A success story: From Rs 500 to Rs 25 lakh!

Last updated on: July 19, 2010 11:29 IST

Dream Weavers can be contacted on email at dream.weaver71@yahoo.com or on telephone at 91

96001 53022

Shobha Warrier in Chennai

Two years back when her daughter Denise asked Cheryl Huffton to quit her job as a school
teacher of 16 years to start her own enterprise, she was shocked and more than a little worried.

After several fights and lots of tears, the daughter convinced her mother to launch their own
enterprise.

Dream Weavers started with just Rs 500 and a lot of dreams. Dream Weaver makes eco-friendly
textiles. They design and make bras, panties, aprons, and other items used in spas, beauty
parlours, et cetera, using eco-friendly disposable material. These are for one-time use.

They have also plans to design and make gowns and other operation theatre supplies needed in
hospital on the same material.

Cheryl and Denise are also event mangers. The enterprise had a turnover of Rs 12 lakh (Rs 1.2
million) last year, which has now burgeonedto Rs 25 lakh (Rs 2.5 million). Now, the new
entrepreneurs' dream is to capture the international market.

Here is their unusual story in Cheryl's words and how they made it:
The beginning

It all started in April 2008 at a wedding reception. My daughter Denise noticed napkins made of
eco-friendly disposable material and, needless to say, it kindled the businesswoman in her.

She told me at that moment itself that she was going to start a business connected with eco-
friendly material and that I was going to be her partner. I, who had been a teacher for 16 years,
was shocked to hear her suggestion.

That night Denise didn't sleep at all; she sat through the night designing many kinds of women's
wear. Although we had several fights over starting a business of ours, I was impressed with what
she had designed.

It was at that time that Prema, our maid who has literally brought my daughter up, had had to get
one of her legs amputated because of acute diabetes. On top of that, she was thrown out of her
home by her son-in-law as she had become an invalid.

When she, who had been part of our household for years, wanted us to put her in an orphanage,
we felt extremely bad. We felt it was our duty to help her.

My daughter then told me, "Mother, we must start a business at least to help people like her. We
can help more such less-fortunate women when our business grows." I could not but agree with
her.

That was how Dream Weavers came into being, and Prema became the first employee of the
company.
Even today, when the unit has shifted to the 3rd floor of another building, she works from our
home. She sits here and cuts the materials.

Doing business the right way

Our next move was to get all the required papers from the government. I was very particular
that we have everything in order so that nobody could find fault with our business in future.

It is true we had to make several trips to various government offices to get all the paperwork
done. I had till then been happy and comfortable just sitting in a classroom teaching small
children.

Starting with Rs 500

We are a middle class family; we didn't have thousands of rupees at our disposal to start a
business. All we could put in was Rs 500 initially.

We bought one sewing machine on instalments and put it in our house. We bought a few metres
of material at a very high price. We didn't have money to buy a full roll.

After Prema, my first real employee was Devi who had lost her husband in an accident and she
had two children to take care of. She had just started taking training in cutting and stitching when
I met her but I decided to have her as my tailor. It was my daughter who taught her to design, cut
and stitch.

We decided that we would make something unique. That is how my daughter designed bras,
panties, aprons, and other items used in spas, beauty parlours, etc. It is hygienic to have
disposable, eco-friendly materials at these places.

Visits to get customers

With the items we made, we started visiting various beauty parlours in the city. I must say that
turned out to be the most difficult part of our business. Out of ten parlours we visited, only two
agreed to meet us.

We were often insulted and humiliated at many places. We were not even allowed to meet the
owners by the receptionists. Though disappointed, we didn't lose heart.

We went on visiting parlours with our products. We begged many people to just see our
products. We told them we ourselves made the products and employed less-fortunate women.
We told them that by buying the products, they would be helping the poor women too.

Our first client was a beauty parlour in Alwarpet in Chennai and we got them in the second
month of our starting the business. Our sales in the first month were to the tune of Rs 5,000. I
was very happy because we had put in only Rs 500. We bought a second-hand power machine
with the money and kept it in the corner of our verandah.

Help from BYST

The Confederation of Indian Industry directed us to BYST (Bharatiya Yuva Sakti Trust) started
by Lakshmi Venkatesan. I must say that BYST was a great help to us, encouraging us and
putting us on to D K Raju as our mentor.

I must thank BYST for the conferences they arranged and it has helped me, a non-business
person, to be a businesswoman. I don't miss any of their meetings and conferences.

With a recommendation from BYST, we got a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 250,000) from the Indian
Bank. I then bought three more machines.

