Business in India

Question: I am 32 year old woman, I have always been interested in dancing as a career, but because of some family problem I was not able to focus on my passion. Now I am thinking of starting my own dance classes for kids as well as for teenagers.

I have won many local awards in dancing and related activities, and I am confident that I can easily tech others.

I have questions for you:

1. What is the place requirement, if I want to accommodate 10 people at a time?
2. What musical instruments would be required?
3. How much investment is required, initially?
4. How do I market this newly opened dance classes? Give me some low cost and effective way to advertise?

Answer:

If you are an accomplished dancer, you can always start a dance school of your own to pass on your skill to others as well as make some money out of what took your years of labor and cost to build. The most important thing is that it would give you chance to stay in touch with your passion. As most parents today want their children to pick up this art you can cash in on this demand. And having a studio or school of your own is the best way to go about.

But opening aschool may not be easy unless you plan it out well.

To start a dance school, it is important to develop a good brand name for your school. The name should reflect the dance form in which you specialize. Since most Indians are traditional by it is advisable to go by traditional names unless it happens to be western dance school. Some good traditional names are kathakaliniketan, kuchupudi center of excellence, bharatnatyam Kendra etc. The name should be accompanied with a logo so that your school gets identified by the logo itself. And choose an ideal logo you must come out with an innovative and attractive design concept. Seek the help of an artist to give form to your thoughts.

Location

It’s ideal to have the school locale at a place where it is easy to get students. Residential areas are better than commercial areas. Choosing a locale close to a school or park can also be very useful. If it is near a school parents will get to know about your school soon.

Again like location the layout of your school is also equally important. It has to be a spacious, well ventilated and visually appealing. The walls should be covered with mirrors as it would help you to teach and students to learn effectively.

Advertise

Advertisement will play an important role to promote your school. Besides traditional methods of advertising like distribution of pamphlets with newspapers or advertising through cable networks, a good way would be to offer free introductory classes or arrange for seminars in schools and colleges. These single sessions are the best way to draw everybody’s attention to your dance program. Besides helping you get instant response, such sessions will help you spread awareness in the society.

An excellent way to propagate is to circulate a short video of your dance performances. In the video, you can also showcase the talent of other teachers to show to interested dancers. Make sure the video is created in a professional way to create the necessary impact.

An incentive scheme to draw students can also be a good way to start initially. Discounted class rates can help you attract students from all class groups.

Instruments: As for the instruments you need items that are essential for your kind of dance. For instance, if you wish to teach Indian classical dance, you have to buy traditional items that are integral part of this dance form. For a western dance class, you may require a huge set of items like costumes, musical instruments, electronic gadgets etc.

Like any other business, it would take you some time to set your class running. But once it takes off, you may not have to look back.

Question:

Hi, I am an educated middle class wife. I wanted to start decent size grocery store in Hyderabad nearby my place. How can I get financial assistance from government?

To my knowledge, the government has many schemes to encourage woman entrepreneurs. Am I entitled to any government help for my endeavor? I wish to start with a capital of around 1 lakh? Can you guide me with the initial start up? It would be good if you give an estimate of how much money that needs to be invested and what is the maximum which I can get through loans.

Answer:

This is one such business where you get a regular stream of customers. So, you are guaranteed a decent income if not a good one. However setting up a grocery business entails a lot of effort. Yes, I would say luck too maters a lot. And that’s because, unless you get a good location for your shop, it may take some time for your business to get up and run. And if you don’t get one, there isn’t much to rue, as success would only be a matter of time. You just have to wait for people to get acquainted with your grocery store. If you still can’t wait, you just have to devise a good strategy to draw customers and once you succeed, there is no looking back.

Getting acquainted with the business is extremely important. You need t know where to source stuff from at a cheap rate. It is equally important to have an idea about the quality of the stuff. Again if the isn’t delivered to you at your door step, you need to make arrangements to procure them.

The next big thing after location is store space. This is a crucial factor which is equally responsible for determining the fate of your business. As grocery stores need to stock a vast variety of items, your store needs to have sufficient space. Space for goods?, Yes that’s right. In fact you need to go a step further and book more space to ensure your store does not have the constricted feel for you to walk around and remains ventilated.

