Search Results

Aug 23, 2017 The formal procedure of employment is one of the few facets of the financial landscape that has managed to remain unchanged through the age of technology, with primary emphasis being laid upon one, simple piece of paper - your resume. But, with all their purported value among recruitment circles, resumes continued to be scorned at by a select few and are often responsible for the hiring of an ill-suited candidate. Considering how they perhaps aren't greatest indicators of one's merit, here are 7 reasons why even the best candidates might not have the most impressive of resumes. UNIQUENESS: Considering that there's only so much that one can do within the framework of a traditional resume, nothing quite stands out. Although a candidate might posses a history of positive feedback and exemplary word-of-mouth from past ventures, it won't manage to translate over to a resume. Even if it does, however, the norms of formulating a resume, such as those desiring it to be a concise document designed for the sake of employment convenience, hamper it from being a true reflection of one's capabilities and their potential is often lost out among an ocean of papers. QUALIFICATION: Although one might not have the benefit of possessing multiple degrees or professional diplomas that boast of their educational history, the most important aspect, as mentioned before, remains the positive feedback one acquires over a considerable period of time, and which secures employment for many in every industry from the eternally rising technological arena, down to a heavily network-oriented sector such as the media. EXPERIENCE: Be it the unreasonable demand of having careers that span multiple decade under one's belt, disqualifying many budding candidates right from the onset, or those necessitating diverse work histories that often refuse to even consider one's individualistic abilities, the need for "experience" continues to be a bane for most seeking to emerge over those their age and aim for greener pastures, only for the unchanging recruitment procedure to deny them a right to it. Thus, although the normal resumes continues to possess exorbitant demands in terms of work experience, candidates who impress in some of the other facets essential even in the lieu of a good resume, and indeed listed below, are the ones who are today preferred over their contemporaries. PERSONALITY: Gone are the days when one could earn a stipend for simply completing the prescribed work hours each week, and among the factors that not only enable a candidate's entrance into a firm, but their growth within its structure is their personality, obviously a part of the greater human potential that can't quite be displayed on paper, and the best litmus test for which is, undoubtedly - the interview. INTERVIEW: Increasingly, the lion's share of recruitments are finalised only after the conclusion of several comprehensive interviews that shed light on, both, a candidate's ethic and personality, factors that play a part in deciding their potential roles within an already established framework at any particular company. Of course, interviews have long existed as a facet of the recruitment procedure, but the modern emphasis placed upon them to truly analyse a candidate is relatively recent and no more a formality, rather an irreplaceable aspect of it. Thus, how a candidate fares while one-on-one with their recruiter figures much larger into the picture than their seemingly important resume. SUITABILITY: Undoubtedly, there are times when even those seemingly poised to capture a vacant position can be denied the chance for even an interview, leaving many dumbfounded as to the shortcoming contained within their formidable resumes; even when there aren't any. Now more than ever, with the consistently burgeoning diversification of roles in almost each financial sector around the world, identifying the "perfect" candidate means rejecting even those whose job description might comfortably fit within the desired position in favour of the ones who not only fare positively in the points mentioned above, but bring forth an eagerness to conform, leading us to another observation. CULTURE: The establishment of optimistic and efficient office cultures has begun to feature prominently on the priority lists of most firms the world over in recent decades, and one toward which recruiters contribute toward by hiring candidates willing to participate in its creation, in addition to handling their prescribed duties. Moreover, today, being an achieved employee means more than just fulfilling tasks satisfactorily, but rather contribute actively toward the company's long-term goals, itself something that can only be done by those capable of understanding these objectives reserved for the future. Therefore, the birth of an "office culture" can necessitate everything from being a jubilant participant in a firm's weekly, team-building lunches away from work to make it less of a forceful chore that most feel compelled to do, to communicating freely with those sitting atop a company's food-chain to better aid its prospects, further defying the traditional work relationship structure. Thus, one can comfortably argue that not only resumes, but most facets that have been for long identified with the normative work culture continue to be moulded based upon the 21st century's evolving requirements, and those who rely too heavily upon them and refuse to give into incoming transformations are bound to lose out.

