Interviewing an Entrepreneur

Mrs. Saradha Rajkarnika

(Cotton Craft)

Interviewed by:
Darshan Bhattarai
Dipesh Rijal
Miru Baidhya

Dated: Thursday, August 19, 2010

Ace Institute of Management

Term VI
 BEFORE BEING an ENTERPRENUER

Born in an intellect family, Mrs. Sharada Rajkarnikar had a enthusiasm of doing

something on her own since her childhood. She had this dream where she could do

something for herself and eventually for the women like her. Being from an educated

family (Father having B.A. Degree, Sister holds a Graduate degree and a lecturer in a

college, brother ex-chairperson at ‘Sana Hastakala’ that promoted small business with

local skills and her husband a civil servant who completed engineering from Russia), She

always did posses a liberty of educational support (Bachelors (Economics) in 2035.)

which she used wisely late in her career.

Early in her days she had follow her husband to different parts of the country due to the

official transfers. It was amazing to find out that she still used to capitalize her interest in

Knitting and Stitching during that time as well. So, it won’t be inappropriate to say that

she was a housewife with died self interest in exploring her interest to a larger arena

where she could have explored unattended territory of business. Late During 1995 A.D. ,

as the zest and zeal of her interest she wanted to work for the women empowerment

during her educative era.

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 INCEPTION OF ENTERPRENUERSHIP

As is familiar with the Nepalese Societal trends, she obviously was a part of it. She

devoted her long chunk of age in her husband transfers and Child raisings. By the time

they all grew up she in verge of getting young. She eventually in 1995 A.D. decided for

exploring her childhood dreams. By then a new entrepreneur for Nepal was likely to get

born. She was manufacturing ideas of her own to get busy. She had some formal

professional training for household business at WEAN-Cooperative (Putalisadak). She

then saw a small scope of hope to relieve her dreams of being the women of her own

dream.

She explored her new found horizon via Cotton Craft which was registered at small and

cottage industry. The business started with just a mere two number of employees,

including herself within the walls of her home. The interest and passion that she had in

her work started paying off slowly. No matter the business scope of range, it most

certainly paid off in her favor once she started exploring her own territory of interest.

It was all that fairy tale; she had her share of problems during the inception of her

venture. The main problem for the launching of the product was marketing of it. She was

not an expertise on other factors of business but her formal education in Economics did

help in forms as in costings and several aspect of intellect innovation. Being an active

member of WEAN CORP and ‘Maha Guthi’, supported her a fair bit. These cooperatives

handled her marketing work to a greater extent initially. At the time when lot of other

faided out with lack of support, she went on strong and these organization including the

Japanese company identified her potential and helped around her business. She started

the business with her own savings and did not want the help of any financial institution.

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 BIRTH OF AN ENTERPRENUER

It was most obvious that by this time MRS Sharada Rajkarnikar was soon to be an

Entrepreneur of her own. She devoted her time in her new form baby THE COTTON

CRAFT, with her major client being the Japanese market. It was strange to find out

that she was it was she who was in search of the client earlier in her days. When all

chips were down, her hand made Bag piece was wooing the Japanese in the other part

of the world. It’s the other way round; the buyer actually came around and asked her

service. “Japanese have funny taste, they like it when it’s magical” said Mrs.

Rajkarnikar with a big smile. With reference to the same ‘Magical’ bag which could

shrink into various sizes, they did not delay to propose for the delivery, and the deal is

still on.

The business now started to take its shape and grew rapidly to give employment to

about 45 employees with most of its raw materials being imported from India via a

subcontractor. The demand for only bags initiated to the demand of other materials

like, Slippers, Cotton Cloths, designer clothes, Ragged Japanese cloths and so many

other. Doing so, she fulfilled her other dreams as well. She has now given

employment to 45 other uneducated women, who are now capable to design and

stitch the cloths on their own which were covered and demanded on the international

market. It was an overwhelming sense of achievement for Mrs Rajkarnikar that she

was giving them opportunity to empower themselves. She was happy to be a

reference. She is satisfied and content.