If you have visited a grocery store, you must know what equipments you need to buy or lease to run the store. Yes you are right. The major items needed include freezers for perishables, racks for displaying items, slicers to cut deli meats and cheese, display cases to showcase pastries and breads, weighing machines, sponge matting for holding fruits and vegetables, plastic bags, misters etc. Besides you will need gadgets like fans, TVs, computers with software, printers, pen, notebook, dusters, sealing machines, RFID scanners, and even in-circuit cameras. Based on the equipments and available floor space, you need to plan your layout.

In a grocery store, who are the people who run the show?

It is the staff i.e. checkout workers, supervisors, bakery counter employees and stock keepers. You may not need all of them to start with, but once your business pick up, you may have to hire individuals for these posts.

Strategizing your business is very important. Unless you offer something lucrative why should buyers come to you? Moreover, it is such interesting deals that would help people discover your store. The best way to popularize your store is by selling items cheaper than the neighboring store. Clubbing offers like buy one get one free etc is also a good tactic to draw people. No matter what you have to offer, you need to spread the word around. And to get this done you can use pamphlets, newspaper ads, cable TV advertisements and mobile marketing. Marketing your shop will determine the fate of your business to a large extent. So, think less about your profits at the beginning and spend as much as you can to catch peoples’ attention.

In short: To set up a perfect grocery store you need to expend a lot. This may run into several lakhs. However, if you one to save on money, you can start the business at your home by converting a portion of your house into a store. Even for this, you may need to expend a couple of lakhs. If your budget is 1 lakh, and you have space at home, you can still start a small grocery store. Only that, you will have down heavily on store equipments and even items.

I plan to start a solar energy business, because I firmly believe this business has huge potential in the years to come. Please let me know something about my decision. However, I am confused about investment cost, and how to go about. Please guide me.

If you are planning to venture into the solar energy business, this is the right time to do it. This business is still in its nascent stage in India and not many businessmen have been able to fathom its importance and the demand it will generate in the future.

Public perception on solar energy has changed considerably. People now understand the importance of alternative generation practices. Most people now consider it worthwhile to have solar energy generating features integrated into their house plans. If your business can tap into this growing perception, your business stands a good chance of flourishing.

To start a solar energy business you need heavily integrated business plan documents. The following steps will give you an idea of how to go about:

Step 1

Like any other green tech business, your solar energy company needs a good business plan. You need to have a clear idea of the kind of customers you want to target. You need to strategize on how to make your company different from competitors in terms of business model, efficiency and other factors. Based on these factors you need to hunt for customers. The ultimate objective of your business plan is to make your company self-sustaining and profitable.

Step 2

Having drawn up a plan, you need to take the next concrete step forward. Your next step is to obtain licenses and permits required in your state to start your business. Visit the energy department website to get detailed information for registering a partnership, sole proprietorship, or limited liability company in your region.

Step 3

Alternative energy business plans are entitled to significant grant money from the government. Your next step should be to tap into such grant funding from government and other sources.

Step 4

Since this business involves huge capital investments, you can, if the need be, raise additional financing through traditional means. Approach banks as they understand solar business prospects better. More over banks are controlled by the government and once your business model gets grants from the government it becomes easy to procure bank loans. You can also approach venture capitalists as they too have good idea about solar business profitability.

Step 5

Setting up your electrical infrastructure is important as you need to have your operations up and running before selling the first watt. So after the loans are sanctioned you need to concentrate on this. It is at this stage that you end up expending the bulk of your investment. So, make sure you have adequate capital in hand to complete this stage or else your business might get stalled.

Step 6

Before generating the first watt, you need to market your services to consumers. For this a well thought out marketing strategy has to be devised and implemented. It’s good if your strategy takes into account all types of consumers like household, electric utility companies, institutions, businesses etc. This will ensure that your business appeal is not limited to one particular section.  Make sure your marketing strategy is flexible so as to accommodate sudden changes as per market volatility. As it is your marketing strategies that will determine the success of your business make sure you have something innovative and attractive in place. Make sure you offer new solar energy related services like free consultation and estimation to establish a lead over competitors.

