The COVID Pandemic has given a big setback to most businesses, specially the small entrepreneurs. But true success is in converting adversity into opportunity.
During the initial stages of the lock down, I had advised many home bakers and home chefs to make the most of the situation. It was a good opportunity for them to show case their skills to the neighborhood.
Some did heed my advice and came up with innovative product offerings, thereby forging new relationships and generating business. Social media has played a very important role in helping these entrepreneurs to reach out to larger audiences.
There has been a huge proliferation, both in the number of WhatsApp groups as well as the number of posts in these groups.
A few bakers have realized that merely using WhatsApp / Facebook / Instagram to post & boast their skills is not sufficient to claim that they are tech savvy.
There is a huge potential to upscale their business by having a more professional & sophisticated online presence in the form of a website, ordering systems (off the shelf solutions like bikayi and dukaan are available) , linking up with payment gateways (razorpay). Tying up with Hyper local delivery services like Dunzo or Swiggy Genie can help home based businesses to leverage their infrastructure and deliver to a wider area, without having to build up their own delivery system..
One step that most home bakers & chefs need to take is to get their compliance in place - FSSAI registration, GST (if applicable), Udyog Aadhaar etc. Not only are these mandatory, but can also help them get corporate orders and secure finance and support under various schemes floated by the Govt. Women entrepreneurs must definitely explore business finance options available under the MUDRA scheme.
Baker's Town helps home bakers / chefs to take steps in this direction as part of its Mission to empower Home Bakers to grow their business.
One effect of the economic slowdown due to the Pandemic is the drastic drop in real estate prices and rentals. This could be a good time for home based businesses to move into commercial or industrial premises. The combination of low prices and Government grants / easy finance is a good opportunity to scale up.
We look forward to your comments and feedback. Please use the Contact Us form to get in touch for any specific service or assistance you need. You can reach out to us on blog@bakerstown.in or +919594488811
Ravinder Singh,
Baker's Town
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