BrilliantRead is committed to bringing powerful stories from the startup world. One such story is of Gunjan Khambra, who left her corporate Job to build something on her own, to be her own boss, to add value to the entrepreneurial world and to motivate women entrepreneurs. She is solving a major problem in logistics space through her venture Moverdeal.
As a woman entrepreneur, Gunjan has already made her presence felt in the startup ecosystem. Let’s know more about her story:
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with her:
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
Entrepreneurship as per me translates into believing in yourself and your abilities to the fullest. I have always been self-reliant and a go-getter, when it comes to working and these qualities drove me towards being an entrepreneur. I started my career back in 2000, with a job and have worked in various reputed companies, but somehow I always felt restrained, bound by the entire system of being an employee. Even though your efforts are recognized they are not fully rewarded and the aggressive approach which I bring in as a woman is not always welcomed. Thus, I finally realized that it was time to be my own boss.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
My source of motivation is my family and to be very specific to my kids and mother. On top of it is my almighty God who has always blessed. Every day when I wake up, I thank God to have blessed me with such a beautiful life, with such wonderful people around me. This is how I draw my strength each day.
Why should people choose your products/services?
As an individual when I buy a product or a service, I always look for the value addition it does in the overall mix of the things, which it is going to support. So as a customer, you would always want to possess something or avail a service which fits these criteria. This very thought is the basis of Moverdeal.
Secondly, when you are introducing a service, which is actually intangible, i.e. not physical as a product, you have to create differentiation, from the already existing services.
Another aspect which is very much relevant as well as important in the contemporary environment is the involvement of technology.
The above three aspects have been combined to build Moverdeal and this is what we believe would attract customers towards availing our services.
What’s your competitive advantage and why can’t it be copied?
Well, in today’s times you would seldom come across a monopoly. I believe this is healthy also as it creates competition, which leads to innovation.
We started our venture, with a goal to bring in the change in the logistics industry and specifically the way these services are availed as well as rendered. When you are trying to disrupt an industry and its age-old practices you need to be innovative and keep yourself upgrading continuously. Therefore, this is where I believe we are different i.e. our willingness to keep the change perpetual.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Any new idea or for that matter innovation actually emerges from a challenge or an obstacle being faced the way the current customer requirement is being met. Thus, when you endeavour to resolve it, you are bound to face a few bumps. As our idea was to integrate technology with the services, it was finding the right technology to be adopted, which was crucial. We did have our share of speed breakers which were eventually overcome, thanks to the right set of people who understood our vision and helped us through the development phase.
I would not say that the challenges have now ended, rather they have changed. When you are an entrepreneur, you come across a various set of niggles, challenges, obstacles, etc. and you just have to take them head on and find the most suited solution.
What are your expansion plans/breakeven projections?
We are a completely bootstrapped organization, funding the development and operations from our own savings. We started off with B2C segment which is primarily the “Relocation Services”. However, we have already initiated the process of entering into a proper B2B segment, which would entail a wider coverage of the entire spectrum of the Logistics sector.
Tell our audience more about your failures? How should one bounce back?
I, for some reason, have always disagreed with the term “Failures”, for me everything is an “Experience”, teaching me and in turn helping me to become wiser as well as imparting knowledge, which otherwise would have never happened.
In a more general perspective, the way people would understand, I would say such experiences would teach you how to execute your plan in the way you intended. There is never a right or a wrong way, it’s either an efficient or an inefficient way to accomplish a task.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
It’s an ever debatable topic. Emotions are personal and it defines you as an individual. Some are soft-hearted whereas others are not so. Everyone has a different trigger when it comes to being emotionally weak. I have mine which I am proud of.
Money, on the other hand, is a necessity in today’s times. As an entrepreneur, I have to be business oriented as the success of the venture is dependent on the monetary gains it is able to generate. I see my venture as my child, it’s parameters of success is the recognition it receives from the people as well as the monetary gains it generates. This implies that I would keep hand holding this child of mine until it is capable enough to sustain itself.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
As an entrepreneur, you are bound to be stressed as there is a lot at stake. I believe more than money it is the self-belief which is at stake and with even a small roadblock, it may be shaken. But, every time you hit a roadblock, you have to think of overcoming that, instead of giving in to it. The time until you find the solution is the most stress full but once you are over the roadblock you come out wiser and with the time you learn to keep yourself cool.
What advice would you give to someone starting out, particularly to aspiring women entrepreneurs?
I would say just believe in yourself. That is the most important thing which would keep you focused on your goal. I may sound very cliché but that’s the truth.
To know more, check –
Website: http://www.moverdeal.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moverdeal-com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moverdeal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moverdealC
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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.