Aug 22, 2017 In an age where firms are increasingly delving into previously uncharted waters, upon the surface, every business still continues to be birthed for the sake of achieving one, singular ambition - turning profitable. But, of course, more substance exists to a business than what might seem like its primary goal to the layman, and here are 5 reasons to explain why the presence of profits neither moulds a firm's present trajectory, nor shape it's future. Re-investment - Re-investment has, over the years, donned the garb of a shrewd financial tool for those willing to bide their time, even if they're, in fact, sitting upon a potent gold-mine. Companies have innumerable times in the past displayed their unwillingness to actualize potential profits for the sake of re-investment and, thereby, facilitate the creation of a better product and service to couple it with. Be it the myriad of re-investment options available to procure for public investment schemes such as mutual funds or the corporate behemoths with their eye on rapid expansion and capturing market share, the phenomenon remains the reason why firms in the 21st century might "choose" to be devoid of profits. It's also re-investment that sheds light on the misguided perception most hold of the term "profit" itself, for it exists merely upon a balance sheet and it's marked absence from the same doesn't spell a revenue-generation disaster for the firm - just that it chooses to be prudent with the sum it turns over. Philanthropy - Charity boils down simply to parting with one's resources and, as a by-product, only suited for those who have them. 20 of Fortune magazine's top 500 companies donated a combined 3.5 billion dollars in cash alone through the course of the year 2015, while the network of donations in the form of aid materials and the like remain entirely unaccounted for, meaning that the figure could be vastly above the mentioned one. Humanitarian projects launched in the past decade have, more often than not, possessed corporate or financial backing to spur them forward and that the companies mentioned above are only a few of those today partnering on a regular basis with renowned aid organizations, most prominently Red Cross, has developed to become something of a norm. Pricing - In theory, the price of a product often relies upon either the fluctuations witnessed in a particular market, or how easily the materials necessary to create it are procured, if the product in question is indeed a physical asset. The recent imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) brought forth a panoply of companies in it's lead-up that were able and willing to slash prices in half for products that would then fail to sell even in the near future due the greater price tag they would don as a result of having incurred the infant tax. Such external factors are responsible for adverse pricing changes on a consistent basis, though the phenomenon can often also stem from within a firm's framework, all for capturing the sacred "profit" everyone desires. This requires us to discuss why profits SHOULDN'T be the primary goal of a firm, for it's a guiding philosophy which pales in comparison to facets such as growth. Any company exists to deliver a satisfactory product to consumers, which, along with the service it grants through mediums such as customer support, in turn establish the brand loyalty that continues to forge billion-dollar corporations even in the field of technology, the meteoric growth of e-retailers bearing ample testimony. But all that the company strives to establish with its customers through the above can swiftly be brought crashing down simply due the hunt for profits - and increasing prices in the name of achieving the same. Firms today opt for the much more prudent, highly patient scheme of the above mentioned re-investment, with a foundation philosophy for many being that while unrealized profits can be actualised at any time, a market share can be lost without a concerted effort toward the same, and working toward capturing it remains the greatest goal, even if it means sacrificing available margins. Potential - Increasingly, it's not the mere profitability of a firm that lures investors anymore, but rather their potential to further build upon existing revenue streams and, thus, net more profits in the distant future, no matter how far down the line it may be, a reason why the absence of profits doesn't necessarily present itself as a nail in any company's coffin. Therefore, potential, both of growth and profits, is essential to any firm, even more than simply actualizing the latter. India's very own e-commerce sector thrives upon the potential it possesses, with analysts having time and again employed the phrase "scratching the surface" to describe its current scenario, thus pinning hopes for the industry's greater future upon the Indian population's increasing digitalisation. Undoubtedly, irrational optimism isn't a viable option either, best displayed by the billions that were poured into the American IT sector during the late 90's, later crashing through the infamous "dot-com bubble" and wiping off trillions from the stock markets, dealing a greater loss than the initial, uneducated investment itself. Another facet of potential, and indeed the most important one for a majority of firms, is that it attracts private investment, the lifeline for companies that don't have profits not because of prudent re-investments, but due their lack of revenue in the first place. Of course, it goes without saying that even profitable ventures sometimes require further investment rounds to aid expansion and, not to forget, are often established because of private backing they receive due their product's potential even from the onset. Employment - Although achieving margins on production might comfortably sit atop the priority list of each and every firm in existence, businesses often provide an invaluable boon to a nation's economy that even governments acquiesce toward and encourage - the provision of jobs. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), almost 3% of the Indian workforce is currently employed by the formal, organised private sector of the economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plea for global firms with an established presence in the Indian market to step forward and encourage native production through the Make in India initiative was a testament to the dire need for employment in our nation, and is something that only a rising private sector can facilitate both here and around the world over. The process initiated by 1991's fabled economic liberalization continues to stamp its ripple effects upon the Indian economy's growth, but has certainly helped the government and its policies steer toward a financial landscape reliant on the private sector, thereby bequeathing them with purpose more than just their own. Thus, now more than ever before, there exists abundant clarity that a business can be established for more than just being profitable and minting cash, but perhaps even serve the functioning of the particular society it thrives within.