Less-fortunate women work at Dream Weavers

I then looked around for women in the neighbourhood who were suffering and employed them.
We were very sure that we would employ only underprivileged people.

Sheeba had wanted to commit suicide with her two children after her husband dumped her. We
employed her though she didn't know anything about stitching. She was taught stitching by
another lady and, now, she is a very good tailor.

Big companies as clients, too

By October, we started getting calls from a few beauty parlours. I was surprised when the first
call came.
Today, we have eight machines and 12 women working on a regular basis and another 10
women who work on a non-regular basis. We plan to start a training centre for the less-fortunate
women.

We have more than 50 small clients and 15 big clients, including Ayush of Hindustan Lever,
Cholayil Sanjeevanam, et cetera. I supply to all the branches of Ayush and Sanjeevanam.

Now the sales to the big clients are worth nearly Rs 2 lakh (Rs 200,000) every month.

Our sales kept on increasing and last year, it almost touched Rs 12 lakh. This year it has more
than doubled.

Exports to Dubai

While on a visit to Dubai, my daughter got some clients like Chanakya who gives us orders for
G-string panties, Unisex panties, etc. I am glad that I have obtained my import-export license
too. My daughter is mostly stationed in Dubai these days to market our products. Her dream is to
take our products to the international market.

Dream for Dream Weavers

Though all of us have worked hard, day and night, we didn't expect our company to grow so
much in two years. BYST has recommended us for the Prince Charles award for
entrepreneurship and we are one of the three companies shortlisted worldwide for the award.

With hard work, I know we will reach greater heights!

Our dream is to help the less-fortunate women and with us growing; we know we will be able to
help more such women.

From 50 paise, she now earns Rs 200,000 a

day
Last updated on: June 8, 2010 19:42 IST

Shobha Warrier in Chennai

The story of Patricia Narayan, winner of this year's 'Ficci Woman Entrepreneur of the Year'
award is amazing.

She started her career 30 years ago as an entrepreneur, selling eateries from a mobile cart on the
Marina beach amidst all odds -- battling a failed marriage, coping with her husband, a multiple
addict, and taking care of two kids.

Today, she has overcome the hurdles and owns a chain of restaurants.

An entrepreneur by accident

I was always interested in cooking and passionate about trying out new dishes. But, the thought
of becoming a business woman never came to my mind at all as I do not come from a business
family. Both my parents were government servants.

But my marriage changed everything. Both the families opposed the marriage vehemently as my
husband belonged to the Brahmin community; unfortunately my marriage did not work out as
my husband was addicted to alcohol, drugs, etc. I could not bring him out of the addiction. As a
young woman, I did not know how to cope with this and I was getting beaten up everyday.

Though my father, a very conservative Christian never forgave me, he gave me refuge when I
had nowhere to go. I was thrown out with two very small children. It was a question of survival
for me. I knew I should either succumb to the burden or fight; I decided to fight my lonely battle.

I did not want to be a burden on my parents. So, to be economically independent, I could only do
what I knew and what I liked. I started making pickles, squashes and jams at home. I just took a
couple of hundred rupees from my mother. I sold everything I made in one day and that gave me
confidence.

I earned a good income. I invested whatever I earned to make more pickles, squashes and jams.
It was quite lucrative in the sense, even ten rupees was a blessing for me.

The first step as an entrepreneur

My father's friend, who was running a school for handicapped children, was handing out mobile
carts or kiosks to people who would employ at least two handicapped people. They needed
somebody who could run it and I was offered one such cart free. I had to train the handicapped
children to make coffee and serve them to customers.

As I lived near the Marina beach, I decided to put the mobile cart at the Anna Square on the
Marina beach. I had seen people thronging the beach in the evenings. But I had to make umpteen
trips to the Public Works Department and wait for one year to get the permission.

Finally, I started working on June 21, 1982, a day I will never forget. The previous night itself,
with the help of the local rickshaw drivers, I had rolled the mobile cart to the beach. It was a
small move but thrilling as it was my own and I was going to be a business woman the next day.

While such carts sold only tea and cigarettes, I decided to sell cutlets, samosas, bajjis, fresh juice
and coffee and tea. On the first day, I sold only one cup of coffee and that was for fifty paise!
was very disappointed and came home crying. I told my mother, that I would not like to
continue. But my mother consoled me saying, at least you sold one cup of coffee. That's a good
sign. You will do well tomorrow. And, she was adamant that I go the next day also.

