This week we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Paras Khanna for an interview with us to understand more about his entrepreneurial journey. Paras is the founder and CEO of Dezign2build which provides experienced designers & interior architects. His startup brings together functionality and aesthetics through innovative thoughts, hard work and creativity. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey, his background and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Paras:
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I worked in the retail industry for over a decade and gained good expertise across verticals such as sales, consumer experience, operations and strategy. I have been very passionate about it and always wanted to leverage my skills to create an impact and to build something meaningful that solves real problems. So I started Dezign2build with that vision in mind. The journey so far has been incredibly wonderful, challenging and full of learning.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
You have the opportunity to change lives, more employment opportunity for the right talent. Have an idea for a product or service that has the potential to make a huge impact. Creating something from nothing. Every business starts as an idea. You get to create it from the ground up.
Go for it — nothing is stopping you!
Every single decision that involves in your business is your responsibility, from the initial concept and branding to the growth and goal setting. Nobody will get in the way of your vision.”
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
It is a highly competitive market but still the majority of interior business is in unorganised hands in India. Zero transparency, no quality assurance, no delivery commitments, and we are doing all of it with the our clients which is why they love us. We are looking forward to setting up new standards in this interior business.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
Become an entrepreneur, you will not be able to sleep in the night for the excitement of next day, new learnings, new opportunities, new ideas, new business, new goals, new mistakes which I feel are enough to wake up.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Skilled people are our business. Every business has risks. Our risks are associated with the right skill set and also the kind of people we work in. We already have a core niche team but I see from future expansion perspective, we would need innovative minds, with the flexible thought process.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Don’t run behind money, do your job with perfection and let money run behind you.
Dezign2build is known to build long term relations with the clients even when the work is done. Business needs to have emotions and ethics where the word of mouth is everything. Business for us is all about quality deliverables, client satisfaction, delivery commitment targets, best services, planning & Execution.
Money is obviously the priority but I believe if your core values are right and the quality is not compromised then money will automatically be generated as an outcome of it.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Interior Designing is a dynamic industry where the tasks do not end at the office. The challenges begin when the drawings reach the site and all the desired requirements of the clients is to be fulfilled from sourcing the best material at best prices to delivering timely commitments. I manage my stress by dividing tasks among the close-knit team employed by keeping a check on the work assigned to them, this helps me to focus and balance my on-site and off-site tasks. Due to the continuous trust, awareness and attentiveness, I have been able to carry out my work successfully.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?
As a person, I firmly believe the change is the only constant. In my journey so far what has helped me immensely is the flexibility to work in any situation. In my opinion rigidity in the business makes it difficult to do the work or get it done by others. The mind should be open to any sort of situation at any time and calmly handle it without creating any fussiness.
As a start-up we lay strong emphasis on trust and transparency between us and our clients which has done wonders so far and will further take us to the next level.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Changing work methods with respect to time and trends is a real key to success.
Keep your people (customer, employees, labour & vendors) happy and I guarantee your business will be happy
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Give value! Build trust and maintain transparency with your customers, clients nd stakeholders. Don’t just focus on money or investments but keep your focus on creating a sustainable venture.
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.