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 Lessons Learnt

At 4:30 of Wednesday Evening, August 18, 2010, we were to experience of a birth of an

entrepreneur. She seems unnotable in the streets of Mangal bazaar. She barely has some

profile up in internet, but she is one person in demand in the Japanese Market. The

Japanese comply themselves to her. They are as a matter of fact developing her resources

and skills themselves so that they don’t have to let go of the zeal of Mrs. Rajkarnikar.

The work guided by own interest and passion have given self motivation as was amongst

one of the basic learning of the interview. One should always choose to do what they love

to spend time on and are good at rather than quest for earning, “Money follows you”, she

smiled.

One of the other ironic knowledge that we have gathered from the interview is that, it is

also never too late to start realizing your inner idea of interest, as it can also influence

others for doing something. Mrs. Rajkarnikar starting her business at late 30 s and early

40 is most definitely a living example. Let Bygones be Bygones, one those standby are

those who live their own dreams and exercise their interest in work life too.

The financial security that one possesses does provide a base for Risk taking and

enthusiasm for any entrepreneur as risk to innovate and grow on it is always a difficult

part of the coin. She did posses a sense of cushion to start her own set of business. In her

own words she hates interests. It’s not how big you start with; it’s how big you can get

the business to those matters. She was keen to make us understand that and so did we.

In any part of the world local manpower can be groomed to become self sufficient

entrepreneur or if not, skilled manpower for sure. With the right set of skills and the

motivation like training and opportunities to explore does help to generate peculiar

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interest on work leading to be an entrepreneur. With the entrepreneurship supporting

ventures like WEAN CORP does promote ample of skilled manpower within the limited

resources like Nepal as well. Entrepreneurs’ seed were injected and succeeded; hence we

have come to learn that WEAN CORP actually channelized the possibility. Hence we can

manufacture Entrepreneurs given that they choose their interest factors over the return of

the business factor as a return.

One of the amazing thing that we came across was that there is a significant reduction in

work enthusiasm once one gets older, hence we can surely say that in context of Nepal,

old aged Entrepreneurship though is flourishing requires not higher but highest level of

self-motivation. We could see that her business could prosper in so many ways using the

skills we have, however she was keen in stagnation of the business, She said will heavy

heart, “I want to retire in 5 years from now. My Children have settled in US. I want to

live a retired life and enjoy thereafter”. Not letting her and so many like her go would

surely help, but this is an increasing trend, hence there can surely be a trend of leaving

business and hence the skilled people getting unemployed from hers and others factory.

In the early phases, during inception, support in Business is highly demanded for its

success and growth which is merely available in Nepal and hence Entrepreneurship is

discouraged to some extend due to this reason. Like in US the small ventures turned

around the economy, smaller business are the way to get things started for Nepalese

economy too. Hence preserving such policies shall be so very welcome change of air in

economy of Nepal. Entrepreneur can be made with adequate amount of, skills, trainings,

opportunities, and support and dependant policy over their future, which gives the new

entrepreneur the platform to emerge and show up their innovation.

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 Silver Line

• The interview with an entrepreneur is undoubtedly a gain to our knowledge for

acquiring insight about the inception of an entrepreneur. It helped us to know the

determination and interest required to do a successful work.

• The experiences learnt has been a help as how to perceive things in this changing

world. Even a smaller part and wish lists can evolve as a business proposal.

• The hassle and the roadblocks than one have to cross in believing ones interest

and capitalizing on the beliefs is what can be learnt in some ways. Besides its also

the view of zeal possessed has kept a deep impression.

• From the set of interview and the casual conversation with Mrs. Rajkarnikar, we

concluded that entrepreneurs can be most definitely manufactured not born. But it

comes with pre-sets of instruction of attitude to acquire for same.

• Entrepreneurs are just an ordinary people with peculiar set of skills and can

manufacture innovation in the area of their interest backed up by their skills. It

can also be said that it is never too late to start doing any thing of someone’s

interest, as done with passion with certainly make its track.

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