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Startup

5 Indian Startups To Join The Elite Unicorn Club In 2022

Summary: Seven months into 2022 and India has already added 19 new unicorns.

While 2021 was a blockbuster year for unicorns, the year 2022 has started just on the right track. Just seven months into the year, India has seen 19 startups that have entered the elite unicorn club. The total count of Indian tech startups to enter the unicorn club stands at 105.

Let’s take a look at the number of startups that have made it to the club:

1. FRACTAL

Founded in 2000 by a five-member team, Fractal is an AI and advanced solutions startup. The core team of Fractal is an IIM Ahmedabad alumni- Pranay Agrawal and Srikanth Velamakanni along with Nirmal Palaparthi, Pradeep Suryanarayan, and Ramakrishna Reddy.

Its latest round of funding made it the first entrant into the unicorn club in 2022. Fractal has raised a total of $685 Mn funding  over 5 rounds. The Private Equity round saw $360 Mn raised from TPG Capital Asia and secondary share purchases from funds advised by Apax Partners.

This startup of India has also raised $100 Mn from the Malaysian sovereign fund Khazanah in 2016. The 21-year-old startup provides artificial intelligence and advanced analytics solutions to Fortune 500 companies. Fractal Analytics is among a handful of companies that have taken over two decades to enter the unicorn club.

2. LEAD

By raising $ 100 Mn in a round led by WestBridge Capital and GSV, LEAD School has raised a total of $166 Mn in funding over 5 rounds. Founded by Sumeet Mehta and Smita Deorah in 2012, this Mumbai-based startup was the first Ed-tech startup to enter the Indian unicorn club in 2022.

In 2021, edtech startups raised over $4.7 Bn to emerge as the third-most funded Indian startup sector 2021, with only eCommerce ($10.7 Bn) and fintech sectors ($8 Bn) attracting more investment.

This edtech startup of India enables schools to combine technology, curriculum, and pedagogy into an integrated teaching and learning system. It is the country’s sixth edtech unicorn after BYJU’s, Unacademy, Eruditas, UpGrad, and Vedantu. LEAD claims to have more than 5,000 schools from across 500 Indian cities on board, serving more than 2 Mn students across the country.

3. DEALSHARE

2022 saw this Bengaluru-based startup Dealshare entering the unicorn club at a valuation of $1.62 Bn. The Bengaluru-based social commerce startup raised $165 Mn in a Series E funding round. The round saw participation from existing investors, Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Incubation, alongside new investors, Kora Investment, DF International Partners, and Twenty Nine Capital Partners. The segment’s biggest milestone last year was Meesho’s entry into the unicorn club.

DealShare was founded by Vineet Rao, Sourjyendu Medda, Sankar Bora, and Rajat Shikhar in September 2018. Targeting the middle-class population, enables first-time internet users to shop online. The startup’s gross revenue has increased by 10X over the last year with an ARR of $750 Mn for FY22. It sells grocery and household essential products through social media and messenger platforms like WhatsApp.

4. LIVSPACE

With its series F round, Livspace became the sixth unicorn of the year. The Bengaluru-based startup raised $180 Mn from American investment giant KKR & Co, Jungle Ventures, Swedish retail giant Ikea, Venturi Partners, and Peugeot Investments.

Founded by Anuj Shrivastav and Ramkant Sharma in 2014, Livspace is a home renovation and interior platform. It provides an end-to-end home design experience. The startup’s online marketplace also offers software tools that can help designers and homeowners design interiors. Livspace has raised close to $450 Mn across 10 funding rounds. It has raised $90 Mn in a series D round, led by Switzerland-based investment firm Kharis Capital and consumer space-focused Venturi Partners.

5. XPRESSBEES

With its Series F funding round led by private equity funds Blackstone Growth, ChrysCapital, and TPG Growth; the Pune-based startup Xpressbees is the latest entrant to the Indian unicorn club of 2022. The round also saw participation from existing investors Investcorp and Norwest Venture Partners, thus helping the startup’s valuation soar close to $1.2 Bn. With this investment, Xpressbees total funding has touched $500 Mn.

