Ajay BatraFounder & CEO of Paperclip Store Published On: Friday, October 09, 2015 Views 4338

“Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.”

With more than 25 years of experience, Ajay is often seen as a successful executive who believes in building strong teams. His ability to setting process-oriented structure ensures scalability of the businesses, which has been the core reason behind the success of his numerous endeavors. Before moving to the corporate sector, Ajay spent his time practicing Accounting and Audit. His entrepreneurial instinct always encouraged him to do more than just a routine job. This is why; he decided to leave his regular paying job and went on to pursue his passion in education.

From his first startup called Excel Infotech Ltd., to the current one called myPaperClip, he has gained much credence as a serial entrepreneur. His recently launched startup myPAPERCLIP, is a premium brand of NoteBook, Journals and Diaries. With more than 200,000+ Customers and 30+ business clients, myPaperClip has surely tasted the success.

Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.

myPAPERCLIP is an Indian stationery brand focusing on Notebooks and Diaries. Started in 2013, myPAPERCLIP focuses on high end notebooks, diaries, planners and calendars made from top quality products sourced from all over the world and crafted in India. The notebooks are hand crafted and dynamic is design and application that attracts the young and the “not so old”.

You can easily spot myPAPERCLIP products across 120+ stores around the country through its visually appealing design and use of colors!

What inspired you to build the above product/ service?

I have always been a big admirer of quality stationery and due to lack of quality products available in India, I used to pick up my stationery during my trips abroad. The only thing I wished was if these products were available in India and at a much cheaper price.

To add to that, I along with my extended family, owned a printing unit in Delhi with which we did digital processing. We wanted to expand our offering and create our own range of products. And from my travels, I knew that there was a huge gap in the affordable premium stationery market. Being and entrepreneur all my life, I capitalized.

What is your life mantra?

I don’t really live by any principles or by a particular life mantra. I do believe in a few things that shape me as a person and drive me to do what I do – both in my personal and professional life. I am a perfectionist, I am an enthusiast, I am creative and I am a learner.

These characteristics make their way into myPAPERCLIP products and in the way I lead my life.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

Start-ups come with their fair share of challenges. A fast paced environment, competition and a zeal to create a change add to the excitement!

The most challenging part for me and myPAPERCLIP has been to find the right people with the right skills at the right time. That said, I have been fairly lucky as well.

Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.

myPAPERCLIP started with a meager personal investment in its initial days. With a successful pilot run more than a year back, I am happy to share that myPAPERCLIP products are available in 120+ stores across the country and enjoyed by 2,00,000 people across India in just a span of one year.

We are expecting a growth of 200% this year. That said, the company is funded through internal accruals. We should soon be open to receive the first round of funding.

How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?

Too early to ask that. We are a small company with few employees.

According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?

Perseverance Dedication Focus Add in a little bit of perfection and you have a great product that sells!

Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.

Be positive and believe in yourself and your decisions.

Answer in less than 50 words

One tip to success:

Believe in yourself and your decision. It’s a 80-20 rule. 80% of the decisions you take will have better alternatives. The rest 20% will drive the change. Believe in yourself and keep moving

One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:

Have a dream. Have a plan to achieve that dream. Work towards it. Believe in yourself and your team.

Might sound as a cliché but might be the hardest thing to follow. I think most of us unconsciously lack this quality and approach.

What are your plans for next 3 years?

Work towards making myPAPERCLIP the market leader in the space of premium stationery.

In 3 years our target is to have 1-million active happy customers across India and abroad. We have some exciting things going on that will help us achieve the same.

What are your top three getaway destinations?