Setting up a solar energy business is a detailed and exhaustive task. All you need to succeed is the right business model and the right marketing strategy.

Question: I am planning to start an educational consultancy business. I have chosen this because most students don’t have an idea about which career path to choose after school or high-school. Having helped many students in my family choose the right career, I believe I can help every student embark on the right career course.

Can you please tell me how to start this business? Also I would like to know what you think about my decision.

Answer:

Education in India is growing at a phenomenal rate. With students bursting at the seams competition is getting fiercer. Despite the availability of innumerable professional fields not all of them are being tapped because of lack of knowledge amongst students about the prospects in those fields.  More often than not students come to this field on the rebound. At secondary and senior secondary stage students and parents are keen to know more about different fields but are in no position to make informed decision. They badly need the services of an education consultant and this is where education consultants can step in to make hay while the sun shines.

A career as an education consultant can be lucrative in many respects. Firstly, this is a sinecure job. Secondly, this business requires meager investments.  Thirdly, one serves as one’s own master and gets all the freedom to engage oneself in a second profession of choice.

How to become a education consultant?

To become an education consultant, the first requirement is wide knowledge about the prospects in different fields of education as well rudimentary knowledge of the subject. One can acquire this by carrying out extensive research. Completing a course in psychology can be extremely beneficial. It would help one understand the mindset of students as well as their parents and hence would find it easier to change preconceived notions. It is also important for a consultant to be in touch with ground realities in the job market. This would help them provide fact based guidance.

To become a good education consultant you need to be a good salesman. In other words you need to be an articulate person and must master the art of convincing people. You also need to be a voracious reader and must possess good analytical skills to analyze and interpret developments in various education fields. Besides you also need to have strong networking skills.

Knowing the field and your competitors is also very important. Get in touch with other consultants to study how they function. Yes, you need to go in disguise, as a relation of some student. Stepping in as an assistant of a consultant can be the best way out of learning the tricks of the trade.

Setting up an office isn’t much difficult. However, you need to have an office set up that conveys a professional feel. PCs, books, fax machines, Xerox machines, printer, desks, cabinets, book shelves etc are a must. It is equally important to keep professional marketing materials ready. This includes business cards, writing pad with logos, brochures to market your expertise. You must also have a professionally built website. Having social media presence is must for leveraging online modes of advertising.

To market yourself you need to arrange for seminars preferably at good places like hotels and halls. Get yourself invited to colleges and coaching centers to illuminate students on chances in other fields. You can book stalls in education fairs and book fairs to further your chances.

Though it doesn’t cost much to become an education consultant, but to create a niche in the market you need to strive hard.

Question: Hello Sir, I am working as a sales professional in a leading packaging company. I earn 60k monthly. Since my job requires a lot of travelling, I am staying away from my family. I am fed up of this hectic schedule. I am looking for a change by starting an own business, but the problem is that I have no idea on which area I should start. Apart from that, I am running out of funds also. My main idea is to start a packaging business, where I can be my own boss. When asked for advice, most of the people suggest me to continue my job since they feel that I earn a ransom amount. However my ambitions are to be my own boss.

Looking forward for a valuable response, Cheers.

Rahul Sharma

Answer:  Hi Rahul,

I appreciate the confidence in you of starting up your own business and being your own boss, but it is not that easy as you put it up in words. There is a lot of homework to be done behind the idea; it is not only for packaging business, but for any other type of business also. Earning 60k and living without family is a tough task. I would say if you are more determined of running your own business, and your family well, then there is no need of thinking over you can strike the deal of starting your own packaging business.

First of all a starting a packaging business is an apprehensive task, if you are not very much sure of where you have to start. You can be successful in this business unless or until you know the nook and corner of the industry.  First and foremost learn more about the industry. Analyze what is the requirement of the customers; this may help you to hit upon more ideas for starting your business. Keeping in mind the main motive of the business is essential. Here, in a packaging business you should be more focused on serving the customers by packing their goods for storage without damaging. It is important that you first prepare you’re to do list prior to commencing your packaging business. I am just listing out few points which would be helpful for you to know your priorities.