Every successful business was once just an idea. It is determination, persistence, passion, and grit that turn imagination into a reality. If you too have a business idea, don’t hold yourself back! Work towards it with professional guidance from the experts.

The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer exclusive Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses. Join our Business Coaching Program that will help you to gain deep insights into the business world. To know more, visit: https://www.badabusiness.com/BCP-Event/?pp_code=BHBB000078&ref_code=SM

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Business motivation Startup

7 Low-Cost Business Ideas You Can Start From Home Today!

Summary: Start a home-based business with minimum funding. Here are 7 business ideas.

Are you looking to launch your own business, but don’t know where to start? Just relax. You are not alone. Today, many people want to start a business on their own, and for good reasons. On an average, people have two-three careers during their work-life. Also, with the great resignation in full swing, many are looking to become their boss or small business owner by turning their startup business idea into a reality.

If you want to become your own boss, then we have good news! Starting a home-based business is super easy and without risk. You can start it with zero to minimum investment and determination to be successful. Here is a list of seven startup business ideas that you can start right from home:

1. Accountant

Apart from the qualification, little experience, training, or licensing may be needed. Before starting you need to list out what are the services you are willing to offer. Do you simply want to do bookkeeping for small businesses or do you want to be more involved with services like maintaining balance sheets, income statements, or financial reports on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis?

To start and grow your business, you can listen to the best motivational speaker Dr. Vivek Bindra here;

2. Business Plan Service

Think you are good at creating excellent business plans that constitute scaling? Well, then you can offer a soup-to-nuts business plan to various entrepreneurs who are looking to develop a business plan for their startups. Plan your fee around that one main factor that the client will want and offer others as add-on services. You can either give your clients an e-file or you can keep the business plan on file and offer to customise it whenever necessary. Prepare some samples to show your clients as well.

3. Party Planner for Children

From children to adults, everybody likes to party and celebrate their special moments uniquely. The children’s birthday party has become a million-dollar company as millennial parents don’t shy away from spending when it comes to making their children’s birthday special. If you listen to Dr. Vivek Bindra- the best motivational speaker in India & business coach to various large organisations and corporate sectors you will gain in-depth knowledge about starting your own business from the scratch.

4. Consultant

To become a consultant, you need to have expertise in something. Market yourself as an advisor to people who are looking to work in that area. For instance, if you have a good knowledge of digital marketing, you can become a consultant to a business that is looking to establish its presence online. With the expertise and experience that you have gained throughout the years, you can help others do similar things without repeating the same mistakes that you made along the way.

5. Editorial Services

If you have a knack for writing and editing, you can provide freelancing writing and editorial services right from your home. All you need to have is a good internet connection and a working laptop. Here is a list of services that you can offer to your clients:

a). Copyeditor- From checking facts to fixing grammatical, stylistic, and typographical errors, copyediting involves everything.

b). Proofreading- The last stop when a writing piece is finished. A proofreader ensures that all the changes have been implemented and no new errors are created in the process.

c). Ghost Writing- You can offer your services as a ghostwriter in which you will have to conduct all the research and write the book. However, someone else’s name would be attached to it as the author.

d). Copywriting- As a copywriter you will produce copies or taglines that promote a product or a service.

6. Event Planning

Love planning things out for your friends and family? You can become an event planner. One of the first things you are required to do is to visit the client’s location. Tour each site and learn what is available at each location that you can use to create an unforgettable event. You can speak to the client once you start planning things out to understand their expectations and requirements along with the key parameters that you need to work upon.

7. Interior Decorator

If you have done a professional course in interior designing then you can pursue your interest by looking for clients in your network. But if you have a natural talent to give even the smallest space an amazing makeover, you can start your business right from the comfort of your home. To get clients, you can market your services to building contractors. People purchasing new homes often find the process of decorating and organising overwhelming. So, you can take away their worries by offering your expert advice on decorating their interiors.