Aug 20, 2017 If this was question, then 99.9% of business-owners will say, Yes! Years of experience, whether toiling with administration functioning or facing rough weather while marketing, most of the business-owners are aware of their financial health. Based on them, they decide to give discounts to their customers, buy and stock material at times, and even add new products / services to their existing business. Many of the small & medium enterprises (SMEs) off-load basic accounting, i.e., book-keeping activity, to outside agency or person and concentrate of marketing, business development, and administration of their units. This mechanism helps them to concentrate on their business-core; but at times, lead to miss-out of business opportunities. How? Let’s check on this. In this competitive and complex business environment, pricing for almost all raw material / purchases varies on daily / weekly basis. Be it vegetable, food-grain, cotton, cloth, chemical, metal, minerals, plastic, paper, wood, fuel, etc. In addition to this, transportation, bank finance (terms of loan), foreign currency fluctuation adds to business complexity. They and many more, make pricing of a product or services, challenging job for a business-owner. Until an appropriate selling price is levied to cover all such cost and leave some margin (i.e., profit) for the business, continuity of customer servicing cannot be assumed. Similarly, when a business-owner wish to put more funds into growing the business, knowing current health of the business returns (return of investment / net worth, volume of capital employed into each segment of product category), outlook of the business environment and willing to take risk (i.e., forgo returns / risk capital) for some time are important challenges to be handled. If proper accounting of the current / running business is not known, business-owner increases risk of the odds. Like any business-owner would want regular business environment updates to weather any challenging environment or take opportunity if available, regular updates on accounting of expenses (and income) is NECESSARY. Gut-feeling / business instant may be part of business owner’s decision-making process, but if it is backed by accounting updates (accounting of all relevant expenses, booking of income, adhering to accounting principles and policies), decision making process will be stronger and reliable. When we are not well and have fever, we (or the doctor) measure it in the thermometer to know the exact temperature, so the relevance of accounting for the businesses. Skipping or delaying accounting only makes business vulnerable to decision-mistakes and may cause long-term harm to business continuity. So, with regular accounting of expenses and income, will continuity of business be assured? Continuity of business (or for that matter even the current business) is known to be linked to two broader areas – management controllable and management non-controllable. Those like government policies, domestic and international business environment, industry innovation and disruptive idea of new incumbent, weather, customer’s taste and likes, climatic environment, etc. are example of factors which cannot be controlled by a business owner (management non-controllable). Making (in own unit) or purchasing from outside, purchasing material in volume at a discount and stocking, change in manufacturing process / administrative set up, marketing strategy, etc. are factors which can be controlled by a business owner (management controllable). Domain expertise, business readying sense, risk taking appetite and detail accounting updates only makes a business-owner more confident while engaging in current business or while expanding. Learning shared by CMA Manish Shukla, a practicing cost accountant

Aug 19, 2017 Dr Steve Peters is a British Psychiatrist who has built up a model of the human personality depicted in his book The Chimp Paradox. This model proposes that diverse parts of our cerebrum work in various ways. We have the human part, the chimp part and the PC. Regularly, the chimp part can assume control before we even recognize what is going on. This can cause us issues. Without going into an excessive amount of more detail, let me simply make two focuses before we proceed: 1. I unequivocally propose you read the book or if nothing else observe the site (take after the connection above) as Dr Peters offers some especially supportive models and thoughts regarding the human personality. There is insufficient space for me to go into them here. In any case, they can give you an awesome knowledge into the idea of how we consider and human inspiration. 2. You may jump at the chance to address what your own particular thoughts are about the human personality. How would you think it works? What display do you have of it? Contemplating this will help you to examine regardless of whether you are considering inspiration or not.

