A group of entrepreneurs, educationalists and angel investors have come together to start a forum to cater to the needs of women working from home.
The new venture, Homepreneur, will mentor, handhold and provide funding to women who do innovative work from home, including baking, running a salon, tailoring, painting, cooking and making cakes.
According to Hemachandran, founder CEO of Brand Avatar, one of the members of the venture, “Many women have taken up small or medium scale businesses and are working from home, generating revenue that becomes their income or augments it. To put it in simple terms, it is entrepreneurship from home. These women need support. Otherwise, their ideas get buried.”
C.K. Kumaravel, CEO and co-founder of Naturals Salon and Spa, who is also a part of the forum, said, “Women come out with innovative ideas but the challenge is to scale up and get funding. We will assist such women to scale up and think big.” Citing an example, the duo talked about an application from a women entrepreneur who makes organic soap for kids.
“This is something unique and if mentored well, she can scale up her idea,” Mr. Kumaravel noted.
In the first phase, women doing business from home will be recognised and awarded for their excellence. “Those generating income from home are eligible for Homepreneur Awards (Suyasakthi Virudhugal) under various categories,” said Mr. Hemachandran.
Role of NGOs
To reach out to women in rural areas, NGOs have been identified who, in turn, will help spot such women.
Applicants will be selected based on the feasibility and scalability of the plan and will work with the Madurai based Nativelead Foundation, the parent of Native Angel Network.
In the second phase, the Homepreneur team will join hands with micro-finance firms and help women entrepreneurs secure loans.
The Homepreneur team aims to mentor and handhold 10 women to begin with in Tamil Nadu.