We are living in a world where people want to be their own boss and starting a startup business is the best way! So, why not try the business ideas that we have mentioned above? They are easy, risk-free, and require minimum investment. Which business idea do you like the most? Let us know in the comment section.

The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialised courses, and value-added courses.

To know more, visit:  www.badabusiness.com

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Startup

Want To Pitch Your Startup Idea? Here Are The Top 4 Ways To Do It!

Summary: Pitching your idea to your potential investor seems incredibly nerve-wracking. But it is vital to any startup business.

Pitching a business idea successfully to an investor is an entrepreneur`s dream. However, it’s a nerve-wracking experience too! It is like the feeling of giving a presentation in front of the entire class. The only difference between the two is that the former is more challenging!

One often wonders if the potential investor is interested enough. Will they like the idea? And most of all is this potential investor going to fund the project?

The key to doing it successfully is being able to deliver it confidently. However, it can appear as a mammoth of a task if you feel shaky about your public speaking skills.

So how can you ensure that you get investors for your startup business? By not doing mistakes that most entrepreneurs commit unknowingly and by attending India`s most powerful business training—‘Leadership Funnel Program 2.0’ by Dr. Vivek Bindra. Also, they practiced the best ways to approach their investors.

Here are top tips for pitching your great ideas or products to investors:

1. Focus On Your Purpose

Connect with what you are doing and focus on the solution that your business idea will provide to your customers. Find a way to calm yourself down beforehand. Practice moving the focus from yourself and your body back to the room, the people there, and your message. Always remember it’s your idea that matters.

2. Perfect your Elevator Pitch

Your elevator pitch is a teaser of your startup business idea. These 30 seconds of elevator pitch should explain everything that someone would need to know when they meet you for the first time.

Your elevator speech should be crisp, direct, and clear. It should simply describe your product or idea and tell your investors everything if they have no background knowledge about your startup.

It should cover the 3W`s- ‘What you do,’ ‘What problem you solve,’ and ‘Why are you different?’

After your pitch, make sure to connect with the person listening. Ask them questions and resolve their queries. Learn how to impress investors with your elevator pitch by attending LFP 2.0 by Dr. Vivek Bindra.

3. Find & Research your Potential Investors

If you come prepared, the battle is half won! So before doing your pitch, do some research on who you will be presenting. You can also work along with a business coach who can help you find some investors.

You can also search for the list of Angel Investors networks that focus on your region. Some of the investors may be popular figures. So you can research them well online. Study their patterns, as some investors like to be involved in the company they are investing in. Others would rather be hands-off and would rather like to receive quarterly reports on profitability.

4. Present Facts & Figures

When you are pitching your idea to a potential investor, provide solid data reports. Investors are always interested in what you have already accomplished. Also, how much profit they will make post-investment in your company.

The value of a startup is often built even before they have made profits. The numbers behind it are often driven by speculation about how well the company could perform shortly.

However, you must also be well-prepared to back up the numbers you provide to your investors. Investors would want to hear the reasoning behind your numbers.

Do not just give a random figure of new customers your company is acquiring every month. State the exact number of how many customers you will acquire. It does not matter if you are attracting 20 or 20,000 customers. Your transparency and honesty are what matter the most!

Always remember that an investor is not just investing money into your company, they are giving it to you. And they are investing because they believe in you.  Hence, give them confidence by providing real data.

Are you trying to find investors for your startup, but could not despite having an innovative idea that could make huge profits in the long run? Worry not! With our ‘Leadership Funnel Program 2.0 by Dr. Vivek Bindra’ you can learn how to raise funds for your business even without an investor. For more information, click here: https://www.badabusiness.com/lfp?ref_code=SM&pp_code=BHBB000078 .

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Business motivation Startup

A Complete Step-By-Step Guide To Start A Small Business In 2022

Summary: Starting a business sounds exciting but do you have enough knowledge to build one from scratch?