The next day, I made sold snacks for Rs 600-700 which was big money for me then! As I started
making money, I added ice creams, sandwiches, French fries and juices too. I used to keep
thinking of adding more items.

I ran it from 1982 to 2003, and the maximum I made from that mobile cart was Rs 25,000 a day.
That was during the bandh days! We used to be open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and later,
I started opening from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. for the walkers.

I used to personally stand there and sell all the stuff I made. I never felt scared to stand there late
at night. My only thought was to prove myself and move ahead.

There was a fire in me that made me believe that I could be successful without anyone's help. I
did not want to be a failure. If you have that fire, nothing in the world can stop you from
succeeding.
Offer to run a canteen

On seeing my work at the beach, within a year, the Slum Clearance Board gave me an offer to
run the canteen at their office with a proper kitchen. The chairman met me during her morning
walk. That is how I got the offer. The canteen was a huge success.

On Wednesdays, it was the public grievance day, so about 3000 people used to come there and I
had a roaring business.

I used to get up at 5 a.m. in the morning, make idlis and go to the beach. From 9 a.m. I would be
at the canteen. From 3.30 p.m. I would again be at the beach cart and would be there till 11p.m.
By then, I had employed people to cook, and clean, and all the cooking was done at the canteen
kitchen. My monthly income in those days was around Rs 20,000.

Later, I got an offer to run the Bank of Madurai canteen, I stopped running the canteen at the
Slum Clearance Board canteen. At the Bank canteen, I served food to around 300 people daily.
The turning point

One day, after a fight with my husband who used to come to trouble me often, I boarded a bus
and travelled till the last stop. I got down and saw the National Port Management training school
run by the Central government.

On the spur of the moment, I told the security guard that I wanted to meet the administrative
officer. I met him and told him that I was a caterer and that I heard they were looking for a one.

He said, to my surprise that they were indeed looking for one as they had problems with the
current contractor. I still believe it was God who took me there.

I got the offer. I had to serve three meals to about 700 students. They gave us quarters to stay. It
was a new life for me. I got into the groove in a day. It was successful from day one, and I took
care of the canteen till 1998.

My first weekly payment was Rs 80,000. I felt so elated having seen only hundreds and
thousands till then. During those times, I was earning almost a lakh a week.

In those days, I wanted to do everything personally as I felt only then, things would run
smoothly. Now I know if I train people well, they will do the work the way you want.

Starting restaurants

My connection with restaurants started in 1998 when I met people from the Sangeetha
Restaurant group. They offered me a partnership in one of the units. But my son, Praveen
Rajkumar wanted me to start my own restaurant and build a brand of ours.

But destiny played truant with me again. I lost my daughter, Pratibha Sandra and son-in-law road
accident, a month after their marriage in 2004. It shattered me, and I withdrew from all that I was
doing.

Then my son took over and started the first restaurant 'Sandeepha' in my daughter's memory. It
took some time for me to come out of the shock and start helping my son in the business. Now, I
am fully involved in the business. The fire to succeed has come back to me now.

Ambulance to help the accident victims

I still cannot get over my daughter's death as I did all this for my children; to bring them up and
give them a good life.

What shocked me was the way the accident victims were treated by the ambulance operators.
When they found that all the four in the car were dead, they said they would not carry dead
bodies. Finally, somebody carried all the dead bodies in the boot of a car. When I saw the bodies
being taken out of the boot, I broke down.
No mother can bear such a scene. That is when I decided to keep an ambulance on that very spot
to help people whether the victims are alive or dead. It is in memory of my daughter.

Ficci entrepreneur of the year award

I started my business with just two people. Now, there are 200 people working for me in my
restaurants. My lifestyle has changed too. From travelling in a cycle rickshaw, I moved to auto
rickshaws and now I have my own car. From 50 paise a day, my revenue has gone up to Rs 2
lakh a day.

The 'Ficci entrepreneur of the year' award is the culmination of all the hard work I have put in
over the last 30 years. It came as a surprise as this is the first time I have received an award.

Till now, I had no time to think of what I was doing. But the award made me look back and
relive the days that passed by. Now, my ambition is to build my Sandeepha brand.

Advice to young entrepreneurs

Do not ever compromise on quality. Never lose your self-confidence. Believe in yourself and the
product you are making. Third, always stick to what you know. When you employ people, you
should know what you ask them to do.
She became an entrepreneur by accident
Last updated on: February 11, 2010 15:01 IST

Shobha Warrier in Chennai

Ten years ago, Srividya Rabindranath was just another woman working for a private
company. But today she is a successful entrepreneur and a member of the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti
Trust that identifies and encourages first-time entrepreneurs.

