In this decade, India has moved on from a male-centric society to a place where businesses and entrepreneurship are not defined by genders. Women have risen above the confined domestic life, took challenges, faced struggles and made their way to the top list of women entrepreneurs. Some of them had only a little or no experience in the industry they chose, but they learned to overcome the knowledge barriers as they grew.
Here are some original stories of women entrepreneurs who are true role models:
1. Rashi Narang,
the founder of Heads Up For Tails
Has anyone ever quit the job for the love of dogs?
Rashi did it to start HUFT.
She started making accessories for her dog who did not like the products
available in the market. And as a passionate dog lover, she decided to mass
produce these accessories and approached 200 pet stores, to have all of them
shut their doors on her. Today, Heads Up For Tails has nine stores in Delhi,
one in Pune, four in Mumbai and nearly one lakh customers. She has proved that
even a small idea could lead to huge success.
2. Sneha Raisoni,
the founder of Tappu Ki Dukaan
Like many successful entrepreneurs began, Sneha
quit her job from a leading firm as a chartered accountant and opened her first
store in 2009, Tappu Ki Dukaan, Tappu being herself. She sold creative products
like chairs that fold into ladders, Batman USB sticks and other fancy items.
Her business has only been a success since its beginning, and the way she puts
it is, “We don’t have anything you need, but you will want everything we
have.”
3. Aditi Gupta, the
founder of Menstrupedia
Aditi brought a huge change in society by
educating girls in small towns and cities about menstruation. Her idea was to
educate people about the menstrual cycle by adding humour to it through comics.
Being born in a small town in Jharkhand, she was familiar with the way a woman
is treated during her period, and this inspired her to publish several comics
on this topic. Later she managed to raise Rs 5.15 lakh for investment and then
continued by reinvesting the profits into the business. She believes that being
an entrepreneur has been the most empowering experience in her life.
4. Surabhi Dewra,
the founder of MeraCareerGuide.com
Surabhi realised that India lacks a career
counselling platform that could help students of all age group to find a right
career path and connect with the institutes of their choice. This inspired her
to start MeraCareerGuide.com in 2008. It became successful within the first few
months by gaining 50,000 visitors. This one of a kind educational portal
eventually became India’s largest online career guidance platform.
5. Sairee Chahal,
the founder of Sheroes.in
She was voted as the Most Powerful Women in Indian
Business, 2012, and also featured on shows like What Women Want, Young Turks
and Pioneering Spirit. Sheroes.in helps those who are looking for part-time
jobs or work-from-home options. Her company grew to one of the largest women
communities in the world. As a working mother and businesswoman, she offers
this tip to maintain work-life balance “The key is to prioritise continuously.
I also believe in investing in the support system so that I can then focus on
what’s important to me.”
6. Sabina Chopra,
the Co-founder of Yatra.com
When Sabina started in 2006, online travel businesses
were taking flight. It’s during this time, Yatra.com grew to become the leading
online platform for travel bookings. She had spent many years working in
another travel company before she quit the job and started a company of her
own. She was declared as the winner in the Travel and Tourism group and had
been honoured at the annual Women Leaders in India awards, 2010. When she was
asked about her Mantra For Success, she said, “Finding happiness in my
work and making it a fulfilling experience for me and the people around
me.”
7. Garima Satija,
the founder of PoshVine
As a young entrepreneur, Garima started an online
platform to offer better shopping, dining and travel experiences. PoshVine
helps customers to choose a fine dining restaurant, make an instant reservation
for free and earn credits that can be redeemed. It was founded in 2011, based
out of Bangalore, and currently serves over 400 restaurants in 5 cities.
8. Vanita Puri, the
founder of Olive Retail
Vanita was working in a leading company in South
Africa and later decided to quit her job to start her own business in India.
She was confident of becoming an entrepreneur and was ready to take up the
challenges of a small business owner. This gave rise to Olive Retail, a
departmental store that caters to all the demands of a customer. Olive Retail
saw success within the first few months and became a trusted store around the
corner. But when the footfalls grew further, she found a shortage of inventory.
This is when NeoGrowth supported her with required finance to seize the
opportunity and boost sales. Currently, Vanita happily says that being an
entrepreneur was the best decision of her life.
By presenting
these stories, our motive is to inspire you to take the first step of your
entrepreneurial career and show your potential to the world. And don’t stress
if you’ve been turned down by the bank for a business loan. We are flexible
than a bank at providing finance.
From making a social impact on becoming a business leader needs a little
support, and we are here to provide you with that bit.