Aug 18, 2017 Aristotle, another acclaimed Ancient Greek logician, noticed this point a great many years prior. You can note it yourself essentially by leaving your entryway and into town. Individuals rush together. We search each other out. Perhaps, not constantly but rather positively, every now and again. We make companions, we begin families, and we look for organization. Desmond Morris has kept in touch with some intriguing books taking a gander at people as creatures keeping in mind the end goal to reveal the hidden idea of our social communications. It's obvious, for instance, The Naked Ape. Any reasonable person would agree that we see ourselves and comprehend ourselves in huge part through our communications with others. Knowing this – monitoring it and being alive to its suggestions – will help you to propel individuals. This is on the grounds that it is one of the essential parts of being human.

Aug 17, 2017 Appreciation is a fundamental of human need. A person respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms that their work has some value. When a person and his work are valued, his satisfaction and productivity rises, and he is motivated to maintain or improve his good work. Praise and recognition are necessary to an outstanding workplace. Recognizing people for their good work sends powerful messages to all the other employees and feel them motivated and satisfied on the workplace. Everyone wants respect and valued for their contribution. To be really effective in your job, you need to understand the psychology of praising others for their good work. You can spontaneously praise people. Employees enjoy recognition through personal, written, or any other medium from those they respect at work, given in a timely, sincere way. You can find many ideas which can help you to recognizing the individual for his effort. Firstly you should thank the person by his name; by taking the name it makes some emotional bond between both of them. You should specifically state that what they did that being recognized. It is vital to be specific because it identifies and reinforced the desired behavior. Explain them how the behavior made you feel. Point out the value added to the team or organization by the behavior. “They didn't recognize me," I repeat. He stops in turn, my hand still on his arm. "It is because they have never seen you," he says. "I would recognize you anywhere.”

Aug 16, 2017 We as a whole have the ability to think and the ability to do. At work, we generally need to approach both of these limits with a specific end goal to be fruitful. Any reasonable person would agree that the vast majority support one over the other. A few people seem to be masterminds, some as practitioners. Both have benefits. Both can have downsides if taken to overabundance. 1.A couple of focuses introduce themselves as far as inspiring individuals you work with: - Identify who is all the more a mastermind and who is to a greater extent a practitioner. Utilize this data to advise the kind of undertakings you provide for individuals. 2.Look at how you may get scholars and practitioners cooperating, consequently making great utilization of their diverse ranges of abilities and helping both to be effective. 3.Consider the advantages of having masterminds design a venture and practitioners place it enthusiastically. 4.Consider the distinctive kind of thought processes scholars and practitioners may have. You can utilize this data to adjust how you function with them. 5. Ask yourself whether you can help scholars and practitioners to build up alternate sides of their ranges of abilities. This will help them to develop as people; an affair which has a tendency to be firmly motivational for some individuals.

Aug 15, 2017 Abraham Maslow to finish up the initial steps on our voyage towards propelling those we work with, let us take a gander at five speculations of inspiration. Having done this, and finished up our foundation, we will spend whatever is left of the book going through various down to earth measures you can use to enthuse, connect with and move others. Abraham Maslow was a humanistic clinician. Humanistic brain science tries to clarify human presence and gives careful consideration to zones, for example, imagination and unrestrained choice. Maslow proposed a chain of importance of necessities that are basic to all people. He contended that we must satisfy the lower levels on the chain of importance before we can satisfy the higher ones. He likewise said that the most astounding one – self-actualization – was a definitive objective for people. Self-actualization implies understanding one's maximum capacity. It moves from physical needs, for example, nourishment and water through security needs, love and having a place needs, regard needs and, at last, self-actualization. You can utilize the chain of command as an approach to consider individuals' intentions. For instance, you may start by asking whether you and your working environment is accommodating individuals' essential needs. On the off chance that it is not, rolling out improvements here is your initial move towards inspiring your partners or workers.

