VIA – LADY ENTREPRENEURS’ WING Conducted a Webinar on “Promoting Business & Making it Profitable” on 7th June 2021 on zoom platform with the Guest Speaker, Rajeev Aggarwal under the able chairmanship of Manisha Bawankar. A number of vialewudyogika.com e-portal vendors and members promoted their products during this Webinar.
Manisha Bawankar, Chairperson, VIA LEW, gave the opening remarks and welcomed the Guest Speaker, Rajeev Aggarwal, who is in the field of project management and has transformed many non-profitable businesses and projects into success stories. She said that we at LEW have been carrying out the legacy of inspiring lady entrepreneurs by developing a sense of courage, confidence and commitment thereby fulfilling our mission of women empowerment through entrepreneurship.
Shikha Khare, Vice Chairperson VIA LEW, started webinar with the introduction of two LEW members Dr. Shruti Dhabale Thakre of Shrubbery Exotic Handmade Soaps and Priyanka Agarwal of Handicrafts, who shared their respective products and information of their business ventures.
Thereafter, she introduced the speaker Rajeev Aggarwal, and handed over the virtual podium to him. Rajeev Aggarwal started by saying that the business and its principles are same world over although complexity increases with its growth; however, the fundamentals remain the same. He added “When we do social work we do it for charity, when we do business we do it for profits, these are two very different things, we should not mix charity with business and vice versa.” One should run the business with mind and run the house by heart and not the other way to be successful in both. He then shared his ideas by saying successful business is essentially a complex combination of very simple things.
On Business – Basic Concepts, he said Business involves product, market, cost and profit involving persons and quality wherein there is a market, there is a cost, and then there is a profit. There is no role for emotions in the business; it should be with passion as passion brings dedication with right attitude. Success takes time one should have patience and work discipline.
On Basics rules or fundamentals – he said we have to promote the lady entrepreneurs who form half of the population and can do excellent business as they have unique business acumen. Business is like a tree which gives fruits after certain time so one should have patience and never lose the required courage to achieve the target. The person involved in business has to become the master of the product and should have the entire product knowledge which is very important. One should know the product details to the highest and its unique selling points to gain confidence before knowing the competition involved.
On Improving market, he said brochure is the starting point of your relationship with the customer on which you should mention the USP – unique selling point of the product, put a picture of your product, ‘as a picture is worth a thousand words’, and make your product appear different. Price the product attractively, catch the attention of the prospective customer and promise the service which is deliverable.
On Marketing issues, he emphasized on quick response on adaptability of the customer changes, belief that your product is the best and not to look for profits from the day one instead look for investment. Further, one should negotiate with clients very hard, use innovations in pricing to make it attractive and competitive as well. One should give trust to gain trust and said small-small things have big-big impact, he added.
On Customer satisfaction, he said the customer is king, listen to the customer with patience and fulfill their needs. ‘If you understand customer need, then when you make an offering, it will strike bull’s eye’.
On Costing and profits, he said negotiate very hard, get all your inputs cheap, put your indirect cost and overheads at low, then add your expected profit margin and come to the sale price. Start the business with low profit; don’t try to make profits in the first shot. You have to target your product for different markets by pricing it differently, packaging it differently, offering it differently.
Lastly, he summarized by saying market is full of competition but still new brands succeed, you have to honour your commitments as a mark of professionalism, you must be total master of your product, success and profit takes time, don’t be greedy, customer is king, understand decision making matrix of the customers and your business mantra should be quality, quality and quality and success mantra should be dedication and perseverance.
After this session PRO Yogita Deshmukh, introduced three e-portal vendors of vialewudyogika.com Dr. Juhi Muley from Indo Herbal, Sujata Agarwal from Kanhaa International and Vijayshree Khanorkar from Vaipani Herbal, who promoted their respective products.
Shikha Khare, Vice Chairperson and Yogita Deshmukh, PRO conducted the program in a grand manner. Prominently present were VIA Executive committee members, VIA LEW Executive committee members namely Prafullata Rode, Madhubala Singh, Sarita Pawar, Past Chairpersons – Neelam Bowade, Anita Rao, Vandana Sharma, Immediate Past Chairperson – Reeta Lanjewar, Vice Chairpersons – Indu Kshirsagar, Secretary Poonam Lala, Treasurer Rashmi Kulkarni, EC Member Poonam Gupta, included in large number of participants and a large number on facebook. Shikha Khare, Vice Chairperson, VIA LEW proposed vote of thanks.
