Sudhir Hasija-The Upwardly Mobile Entrepreneur


wealthymatters.comSudhir Hasija is the chairman of the Rs 1200 crore homegrown handset maker Karbonn Mobiles.Here is a link to the company’s website:http://www.karbonnmobiles.com/.

His story will tell you how a person with few means can get into wholesaling and then into manufacturing.So for all would- be industrialists here is his story:

55 year old Sudhir Hasija, is the son of a government clerk. He left his home in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, after clearing his Class 10 exams. He then moved to Hyderabad where he spent three years in a machine tools company and saved around Rs 3,000. He used this money to set up a business selling TV accessories such as antennas and trolleys in Chennai. It was a difficult struggle. He would climb to the rooftops of buildings bare footed in the scorching heat to install antennas. He used to wash at railway stations and stay in low-cost lodges. However he persisted and managed to built a thriving business that he expanded across other southern cities.  Read more of this post

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala In His Own Words


wealthymatters.comBelow is a favourite but somewhat dated Rakesh Jhunjhunwala interview.I frequently revisit the article to read about how he started out.Every time I wonder  how I might be able to do what I want to do with so few resources,I find reading his story inspiring.Also I like his way of limiting risk,dealing with loss , having flexible targets and dealing with unfavourable opinions.The red ink is mine.It’s to highlight the parts I find interesting.As a side note,I also like reading the account of the 1993 blasts,if for no other reason than to remind myself about the spirit of Mumbai and the grit of all Mumbaikars. Read more of this post

Sources of Start-Up Capital


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 As Adrian from 7million7years puts it:

Start-Up capital almost always comes from the Four F’s:

– Founders – What does your personal ‘balance sheet’ look like? Do you own a house, car, etc. Many a business has been started by refinancing existing assets, borrowing money on credit-cards, and so on. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

– Friends/Family – These two groups will invest small amounts – from $100 to $10,000 each. Pull a few together and you may get enough. Usually, they are investing in YOU, so financial results are less important to them. But, if you have a business plan that reads well, and you have a wide circle, you’re ready to start asking!

– Fools – These are seed-stage investors who MAY invest in an idea, but they are VERY hard to come by. You probably need more than one co-founder (one-man businesses are usually seen as too one-sided), and you will need to demonstrate a business with good upside

Der Spiegel on Tulsi Tanti


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Here are 2 articles on Green -Warrior Tulsi Tanti,one dating from 2008 and the second a few days back that appeared in Der Spiegel.Enjoy them.Tulsi Tanti might not be a media darling today but the man does have much to recommend him.These articles provide an insight into the mind of the entrepreneur who named his company Suzlon,’Suz’ from the Gujarati Suz-buz (intelligence)and ‘lon’, the Gujarati way of saying bank loan.

 
Tulsi Tanti’s Success Story

The Rise of Indian Wind Power

By Michaela Schiessl

Indian businessman Tulsi Tanti has built one of the world’s largest wind turbine companies in an incredibly short amount of time. Now that he has bought a German company, however, his popularity may be on the wane. Read more of this post

5 E-mail Tips for Newbie Entrepreneurs


 wealthymatters.comMany entrepreneurs, especially first-timers take e-mail communication casually and in the process, hurt their own interests. Here are a few simple tips that will help show your business in a better light.

1.Stop using free e-mail for your business: If you want to be taken seriously, do yourself a favor :quit using free e-mail like yahoomail,g-mail,hotmail etc.for business.

Get your firm a domain name and use Google Apps or the services provided by your domain host to get a business-like e-mail ID.

Don’t be cheap here.Don’t go for free e-mail hosting.The inappropriate ads and security issues are bound to put- off a saint.

2.Make the subject line clear: Busy people want to allocate their time well. A clear title allows people to decide quickly on the importance and urgency of your e-mail.Avoid wasting other people’s time and they will think better of you.So take the time to write a good subject line.

3.Write actionable e-mails:There are two kind of emails. One that converts into actionable point , and the other that goes nowhere. Read more of this post