Nothing excites me as much as the idea of becoming my boss. Apart from having multiple coffee breaks and the flexibility of working at my own pace, it motivates me to work hard and chase my dreams. Every decision that I make will bring me closer to my business goals. However, there is only one hurdle, how to start a small business? Should I take help from a business motivational speaker, or should I work along with a corporate trainer?

Most young entrepreneurs often have these questions while thinking about turning their ideas into a beautiful reality. Starting a business sounds exciting, but how and where to begin?

There are many different approaches. For instance, you can enroll in a business coaching program or get help from a mentor. But what are the exact SOPs that one should follow?

To know the answer, follow this step-by-step guide that will help you to understand the exact SOPs required to start your small business.

1. Refine Your Business idea

If you are thinking about starting your venture, you might already have an idea in your mind. Whether product-related or service-related, do a quick search about existing companies in your industry. Learn about your competitors and brand leaders and figure out which unique features or products they are offering their customers or where they are lacking. You can turn these gaps into opportunities.

Also, find out your USPs. This will help you to stand out. Define your ‘why.’ If you want to be an entrepreneur but do not want to start from scratch, you can also consider taking a franchise.

But what are the factors one should consider while taking a franchise? You can watch this incredibly informative video by Dr.Vivek Bindra here:

2. Know Your Competitors Well

Most entrepreneurs spend more time creating their products (which is good) than they often do to know their competitors well. If you will go to investors, the first thing that they would like to know is what sets you apart from your competition.

Knowing your competitors is as important as knowing your target audience. You can conduct a SWOT analysis for your competitors. It will give you more clarity on what is working in the market. You can also take help from a motivational speaker.

3. Create Your Business Plan

A business map is like a road map that will help you visualize your journey and spot potential problems. This document makes it simple for financial institutions, potential investors, and company management to understand your business. Your business map should include an executive summary, market analysis, organizational structure, products & services, mission & goals, company’s background, financial and marketing plan. You can also work with a business motivational speaker to develop your business plan.

4. Assess Your Finances 

Finance is a significant factor that one should consider before starting a small business. Do you have the means to start your small business, or would you take a loan? If you are planning to leave your job to focus on your startup venture, do you think you have enough money to support yourself until you make a profit? Only 5% of startups survive after five years. Most startups fail because of lack of funds. Hence, it is essential to perform a break-even analysis.

Once you have figured it out, it is time to consider your funding options. There are multiple options, from business loans to government schemes, crowd-funding to fundraising through investors and business grants.

5. Determine Your Legal Business Structure

Before registering your company, you need to decide what kind of entity your business is. A business structure legally affects everything from how you file your taxes to your liability if something unfortunate happens. There are four types of business structure:

i). Sole Proprietorship

ii). Partnership

iii). Corporation

iv). Limited Liability Company

6. Register Your Business

Once you have decided about your business structure and name, it is time to register your brand. If you’re doing business under a name different than your own, you’ll need to register with the federal government and maybe your state government as well.

7. Apply for Licenses & permits

By staying legally compliant, you can keep your business running smoothly. The licenses and permits you need for your business will vary depending on your industry, sector, state, location, and other factors.

8. Open a Business Account

Set up one business account to handle legal, tax, and day-to-day issues. Keep all the required registration and paperwork ready.

Starting a business requires lots of planning, finance, and completion of a series of legal activities.

Hence, if you want to start a business, you can take help from a business motivational speaker.

The idea of managing a business is more straightforward said than done, and we agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program with foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses.

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Startup

Zomato-Blinkit Deal: Here is everything you should know!

After approval of the proposed acquisition, food delivery application Zomato plans to start integrating Blinkit on multiple fronts. On June 24, 2022, Zomato announced that its board had approved the acquisition of quick commerce company Blinkit for INR 4,447 crore.

According to the terms of the agreement, Blinkit shareholders will get a cumulative stake of 6.88 percent in Zomato, and the target company’s leadership team, including co-founder and CEO Albinder Dhindsa, will continue to hold their positions in the company.