• Hiring employees
• Acquiring  business license from the finance departments
• Assessing the capital to start the business
• Choosing a suitable location
• Acquiring insurance

Apart from all this, analyzing the market and communicating with professionals by conducting short meetings is very important. You should always remember that the first thing the customer sees in a product is the packaging. In today’s business industry, you have plenty of people trying new ideas to capture the hearts of the customers. All you have to do it to try something new and innovative, so that your work would be highlighted among others.

Learning each and every small things like, how to gain the business, managing the resources, trying to reach the potential customers, maintaining the growth etc is essential to keep a stand in your business. Once you have gathered all the above mentioned requirements, it is essential that you enter for a groundwork job, where you have to first learn the way the goods are to be packed without creating any damage. You can learn this skill by getting some training from experienced packers. Once the skill has been learned, doing research on the localities where the demand for your business is high is essential.

Investing on good quality of materials like tapes, sheets, boxes etc., for packing purpose will yield you more demand. Contacting the manufacturing business in person will also get you more opportunities. When once you are ready with all these, you can provide advertisements or create a websites providing your company name and the facilities offered, this would attract more customers in your business making it grow higher. As the saying goes….. People are judged by its covers, every product also would be attractive if it’s been neatly packed. Therefore it is important that you combine the right points with right design to target flock of customers.

All the best for your new venture.

Question: Dear Scott, The kind of information and advises you give are excellent. Thanks for your support. Coming to me, I am NRI working in IT field. I have been working in this field for 11 years.

I am fed up with this field. I am thinking of quitting this field in 2, 3 years. I am interested in starting a business in rural area with local people partnership.

I am from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. My age now is 36. My qualification is post graduate in Mathematics and doing PG Diploma in Management (Finance & HR). My interested areas are Manufacturing, Import and Export etc but not limited to only these two ready to take up any thing that is interesting.

I am ready to invest 25 lacks and can raise funds another 10 lakhs. Once my business kicks off, I am expecting the monthly income of at least 70k to 1 lakh initially. I am looking for the business options with the greater expansion possibilities.

As I am planning to quit my job in 2, 3 year, I’ll have sufficient time to plan and do some ground work on my project. Can you give me some advice on this?

Answer: If you have an aptitude for business, it is advisable you veer off early. And that’s because you are young and, I believe, your life’s calling lies in business. But as you are planning to leave one field for another, things can get a bit difficult for you. And that’s because, you will be treading through an unfamiliar territory. If you trip, and fail to get back on your knees, it would become impossible to return to your original field. However, if you are determined, success can’t be elusive.

Though your budget is less, it won’t stop you from starting a small manufacturing business unit. If you have a location, you have a big problem off your back. If not you may have to scout for one. Starting the business in a small inexpensive location is the best way out. Look for an used garage or space available in the out-house, if you have one to spare. However, the space needed would depend on the type of manufacturing unit you plan to set-up. If it is a small unit, little space will suffice. With your kind of budget you cannot afford to go for a big manufacturing unit. Next comes choosing the product. There are multitudes of products to choose from. From small plastic items like cans, buckets and mugs to handloom units, you can start all without facing much problem. But before you get into a line, you need to know it like the back of your palm. This may require a bit of running around. From markets to production centers and from prospective clients to government offices, you need to do it all.

As a manufacturer you need to make product that meets the highest possible standard. And to get a footing in the market, you need to sell it with very less profit margin. To outsmart competitors you need to think of some offbeat and effective strategy. Coming out with the right one is where the challenge lies. Moreover, you need to keep changing your marketing tactics to stay afloat. Besides, you need to have a proper growth plan and a flexible sales avenue. When it comes to marketing, you have to do it all by yourself at the onset. Apart from field marketing you need have a plan ready for online marketing as well.

Besides determination and good interpersonal skills you need to know the art of negotiating.. Individuals, investors and retailers will try to wrench as much out of you as possible. So you always need to be on guard.

