I started a small jewelry shop (1991) in a downtown residential area of Coimbatore. While many of my age would be enjoying a TV show or a Cricket match, in my late teens I had already become used to a 9am to 10 pm routine, sitting in the small 100 sq feet show room.
With a meager investment sponsored by my family’s unused silver utensils and artifacts, which I melted to procure new materials, the show room started getting noticed by the nearby residents and soon became a favorite among the discerning lady customers. Mostly those who would like to get their puja articles polished.
I ventured out to embellish the show cases with artistically designed Silver articles that caught the affluent and very soon the showroom became famous for its giftables. Relatives of the neighborhood society added up as new customer base. My pleasant manners and never say no for anything, and my ability to procure and deliver became the story of success. Soon I was able to establish a 250 sq showroom with new interiors and added staff. The inventory grew and the variety now was procured from as far as Calcutta and Mumbai, and manufactures from Chennai and Delhi became my source and suppliers. This was the time of growth and many corporate started giving me institutional orders for bulk supply. My creative ideas and memento designs were a new innovation which was widely appreciated.
MARKETING GENIOUS
One day, a friendly customer dropped by to invite me for their housewarming function. They discussed the elaborate plans they have made and also the large amounts they were going to spend for the return gifts to their relatives. While in the talk they expressed their misfortune of a setback they got from a supplier of silver gifts from Chennai. Looking at the opportunity I took the discussion forward and changed their mind from giving traditional flower baskets to Italian bowls.
THE MANUFACTURER
Obviously, the order was huge and the customer, though very well known did apprehend my capacity to deliver. The function was in fifteen days and the goods had to be ready and delivered within this time for the event. The Italian bowls had to be made in Delhi and the very pious 5 Kg Nakshi Puja lamp set had to be made in Chennai. It was those days when these kinds of lamps were never kept ready as off the shelf product. But with meticulous planning and sampling done in time the orders were placed.
CRISIS MANAGER
Event date: Oct 15th. | Date of Delivery: Oct 13th.
On the Twelfth night the transporter informed that the goods from Delhi have been detained in a check post near Tirupur, and on the following afternoon the manufacturer in Chennai expressed delayed delivery due to power shortage in their area. No amount of hunting for a agent who could solve the situation could help as these were those days when Mobile phone were not introduced, yet work happened with faith and sincerity.
I negotiated with the manufacturer in Chennai to arrange for a hand delivery by finishing the product before 14th evening and sending an errand boy via the last train Cheran Express to Coimbatore.
For the stranded goods in check post I made my wife substitute me in the showroom and decided to deal with it personally. After four hours of negotiation and hunting the parcel out of the yard reached base at ten in the evening. During this entire ordeal, the customer was told only the half truth. They had already given up on the Puja Lamps and arranged for an old one as substitute. The gifts that were absolutely necessary were provided by me from my existing stock and the rest had to be delivered later for distribution.
THE DELIVERY
DATE Oct 15th TIME 03.00 AM
With the Italian bowls scattered all over the showroom counter, each piece meticulously weighed and appropriately positioned in the respective boxes made to size in preparedness were neatly gift packed. My customer’s two daughters who were full of sympathy for me helped in labeling the boxes with the receiver’s name tag. By 4.00 AM the boxes were delivered. The lamps were nowhere in the scene, and I had not informed them about the emergency plan I had made as If it failed I had no alternative.
Going straight to the Railway station I waited for the most respectable chariot – the Cheran Express that chugged into the station dot on time. My angel from Chennai handed me the carton box. The lamps have arrived in the city. I could now afford a rash ride on my trusted two wheeler right up to the newly decorated beautiful bungalow which was decked up like a new bride ready for the grand homam and grihapravesh by her owners.
I sat down on a plastic chair kept in the main hall, opened the carton and assembled the shimmering Nakshi Lamp almost 4 feet in height. Tear drops fell from the eyes of the lady of the house.
The nature of being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with being challenged regularly. I find people taking the shopkeeper for granted and especially when they are small business owners. We must understand those who try to satisfy us with their limited resources and ability they become the packers and movers, Marketing head and also crisis managers, all in one where lakhs are paid in big corporate houses for such posts.
