Starting a business is a risky pursuit on its own but in a politically unstable country like Nepal, the stakes automatically become higher. Despite the clear disadvantage there are many entrepreneurs out there who are making it work. The Week talked to these business men and women about their experiences and also asked them about their views on the current climate for entrepreneurship in the country.
Pravesh Humagain
Red Mud Café
The last five months were obviously incredibly challenging times for us. I believe everybody in the business sector can attest to that. As a restaurant not only did we have to worry about availability of products and fuel, we were also really concerned about being unable to support our staff. Since we have families relying on us, we wanted to be fair to everyone and it was a real stretch for us. Needless to say, the last year and half has forced us to go back to our drawing boards. We have had to scrap our initial goals and plans and re-strategize.
The immediate goal is to make up for the lost business and time. So we have come up with various marketing strategies for that. I believe patience will be key in this scenario. Since this is a free market and the competition is fierce, we have always paid extra attention to customer service and experience. It’s how we set ourselves apart from other eating joints in town. Being an entrepreneur means seeing opportunities everywhere so we are not hassled by the challenges, we shall patiently imply our service philosophy and continue with the plans.
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Jameer Babu Shrestha
Retail Store, Sankhamul
In our country, I have always felt that it is easier for big business to launch new projects but for small ventures, it can be a really challenging task. I opened my clothing store a year ago and I’m only just getting by. The goal is to move to a more popular location in about two years time but for the moment there is a lot of hardship, starting with the rent itself which has skyrocketed after the earthquake.
I know for a fact that the space I have was rented out for much less before the natural disaster but now it takes the biggest chunk of my profits. Similarly, the import system here is very chaotic. Everybody uses their own means to get their products to their shops but there are many places where you can be ripped off by middlemen. Instances where one has to pay double the taxes or pay off officers are very common. Strict and fair regulations would be really helpful for us small business people. Also there is the matter of networking. There aren’t many to develop useful contacts. This is where the bigger businesses win again. I believe I just have to be patient and work harder. With time and experience, I hope to overcome these challenges. I’m not putting any faith on the government though, it’s best if we do this on our own.
Nikita Acharya
Urban Girl
Compared to what businesses have been through last year, things feel like a piece of cake right now. Not so long ago, we were scrambling about to maintain the goodwill of our customers. We had worked really hard to earn a reputation for prompt delivery and quality service but because of the fuel shortages, we had to go to extreme lengths. We sold our scooter to buy two bicycles. Some of us even walked to nearby locations.
So comparatively, these days, the circumstances are incredibly easy to carry on with our business. I can see the online market grow here in our country. We too have been able to expand since we began. So e-commerce is a promising sector. Now if only we could improve online payment facilities, it’d only help the market further. As entrepreneurs I think it is our job to see the void and create opportunities to fill it. We are supposed to take the initiative in these cases and there are so many areas where these prospects lie. In fact, if there is a problem, I’d say it is in lack of skilled manpower. Recently, I spent an entire day interviewing candidates to fill vacancies at our company. But most of them just wanted a job for a couple of months. They had plans to leave the country in the near future.
Aparna Satyal
Kalpabrikshya Khadya Udhyog
The current environment of the country is certainly less than ideal for businesses like ours but the lesson I have learnt in these past couple of months is that you can survive. It really comes down to your will to work hard. My business depends on seasonal fruits. Lapsi candy is our main product so as you can imagine, transportation fuel as well as cooking gas are crucial for its smooth running. However, a couple of months ago, when we didn’t have access to these things, we used every other alternative means that we could gather. It was really hard back then but since we managed with only about 30% loss, now I’m actually hopeful.
After this experience, now more than ever, I believe that positive attitude and determination are the most important things to own a successful business. Personally, I’m looking to expand now. I’m planning to launch new products and hopefully that will help overcome the losses. After that, I plan to find a bigger space and increase the manpower as well. I’m sure there will be more obstacles and turmoil on the political front but we can’t just point fingers at the government. When you have a business to run, you have to find a way anyhow.
