The program, which is organized every last Thursday of the month, has a bunch of young entrepreneurs and students along with a guest speaker who hold a lively discussion on entrepreneurial skills. [break]
The last edition of the program had Niranjan Shrestha of Sujal Foods sharing his experience with the participants and giving advice.
The company -- Sujal Foods -- is a major food, dairy and confectioneries company, based in Pokhara which has customers all over the country. Some of the most loved product of the company include “mango tart”, a mango flavored candy, and ‘Chocofun’, a chocolate wafer that holds the highest market share in the country.
Also, the company under various brand names produces biscuit, chewing gum, bubblegum, ice-cream, yogurt, liquid milk, powdered drink, among others.
The company is also the dealer for Hyundai vehicles in Nepal.
The representative of the company, Shrestha, during the talk got audiences acquainted with not only the tips and tricks of the trade but also revealed his personal experiences and the story behind the setting up of the company.
“We were at first a sweet shop based in Pokhara,” shared Shrestha in a casual remark. Apart from his gift for storytelling, his relaxed approach to presenting the mantra of business during the program surprised everyone.
“Keeping calm and never losing hope is the formula for success,” he shared, adding “This is the key to success especially in a country like ours where gaining the trust of customers is the toughest part of the business.”
Shrestha’s company had many ups and downs when it first began operation in 1973. Today, the company boasts the first private dairy in Nepal and also record sales of Hyundai vehicles -- by three folds.
Answering a query raised by the audience as to how he tackles with the Nepali customers at a time when the trust on Nepali companies and products are waning rapidly, he said, “The thirst and the drive to do business should never die; difficulties will arise but giving up should never be an option.”
When asked to be specific as to where we lack, his view was that packaging of products and consistency in performance are the two things that require immediate attention.
The discussions on Last Thursday followed a similar pattern with only a different guest speaker every episode.
The program, according to the organizers, is “an opportunity to make an institution visible for audiences to gain knowledge on specific entrepreneurial opportunities in Nepal.”
Another interesting aspect of the event is that if a person is unable to attend the discussion, questions can be posted to Facebook for the guest speaker.
Past speakers have included Min Bahadur Gurung from Bhatbhateni Supermarkets, Ambica Shrestha from Dwarika’s Hotels and Resorts and Prabal Gurung, an international fashion designer based in New York among others.
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