in that aspect.
I faced a lot of challenges. I faced with regards to RTO then availability of spare parts. Which spare parts I should purchase and which I should not purchase, which vehicle’s spare parts are running regularly and which are not running. There used to be rate difference in companies’ spare parts then discount and everything. I faced some problem but I covered it fast say within 1 year.
My father wasn't convinced in the starting. I learned all the things myself and then he thought that yes I can give him the business so he handed over me. It took three or four years, when I was in college, I used to come to the shop, but I didn't pay much attention and just passed my time. Then, in 2016 and 2017, I started focusing on the business while I was pursuing my post-graduation. I have an MBA, and the things I studied in finance were already applicable here, such as making bills and calculating taxes. I also started going to a Chartered Accountant (CA) to learn more about these things. He would explain those concepts to me, and I would study them as well. It was helpful in both ways. I could apply what I learned practically here and it also enhanced my understanding in college. As a result, my focus increased here, and I received assistance in other areas. I was able to gain a better understanding of finance because both aspects were integrated. The problem in our education system is that we focus on the theoretical part but lack practical exposure. For example, when I was pursuing my graduation, the balance sheet I was taught at that time had changed after 2005. The balance sheet I studied in 2017 was outdated, yet I was still learning the same one. In fact, that balance sheet no longer exists in today's time. These are the issues we face.
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.
3-5 years. Now EV vehicles have come up. It is little bit different market. There is no engine in EV, there is battery in it. With single motor only on the vehicle runs. Company is producing these segment vehicles at present but let us see till when this segment will last. EV is expensive and we have no idea about its spare parts. It has just started up in the market. EV customers will go to showroom only for any problem; EV cars’ starting price is only 20 lakhs.
I mean, you may face some problems because you don't have experience in the beginning. Then, you have to ask around. I mean, you have to ask other shopkeepers or other people whom you know and who know about this field. You have to ask them. I mean, like, there are some medical representatives who work for some companies. You come to know them, so I can ask them what I should use for what disease. Earlier, when I had no experience, but now I don't need to ask anything because I know everything now. I know which medicine to use for what disease and all.
There are 20 shops and 4 shops have been vacated. There is no business at all. We are sitting idle for the whole day and have no business. Business has been slow all over India and particularly Tiruppur is the worst affected. In Tiruppur if there is a company, there will be jobs and business will run. If there are no jobs, people won’t earn money, so how would they come to purchase clothes?
When I started, I didn't have any fear or problems. I opened my own shop and it is running. We had jewels. I got the interest from a jewel loan. It has been running since then.
One day the business is good, the other day it's not. The major challenge is the managing cash. If there is a shortage in cash collection, “rotation” will stop. We aim to give an certain amount to a number of people every day. Some days if there is not much sales, we cannot give them. When we buy things from a vendor, we get 15 days time. We have to pay them twice a week. When we purchase some items, we make payment. They come on that day and we have to pay them.
You need manpower for opening another shop, it is not easy to open a shop, you need investment and everything.
I had financial problems in the beginning, but then there were these teachers who supported me as well. No, I didn't take a loan; they supported me, and I repaid them in a year.
In my shop, there is a daily boy who works, and I know how much business I can do every day. I want to know if they are involved in any kind of fraudulent activity. I had noticed that in the last 2 months, the sales have increased, but the profit is still low. I was keeping an eye on him, and he was caught. I didn't take any action; I just told him to find another job because his behavior is not acceptable here. I even offered to help him find another job elsewhere. I didn't argue because I didn't want to create a scene.
If we have given credit to someone, then we will have to forget about it. If the money is gone, then it is gone. There are no businesses where the loan hasn't been made. If it is a money credit, then you will have to forget about it. If it is there, then it is there; otherwise, it is not. If there are honest people, then they will come and give the money to you. They will say your money is pending, please take it. Even if I have maintained a register for it and then when he comes the next time, I tell him that the money was pending the last time, he denies it and says it was already paid. What will you do about it?