Another Idea…

Starting an import and export business can also be a good option. However, you need to choose your product very carefully. Go for a product about which you have good knowledge. You also need to know the supply market well. Nothing can work better, if you have contacts abroad. Visit your markets to establish contacts through meeting. Though it’s not mandatory, it would help create rapport.

In order to get into export business, you need an export- import license. You can acquire this from the import-export office after meeting their requirements. You also need to refer to Annual Statistics of Foreign trade published by DGCIS, Kolkatta. By studying this you can access the best markets for your business. After choosing a product you need to get RCMC from Export Promotion councils..

Whether you star a manufacturing unit or get into import and export business, it is very important to gather knowledge about the field. The best way out is to join a unit which manufactures products of your choice as an employee and work for a few months to gain first hand experience. Likewise, to start an export business, get yourself employed in an export house to learn the know-how.

Question: Hi, Scott, I am Ranjith from Bangalore, Karnataka India. After completing my B. Com.com I got involved in my father’s business in Bangalore. We have developed sites on 4.5 acres of ownership land near BIA Devanahalli. My father is a well-known political figure in Karnataka.

I wish to start a hotel or bar business in London. I am ready to invest around 1 to 2 Crore INR (150 – 200 Thousand GBP) to fulfill my dreams.

Can you please suggest how to go about? Also, where do I need to seek permission to start my venture? Is it mandatory to have UK citizenship? I eagerly look forward to your guidance.

 

Answer: First of all, you deserve a pat for aiming high. If you can manage to pull it off in the UK, it would take you nothing to stride across continents. And when it comes to starting a hotel abroad, few countries can match all that UK has to offer. According to the British Hospitality Association (BHA), the total turnover of the hotel industry in 2011 was £90bn. With an inflow of 14.6 million tourists in the city of London last year, tourism is all set to become the top revenue earner for the country.

Now coming to your questions, you need not be a citizen to start a business in the UK. The United Kingdom provides visas for entrepreneurs building their businesses in Britain. Thus by investing in the UK, you get an opportunity for obtaining UK Citizenship.

There two best ways by which you can obtain UK Citizenship by investment is the Tier 1 Investor Category and the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Category.

The UK Tier 1 Investor Category

The UK Tier 1 Investor Category is meant for non-European investors who wish to make significant investment in business or enterprises in the UK. For this, the investor needs to have the ability to invest £1 million in a business. This visa, does not take factors like nationality, age, education, English proficiency of the individual into consideration. The applicant’s spouse and minor children are also included in the visa application. With this visa the applicant can live anywhere in the UK, and travel outside without any restrictions. After five years the individual and his family can apply for permanent residency. And all this does not require you to renounce Indian citizenship.

But the monetary condition in this category rules your chances out.  While you can afford to invest Rs 2 crore, the conditions call for a minimum investment around Rs 10 crores (1.2 Million GBP). However, you still stand a chance under the UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur Category.

In order to qualify under this provision you need to be conversant with English and must show how you plan to self-support yourself during your stay. The application can be shared by two partners. If the application stands approved, the visa can be extended for a total of five years.

After You Get Through the Visa Process

For a running hotel business, you need to sift through a mass of legislation. These include laws pertaining to health and safety rules; kitchen regulations, and a maze of employment law. Besides this, specific rules based on location, size, and amenities are applicable. Once you choose your area, it is advisable you contact the local authority to learn more about the specific requirements for your hotel business.

Question: Dear sir, I come from the state of Punjab. I wish to start an export business of stoles and scarfs.  However, I don’t have an export license and cannot afford to have one. Neither do I have a friend, who can lend me his license.  Despite these handicaps, I am raring to start an export business? Is exporting goods through VPP order a reliable way of starting this business? Rising courier cost is another bottleneck. How can I meet the ever increasing courier costs? I look forward to your valuable suggestions.

Answer: I see the zeal in you, but unfortunately, you are not aware of the ways. Never mind. Where there is a will there is always a way. And we are here to show you the ways.

