Hyderabad :

Sunitha Y invested in an apparel business after quitting her job as a soft skill trainer. It seemed like the better option considering that she had to take care of her children and also have a source of income. Now, though it’s only been five months, it sure is fetching her quite the reward.

“I have a flair for good clothes and eye for good fabric. I used to be the one who selected clothes for my friends and others around. So I decided to try this out,” she says of her business plunge.

Apart from looking at it as a source of income, she also felt that she needed a meaningful avocation. She has a circle of friends and the word is fast spreading. Her clientele mostly includes middle and upper-middle class people who buy sarees and dress materials that she sources from a few weavers in bulk.

Housewives like Sunitha Y, who have chosen alternative ways to source income have been exploring such business ideas. Eventually, the venture doesn’t get limited to just financial independence, but becomes a way to grow in many aspects — in confidence, in creativity and in personality.

Another housewife began a similar kind of business, six years ago. But the clothes she stocks were different. “I source from the local markets here and I have dress materials, sarees, kurtis and leggings. People who buy from me are generally college students, house wives and working women,” she informs. She clearly has a taste for good clothes as most of her clients come back for more of her unique picks. Her customer list is more that 200.

When the options for shopping are aplenty – from designer wear to handlooms, one might wonder what pushes these clients to come back to the friendly housewife.

These homegrown entrepreneurs says its the option of paying on an instalment basis.

“For someone, a silk saree worth `15,000 may seem like a lot. But I give them the option to pay the amount over eight months. That way, the customer is satisfied and not stretched thin,” says Sunitha Rao, another such entrepreneur who has varied collection of sarees and dress materials that are sourced from Banaras and Calcutta. A relatively old hand in the business, she started the venture in 2002 and still has customers from then.

“They like the way I play with colours. My knowledge of what colour looks good in what material helps customers choose well,” she shares. She also customises designs to the likes of people. “That is my USP,” she adds.

Having designed for film actors in the movies Happy Days and Godavari, her creations are liked by as many as 300 or more people whom she recalls are her regular customers. “There were some financial differences and hence I stopped designing or sourcing for films,” she says of her brief movie sojourn.

Given the rather domestic setting of their businesses, for all these women, word-of-mouth has been the reason for expansion.

Some did take the initiative to also go to schools and offices to build their customer base, while for others, their husband’s circle worked just as well. Like for Sunitha Rao. She also uses the power of the internet these days.

“I send pictures of new stock and designs to customers, mostly in the USA, through Facebook and WhatsApp. They ask for customisations and then the merchandise is shipped off,” she says. Payments are also done online to simplify matters.

As for Sunitha Y, she is still in the process of developing her circle. Selling on an instalment basis is something she thinks could be a lucrative option in the long run.

At the end, these enterprises are a win-win for both the entrepreneurs and customers. Relatively cheaper, economic payment modules and customisation options make these housewives the matriarch of the house in more ways than one, and their business module looks like it has a long way to go.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rajitha  S / May 16th, 2014

The concept is inspired by SheTaxi, a women-owned-and-driven cab service by Gender Park, a Kerala govt initiative

She Cabs , a cab service for women with a female driver bureau started by Hyderabad-based voluntary organisation Andhra Pradesh Balala Hakkula Sangham (APBHS), is gearing up to add 25 cars to its existing fleet  of two by August this year, according to general secretary Vijaya Reddy.

“We have been seeing significant traction in demand. While TCS has asked for 40 vehicles to ferry their employees, Google, too, wanted an equal number of cabs. Providing such fleet is quite easy but getting women chauffeurs in large numbers is difficult,” she says.

She Cabs, a not-for-profit initiative aimed at providing safe travel for women besides nurturing entrepreneurship among them, recently started She Free Driving School to train and empower women with underprivileged backgrounds.

“At present, 25 women, including from Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based anti-trafficking organisation, are undergoing training. Our idea is make them own cars by providing subsidies and through easy financing options, and allow them to run those vehicles under the She Cabs brand,” Reddy adds.

Inspired by She Taxi, a women-owned-and-driven cab service by Gender Park, a Kerala government initiative, APBHS started She Cabs in February 2014. She Cabs are loaded with security features like GPS, an SOS button to connect to the police in cases of emergency and pepper spray cans.

“With the increasing number of cases of violence against women heightening the concerns around their security, it’s important to extend safe and secure journey of women commuters,” she says, adding She Cabs has been gaining wide acceptance not just among techies but also from homemakers.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Current Affairs> News> ET Cetera / by K Rajani Kanth / Hyderabad – April 27th, 2014