The move comes at a time when Zomato is gearing up for 10-minute delivery. It has been said that “Zomato Instant” is already on track in Gurugram along with dark stores and how they will help Zomato in its 10-minute delivery plan.

A dark store is a micro-fulfillment center for online orders. It is a retail distribution warehouse or center that is specifically dedicated to those who shop online. A dark store acts as a lifeline for quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart that promise to deliver groceries to customers within 15 to 20 minutes.

Blinkit has visibility into inventory owned by third-party distributors and retailers that stock about 4,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) across a variety of product categories in a network of warehouses and distributed dark stores. Even after shutting down several dark stores in the recent past to cut losses, Blinkit still has about 400 such stores as of May 2022.

Zomato’s founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, said in a blog post announcing the deal, “Quick commerce has been our stated strategic priority since the last one year.” He says quick commerce’s close synergies with Zomato’s core food business give the company the right to win in the long term.

Now that Zomato has acquired Blinkit, the priorities will be customers, cross-selling products, and delivery fleet integration. “We will experiment with different ways of integrating the two customer bases or rather make sure that we are able to leverage Zomato’s customer base for the growth of the Blinkit business,” said Zomato CFO Akshant Goyal. Zomato may consider moving the Blinkit to the Zomato app.

Blinkit had become a unicorn—a privately held company with a valuation of $1 billion or more—last year following a $120 million funding round from Zomato and New York-based investment firm Tiger Global. Zomato invested $100 million in Blinkit when it was operating as Grofers before the food delivery company was listed on Indian exchanges last year.

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Startup

5 Small Startup Business Ideas To Start In 2022

Leaving a 9-to-5 job and starting a small online business may seem like a giant task, especially when the capital is limited. Daily tasks like logistics, managing inventory, marketing, etc., often send chills down the spine of beginners.

Building a successful business is an arduous journey. However, if you have the right plan and the right business strategies, your business can reap benefits for its founders, stakeholders, and several others who depend on it for their livelihood. Today, with a great business idea and the Best Motivational Speaker in India, you can start a small online business with a minimum investment.

Here are five small online business ideas that can be started even in small villages and rural areas.

1. Retail Business

Rural areas generally have more people as compared to urban areas. Hence, consumption and the demand for essential goods are always high. But the supply is relatively low. Opening a small department store or a Kirana store in these areas can be a good, small investment for people who want to start their own business.

2. Artificial Jewelry

If there is one thing after food that never goes out of fashion and demand, it is beautiful pieces of jewelry. The best example of it is that even during the COVID-19 pandemic when many businesses were shut down, the demand for artificial jewelry pieces remained.

There are portals like Trade India where people can create an online shop to contact good manufacturers for procuring and selling jewelry. First customers of the business can be your friends and family members, who can endorse your products in their circle. To grow your online business, you can consult with a motivational coach for entrepreneurs.

3. Home Bakery

If you have a thing for bakeries, you can also start your own bakery business. This business does not require a large investment. You only need a minimum investment to procure an oven and buy ingredients for baking. When starting on a small scale, there is no need to do branding. However, it is essential to focus on quality and deliver a product that customers will relish. This business can be started with an investment of between INR 15,000 and INR 25,000.

4. Homemade Candles

In the last few years, many people have become inclined toward aromatherapy and scented candles. Candles are a wonderful way to enhance the interiors of homes and for gifting purposes. You can start this business online with a minimal investment, either by manufacturing it at home or procuring it from a third party.

You will need wax, wick, molds, thread, aromatic oils, and more to start your business. Apart from this, you will also need to have some candle-making equipment, which includes a melting pot, a pour pot, a thermometer, a weighing scale, a hammer, and an oven to melt the wax. Once your business starts growing, you can also take assistance from Motivational Coach for Entrepreneurs.

5. Flour Mill

Setting up flour mills in rural areas is a good idea. The demand for good quality flour will always be on the rise, especially with most Indians being round-the-year consumers. Opening a flour mill in a village or a rural area is a good small business idea as the equipment is very useful in every harvest season.