The first and foremost requirement is to make your presence known. This would help you reach out to buyers and sellers of those countries and in the process whip up demand for your products. By the time you are ready to export, the demand for your stoles and scarves would be staggering. Develop a professional website for your products. Display the choicest of items in the gallery section of your site. Next, seek the services of a freelance SEO professional to boost rankings of your site. I say, freelance, because this wouldn’t cost you much.

Now coming to your questions, I think you are reeling under some wrong notions. I don’t think you will be permitted to send goods using your friend’s license. Lending license to you entails lot of risk for the license holder. What if you get into illegal exports? Moreover, no one would part with his license for charity. This would significantly eat into your gains. Instead, going for an own license makes more economic sense.

It’s wrong to believe that sending goods through VPP courier is not reliable. What about the millions of VPP orders being transacted across the length and breadth of the globe? Had companies been duped, they would have wounded up by now. On the contrary, they are growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to VPP orders. You can blindly rely on a secure parcel delivery service. And coming to the cost factor; courier companies’ offer discounted rates to exporters, because they transfer goods in bulk. And even if this happens to be too much, you can recover the cost from your customer. Courier agencies generally go out of their way to keep clients in their good books, because they earn their dollars by keeping you pleased.

Another easy way out is to sell from a credible marketing platforms like Amazon or eBay. These sites collect money from customers and deposit it in seller accounts. Most marketing sites accept payment through electronic systems, including its own PayPal system. The shipping fee is automatically set based on the item being sold.

Another possible way out is to have your own outlet in foreign countries. The Indian consulates located in the United States has commercial attaché which can guide you on how to go about.. The US consulate  in India can also provide you with a list of their own import / export enterprises.. Get in touch with these enterprises to take your interests forward. Carry out a massive mail campaign. Remember the response may not be encouraging, but you should be relentless in your endeavors.

With all these available platforms, it is possible to start an export business without much of a hassle. All that is required is grit and the determination to succeed. And last but not the least: Aim for earning a good reputation than earning money. Money will soon follow.

Question:

Dear Sir!

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your expert guidance. I would like to take this opportunity to share one of my business ideas with you and elicit your views regarding it. I live in Visakhapatnam, the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. I own a bakery business and now plan to extend it to food. Visakhapatnam abounds in industries and few SEZs like autonagar, pharma city, Apparel Park etc. As most of these companies depend heavily on local messes and parlors, I plan to cash in on the existing gap by supplying

1. Lunch directly to their tables
2. Sell lunch packs from a small kiosk either at the entrance of SEZ or at nearest area.
3. Introduce special take away lunch packs like high fiber diet or healthy ayurvedic diet etc.

I solicit your expert opinion on:

• How to start up?
• How to approach companies and customers?
• Where to get such type of packing material?
• What are other things to consider?

Srikanth K – Proprietor

Bunny’s Pizza Cafe & Amp; Bakery

Opp. Vizag Steel Gate,

Kurmannapalem

Visakhapatnam-530046

Answer:

Since that you already own a bakery business, you are in a position of strength. Your knowledge of the the trade can help you immensely in extending your food business. However, what is important is to plan out your moves in a systematic manner. Here on, it’s a step by step effort and remember every step will count.

How To Get it Started?

First, decide upon what food items you would like to introduce. Since that you are taking on existing competitors, you need to offer something new and innovative to lure away customers. Decide on what to offer: food at lesser price or more quantity at the same price. Next, think about what freebies you can offer. For instance, a free sweet item with every lunch packet! Hit upon new plans to spread information about your new food business. Take a call on whether it has to be posters or a campaign mounted on a vehicle.

How To Approach Companies And Customers?

In order to approach companies, you need to seek an appointment with the HR representatives. Sometimes, you may fail to get an appointment. In that case you need to send them emails drawing their attention to your business and soliciting an appointment for further discussions. If possible take the help of an insider to get an early appointment. Once the meeting is set, it’s all your game. You need to come out with a matchless presentation to showcase why your venture is the best and in what ways you guarantee top-class services.

