Digital platforms have opened new avenues for women who want to start their businesses but lack access to resources
23-year-old Shifa Faiz is an entrepreneur from the small city of Chhapra, which is also the headquarters of the Saran district in Bihar. Born and brought up in this part of the country, Shifa started her business in 2018 by promoting and selling handcrafted gifts on social media. She was just eighteen-year-old when she started taking orders for her online gifting business and has since grown her business substantially – on her own.
Digital platforms have opened new avenues for people who want to start their businesses and especially women as they are often either not allowed to step out for business or do not have access to resources. Digital literacy is allowing women and young girls to have that freedom. This year’s International Women’s Day theme "Digital: Innovation and technology for gender equality” rightly emphasizes the importance of connecting women and girls to technology.
"I have enjoyed crafting gifts since childhood. With no professional training, I wasn’t so good at it during the initial, self-learning days as I tried creating handmade cards and gift items. I would post them on Instagram and YouTube. With practice, I started getting a hang of it and kept getting better. It was in 2018, I finally realized the courage of converting my liking into an online business, and in February that year, I created my account on Instagram with the name 'Shifu Creations'," explained Shifa while reflecting on her journey as a digital entrepreneur. Start-ups require investment, but Shifu had only invested Rupees One Hundred from her own pocket money.
"I had been working since February and felt very happy when the order for making one greeting card, that too from a friend, finally arrived in June. After making the card, I had gone to deliver it on my own" expressed Shifa who was immensely elated after receiving her first payment of Rupees One Hundred. Currently, she receives 20 to 25 orders per month. While Shifa crafts handmade souvenirs at home, the ones that need customization are sent to a nearby manufacturing unit, which is picked by courier service and sent to the customers directly. If the customer is from Chhapra, she takes approximately 3 to 4 days for urgent orders and a minimum of 15 days if the order is from outside her city. In the course of the conversation, Shifa said, "My dream is to set up a factory of my own. I want to transform ‘Shifu Creations’ into a brand."
Appreciating Shifa’s talent and handmade creations, Komal Mayur, a customer of hers, said, "It is a trustworthy site, and the products get delivered on time as well. I was skeptical about placing an order the first time, but everything turned out perfect. I never tell her to make anything specific. I just sent the photo from which she created a wonderful gift and delivered it well within time. I love all the creations of Shifu."
. Another example of women coming forward to use the digital space to set up their career in business from Chhapra is the sister duo of Ankita Prabhakar, 43, and Nidhi Prabhakar, 38. They run a clothing business online. Initially, their clients were family members, neighbours and friends. They catered to everyone by forming a WhatsApp group, which today deals with approximately 3800 clients.
The duo comes from a family that runs their clothing store in the city and supplies clothes to all the villages around Chhapra. Instinctively, they wanted to do something in the same sector but had to face several hurdles. "Our family never supported us in providing us the best education. The idea of women doing business was clearly not deemed appropriate. They strictly instructed us not to work. In some years, I got married and had children. But eventually, I started thinking about my business plan and began my journey along with my sister," informed Ankita.
According to Nidhi, the digital market has supported their business. However, she believes in the importance of having the right knowledge to promote business online. "We currently have under 52 resellers who also have local shops and boutiques. This is helpful for most women as they can earn some money for themselves," expressed Nidhi.
The experiences of both Ankita and Nidhi in doing business online are however not free of challenges. At times, customers get angry when a parcel gets delayed for various reasons. They also face challenges regarding the return policies. This affected their business. "To avoid this hassle, we have made it compulsory for our customers to make a video on receiving the package," added Ankita.
Nevertheless, online business has increased with the help of online platforms, and Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp are playing a major role in it. Technology has indeed considerably changed the nature and extent of business, making it feasible for women and girls from smaller towns. Hopefully, more women will be able to benefit from this in the times to come.
(The writer is a recipient of the Sanjoy Ghose Media Awards 2022, Charkha Features)