At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the entrepreneurship world. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate young entrepreneur – Chitraank Gupta for an exclusive interview with us. He is a Founder of Locsale. Let’s learn more about his inspiring journey, background and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Chitraank:
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I did my schooling from Tapovan International school and further pursued B.com from the LJ University in Ahmedabad. My entrepreneurship journey started with my first startup idea ‘Hubless electric bicycle’. While pursuing b.com I was fond of Hubless wheels and started building Hubless cycle.
I was working on it as a hobby but I slowly began to think from a business point of view like if I’m going to sell it into the market and why would customers purchase it. That’s how my journey began as an entrepreneur. I worked on a Hubless electric bicycle for two years but couldn’t work further because of the high cost.
While working on the Hubless electric cycle a new idea was born. To make using fire extinguishers easier for common people. I built an accessory to make fire extinguishers easy to use for common people. I had to shelve this idea because of covid-19.
And then I came with the idea of Locsale. Our business was struggling because of pandemics, we were losing walk-ins and so other local retailers too. That is how I came with Locsale, to help local retailers with walk-ins.
Throughout my last 4 years of entrepreneur journey, I learned some new different skills like communication with customers, basic product design, Solidworks and Python programming.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I believe I’m attracted to entrepreneurship because I like taking risks, solving problems with a cool mind, be a great leader, innovate and help people and I think I love what I am doing.
‘Locsale Entrepreneur’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
Locsale idea was born post-pandemic. My mom’s business was struggling because of pandemics, we were losing walk-ins and so other local retailers too. There was no way we could aware our local public daily about the discounts, sales, products etc.
On our app, local retailers can connect to local customers. Show their visibility in the market, update their customer and prospects daily with product posts, cost-effective advertisements. Local customers can chat and follow local retailers for daily updates.
We can help millions of retailers who are struggling in the market by promoting their business locally and increase their walk-ins.
What does your company specialise in?
We are helping local shops to connect with local customers online but to increase their offline walk-ins and show their presence in the market. We have launched two apps Locsale business and Locsale.
In Locsale business app, local shops can show their presence, advertise at very low cost, post products, increase customers/followers and update customers with daily updates about their business.
In Locsale app, customers can chat, follow and view ads and products of their local shops. Not only local shops but anyone can use our app to reach customers.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I play chess, it helps me learn how to tackle challenges? I believe in myself and what I’m doing. Having self-confidence and being patient helps a lot.
You can’t build a kingdom in a single night. There are always challenges in your way it’s upon you how you equip yourself to face it.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
I don’t have a single source of motivation but many. I was lucky to see both sides of the industry that is service and entrepreneurship. My father has a job and my mother used to run a business. I got to see the pros and cons of both sides and found my interest more towards taking risks, challenges and venturing into unchartered waters. So I knew I want to start my own business.
But I wanted to be an entrepreneur and start my own startup when I started reading about successful entrepreneurs who founded their startups in the early ’20s. Want to make my name in the industry like them so my motto is ‘IF THEY CAN DO I CAN DO‘
What are the three most important lessons you have learned building your startup?
~ Understand customer problems. Take their feedback and use it to your advantage. Because if you don’t solve their problems Customers will stop using your product and will shift towards your competitor.
~ It is not necessarily what you are doing will always succeed. Embrace failure and learn from it.
~ Increase trust in your customers towards your company.
What are some of the strategies that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
1) Look for opportunities
2) Self Confidence
3) Patience
4) Being mindful
5) Always being resourceful
6) Taking extreme ownership and responsibility for my actions.
7) Courage
8) Ability to take risks
9) You never know what your future is and where you will succeed at.
Please share with us – what has worked well for you so far?
Understand what problems customers are facing and solve that as quickly as possible. Take their feedback, increase trust and create good relations with them. Because they will help your business succeed.
Understand and research on what your competitor is doing and where you lack behind. Also, look where you are advantageous to them. Studying your competitor helps you understand what customer needs are where you can compete.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I want to help the world by contributing something from my side. I need to achieve some goals and fulfil some promises. I believe in myself and love what I’m doing knowing that there are lots of hurdles in my journey, my future is not certain that is what keeps me going.
I always take feedback, suggestions or advice in a positive way no matter how much it is against me. I filter out things that I think are useful for me or for my startup and throw the rest out of my mind.
Whenever I feel pressured or low I ride my motorcycle, listen to songs or anything that makes my mind cool and refreshed. It helps me tackle problems easily.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
(a) Accepting & Loving myself.
(b) Responsibility for my actions
(c) Standing up for myself
(d) Resourcefulness
(e) Curiosity
(f) Positive Attitude
(g) Patience
(h) Persistence
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
– Work hard and smart.
– Look into every opportunity you find. You never know which opportunity can make you successful.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