I also have responsibilities at the shop. Sometimes, I wonder if I will be able to sell the stock or not. It's my first thought, and it can be a bit scary too. Will I lose money in this? But then I change my perspective. I think about it like this: if we're on the battlefield, we have to keep moving forward no matter what. This is my mindset. I'm mentally strong and can handle any situation. It could be a family issue or anything else; I face it. This is based on my experience, and it applies everywhere.
I had ice cream here before, but I experienced a lot of loss with it. The sales were not high. Then I tried Mother Dairy, but it didn't have good demand. On the other hand, Amul has a good demand. I have to keep the fridge always on for the ice cream, so the electric bill is high. The distributor of this area for Cold Drinks knows me, and he told me that he would send me a new fridge. I applied for it, and he sent me the fridge. Now I have the Cold Drinks with me.
In the last 3 years, you can see that the price of everything has increased significantly. You must have also noticed that when you buy things, the prices have increased a great deal. Previously, with 10,000 rupees, you could purchase items for 2000 rupees. However, now you have to pay 4000 or 5000 rupees for the same item, which is causing a lot of problems for people like me who depend on daily purchases by others. If we don't receive money from them, it will cause problems.
Yes, I did face difficulties in the beginning of the business. I did have financial troubles. I took a public loan. I took it from IndusInd Bank and Jana Bank. I gave some gold and took a loan. I gave some gold lying at home and took a business loan. I also took some microfinance loans. I took them from IndusInd Bank. I am still paying them off. If you borrow money from a friend, then you have to pay around that much. They might charge around 10k for a 1 lakh loan. One cannot pay that much. That is when I went in for microfinance. Modi Government has come up with many offers for small entrepreneurs. That is when I opted for microfinance. This friend works with them. I was told that I would have to pay around 12% annually. That was 10% monthly... my friend took 10% monthly, but the microfinance was 12% yearly. There is a significant difference. I took a loan and then another one to pay it off, and so on and so forth. That is how I proceeded and started my business.I have to purchase the goods. I might sell around 20k worth of goods but have to purchase 25k of goods. Where would I get the remaining amount? That is when I have to take a loan. As and when I sell, I pay it off. I have one payment that occurs weekly and one that occurs monthly.
After Corona, the business went down. There's a lot of difference. The sale that was there before, now it is not there. It went down. Now there is no job in West Bengal. Everyone is in trouble.
I didn't have any fears when I opened the shop because we had already wanted to start such a store, so we were already familiar with everything. So, there were no such fears. The only thing I was scared about was the rates because they keep changing all the time, which was a little confusing for a month. Later on, I started to note the rates on a daily basis and began checking and recording them. Other than that, it was all easy.
I don't use the system at all. For that, I had to walk around from here to there, so it was difficult. Also, for the system, I had to keep someone specifically to work on it. In the beginning, I thought it would be easy to maintain the stock on the system, so that's why I bought it. However, I couldn't find a person who could operate it. Additionally, it was a bit difficult for me to go back to the system, get the bill, and then come all the way to give it to them. Then, I had to come all the way to collect and give the cash.
So, I have no problems with selecting and giving the items to the customer. But sometimes, they may ask if I can pick up the rice bag and put it in the car, and that's when it becomes difficult for me. Otherwise, I don't feel the effort. If there is an extra person with me, then while I look for items, the shopkeeper can handle the other customers simultaneously, and they don't need to wait for that. We only need people in the shop for those 3-4 simultaneous customers.
Say there is Rice, we only have 4-5 in quantity. We need to get more in quantity and from different brands. If you see any soap items, we need to buy whatever is available. The space is limited, that's the problem. The space is limited. I don't have enough people to help me with arranging a lot of stuff in the front side of the shop.
There's no specific challenge in business. If I focus on challenges, it won't be beneficial. Business is something that adapts to our needs. I run my business based on my financial requirements rather than setting fixed targets. I don't strive for a specific profit. I'm content whether I make 1,000 rupees or 1,00,000 rupees. I don't chase after targets, and I don't compare my business with others. I work diligently and have experienced the profits. In today's business, you can't set fixed goals because the market has evolved. The online market has disrupted the industry, reducing prices by 80% and often selling refurbished products instead of new ones. The market dynamics have changed, and it's no longer straightforward. You can't set a goal because the market is somewhat broken. That's why I'm exploring additional business opportunities and adapting to the market.