If you have a great small business idea, you can begin to work upon it because it requires a minimum investment. To ensure that your business runs smoothly, you can also consult with the best business coach in India.

The idea of managing a business is easier said than done, and we completely agree with you. This is why, to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses. To learn more, you can visit www.badabusiness.com.

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Startup

5 Ways Digital Marketing Helps Startup in Business Growth

Internet today has become an indispensable tool for almost any consumer who has to make a purchasing decision. According to a report by Forbes, people are spending time online more than ever before, and internet usage is increased by 50-70 percent. They use the internet for three hours on average for communication, research, entertainment, and information.

The data above indicates that business owners today must focus on connecting with their consumers digitally. Even if you are not selling any products or services online, your target audience is present on the internet and looking for the products you are selling.

Given the pace at which the market technology is changing, small business owners need to update themselves with go-to-market strategies.

Everyone has realized the power of digitalization in the crisis, from large organizations to small companies. The adoption of digitalization will be the key to unlocking a brighter future and many entrepreneurs are now working with the best business coaches in India to build strategies aligning with their company’s goals.

This is why Digital Marketing is defined as the future of marketing. You can learn how to do digital marketing without burning a hole in your pocket efficiently!

But First, Let’s talk about Digital Marketing.

The concept of marketing has always been about connecting with your audience and meeting them at the right place and at the right time. Digitalizing everything means connecting with your audience and building a solid customer relationship where they are already spending maximum time- on the internet.

Any marketing tactic that uses electronic devices to promote their business services or products on the internet is called Digital Marketing. Businesses use digital channels such as search engines, email, social media platforms, and other websites to connect with existing and potential customers. Many small companies also take assistance from a business coach for entrepreneurs to leverage the power of digital marketing.

What makes digital marketing crucial for startup growth?

When you purchase an advertisement on a billboard or physical newspaper, you reach a limited number of subscribers. It is distinct from the traditional marketing methods and targets potential buyers. It is more cost-effective than conventional advertising methods and enables you to measure daily success.

If you are an entrepreneur, here are the top five ways how innovative use of digital marketing can help you in business growth:

1. Reach Your Target Audience @Minimum Investment

As we have mentioned above, picking traditional advertising methods like billboards, magazines, or TV does not guarantee to hit your target audience. Also, the conventional techniques give little control over who sees your ad. Though you can measure demographics like viewership, readership, or population in a particular area, it is still a shot in the dark.

Digital marketing allows you to identify and target a particular audience interested in purchasing your products or services. It also lets you send personalized, customized, high-converting marketing messages as it allows you to research and identify your buyer`s persona. Implementing these strategies by working with a good business trainer is easy.

2. Helps You Achieve More Results with Minimum Investment

With digital marketing, you can track campaigns in real-time and collect data to analyze what works and does not work with your target audience. It can also give you complete control over where you spend your money and of what amount.

Work in a small company or have a small business with a limited budget for advertising. You can try investing in blogging, social media, or SEO that can guarantee high ROI even with minimal spending. It is a beautiful way to build your online presence. You can also work with a business coach for entrepreneurs to make powerful marketing strategies.

3. Helps You Understand Your Competitors Better

Small business owners or entrepreneurs can use digital marketing to stay ahead of their competitors even if they do not have millions of dollars to spend on advertising. With effective digital marketing strategies like content marketing, SEO, and social media, small brands can create awareness and strong brand identity. Search engines do not care which brand is the biggest and work on a simple algorithm.

4. Lead Generation

One of the primary reasons behind advertising and marketing is lead generation. Though many advocate that traditional methods generate more leads, there is no way you can measure it. Media buyers may say that people saw your commercial, but how do you prove it?

A digital ad allows you to create an ad, track its engagement, and generate leads. The digital ad tells you how many people got engaged with your ad and enables you to add them to your email and phone lists. You can contact them to qualify the lead, which is critical for converting a lead to a sale. If you are working with a good business mentor, they can help you develop robust strategies for lead generation.

