Starting a business seems extremely glamorous but there’s so much more than what meets the eye. It takes patience and years of planning, mastering an idea, and gathering capital to begin pursuing your biggest drive in a world that is constantly changing.
Small and local businesses thrive on encouragement from a trustworthy circle of people, as they create unique alternative options for people who can benefit from their product. It is this recognition that drives them to cater to people who appreciate what they do. Supporting local businesses show that you care for them and the community you live in.
Living in a neighbourhood like Cooke town in Bangalore enabled me to respect this little community that has a warm network of people that wants to preserve this bond. For instance, local vegetable vendors understand that they exist among several online giants and moreover, the past few months of surviving in the pandemic put them at a huge financial risk. But ultimately, the community was there for them and this support made them feel inclusive and well-respected.
Old School Memories by Wind Chimes
For the last 21 years, a local gift shop called Wind Chimes has been thriving in the quaint Anglo-Indian lanes of Hutchins road. We love how this neighbourhood store has everything from cotton kurtas to eclectic handcrafted artifacts from all over the country. Meticulously sourced knick knacks makes this gift shop the ideal place to visit when you wish to jazz up your home or simply give someone a thoughtful present. The owner Sujatha’s calm appearance and humility has made her sustain despite the presence of other online alternatives that we often flock to.
An Affair To Remember by Sanchia The Planner
Networking and supporting local businesses led us to Sanchia Nazareth, an event planner from Mangalore who runs her own business called Sanchia The Planner. It’s been 4 years and Sanchia has meticulously handled several events in Mangalore and Bangalore like weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries or corporate meets. “I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people and maintaining connections, so I knew for a fact that this business was meant for me. Since Mangalore is a small city and there are very few competitors in this field of work, it’s been an advantage for me because I’ve received a good share of support from locals here.”
When asked about her challenges pertaining to recent events, she claims that the event management and hotel industry has been affected a great deal. “Parties and weddings have all come to a halt and even if it’s been happening, it’s definitely not at a scale that it used to be at. But the idea is to create something innovative in these challenging times and hence, we started a door-to-door delivery service of décor and gift items in custom made boxes named ‘Party in a Box’. This has been running successfully and celebrations are also unhindered this way.”
Handcrafted Goodness by Swadha
Swadha is a mother-daughter duo based in Bangalore who make quirky handmade soaps using natural ingredients. They have regular customers display genuine appreciation for what they do and are extremely invested in their nature of business. “This support gives us great hope because it shows changing attitudes and awareness for what should be done to conserve our environment. We are a very small business with a smaller reach, hence, we would like to reach out to people who don’t yet know what impact their buying choices could make to their welfare as well as to the environment.”
As new businesses hit the surface, it’s intriguing to delve into their nature of business. They’ve definitely given people a run for their money through unique products and services that best fits your needs or even beliefs. The idea is to look around and contemplate the environment we live in and understand how our choices can not only affect our lives but also that of the communities we’re a part of.
Small businesses form a crucial part of our society as some of them preserve India’s culture of producing handmade and natural products. Not just that, but the culture of creating, innovating and constantly striving to provide alternatives that makes us what we are today. The next big thing is to approach them and offer our unconditional support today, and always.
We at One Page Spotlight are humbled to be a small part of their journey in understanding their relentless quality work and we’re extremely privileged to meet artists who are silently creating magic one day at a time.
If you’d like to see these budding entrepreneurs work or would like to get in touch with them, do take a look at their profiles. They’re now on One Page spotlight.