Interviewer: Can you brief me about yourself and the company? Dr. Arunaagiri: My name is Dr. Arunaagiri Mudaaliar. My company’s name is E Cube India- Empower-Enable- Educate India Pvt. Ltd. Our vision statement is to empower every human being to ignite their dormant potential and make them lead a more powerful and prosperous life. We have trained around one lakh people in about ten thousand seminars both in India and across the world. Our purpose is to make human beings win. Interviewer: What ignited the spark in you to come up with such an idea? Dr. Arunaagiri: Basically, I identify this as my passion. It is my passion to train and teach. So, I am a basketball player and I used to play for the Indian Basketball team. In the court too, I was leading the team from my junior years to the college level. In the field of leadership, I also used to guide and coach other people. Since then I have been involved in coaching and training. Hence, I converted my passion into my profession. Interviewer: What are the three things which you believe are most important for a successful business? Dr. Arunaagiri: Most important, I believe is the leadership skills and the number of leaders in your team. Second is a hard-working and motivated team. One needs to have a good, strong team. Also the mission plays an integral role. The firm needs to be sure about their mission and work towards achieving it. Interviewer: What were some of the challenges you faced in the journey of your business? Dr. Arunaagiri: There have been a lot of challenges. In fact, it is always challenging for any businessmen to start and to become an entrepreneur. But, if you are very clear about your purpose and you are there to make a difference in the world, these challenges can be faced. Some challenges are to get good customers, retailing them, getting a good price, making a profitable firm. All these challenges are faced by every entrepreneur, but if the entrepreneur is determinant, he can come out as a winner out of these challenges. My only opinion is that you have to be the best in whatever you do. ‘Kaabilbanokamyaabiaapkepeechebhaagkeaayegi!’ Interviewer: What are some of your habits which helped you become a successful businessman? Dr. Arunaagiri: I am a positive thinker. It has been one of my most important attributes, which I picked up from my basketball game. Second, I am a person who is very relentless. Once I take up something, I don’t leave it or give up until I complete what I started. Third is, I am a learner. I think, a person should learn from the womb to the tomb. That is my slogan for success. You should constantly learn-unlearn-relearn in this world. You should have a set of influencing people who you are surrounded with. A motivated social circle is a must. These are some of my habits, I believe, are the reasons for my success-My cost and pursue to learn, the relentlessness, positive thinking, and always being ready to be coached! Interviewer: How did you come up with the name of your company? Dr. Arunaagiri: The name of the company is Empower, Enable, Educate; it states the mission of our company. We are here to empower, enable and educate people in the true sense. Interviewer: What would you advice budding entrepreneurs? Dr. Arunaagiri: Entrepreneurship is a great journey. It gives you a tremendous amount of freedom, both financially and in terms of the time frame. As an entrepreneur, you are your own boss, so you can carry out tasks at your own pace. And at the same time you can create globalization, jobs for others, products which bring a difference in the society. So, my advice to budding entrepreneurs would be that in such an era of rigorous competition and innovation, entrepreneurship is a very safe profession to take up. When you are working for someone else, although you might be self-employed but you have limitations in terms of income. But when you are your own master, as an entrepreneur, sky is the limit in terms of advancement, progress and the learning potential. I would recommend youngsters, who are willing to go for entrepreneurship, go ahead and lead your life fully. Interviewer: What mindset one should have to make their company achieve huge heights? Dr. Arunaagiri: A businessman should follow the ‘three Os’ that is being OPEN to learn from everyone, have an OBJECTIVE, and OBSERVANT about the things around them. It is also important for one to be energetic and spread that energy among the people around them, have an edge in learning and using technology, and should possess good execution skills. Interviewer: How does entrepreneurship contributes to a better or an enhanced lifestyle? Dr. Arunaagiri: In my opinion every entrepreneur is a Leader. A Leader’s characteristic is to give or make a contribution, add value and is willing to take total responsibility. Also every good entrepreneur endeavors to give “More for less” and thus give absolute value for money. This attribute and characteristic of total responsibility is what makes every entrepreneur an asset to every society as he endeavors to keep on adding value and give more for less in every transaction. This is how he contributes to the society.

