Ideas don’t have barriers and success today is not always counted in the currency of our past generations. A few teens across the country have looked beyond their grilling academic schedules to become very young entrepreneurs. This obviously means a deflected focus from academics, holidays and time with friends, but that’s the cost they’re willing to pay to pursue their passion. They’ve been groomed by the Young Entrepreneur’s Academy, who’ve helped their ideas and online enterprises find takers in the market.
Basket of Joy
By: Almas Mukri
What: Online fruit basket gifting
Where: Instagram
From: Mumbai
Age: 14 years
Starting young has its advantages, Almas says. “You are ahead and save those hours for the future.” Her aim is to create a user-friendly platform that’ll help customers gift fruit baskets. She’s currently building the brand’s presence on Facebook and Instagram. She shares sample photo brochures on WhatsApp to spread the word about her startup. Her larger aim is to create social impact at every stage: the fruits are sourced from organic farmers; the baskets are made by sex workers from Kamathipura and women from low-income households in Kashmir; quilled cards are made by the differently-abled from an organisation called Sharan, and she’s looking at tying up with a delivery company called Mirakle that employs deaf men for their delivery. (Orders @9324412658)
Bespoek
By: Ruvin Dholakiya
What: Fashion website
Where: Website, social media
From: Mumbai
Age: 17 years
Dholakiya calls entrepreneurs problem-solvers and shares that starting at a young age has boosted his morale. “Setting up a website has its perks, but there are competitors with better funding too,” he adds. The process has helped him understand various ways to differentiate his brand from others. Balancing academics and entrepreneurship is a challenge, but this has made him a better multi-tasker. Age-gender-specific marketing across social media has enhanced the reach for his portal. “Youngsters like to dress differently,” he feels, hoping the portal does justice in doing just that. A company called Wooplr provides the supplier base for his website.
Quilling jewellery
By: Ananya Bhargava
Where: Online store Etsy
From: Hyderabad
Age: 14 years
Starting young helps one experiment and learn, given it’s easier to tap raw minds, feels Bhargava. She specialises in environment-friendly quilling jewellery retailed online. She finds the absence of face-to-face interaction with the buyer a challenge, even though a detailed description comes to their rescue. “I plan to add new products and market them through popular e-commerce websites and social medial,” she says.
Ethnique Mojo
By: Naksh Kohli
What: Handmade soaps with essential oils
Where: Website
From: Delhi
Age: 14 years
Entrepreneurship has been a life skill for Naksh Kohli, who makes and sells customised handmade soaps. You can order white roses with that smell for Mother’s Day, for instance. “I’ve coded for my e-commerce portal. Generating targeted traffic and converting shoppers into paying customers has been a challenge. A dedicated digital marketing team, and a strong user interface are keys to succeed here.”
He wishes to upscale his platform for the underprivileged to showcase their products soon, where the revenue from these products will go back to needy artisans. Social media marketing has been his go-to tool, besides strong word-of-mouth. “We are also planning to ensure many of our products are sourced through grass-root artisans, protecting the art as well as helping the families with better incomes.” The concept, mix cum recipe and intended output product is designed and curated by Naksh. The production is done by him or otherwise fully supervised in case of bulk orders. He has also outsourced the basic soap base (that is SLS and SLES free and as per BIS standard), under a governance model.
Picanva
By: Anubhav Ghosh and Ruchir Sinh Bais
What: Connecting artists and art enthusiasts
Where: Website, social media
From: Bengaluru
Age: 16 years
Being young helps one build a skill set in a risk-free environment, say Ghosh and Bais. “It’s advisable to have a co-founder or a CTO who is good at handling the tech and online marketing. I am totally sure that I would have done better at getting excellent grades if I did not focus on entrepreneurship. Through social media we were able to engage with audiences and find artists. We are trying to build a customer base on Facebook,” Ghosh says. Their aim is to make affordable and original artworks accessible, while they also get hold of vendor contracts with interior designers, whose artworks are focused on contemporary and abstract art.
Valet4You
By: Kevin Thakkar
What: Valet Parking Services
Where: Website
From: Mumbai
Age: 16 years
From finding the right developers and team to ensuring execution and timelines, Thakkar had a lot to manage before his idea took off. His online portal facilitates valet parking needs besides car wash services and refuelling. While Valet4You is functional at select locations in Mumbai, the model has enough scope to make the process of adding more locations seamless. The idea was born out of the problem in tackling traffic-infested streets. There are plans to scale it up to other cities soon. Kevin devotes time to his startup during the summer and winter breaks instead of a holiday. “Social media and digital marketing have been known to make or even break businesses. Parking has become such a recurring chore and Valet4You aims to end this, also helps solve problems like traffic and pollution,” he adds.