BYST cites Srividya's venture as a casestudy, as she had the ability to turn her passion into a
business venture.

Srividya's family came to Thanjavur nearly four centuries ago (from what is today Maharashtra).
Though she was born and brought up in Chennai, she had an ingrained talent for Thanjavur or
Tanjore paintings. Thanjavur painting is an art form that dates back to about 1600 AD, a period
when Nayaks of Thanjavur encouraged this art.

Srividya always regarded painting as her passion and never harboured any plans to turn her talent
into a successful entrepreneurship.

All this changed when she got married. With ample encouragement from her husband, she
decided to learn the art of making Thanjavur paintings from Sushila Dattatri, an aunt of hers by
marriage. That was more than ten years ago.
Her first painting was that of Lord Balaji. She decided to get deeper knowledge of the art form
and even started teaching other women. The decision to teach had two advantages; it honed her
own skills and introduced the art to a wider section of people. By now, she must have taught
about 600 women.

Judging by how things panned out for her, it seems Lord Balaji had, indeed, heaped blessings on
her. A small write-up in The Hindu about taking classes for women with a picture of her Balaji
painting caught the attention of many people who live in Tirupati, a town famous for the Balaji
temple.

"A family came down to Chennai with the sole purpose of buying that Balaji. So impressed were
they with the Balaji that they wanted it at any cost," Srividya recollected.

She sold the painting for Rs 4,500 and all that she had invested was Rs 1,500. That was in 2001.

The next order came from Bengaluru. This time these art lovers wanted four paintings of Lord
Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi. When she sold those paintings for Rs 35,000, the profit margin
was around 50-60 per cent.

Based on the positive response that her paintings received, she decided, in 2001, to turn into a
full-fledged entrepreneur.
"I had no fears about being an entrepreneur. What I was venturing into was skill-oriented and I
knew what I was capable of. I knew what people wanted. I expected this venture of mine to be
successful, and it is."

Srividya chose not to give any name to her enterprise.

"Paintings go by an artist's name, whether it is M F Hussain or Thotta Tharani or any other artist.
People come to buy my paintings, and not a painting by a company. So, it is Srividya's painting
that was sold when I became an entrepreneur."

"Moreover, we don't sign on Thanjavur paintings; we only put a sticker behind it. That is because
this art form is the brainchild of so many people from earlier generations. But those who are
familiar with my paintings immediately spot them by looking at the face I draw," explained
Srividya.

She then joined Moowes (Marketing Organisation of Women Entrepreneurs) and soon they
arranged an exhibition for all the women entrepreneurs in Chennai. More than selling her
paintings, what helped her most were the contacts she developed at the exhibition.

Similarly, her association with Dakshinachitra also helped her to get contacts of art lovers
especially those from outside India. Today, 80 per cent of her paintings are brought by Non-
Resident Indians, mostly from the United States and then from Australia, New Zealand and the
United Kingdom.

"Dakshinachitra introduced me to a whole lot of customers and all of them were NRIs who loved
to collect Thanjavur paintings. I also have some foreign customers."

In the first year, she sold about 5-6 paintings a month which doubled in the second year. Today,
she sells approximately 30 paintings a month.

The enterprise which she started with a capital of Rs 3,000 now makes Rs 150,000 every month.

Once orders for more and more paintings came her way, she started assigning the manual work
of buying the plywood, cutting it to size, pasting the cloth, applying gum, fixing the gems on the
sketch, etc.

Today, the manual work involved in preparing the board is done by five villagers in Pudukkottai
in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. So, these days, Srividya does only the painting.

"What my workers do is the manual job and what I do is the work that is expected from an
artist."

Felicitation came in the form of Kala Shikhara Award from the Government of Karnataka for her
work titled Sri RamaPattabeshekam.
Along with Thanjavur paintings, she also started glass paintings. It needed a big investment. If
she had 80 themes for glass paintings, she had to stock at least 1,000 paintings in each theme.
Unlike Thanjavur paintings, people bought glass paintings in large numbers and used it as gifts.

It was then that Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust helped her secure loan from the Indian Bank to
scale up her work. Today, she must be selling at least 3,000 glass paintings in a month.

Srividya feels Thanjavur paintings, though an art, remains just a hobby for many but if they
learnt from a good teacher, anyone could excel in the field.

Her word of advice to budding entrepreneurs is, "Many who come to learn ask me, how much
can I earn from this? Never look at monetary gains when you are going to learn an art. Think of
what you can create, money will follow later."