Interviewer: What are the main activities performed by your business? Ms Gauri: Kiwi Consulting is an organization providing management consulting and technology services focused on bringing about the business transformation. Central theme of Kiwi's service portfolio is to work on three critical aspects of your organization, (3Ps) People, Products and Processes and transform the organisation’s image. At Kiwi, we strongly believe that technology plays a significant role in improving operational efficiencies of the organization thus empowering it to better serve its customers, employees, shareholders as well as the society and hence projecting a professional image.Kiwi Consulting offers a spectrum of technology consulting services to suit the needs of varying sizes of the organization, with a single-minded focus on bringing the transformational changes. We undertake a wide range of initiatives such as brand building of products, development of the corporate brand, grooming of employees, employee wellness, leadership development, upgradation or transformation of the technology, and delivering comprehensive ‘corporate image’ makeover projects. Our services portfolio is- HR consulting and services Marketing and Branding Business strategy and technology consulting Corporate wellness Leadership development Interviewer: How did you come up with the idea of your business? Ms Gauri: In my previous stint as a VP HR and Marketing, I influenced the growth of a technology company by setting up a phenomenal work culture and establishing a credible brand for the company in India, US and the Europe. I spearheaded the complete image transformation of the company by molding the entire workforce into a highly professional, compassionate and a well-groomed team through a careful selection process and highly integrated relationships with the reputed management and technology education institutes. I decided to venture out into my own and set up my consulting business as I believe,being an entrepreneur, you can make a positive difference in the society by creating more jobs, helping the economy grow and helping your customers to enhance their business. Everyone in your business ecosystem benefits by your success, may it be your suppliers, partners, customers or employees! It also opens avenues andopportunities for you to make a social impact. ‘Corporate image transformation’as a business idea evolved when I decided to combine my educational background in business management, entrepreneurial experience in IT and management consulting; and the international exposure in HR and Marketing and Branding. Applying the principles of image management to organizations and transforming the organization’s image would benefit it immensely! Crafting a new image for the company requires it to undergo a complete image overhaul. It involves updating the corporate brand image, including its logo and web site design, digital media presence and corporate communication. Your employee image must be consistent with your company image!Along with the corporate brand, the employee image must also undergo transformation. It involves transformation of the company’s work culture, leadership development and grooming of employees, change management, corporate wellness…. The corporate image transformation is not complete without the upgradation and transformation of the underlying technology. Setting up a technology platform that is in line with the business vision gives the organizations a ‘winning edge’! Interviewer: What three things are most important to become a successful entrepreneur? Ms Gauri: To become a successful entrepreneur, you must select a business idea that totally resonates with you and who you are. It is important that the business idea must support your life goals economically and holistically. Once you have found this idea you must focus on developing a business around this concept. Once you decide what business idea you are going to pursue,paint a clear vision for your business, and define the business strategy that will enable you to achieve your vision. I cannot stress more on the importance of developing a sound strategy for your business. It is important to have a compass to re-calibrate the direction in which your business is going. It helps to channelize your efforts and hard work towards fulfilling and even exceeding your business goals.It gives a purpose and clarity to your teams’ day-to-day actions and helps in decision-making. ‘Think Big’ is the ‘success mantra’ that every entrepreneur must adapt. You must have a Grand vision for your business. You must believe in your vision and in yourself! I have seen many entrepreneurs short-sell themselves. Once you believe in your business vision you will be able to articulate it well to your stakeholders. Interviewer: How do you deal with failures and challenges in your business? Ms Gauri: The success of any business can be gauged by the failures and challenges it has seen over time!I believe your failures lead you towards success. I look at success as a motivator and failure as an even bigger motivator! It is not possible to avoid failures in business. Sometimes a crucial business decision may go wrong or you may have to face challenges due to market conditions which you have absolutely no control over! We take efforts to discuss and quickly learn from the mistakes, analyse the situation to be better prepared in future; and take ‘fresh guard’. Besides, success means more, if you have really struggled in your business and faced difficulties. Interviewer: What are some of your habits which have helped you become a successful entrepreneur? Ms Gauri: Rising early in the morning helps me to get the much needed ‘me’ time to think, read something motivational and plan the day well in advance. It helps me to come up with new ideas, strategize for the growth of my business and be prepared for the day ahead of time. I exercise and meditate first thing in the morning. It helps me to clear my mind and look at life positively and helps me to perform better in my business. I always work towards keeping myself fit. I participate in running marathons and play sports such as table tennis to keep myself fit and healthy. It is important for an entrepreneur to keep themselves in top health so that they can give their 100% to their business as well as live a fulfilling life. There is no alternative to a proper exercise regime and a healthy and moderate diet as this keeps you energized