Author: Nishant Kapoor

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Business motivation

Online business: 3 business ideas with great income potential

You have got to be living under a rock if you still are unaware of the benefits and securities that an online business offers! Almost 59% of the global population uses the internet these days and is extremely likely to conduct commerce online for most of their needs that could vary from something as complicated as buying furniture to as ordinary as ordering food.

No matter how much we crib about society these days, it’s the ultimate truth that this era is filled with opportunities for all the businesses to perform great online if done the right way. Both the health and the wealth of the consumers these days are pointing significantly towards the vast scale at which online businesses are booming and will continue to do so in the future.

Join us on this ride to catch hold of these 3 amazing ideas that despite requiring minimum to no investment, are promising enough to make good money.

 

Rock It With YouTube

It’s mind-boggling to see a hardcore corporate turn into a full-time YouTuber! Trust us, there have been many such cases where people preferred YouTube over any other job as it allows them to be themselves while making great money out of it.

If you are good at presenting your thoughts, if you love communicating with your audiences, and if you have a knack for editing and videography, YouTube is your jam. To start a YouTube Journey you need a recording camera and a decent understanding of some video editing software. Once you find your target audience and views start pouring in, you will be making somewhere around Rs. 1 Lac – Rs. 1.5 lac.

 

Inspire The Blogger Within

Who doesn’t love a good and compelling story? None that we can think of! Businesses these days have realised the power of storytelling and have been relying heavily on bloggers and writers to create compelling stories around their brand to introduce their product and service as subtle as possible.

If you are a good storyteller and have a unique style of writing, this might turn out to be the gold mine for you. Make your style your USP and brands would not hesitate to pay a hefty amount to honor your skills and worth.

If this was not convincing enough, hear this. A good blogger in India earns somewhere around Rs. 1.5 Lacs to 2 Lacs a month. We are sure this factor must have left you in two minds. Think about it.

 

Show Off Those Social Media Management Skills

Gone are the days when social media was just a digital way to connect with your social network. It has rather outgrown itself into this amazing and pocket-friendly marketing platform that almost all businesses are benefiting from.

For a brand that has a huge online following, it becomes overwhelming to handle all the social media channels, keeping up with the latest updates and trends, and simultaneously engage with the audiences. No matter how overwhelming it gets, it is not something that could be overlooked. This is where Social Media Managers come into the picture to save the day.

If you are a social media junkie and practically live your life online, you might as well make a living out of it! If you start as an individual, you can make up to Rs. 50,000 per month.

 

We understand that finding success online doesn’t sound that easy, but once you find your passion and interest, you will fall in love with the digital world! We need to realise the opportunity, especially now, when the playing field has been leveled for all the players. Keep in mind that success lies in knowing that you have stepped in a profitable field and how aware or up to date you are on the social media trends. All in all, just know that the consumer is online, and that is where you should be.

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Motivational

Can Travel And Hospitality Sector Get Back In Business With Revenge Travel Amid COVID-19?

Empty Airports amid coronavirus pandemic (Photo Credits: pikist.com)

The hotel and the tourism industry was badly hit by the COVID-19 as businesses remained shut for several months. In view of the coronavirus pandemic, several people had to cancel their travel plans. Even though the numbers continue to rise across the world, however, the economies have started to open up.

The tourism industry is hopeful for a wave of ‘revenge travelling’ – people going on extra trips or splurging after the coronavirus crisis subsides because they have been deprived of it for so long.

What is ‘Revenge Travel’?

Revenge travel is a term that is being popularly used to refer to the time when people will plan extra travel and splurge as an act of revenge because they have been deprived of it for so long. The concept isn’t new. It has roots in the early 1980s in China during the devastating poverty of the Cultural Revolution where ‘revenge spending’ by consumers emerged.

With the ease in restrictions, urge among people to travel has increased

According to a report on Oaky, several surveys have been done to understand consumer sentiment. For e.g., as Wuhan’s lockdown is over and travel is opening up around China, and demand has been returning slowly. Mariott which had temporarily closed 90 hotels have resumed the operations in 60. Even though the occupancy is low, the business has started again.

According to a Washington Times report, in May, a report by McKinsey & Company found Chinese confidence in domestic travel had risen by 60 percent from its shutdown lows, as much of the country reopened. The report spoke about how travellers opted to stay close to home and go by car or train over flying. The hotels further opted for reduced capacity, mandatory masks and more stringent sanitation rules to lure the still-hesitant travellers, according to the McKinsey report.

Similarly, in India, which had undergone one of the strictest lockdowns in March has opened up its economy in phases. Hotels, lodges have reopened in the country with full attention to safety precautions and other measures.