There are many customers, around 10%, who are challenging to satisfy because they lack a basic understanding of technology. Well, you see, many of these customers lack a fundamental understanding of technology. For example, if someone purchases a 2GB RAM mobile phone for 4,000rs, they might not realize that 2GB RAM is shared between the system and the installed apps. Over time, as they add more apps, the available memory decreases, causing the phone to slow down. We can explain this to someone with a tech-savvy background, but it's challenging to convey to those who are not tech-savvy. When they experience issues like the phone freezing or buttons not working, they often blame us. It's difficult to explain concepts like RAM, apps, and updating to someone who has no tech knowledge. For them, when they tap on WhatsApp, it should simply open. If they encounter an error message like "unfortunately Google Play Store has stopped," it means their RAM is full. At that point, they should clear the memory, but instead, they complain that the phone we sold them is faulty. We try to manage these situations, but it can be challenging. These individuals can cause problems for us. Doing business is about striving for happiness, meeting our basic needs, and surviving.
Cash deficit is a concern. There's often a sense that the available cash is insufficient. It's a daily concern.
Transportations/Logistics is the biggest challenge in daily operations. We dispatch our products through private transports. We take care to pack the items properly, but sometimes the transport companies mishandle the products, resulting in damage. We, as the direct business deal, we are held responsible for these products, and we must address any issues that arise. Dealing with these challenges can be quite pressure-filled, especially when we need to communicate with customers and provide them with replacements. We replace the product through other transport.
Cash management is a personal matter; I'm not the main breadwinner of the family, so it (cash crunch) won't affect me. It can be challenging for someone whose family depends on their income, but in my case, my family is not dependent on me, so I don't feel burdened. Whatever I earn is a result of my talent.
Most of the time we try to sort customers’ problems; or even replace a particular product. We want to reach out to them positively. One person left a review on Google, and we reached out to them to provide a replacement. However, we've also encountered instances where reviews were fake. In our field, there is significant competition, and it's a concern when a staff member starts a new store next to our store. We've also noticed many instances of people using fake names associated with our brand. These concerns highlight the importance of showcasing one's talents and not engaging in unethical practices or stealing from others. In my view, it's crucial to respect and protect the talents of others.
I learned about business. Since I started working from childhood, the owners used to teach me the tricks of the trade. They taught me how to interact with customers. I learned everything from that training. We have to learn to do business from the ground up. Whatever you learn in your early days will help you succeed in the future. Now, business is becoming more challenging. People are demanding things by looking at the internet. We may have something in our shop, and they may ask for something else. So, it is difficult to do business. Earlier, when we didn't have what they asked for, they used to buy whatever was available. We can also earn well.
Business is dull now. When I opened this shop, there was no other shop nearby. But now there are at least 15 additional shops. The customers who came were also simple. They used to buy whatever was available. But now they have the choice to go to another shop.
Cash crunch is a part and parcel of doing business. We have to manage somehow. Sometimes we can get it from a friend, uncle or brother-in-law.
I added my business on Meesho for about 3 months. I got many orders for tops. However, once the order was sent the money used to be given only 15 days later. We can adjust with that 15 days. We have customers who take credit for a month even. I thought 15 days is still fine. I added my shop on Amazon too. But who gets the name and becomes famous? I am giving the top but Amazon is getting popular. Our name will not be visible on Amazon. Amazon is getting the name while we are giving the product but Amazon gets the name. We don’t get any benefit and neither does the customer. Amazon is getting the benefit. They are not our relatives to do all this for them.
Suppose if the item is not good, again you have to send it back and buy again and it takes a lot of time. If a customer comes, you have to give it to him. I have taken an order to deliver tomorrow, so I have to give it to them compulsorily. If the item is not good, again we have to send it back. Customers will feel we said already and the response is not proper. I try to go outside. I will go to town and it will take a maximum of half an hour to one hour. They will send me an item but the customer will say they didn't like it. I will have to incur the extra charges like courier charges. So 20% of the purchases I do online. If I go by person and purchase it is convenient and I face no problem.