Case 2.

1 95
Entrepreneurship-Luck
When Deepak Joshi was 17
or
Persistence?
years old. he
better He made his own sampled ice cream at a store and
recipe and began thought that he could make
began asking him for selling ice cream it
Bclgaum People bars. cones. and
cups in his
kills to prepare more
Deepak hometown ot
ice creams of got himself trained at Mysore and developed
different flavours and
mother's kitchen. Deepak Joshi
began compositions. Using meagre profits and his
wrappers and developed a commission making large batches of ice creams. He then
system for friends who sold ice designed his own
Business was so good that it became an creams at several schools.
obsession.
holidays, and aside Irom a briet period when the Deepak worked after college. weekends. and
obtained proper permits to health department suspended his
make ice creams. he
made different operations he until
methods until he types of ice creams by trying his own
graduated from college. At first. he could meet the demand
equipment sacrificing other activities. but when he
or without purchasing special
raising events and fun fairs, demand began providing ice creams for college
fund
excceded capacity, and Deepak found himself
equipment. hiring helpers, and purchasing bulk supplies. buying professional
Looking back. Deepak recalled the obsession. the
long hours. and the drive to learn about business
Deepak set about placing orders with local stores and
developing contracts with dozens of
colleges, caterers, hotels, and civic organisations. His business soon consumed his entire schools,
closest friends: he registered the company and set family and
had 18,000 orders, and by the time he graduated.
up an ice cream parlour During the tirst month, he
Deepak
was distributing specialty
ice to creams retail
stores in three Statcs
At the age of 26, Deepak repositioned his company as a major distributor of specialty ice creams and
began planning a chain of upscale ice cream parlours which would complement his current ice cream
manufacturing and distribution system. When he paused to think about his plans, he realised that to
aunch a regional or national chain would mean major changes in his organisation. He and his family
could not handle all the responsibilities. and the nature of Depak's ice cream business would change
Although the idea of pursuing a major business was exciting. Deepak would not help feeling
apprehensive.
Rellecting upon his business, Deepak realised that many peopleconsidered his success to be no more
ice creams and had accidentally stumbled
than the luck of a young man who made good
personable
upon a teW good markets. In tact, he had worked extremely
hard clients. Most
toattract ofhis
customers

student, and customers seldom took him

had not been conmfortable buying from a young college
been a chal-
time. Winning overcustomers had always
seriously until they had dealt with hinm for a long
unusual ice creams had been exciting.
ienge to Decpak. not a roadblock, and creating well with
and although he had always worked
tic was not anxious to become a corporate manager,
would mean sacriticing his autonomy, yet
others, Dcepak liked being independent. Running
a company
time.
ice creams had
been a dream for years. At the same
the idea of a chain of stores selling his specialty had
had always avoided debt; he dealt in cash and
expanson would mean
financial risk, and Deepak
even the slightest
loss. He realised that he was at a
to avoid
always carcfully calculated his expenses
whether to follow his dream and expand
career. The choice seemed to be
najor crOSsroad in his young
business.
or to he content with his exIsting