throughout the day. Reading good content keeps me focused on my goals.I always keep myself updated with the topics that are relevant to the business. Reading good management books and articles enhances my knowledge and helps me to conduct my business in an efficient and productive manner. Getting to know the smarter and newer ways of managing the business is important. The advances in the field of technology and business management are changing the way we conduct our business. Newer and futuristic business models are emerging; completely wiping out the older established businesses. Your company must adapt fast to these technological and business innovations to stay ahead in the game.State-of-the-art management and IT consulting is the need of the hour. Interviewer: What is your inspiration to generate new ideas? Ms Gauri: New and innovative ideas come easily if your mind is fresh. I go for walks regularly. I have been practicing yoga and meditation for many years. It has helped me in keeping my mind calm and focused. It is easier to generate new ideas when your mind is calm. It is very important for me to be in a good mindset. Listening to good music inspires me and helps me to be in a great mindset whenever I need to generate new ideas! Talking with my children also helps me to generate new ideas as children are most creative and are not afraid to follow their dreams.Spending quality time with children completely rejuvenates me! These are some of the things that inspire me. Other than this, reading motivational and spiritual literature makes me look at things in a broader perspective. It helps me to focus on the holistic picture while dealing with any situation in life. Sometimes, most brilliant ideas come from your team. It is important to build a good team which reflects the same values as your company. You must keep the two-way communication channel open with your employees. In life, I get inspiration from success stories of real-life heroes who have conquered the odds in their lives and achieved success! The life story of Deepa Malik (her journey from paralysis to Paralympics) is an inspirational one. I take inspiration from people like Deepa to conquer challenges in my life and look at life positively. Interviewer: What would you advise budding entrepreneurs or the students who want to become an entrepreneur? Ms Gauri: Budding entrepreneurs and students must follow their passion. It is important to discover early in life what you are passionate about. You must choose those business ideas that resonate with you the most.The business idea must by economically and holistically viable to you. You must focus on getting as much practical exposure as you can while you are pursuing your education. You must also gain as much knowledge as possible in your business. You must study the environment, market, competitors and the potential of the business before you venture into one. It is crucial to build your own professional network. It does not mean just building your contacts but having a focused strategy to build a professional network which will help you in a specific way to achieve your goals. It is important to have a sound digital media strategy if you want to reach a wider geography or a specific target audience. Pay importance to building and maintaining your professional image. Invest in good quality professional attire. Speak confidently, clearly and be assertive in your communication. Pay attention to how you speak, and what your body language portrays about you. Have a confident body language and a pay attention to your behavior towards others. Along with this, your manners and etiquette that help you to create a good impression about you in the minds of others who are going to help you in building your business. Let this be a habit rather than a one-off effort.Be true to yourself, your employees and your customers. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. It is important for budding entrepreneurs to create a good impression in business meetings as crucial business decisions are taken in such meetings. Treat every meeting with lot of importance. It could be an interview, or an internal team meeting or a presentation. It is very important to be prepared for the meeting so that you can work towards accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself. Also, be attentive in all meetings, ask the right questions and most importantly, summarize the discussion with important decisions, action points and learnings. Building a team is crucial to the success of any business. Your business is only as good as the team you have. Invest in the right people who are passionate about what they do, talented and dedicated to the cause of the business. It is also important to groom them and build leaders in your company. Also, do not be afraid to swim in the ‘Blue Ocean’ as the real business growth and opportunity lies there. Take calculated business risks. Taking risks may not pay off all the time but it will make you stronger and wiser and you can learn from the mistakes and re-build your business. Interviewer: How has adopting the entrepreneurial culture changed your life? Ms Gauri: Being an entrepreneur is like being in a roller coaster ride. There are constant ups and down. There is the exhilaration when the things are going your way followed by the lows. It is the law of nature that success will be followed by failure and so the cycle continues. This awareness helps me to stay centered and not get carried away by either success or failure. Today I am much calmer and in control of myself. I have adapted myself to ‘go with the flow’ and not get perturbed by the dynamic business conditions. I put in my best efforts in any area of my life without focusing on the outcome.I truly believe that by managing your mindset, you can manage your life! Being an entrepreneur also means that you assume 100% responsibility towards everyone around you, your team, your customers and the people in your life. You are the person where the buck stops. You must take complete responsibility of the failure. You must take care of your employees and create a work environment conducive to for their productivity and growth. Similarly looking after your customers’ needs and well-being is also the responsibility of an entrepreneur. I would say being an entrepreneur and being a wife and a mother have both impacted each other in a positive way.It has been a fulfilling entrepreneurial journey so far.