The pandemic has caused the economy to come to a grinding halt with job losses, businesses being shut, furloughs and others. The coronavirus numbers have touched the grim mark of 25,664,094 figures across the globe as of Tuesday. However, with a slew of relaxations announced in several countries, it will be interesting to see if revenge travel can help the hospitality sector to get back to business amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Business motivation Strategy

Jio Platforms’ Success and Growth Gives Hope to Struggling Indian IT Vendors Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic, Says GlobalData

Businesses (Photo Credits: Pexels)

Hyderabad, September 1: Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Indian IT vendors are struggling, having been affected considerably over the last few months. However, Mukesh Ambani-led Jio Platforms has transformed into a tech juggernaut during this hour of crisis.Global technology companies have seen a surge in their valuation over the past six months – with the most notable example being Apple passing the USD 2 trillion mark in market capitalization (MCap) value.

On the other hand, many Indian IT vendors are struggling as they have been largely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. While traditional Indian IT services giants have been waiting to tide over the impact of the pandemic, Jio Platforms has transformed into a tech powerhouse. A study by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, stated that while it may be difficult for others to replicate what Jio has achieved, the interest in Jio will definitely augur well for other Indian technology companies at a time when enterprises across the world are gearing up for digitization.

Nishant Singh, Director of Technology at GlobalData, said that while Indian IT vendors seeing such stark contrast to global counterparts is unfortunate, this is just the nature of the IT services business model, which, in contrast to software, needs projects in the pipeline. “With the COVID-19 outbreak, enterprises halted all non-critical expenses, including plans to upgrade or transform their IT infrastructure. This has had an impact on Indian IT companies, since most of their revenues are from IT services”, Singh said.

He added saying that a lot of the faith in global technology companies comes from the fact that they have a pretty robust suite of intellectual property, including hardware, software and ecosystems that serve consumers and enterprises alike. “The growth in stock prices merely reaffirms that technology companies – primarily ‘Big Tech’ companies – are well poised to tide over the pandemic-induced recession”, he said.

A report by news agency ANI stated that big IT companies such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL have traditionally been IT services giants. The report adds that unlike their counterparts in the software space, IT services companies typically do not have a large stash of intellectual property, making it slightly difficult for the market to distinguish between the IT services companies. Despite these struggles, the near future should see the market showing more confidence in the traditional Indian IT vendors.

Singh further added saying with enterprises across the world now gearing up for digitization, Indian IT services vendors are set to witness a lot of action. Coupled with the market euphoria witnessed for Jio, the technology landscape in India will witness a drastic revival in investor confidence.

Jio Platforms Limited is an Indian digital services company. It is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited which was established in 2019. The company owns India’s largest mobile network operator Jio and other digital businesses of Reliance. On 8 May 2020, Jio Platforms was reported to be the fourth largest Indian company by market capitalization. Since April 2020, Reliance Industries has raised Rs 152,056 crore (US$21 billion) by selling 32.97% equity stake in Jio Platforms.

Categories
Startup

WakeFit is Back With Its ‘Sleep Internship’ for 2021; Bengaluru Based Startup to Pay Rs 1 Lakh For 9 Hours of Sleep For 100 Days

Wakefit (Photo Credits: Company website)

Bengaluru, August 31: Bengaluru based startup ‘WakeFit’ is back with its popular sleep internship, where they paid Rs 1 lakh for 9 hours of sleep for 100 days.

According to reports, the company has started the application process for 2021 and has asked for volunteers for their one of a kind internship.

The process to become an intern for this coveted role is not that easy. The applicants will have to prove to their bosses that sleeping is their topmost priority and that is what they love to do the most.

Last year, around 1.7 lakh participants had signed up, out of which only 23 interns were able to make it. The objective behind this internship is because the company plans to change the mindset towards ‘sleep’ and how it can be productive as well as healthy.

While the interns do the needful on the special mattresses provided by them, they will track the sleep patterns of each and every one of them for 100 days. During the internship period, the interns are also given guidance by sleep experts, nutritionists, fitness experts and interior designers to improve the quality of sleep in various aspects of their lifestyle.

Categories
Business motivation

Business From Home: 4 Ideas to Kickstart Your Home-Based Business

 

What could be more tempting than being the entrepreneur you always wanted to be and running the business in the comfort of your own home? Home-based businesses have not only helped professionals follow their passion and be their own boss, they have also served an even greater purpose – the purpose of making the women of India financially independent and stronger than ever!