Your credentials as a reputed bakery owner will stand you in good stead. When you approach companies on this basis, they will give you a patient hearing and will consider you seriously. Most companies attach importance to the following:

• Hygiene
• Presentation
• Taste/quality
• Customer service
• Timely Delivery

So be prepared to counter questions related to these aspects of your business. Satisfactory answers can help you clinch the deal.

You can leverage your bakery business to spread awareness about your new venture amongst existing customers. And creating awareness amongst them can be pretty easy, as they would be more excited to learn about it than strangers. Print a leaflet or a brochure and distribute it to them. They would refer to it with great interest and come back with loads of suggestions.

Where To Get Packing Material?

Packing plays a crucial role in determining the prospects of your future business. Just as shoddy packaging can push your business into doldrums, the right kind of packing can do wonders to your business. And if you target the Autonagar, Pharma city, Apparel Park and IT park of Vishakapatnam, you cannot turn a blind eye to this aspect of your business.

To start with, go for packaging which is attractive but costs less. Seek an appointment with the packing material manufacturers of the city. Discuss with them the cost of the layout you have designed and bargain hard. Cross verify it with other manufacturers. This would give you a good idea of the prevailing market rates. Some well known packing agencies in Vishakapatnam are:

Avanti Business Machinees Ltd

• Primula Flexo Pack Ltd
• Sai Bhaskara Packaging
• Sri Vinayaka Enterprises
• Arunodaya Poly Films
• Packings ‘N’ Packings
• Paybin Packing
• Pragati Print Pack Ltd.
• Shree Paper Packing Products
• Sri Shyamala Packings & Generals
• New Fashions

 Other things to consider

Having a Website can do a world of good to your food business.  Organizations find it easy to liaison with such enterprises. Besides this, you need to catch on with the latest online marketing trends. It pays to have your own facebook and twitter community. Sending personalized messages to customers via emails can help you build personal rapport with customers.

Create a brand for your business. Branding plays a key role in entrenching your business. Go the whole hog to create branding awareness. This you can do by sponsoring social events like hosting a polio program etc.

Doling out gifts or gift offers on important occasions is a good marketing strategy. This may include anything, from small fancy gift items like lunch boxes, gift lunch coupons or even buy one get one offer.

Question:

Hi, this question is regarding starting my own supply chain firm in India.

Myself Gopinath, I am basically a civil engineering with MBA graduate.

I always wanted to start my own business and was never been much interested to Job, So I decided to get basic knowledge about business and I migrated to Dubai. It is been 3 years, I’m working in a trading and manufacturing company. Basically it’s a group of company, there are around 10 companies under this group.

Here I got a chance to work in 3 of its companies, in different roles as sales, purchase, logistics, administrative coordinator.

I learnt basics about sales and supplier relationship, sales and purchase techniques and now I have good knowledge about logistics.

I have an idea of starting a distribution and supply chain company in India, I am already having some suppliers in hands for few products and buyers as well.

It is about consumer products. I have a plan to expand the same after studying Indian market condition and requirement.

Also, there are few friends of mine who are residing in foreign countries and they are also ready to join hands to expand this supply chain business.

Now need your advice to getting a license and other procedure to start a small level distribution (supply chain company). Please provide information to start the other procedure.

Answer:

To start supply chain company in India you require following things.

1. Company Registration: You will have to register a company like other businesses do. there are multiple ways for registration..

— Sole Proprietorship: Not much formalities are require for this, all you have to go to local municipal office and ask them for registration formalities.

1 thing to keep in mind here, if you think business turnover will exceed 10 Lacs per/annum, you will need to register for a TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number).

— Partnership: Here all partners in company need to sign partnership deed. You can consult any CA (chartered accountant) in your area, he will guide you through the procedure of registering partnership firm.

— Private Limited: This is recommended option because I think in Supply Chain business turnover is going to in lacks, registration of Pvt limited is lengthy than any other registration. There is a special requirement for auditing and accounting.

Here too, any CA in your area can help with Pvt LTD registration. Keep in mind that cost of registration can be anywhere between 30k – 50k INR.

What I think, you should start with sole proprietorship, as and when your business expands, you can think of going for Private limited.