SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Cooking up a biz
For
19-year-old Seema, entering into wedlock seemed only natural after graduating
in home science. But she had a flair for designing, and she had always
visualized herself as the owner of a boutique store one day. And sometimes, an
urge to succeed overrides the need for a secure life and compels one to take
the road less taken. That’s exactly what happened with Seema Khosla.
Today, she runs a successful business in modular kitchens and basic kitchen requirements under the name iDeas, in both retail and wholesale segments, employing about 40 people.
While Seema joined her family’s plywood business after marriage, she realized it was essential to steer clear of the family comfort zone if she wished to make it big. A short course on designing stirred her interests further and gradually led her to convert the plywood business into that of kitchen designing. This she later segregated into two companies — iDeas and Mars — with products in both priced nearly 50% less than those of its international competitors like Veneta Cucine and Hacker Kitchens.
iDeas is into designing modular kitchens, while Mars operates in the wholesale segment, providing kitchen fittings to stores all over the country. “I wanted to be a fashion designer, but the male syndrome was always very high in my family. Neither my father, nor my husband approved of the idea of a woman running a business,” she says.
After one decade, things have changed for the homemaker-cum-entrepreneur. Today, she proudly runs her own business with little interference from the “domineering” male members of her family. “Initially, I was scared to do anything as most people in this field were men. But now, when I walk into any formal work gathering, I feel proud when I see I am the only woman in the room,” she glows.
By dint of creativity backed by extensive investments, iDeas and Mars currently have two warehouses for assembling imported parts, two retail stores and a manufacturing facility that was established last year in Delhi.
But the first taste of success did not come easily. With demand for and awareness about fancy kitchens still small in the late 1990s, the business was bleeding money. “There were times when we had just one or two clients in a month. We could not understand what had gone wrong,” she recalls.
A small newspaper advertisement in 2010 revived her hopes. To train women entrepreneurs to become better at handling businesses, business school ISB was conducting a three-month workshop backed by investment bank Goldman Sachs, under a programme called the ‘Goldman Sachs 10,000 women initiative’. Despite a discouraging response from family members and friends, Seema decided to join the training programme.
The workshop worked wonders for iDeas and more so for Seema. From marketing strategies to human resource management, the training at ISB led her to bring about significant changes in every department. “I was especially happy as, in three months, I had found a new confidence in me. I was traveling to new places alone and incorporating simple changes which I had never even thought about earlier,” she says.
She realized how important the logo of the company was for marketing purposes. It had to stand for exactly what the company catered to. She segregated the operations of Mars and iDeas and began operating from different outlets. It brought greater clarity both for the company and customers. She made sure everyone had their task clearly defined so there was no confusion. iDeas saw growth multiply eight fold in a span of two years. From mere retailing, the company came up with its own wholesale store for Mars and revamped the two showrooms that it had. “From just a couple of clients, we were suddenly dealing with at least 18-20 clients per month. We started receiving orders in bulk from housing societies,” she says. The company has also been receiving several franchise offers from across the country.
Seema now plans to tie up with women designers in small towns to widen her consumer reach. “There is a lack of resources in smaller towns, but no dearth of talent. While we wish to be the support system for these women, client interaction will be done by them. This will help us both,” she says. The success changed things for the better in the family too, who now support her every endeavour. “Whenever women step out or come up with a new idea, it always raises a question mark. There will always be discouragement from others. But the mantra is to just go and do it,” she says.
Today, she runs a successful business in modular kitchens and basic kitchen requirements under the name iDeas, in both retail and wholesale segments, employing about 40 people.
While Seema joined her family’s plywood business after marriage, she realized it was essential to steer clear of the family comfort zone if she wished to make it big. A short course on designing stirred her interests further and gradually led her to convert the plywood business into that of kitchen designing. This she later segregated into two companies — iDeas and Mars — with products in both priced nearly 50% less than those of its international competitors like Veneta Cucine and Hacker Kitchens.
iDeas is into designing modular kitchens, while Mars operates in the wholesale segment, providing kitchen fittings to stores all over the country. “I wanted to be a fashion designer, but the male syndrome was always very high in my family. Neither my father, nor my husband approved of the idea of a woman running a business,” she says.
After one decade, things have changed for the homemaker-cum-entrepreneur. Today, she proudly runs her own business with little interference from the “domineering” male members of her family. “Initially, I was scared to do anything as most people in this field were men. But now, when I walk into any formal work gathering, I feel proud when I see I am the only woman in the room,” she glows.
By dint of creativity backed by extensive investments, iDeas and Mars currently have two warehouses for assembling imported parts, two retail stores and a manufacturing facility that was established last year in Delhi.
But the first taste of success did not come easily. With demand for and awareness about fancy kitchens still small in the late 1990s, the business was bleeding money. “There were times when we had just one or two clients in a month. We could not understand what had gone wrong,” she recalls.
A small newspaper advertisement in 2010 revived her hopes. To train women entrepreneurs to become better at handling businesses, business school ISB was conducting a three-month workshop backed by investment bank Goldman Sachs, under a programme called the ‘Goldman Sachs 10,000 women initiative’. Despite a discouraging response from family members and friends, Seema decided to join the training programme.
The workshop worked wonders for iDeas and more so for Seema. From marketing strategies to human resource management, the training at ISB led her to bring about significant changes in every department. “I was especially happy as, in three months, I had found a new confidence in me. I was traveling to new places alone and incorporating simple changes which I had never even thought about earlier,” she says.
She realized how important the logo of the company was for marketing purposes. It had to stand for exactly what the company catered to. She segregated the operations of Mars and iDeas and began operating from different outlets. It brought greater clarity both for the company and customers. She made sure everyone had their task clearly defined so there was no confusion. iDeas saw growth multiply eight fold in a span of two years. From mere retailing, the company came up with its own wholesale store for Mars and revamped the two showrooms that it had. “From just a couple of clients, we were suddenly dealing with at least 18-20 clients per month. We started receiving orders in bulk from housing societies,” she says. The company has also been receiving several franchise offers from across the country.
Seema now plans to tie up with women designers in small towns to widen her consumer reach. “There is a lack of resources in smaller towns, but no dearth of talent. While we wish to be the support system for these women, client interaction will be done by them. This will help us both,” she says. The success changed things for the better in the family too, who now support her every endeavour. “Whenever women step out or come up with a new idea, it always raises a question mark. There will always be discouragement from others. But the mantra is to just go and do it,” she says.
Dipti
Jain TOI120801