With the help of this article, we are here to especially support the brilliant minds that have the passion, zeal, and zest to initiate a home-based start-up, but are faced with various inhibitions and constraints such as being a homemaker, inability to finance an office space, etc.

 

Personal Protective Equipment

Some samaritans started making these medical gear when our healthcare professionals, frontline warriors, and the common people were struggling with the shortage of masks and gloves amid the coronavirus pandemic. We eventually witnessed many people starting the business from home where they made the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and provided them to the needy. This movement not only helped the nation cope with the shortage but also helped many small entrepreneurs establish themselves and become independent.

 

Online Seller

The list of home-based businesses would always look incomplete if it doesn’t mention online business. Becoming an online seller on e-commerce platforms, such as eBay, has always been topping the list because of its viable nature. However, becoming an online seller requires you to stay on your toes always as customer satisfaction is what this business is all about. If you falter, the negative ratings start to pour in, tarnishing the image of your business. Nevertheless, if you are completely aware of the terms and conditions along with the refund policies, you will be successful despite the cut-throat competition in the market.

 

Digital Marketer

It wasn’t long ago that businesses were not that familiar with the concept and importance of digital marketing. However, with time, this field of marketing has prospered and how! It is not considered wise if a business doesn’t prefer digital marketing to promote and grow in today’s day and age. This global pandemic has taught us the importance of going digital and it is only a matter of time before digital marketing dominates the entrepreneurial world. Considering the immense and great money, it would only be wise to opt for this idea as it could be executed while staying home.

 

Graphic Designer

Now that the businesses rely heavily on digital marketing, the demand for eye-catchy graphics has emerged as the need of the hour. Corporations are ready to pay generous money to graphic designers who have the potential to deliver some great quality content that could help them promote their brand over digital media. If you have the right talent and an eye for appealing visuals, you could make a business out of it. Added to that, it doesn’t take you more than a laptop to kickstart the process. What more could you ask for?

 

No matter what your objective is, there is something for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you just want to focus on a business that brings you some good amount of money or just a business that supports your passion as well as helps you make decent money, you will be able to find something to do. There are n number of options available around you but figuring out the one for you becomes the actual challenge. However, if you have a clear vision and a goal to achieve, nothing will be able to stop you from reaching for the stars.

 

 

Categories
Startup

MSME Schemes by Modi Government for Entrepreneur Loans

You have brainstormed on the business idea, have your plan, have done your research work, and now want to start executing it. The hurdle you face at first is the lack of financial backing. One of the most necessary components of any successful start-up is the capital. We encounter entrepreneurs struggling with one obvious question, how to fund their start-up.

We are here with a solution to this problem. We realize it is tough to get a loan for a start-up, but it’s not impossible after all. With many government policies accessible to MSMEs and start-ups, you can climb this hurdle and reach your destination.

Here is a list of various Government Schemes which are surely advantageous for your start-up and can assist you to take the idea off the ground.

Stand-up India
The Stand – Up India strategy was launched in 2016 for financial assistance to SC/ST and Women entrepreneurs. It aids bank loans starting from Rs 10 Lakh to Rs 1 Crore. This option is available for domains of manufacturing, services, or trading.

One of the benefits of this scheme is that the loan amount will cover 75 percent of the total venture cost. The entrepreneur is supposed to bear a minimum of 10 percent of the total project cost as Stand – Up India Loan Scheme. Stand Up Scheme will be administered via the banks and to get the loan you will require collateral or a CGFSIL (Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Stand-Up India Loans)

Bank Credit Facilitation Scheme
For satisfying the credit requirements of small and medium-size industries, the NSIC has approved a memorandum of harmony with various national and private banks in India. This scheme proposes to provide various MSMEs with credit support.

This scheme offers unsecured loan facilities to the MSME business. They can avail terms of loans or working capital loans under this scheme, and it will be collateral-free or need of the third-party guarantee for availing credit.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is contributing support to the MSME sector, which includes manufacturing units, food service, and small industries, including allied agricultural activities. PMMY scheme was launched in the year 2015, under various categories such as Shishu, Kishor, and Tarun. The maximum amount of loan that could be taken ranges from Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakhs.

To benefit from this scheme, one must be 18-year-old or above and have no defaulted loan repayment under their name. Any individual business owner could apply to this scheme, be it a private limited organization or a public sector company. Talking of the interest rate, it is nominal and varies from bank to bank.

Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS)
The CSG scheme for MSMEs was established by the Government of India to provide them with collateral-free credit. One of the most exciting and essential features of this scheme is that it could be availed both by the existing startups and the ones that are still in the process.

