When I started this business and opened the shop, I didn't think about the future. I didn't open this business thinking that it would earn me a profit. I started this business thinking that it would grow to some extent in the next five or six years. But now, I feel that I have made the wrong choice by entering this cosmetic segment. I should have chosen some other segment. The thing is, there are too many cosmetic companies available in the market right now. There was a time when Lakme used to be the most popular brand. After Lakme, Maybelline became the most popular brand. Now there are too many brands like Sugar and local cosmetic brands in the market. Due to this reason, there is quite a fluctuation in the market.
If there is any doubt, Google is always there; I will search there. I search on YouTube. Earlier before Google I have to use my brains. You have to do a job repeatedly till the problem is solved.
When I want to look at some vehicle’s photo or some part’s photo I can search on Google.
I check about vehicles only on youtube. Which vehicle can have a certain problem; I search for that. I search through Voice message on youtube; I don’t know how to read and write. I search In Hindi. I can speak on YouTube using voice recording and search “How to do Activa bore fitting” and it will show the whole thing. The search results are also In Hindi. I have to search in Hindi only. Yes the videos are also in Hindi. I can see everything there; which part is to be fitted where. I use Google for watching matches, for photos and pictures.
When it comes to my business, if I don't know something about a mobile phone, I search for it on Google. I search for everything. If there's a problem with the board, I search for the model number and find out what kind of board or IC it has. Then, I search for information about it. I do a lot of research on how new mobile phone models work, and it helps me a little. For example, a mobile phone's motherboard has a power IC and a CTO IC. I find information on how they are put together.
I tried searching about running a business on YouTube once or twice, but I don't do that here. I do it when I'm at home because there are network problems in this area. If I do it here, people around me come to talk to me. I have neighbors who come and sit here, so if they are there, I can't be on my phone because I get customers through them as well.
It's just the two of us, my husband and I. We make all the decisions together. My mother-in-law is not involved in our decision-making process. I share my decision with him, and if he agrees, he says yes. If he's not immediately convinced, I try to persuade him by explaining why it's important for our future. Eventually, he agrees and says okay, trusting my judgment.
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.
The experience of running a fancy store over there is very different from this one. In the fancy store, you have to display all the items and let customers select what they want, then give it to them. But here, you have to give customers whatever they ask for. So, if I had any doubts, I would ask people around. In this area, there are a couple of grocery shops, so I can find out if any new items have arrived in the market and what the prices are. In the fancy store, customers have to search through the whole collection of fancy items just to buy one thing, but here we need to give customers whatever they ask for.
My mother makes the decisions, and I trust her. Whether it's something as significant as my life or any other matter, I let my parents take the lead in decision-making.