Aditi & Aayush BhargavaCo-Founders, GiftingBestWishes Published On: Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Views 16241
"Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort, makes all the difference"
A brainchild of Aditi and Aayush Bhargava, Gifting Best Wishes is a Rajasthan (India) based online gift store. The company offers more than 500 gift options to its India and foreign based audience.
It all started as a solution for buying decorative items and personalized Shagun envelopes for special occasions. 4 months after its inception, Gifting Best Wishes juiced out revenue of INR 2 million and featured 32 products. From 32 products available to India based audience to 500 gift options available for export orders, the company surely does make a promising presence.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
Both of us are Chartered Accountants and have over 10 years of experience in the corporate world, but always believed that there is nothing like being your own boss! It was a time when we conceived our baby, and we conceived this business idea too and it couldn’t have been a better time to work towards it. Aditi quit her job as an Internal Auditor with American Express in Gurgaon and commenced the groundwork for the big idea soon after 6 months when they welcomed the arrival of their daughter. “It was like the best of both worlds for me- We could thoroughly cherish each moment with our baby and finally bring out the entrepreneur in me”, says Aditi. Aayush had the business aptitude and Aditi had the creative thought process. Put together, we believe, it was a lethal combination and blend of both mind and heart. Aditi thinks in the venture, Aayush commercializes and together we convert. Being self-funded and maintaining a model of minimal inventory but quick delivery turnaround, profits started pouring in soon and in 4 months, we were able to cross turnover of INR 2 Million. We started off with only 32 products on our website with the main focus on “Personalized Shagun Envelopes”, which were barely being sold online by anyone. In the very first month of our launch, orders started pouring in via website and other social media channels. We started getting calls for collaborations from renowned online portals and event planners. That’s when we realized the potential of our business and went full board by adding more than 200 products to our portfolio by the end of month 1. Today, our website offers more than 500 products (and adding) in various categories such as wedding trays, baskets, Shagun envelopes, Handicrafts, Torans, clutches, potli bags, cash boxes, packing material and giveaways.
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
It is for a super strong support system from our families and our positive attitude that we cannot really single out any major challenge in our journey so far. Of course there have been minor hiccups, but we have only taken them as key learning.
How did you overcome initial mindset challenges?
We were very sure that our idea of a one stop shop for all gifting needs would be well accepted by our customers, as “gifting” is an integral part of our culture and customs. And who wouldn’t like everything under one roof, in a few clicks of the mouse? However, understanding the gifting needs of different cultures across geographies was surely a task. Also, customers now demand customization and personalization in all products. We therefore started off with a model of minimal inventory, but super quick turnaround time to cater to different needs of different customers, and that truly has been our USP. Though we have a wide variety of products on our website, customers still reach out to us with new product ideas and we make & deliver as per their exact requirements and to their utmost satisfaction. This gives them the freedom to choose and we, in turn, keep adding unique products to our portfolio.
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
1.Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort, makes all the difference. 2.Be absolutely determined to do only what you love. 3. Honesty & integrity are non-negotiable.
What is your life mantra?
Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity. If you believe in something, just make it happen.
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
Trello for task management and WhatsApp for connecting with our team members and clients.
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Prioritizing the key tasks and delegating the un-important, but ensuring checks & balances on the delegated tasks.
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
Prioritizing everything but health. We wish we could take it as seriously as our work.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
The “Wedding scene” and the “Gifting scene” are an integral part of our culture, be it for Indians residing in India or abroad, be it for households or Corporates. We have started gauging the pulse of the domestic and international markets and we are so positive about this journey. Customer delight through utility gift items with the perfect blend of our tradition & contemporary aesthetics, at most competitive rates, best quality, by click of a button, in any corner of the world is what we are offering to the world and plan to strengthen this further in the next 3 years.
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
If we patted our backs for achievements, we also acknowledged our mistakes and learnt lessons from them. We have absolutely loved our journey so far. The trajectory of our business so far has been quite over-whelming.
What are your top three getaway destinations?
Nice in France, New York, and Gold Coast.
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
“It is not the customer’s job to know what they want”, as quoted by Steve Jobs
Connect:
- Twitter https://twitter.com/Giftingbest
- Website http://giftingbestwishes.com
Inspiring Entrepreneurs
Founder | CEO of Suffescom Solutions Inc
Founder | CEO | Business Head of Mobulous
Founder | CEO of Elula Tech Pvt Ltd
Founder | CEO of Suffescom Solutions Inc
Founder | CEO | Business Head of Mobulous
Founder | CEO of Elula Tech Pvt Ltd
Founder | CEO of Techy Flavors