The goal of the strategy is to decrease the stagnation of MSME growth, which has been adversely affected due to financial limitations. The lending is given to public, private, and foreign banks, with the regional rural banks.

You are required to analyze a few factors before applying for a business loan that works best for your start-up. Getting a business loan is not that difficult, but you need to do comparative research and figure out which financing option will work for you.
For the micro-enterprises, the government making all efforts to offer business loans to start-ups and MSMEs. We have mentioned a few schemes in the article, but there are more schemes launched by the Government for the benefit of the growth of the start-ups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Finance Startup

PM Narendra Modi Urges Startups, Entrepreneurs to ‘Team Up’ Under ‘Vocal for Local’ Theme to Make India Atma Nirbhar in Toy Manufacturing Sector

PM Narendra Modi and toy shop in India. (Photo Credit: PIB/Facebook)
PM Narendra Modi and toy shop in India. (Photo Credit: PIB/Facebook)

New Delhi, August 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during his Mann Ki Baat address urged the people of the country to become self-reliant in the toy manufacturing sector across the globe. He also urged the startups ‘team up for toys’ under ‘vocal for local’ theme to increase India’s share in the global market.

Highlighting the importance for making ‘toys for the world’, PM Modi said, “There has been a rich tradition of local toys in our country. Many talented and skilled artisans possess expertise in making good toys. We have given the focus on toys in the National Education Policy too. Learning while playing, making toys etc has been made a part of the curriculum.”

Urging the startups to be ‘vocal for local’ under the Atma Nirbhat Bharat initiative, PM Modi said, “I urge our start-up to team up for toys’, this also matches our call for a vocal for local. I urge our young brothers to make games in India and also on India. The global toy industry is over Rs 7 lakh crore but India’s share is very small; will have to work to increase it.”

Citing examples of the expansion of indigenous toy-making industries in India, PM Modi said Channapatna in Ramnagaram (Karnataka), Kondaplli in Krishna (Andhra Pradesh), Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, Dhubri in Assam, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh are recently developing as toy clusters. Apart from this, he said, “My appeal to the young talent of the country is Make Games Games in India and Make Games of India; it is said, Let the Game Begin…so come, let us play.”

On the issue of developing online games, the Premier said, “I call upon my start-up friends and new entrepreneurs to team up for toys; let us together make toys; it is time for local toys. You also come forward, innovate and implement something; your efforts in today’s small startups will transform into global conglomerates tomorrow and make a mark for India.”

Categories
Business motivation Strategy

Women Entrepreneurship, Women-Backed SMEs Can Help in Accelerating GDP Growth in India, Says Study

Women Entrepreneurship (Photo Credits: Pexels)

A recent study has revealed that if women entrepreneurship in India is given a push, it can accelerate the GDP growth in the country. As the country is focused on becoming self-reliance and achieving a $5 trillion economy, a report has suggested that a major emphasis on women entrepreneurship and women-backed small business can create a ripple effect in India’s GDP.

According to a joint study by Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and Sattva, women-owned enterprises represent only 20 percent of all enterprises across the country. These enterprises hire 10 percent of the total workforce. The study revealed that women entrepreneurship presents a significant opportunity to strengthen employment and can create a ripple effect on India’s GDP; but the growth of women-owned businesses needs a greater push.

The study, which is centered around Bengaluru, points that there is an urgent need to increase sales and marketing channels and make women finance ready so that they can access capital for their businesses. “While women entrepreneurs in the region face formidable challenges, the combination of new market platforms, peer-support networks, and capital will make women entrepreneurs a force to reckon with before the end of the decade”, the study said.

According to the survey, quoted by IANS, a total of 53 percent of the participants had their monthly household income below Rs 50,000 while 84 percent women entrepreneurs use personal savings for capital needs and also tend to rely on friends and family. Meanwhile, around 97 percent of the women entrepreneurs hired less than five paid employees or workers. The study reveals that 67 percent entrepreneurs had been running their businesses for under five years and for all entrepreneurs, COVID-19 has reduced their revenues by 60-80 percent.

Categories
Finance

Mukesh Ambani’s RIL Announces Acquisition of Future Group’s Retail, Wholesale, Logistics and Warehousing Businesses for Rs 24,713 Crore

Reliance Market. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Reliance Market. (Photo Credit: Facebook)

Mumbai, August 29: Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. (RRVL), a subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited, on Saturday announced the decision to acquire Future Group’s retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing businesses for Rs 24,713 crore. The latest deal between RRVL and Kishore Biyani’s Future Group has been carried on a slump sale basis.

