The Entrepreneurs Profile

Presents

LAXMI SHARMA
Founder: Laxmi woodcraft Udhyog

Reviewed By
Bhuwan Pandey
Roll no : 76341046
 Background

Ms Laxmi Sharma, a female entrepreneur and first women tempo driver in Nepal as well as in
the South Asia. She is also known as “The Button Lady”. She is pioneer in bone and woodcraft
but started her career as a tempo driver.
She has been producing buttons and other handicraft for 32 years and introducing Nepali arts
and handicrafts through button around the world. She is now proprietor of “Laxmi wood craft
Udhyog”. She is also the founder and current chairperson of the Kathmandu Animal treatment
centre. She is patriot who suggest youths to develop Nepal.
She has received special honor from Washington D.C for her contribution as women in
entrepreneurship development in Nepal. She believes that Entrepreneurs are like water who
can find their own way to success despite all the hurdles along the way. She has positive
outlook in Nepal.
She was born in 1949 B.S in Kathmandu Nepal. She grew up in her maternal home due cast
discrimination of her parents at that time. She used to serve as house keeper at Royal Family.
At the age of thirteen she got married and until twenty she has three daughter. She got
divorced when her youngest daughter was only eighteen month. Being a Single Mother she had
to struggle and had hard time to educate her daughters.
Her circumstances encourage her to take loan and buy auto rickshaw. This worked out well and
she managed to buy four more. She also started driving auto and during the time she learnt to
solve mechanical and technical problems. In 1999 B.S HMG awarded her letter of appreciation
and given the title of” The First Female Driver of Nepal”. She has to face problems running the
auto business, people would insult and harass her during the time.
Later on she began to make handicrafts and button. She used to look books on handicraft at
British council Library. She got lots of ideas from the books. Now a days she is the owner of
Laxmi Wood Craft Industry, President of Birendra Universal Studio Kaliwood Pvt. Ltd, an advisor
to the Nepal Small and Cottage Industry Association and a member of the Nepal Handicrafts
Industry Association, the Nepal, a life-long member of the Community Service Centre in
Maharajgunj, Sahayogi Haat Nepal, and a board member of the Kathmandu Animal Treatment
Centre.

Challenges and achievements

Her main challenges was to become the auto driver, during which she has to fight with many
smugglers and pockets pickers around. Society insult and harass. Her poverty was also big
challenge during the initial phase. As the buttons were made of buffalo bones and horns and it
was difficult for her make people aware of her product.
She has been known as respected person rather than divorced women she has been received
several awards including Women Entrepreneurship and Gold Medal 1986; Best Exporter of New
Products 2000; Top Exporter of Horn and Bone Crafts 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002; Outstanding
Women Entrepreneurship of Nepal 1997; The Leading Woman Entrepreneurs of the World
2000 and an award in 2000 from The Global Entrepreneur. She has been serving and training
several disadvantaged people in Nepal. Through Training programmes she became successful in
developing skills of about four thousand people who previously has little skill.
 Lessons to learn
Women are crucial to economic growth .The work women can do can change an entire nation
making it better economically as well as socially. Ms Laxmi has become a prime example of
how hard work and determination can create a successful woman entrepreneur. This the pure
examples of how ideas are implemented and make them into action. Even during her hard time
she devoted herself to take risk and give it a try. Her Journey from illiterate family to successful
women Entrepreneur in Nepal is inspiration to the youth to be a social entrepreneur.