Interviewer: What is the core activity of your business? Mr. Amin: The core activity of our business is to create 100% teak wood furniture and products to ensure a strong yet classy finish to out products. The main raw material that is teak wood is all reclaimed wood so as to ensure the eco friendliness. Even the polish that is used over the wood is eco friend product. Our products are all hand crafted. Interviewer: How did you come up with the idea of your company? Mr. Amin: My love for timber always attracted me. My achievements and awards that I received in 2004 by USHA LEXUS as a student of Furniture Design at NID, Ahmedabad and in 2005 Of ELLE DECORE as a young professional always lingered in my mind and helped me fulfill my dream and transform my creativity and passion into reality by coming up with TECTONA GRANDIS FURNITURE. The idea to have a furniture brand of our own did not seem viable as the market was yet not ready for a furniture designer segment or furniture consultant in the year 2006 in Ahmedabad. Opportunity struck when IIT, Gandhinagar was in need of furniture for their institute in the year 2013. A setup was created to fulfill their demand and the rest followed. TECTONA GRANDIS FURNITURE was formed in 2014 February, when our next big and prestigious project commenced. Ahmedabad’s historic building was being revamped which was founded by Mahatma Gandhi, “The Navjivan Trust. “ It is a publishing house of great repute having to its credit publication of more than 800 titles in English, Gujarati, Hindi & other languages. The idea was to retain the essence and heritage that was associated with the Navjivan Trust and Tectona Grandis Furniture was successful in maintaining the heritage of Ahmedabad by designing furniture for its display and cafe. The chairs designed by us for the Karma café has also been named after the café. Its called the Karma Chair. It is one of our most successful products, a sleek and beautiful wooden stackable chair. More than 200 pieces of Karma chair have been sold till date. Interviewer: What is your inspiration to generate new ideas? Mr. Amin: The inspiration to generate new ideas comes from keeping the root of furniture designing in mind, which are: simplicity in design, strength and ergonomics along with contemporary market trends. Interviewer: What has been your greatest entrepreneurial achievement? Mr. Amin: Having been Part of IIT, Gandhinagar and Navjivan Trust are few of our greatest entrepreneurial achievement along with several individual satisfied clients. Interviewer: How do you deal with failures and challenges in your business? Mr. Amin: Failures and challenges are part of learning process and without them the progress remains incomplete, which is why we rightly believe in what Colin Powell said: “There are no secrets to success; it is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Interviewer: What mindset one should have to help the company achieve huge heights? Mr. Amin: A positive drive along with building people is the way that leads you to achieve huge heights, because in return the people build your company. Interviewer: What are some of your habits which helped you become a successful entrepreneur? Mr. Amin: The three habits that I have, which has helped me become successful entrepreneur are Quality must be the first priority. Always make targets that can push you forwards. Being persistent. Interviewer: What would you advise budding entrepreneurs or the students who want to become an entrepreneur? Mr. Amin: The advice I have for budding entrepreneur or students are HARDWORK and setting GOALS. Goals always keep one focused and motivated. Interviewer: Define your life as an entrepreneur in one word. Mr. Amin: Persistent.

Aug 11, 2017 "Blue Ocean" is a slang term for the uncontested market space for an unknown industry or innovation. In an established industry, companies compete with each other for every piece of available market share. The competition is often so intense that some firms cannot sustain themselves. This type of industry describes a red ocean, representing saturated market share bloodied by competition. Blue Ocean in contrast symbolizes high profit potentials. According to the Economic Times Blue Ocean Strategy is referred to a market for a product where there is no competition or very less competition. This strategy revolves around searching for a business in which very few firms operate and where there is no pricing pressure. The basic strategy is to capture the market demand and introduce a new product or a product with superior features so as to make the competing products irrelevant. Blue ocean strategy is linked with creating your own market. However, what really happens is the creation of a new product rather a better one. It is imperative that the timing of introducing the product in the market is correct. The timing is dependent on the demand, if the demand is too high, and then there is a chance that soon after your product many companies will follow with similar products, the ocean in such case turns from red to blue. If the demand is not much then the product, in spite of it being unique, will not be able to make profits. The demand in the market has to be just enough to allow producers to make profit and at the same time not allure competing firms to enter the market. One challenge is to gauge the demand for a product in the market that has not yet been launched. This can be done through extensive consumer surveys and analysis of current market trends. Using the blue ocean strategy, a producer can build a monopolistic market in some sense, but this monopoly is not secured forever. For as long as the monopolistic market rests with the producer, It helps the company in make huge profits as the product can be priced a little steep because of its unique features. For example: Apple ventured into digital music in 2003 with its product iTunes. Apple users can download legal and high quality music at a reasonable price from iTunes making traditional sources of distribution of music irrelevant. Earlier compact disks or CDs were used as a traditional medium to distribute and listen to music. Apple was successful in capturing the growing demand of music for users on the go. All the available Apple products have iTunes for users to download music.