Informing about the latest development, RIL said in a statement, “Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd will acquire the retail and wholesale business and the logistics and warehousing business from the Future Group as going concerns on a slump sale basis for lumpsum aggregate consideration of INR 24,713 crore.”

With the latest acquisition, Reliance Retail will now have the access of Future Group’s Big Bazaar, FBB, Easyday, Central, and Foodhall formats. The acquisition will enable RRVL to acquire Future Group’s over 1,800 stores spread over 420 cities in India. It is to be known that Future Group houses leading retail formats, including supermarket chain Big Bazaar, upmarket food stores Foodhall and bargain clothing chain Brand Factory.

Under the acquisition, Future Group would merge certain companies carrying on the aforesaid businesses into Future Enterprises Limited (FEL) of RRVL. Ahead of selling retail assets to the retail subsidiary of RIL, Future Retail Ltd, Future Consumer, Future Lifestyle Fashions, Future Supply Chain and Future Market Networks will be merged into FEL. Following this, all the retail and wholesale undertaking of Future Group will be transferred to Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (RRFLL).

RRVL Director Isha Ambani said, “With this transaction, we are pleased to provide a home to the renowned formats and brands of Future Group as well as preserve its business ecosystem, which has played an important role in the evolution of modern retail in India.”

Adding more, she said, “We hope to continue the growth momentum of the retail industry with our unique model of active collaboration with small merchants and kiranas as well as large consumer brands. We are committed to continue providing value to our consumers across the country.”

Apart from the retail and wholesale transfer to RRFLL, the logistics and warehousing undertaking is also being transferred to RRVL under the deal. RRFLL is proposing to invest Rs 1,200 crore in the preferential issue of equity shares of FEL to acquire 6.09 per cent of post-merger equity holding and Rs 400 crore in a preferential issue of equity warrants which, upon conversion and payment of balance 75 per cent of the issue price, adds the Reliance statement.

This is not the first time Future Group’s CEO Kishore Biyani sold his assets. Earlier on September 30, Future Group’s debt rose to Rs 12,778 crore. In 2012, Biyani sold his most valuable asset Pantaloons Retail to Aditya Birla group for Rs 1,600 crore after grappling with an equally heavy debt of Rs 12,000 crore. He had also sold Future Capital to Warburg Pincus for Rs 4,250 crore.

Categories
Technology

GST Network Starts Providing Auto-Drafted ITC Statement GSTR-2B to Assist Taxpayers in Determining ITC Liability

Documentation of tax | Representational Image (Photo Credits: Pexels)

The GST Network (GSTN) on Saturday started providing auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement GSTR-2B to taxpayers. The newly launched initiative would assist the taxpayers in determining their ITC liability. GSTR-2B will be generated on GST portal for every registered person on the basis of the information furnished by his suppliers. It will be made available for each month, on the 12th day of the succeeding month, GSTN said in a statement. Moreover, it is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assist reconciliation & simplify compliance relating to filing of returns.

The GST Network handles the IT backbone of Goods and Services Tax (GST). “It is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assisting reconciliation and simplify compliance relating to filing of returns,” it said.

Key features in GSTR-2B which would assist taxpayers in return filing are as under:

  1. It contains information on import of goods from the ICEGATE system including inward supplies of goods received from Special Economic Zones Units / Developers. This is not available with the release of GSTR-2B for the month of July and will be made available shortly.
  2. A summary statement which shows all the ITC available and non-available under each section. The advisory given against each section clarifies the action to be taken by the taxpayers in their respective section of GSTR-3B;
  3. Document level details of all invoices, credit notes, debit notes etc. is also provided both for viewing and download.
  4. GSTR-2B for the month of July 2020 has been made available on the common portal on trial basis.

Since, this is the first time that the statement is being introduced, taxpayers are advised to refer to GSTR-2B for the month of July, 2020 only for feedback purposes. All taxpayers are requested to go through their GSTR-2B for July 2020 and after comparing the same with the credit availed by them in July 2020, provide feedback (if any) on any aspect of GSTR-2B by raising a ticket on the self-service portal (https://selfservice.gstsystem.in/). All taxpayers are advised to view the detailed advisory relating to GSTR-2B on the common portal before using the statement.

The GST Council, in its 39th meeting held on March 14, 2020, had recommended to adopt and implement the incremental approach of linking the present system of filing of GSTR-3B and GSTR-1 and other significant changes like enhancements in GSTR-2A and its linking to GSTR-3B. One such enhancement that the Council recommended was introduction of an auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement which would aid in assisting / determining the input tax credit that is available for every taxpayer.