I’m my own boss

The pandemic may have snatched livelihoods, but for some, it came as a tipping point to put their long-standing entrepreneurial dreams into action

In a recent Microsoft survey of over 30k global workers, approximately 41 per cent said they were considering quitting or changing professions this year. According to a summary from the Department of Labour, more than four million people quit their jobs in the United States in April alone. Reasons varied. Some, for example, have shifted their priorities, while others have resigned due to unfair working conditions. The sudden shift has also propelled many to take that leap of faith and launch their own ventures. G Srinivvasan, former head of marketing and strategy for the Reliance Sports Group, started SPORJO  last year in July. “When I started my career in the late’ 90s, there wasn’t much scope in sports. And so, I worked in advertising for four years. Later, I got my first break in ESPN in the early 2000s. From there I went on to work for large sporting corporations.” In the last decade though, the sports industry has flourished, he observes. “Thousands of people come to you wanting to work in the sports field. Just watching a football game doesn’t get you a job, you need a skill set. That’s the reason I decided to start SPORJO, which educates, trains and helps you get a job in the sports industry. It’s about turning a hobby into a legit career option.”

Heena Mehta, 29, wanted to start her own business and started selling khakra during the pandemic in a market in Ghatkopar

For him, the pandemic provided the perfect opportunity to take the risk of starting his own venture. “Pretty much everyone told me it’s the wrong time to start, because sports tournaments and matches were cancelled. Who would invest in this? But, when you’re looking to create a new category, it’s always a mixed response.” Today, SPORJO has reached out to almost 100 leading colleges in India, and educated close to 10k students.

With her staff at her godown in Bhiwandi.

Like Srinivvasan, Heena and Raj Mehta also started their dream project in the pandemic. The couple worked at digital marketing firms and were clear that they didn’t want to work under a boss until they retire. Being able to find the right business plan while having a job wasn’t easy. They tried their hand at a lot of things, from selling apparels online and making customised phone covers, to selling khakra. But nothing clicked. After a few months of failed experiments, Heena decided to start with the khakra business again, “because it worked slightly better than the rest”. Initially, they outsourced the snack and sold it on the streets of Ghatkopar. Although they earned a decent sum, her urge to run her own  business only grew stronger. “On July 8, 2020, we finally started our own online snack store Rahe Gujarati Snacks.” From 25 orders a day, they have now touched 500. Today, they have two godowns in Bhiwandi and the couple is devoting all their time to the startup. “My dad used to drive an auto in Dahisar. After five months of my business, I taught him the ropes and he too has turned entrepreneur and started his independent business of dry fruits and masalas,” says Heena.  

Simran Chandiramani is the founder of the WeBee Language Institute. She worked as an interpreter in Guangzhou, China, before moving back to India and launching her own multilingual institute

Sometimes, opportunities arrive when you least expect them. This happened in the case of  Madhura Haldankar, a  relationship manager at a bank in Kurla, who was compelled to decide if she wanted to continue with her job when the workplace shifted from Kurla to Ghansoli. Going to work meant three-and-a-half hours on the road. “I love doing yoga and I had no time for it during a work week. So, I quit [my job] in February and  enrolled for a yoga training  programme at Shivananda Aashram for beginners in Tamil Nadu.” Since June, she has been taking group and personalised sessions online. She may not earn as much, but Haldankar has no regrets. “I wouldn’t have made this move if the office hadn’t shifted to another location.”

G Srinivvasan, founder of SPORJO, started the venture to educate and train people to get jobs in the sports industry

The road to entrepreneurship, however, is laden with challenges. Before the Coronavirus outbreak, language teacher  Simran Chandiramani was in Guangzhou, China, to master Mandarin. When she came down to Mumbai for her sister’s wedding in January last year, she couldn’t return since China was a COVID-19 hotspot. “I worked in Guangzhou, China, as a freelance interpreter and translator. But once I came down from China, I decided not to go back and  started my online language classes, China Social India.” The poor response left Chandiramani despondent. “It was a major blow to my life. But then, I decided that it was time for me to turn things around with WeBee Language Institute. The institute offers courses in Mandarin, French, Korean, Spanish, Japanese and German. She has taught more than 120 students, and has participants from China, Hong Kong, Dubai, and USA. “Today, I’m in a better place and don’t feel the need to work as a translator in China anymore. Yes, things went wrong, only to be made right.”

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