5. Stay Connected with Your Customers

“Out of sight is out of mind,” which is why it is essential for brands to stay connected with their customers, especially after they have done business. Social media platforms give a golden chance to every business to engage and build relationships with their customers.

Digital Marketing has the power to turn the tables around for startups if used strategically. We hope the above reasons will encourage you to actively and strategically incorporate digital marketing.

The idea of managing a business is more straightforward said than done, and we agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program with Foundation courses. These specialized courses focus on business challenges like Digital Marketing and value-added approaches.

To know more, visit: www.badabusiness.com

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Business motivation Startup

How PhysicsWallah Became India’s 101st Unicorn

Summary: From a free YouTube channel to raising a $100M fund in Series A, PhysicsWallah joins the unicorn club. Read the inspiring story.

“A dream does not become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work,” said Colin Powell, and we couldn’t agree more.

Many people often complain despite having all the privileges in the world. They blame the situations, consequences, and sometimes people for their inability to achieve their goals.

But, there are people like Alakh Pandey (Founder and CEO, PhysicsWallah) who fulfill their dreams despite life’s challenges.

If you have been living under the rock, then let us tell you about Alakh Pandey and the success story of his Noida-based startup- PhysicsWallah. His Edtech startup PhysicsWallah has become India’s 101st Unicorn. He received funding in its Series A round from investors, including Westbridge and Funding.

Want to know how you can raise funds for your business? Watch this video: 

Many believe that the availability of financial resources makes a person successful. But nothing can be further from the truth. Having a solid financial background can help a person, but one has to walk the road to success on his own.

Born and raised in Allahabad, Alakh loved to learn as a child. He wanted to pursue engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology. But coming from a humble background, he couldn’t fulfill his dream of studying at IIT.

He was admitted to Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, to study mechanical engineering. To fund his education, Alakh’s father had to sell his house. To help his father, Alakh began teaching JEE/NEET courses at coaching centers during his graduation.

Soon Alakh realized that many students couldn’t afford expensive coaching classes. So in 2016, he started a YouTube channel offering free physics and chemistry lectures for JEE/NEET examinations. In 2019, he was joined by Prateek Maheshwari, an IIT BHU alumnus who founded startups like Night Panda, Pen Pencil, and Moon 2 Noon. They knew they would be fundraising for their startup in 2022.

After a few meetings, Alakh asked Prateek to join him as a co-founder, and in May 2020, they launched the PW app. The app crashed on day 1, not because of a technical glitch but because there were so many downloads. In seven days, there were three lakh downloads.

Born as a free YouTube channel in 2016 with just an investment of about INR 30,000 used to purchase a camera phone, tripod, whiteboard, and a few books, today it is a family of more than six million students and 1,500 staff, who aim to provide quality education at an affordable price.

PhysicsWallah got subscribed by 10,000 people in the first year and 50,000 in 2017. In May 2020, they developed an excellent tech idea for their business model and launched their Android version.

The course structure is divided into two categories: live classes and scheduled recorded lectures. They are further sub-divided into free (on YouTube) and paid batches (on the app).

“It is a very student-friendly app. More than 5.5 lakh students consume 90 minutes of educational content every day. The overall rating of the app on the Google Play Store is 4.8. Moreover, the PW app is probably the only one to conduct the largest live online class,” Prateek claims.

Students can access daily practice problems, one-to-one sessions with mentors, and live doubt sessions by top facilities, including PW founder Alakh Pandey.

From a free YouTube channel to becoming India’s 101st Unicorn, Alakh Pandey has had his shares of challenges. But he was determined to achieve something in his life by providing solutions to others, and he sure did!

Bada Business wishes Alakh Pandey more success in the future!

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Startup

Launch Your Startup With These 5 Financial Tips From The Experts

According to a report published on Inc42.com in 2016, the primary reason behind many startup shutdowns was due to lack of funding. In 2017 lack of market demand was the primary reason for the startup shutdowns.

Starting your business venture can be a daunting but rewarding process. While a great business plan is imperative for entrepreneurs, financing is one of the most crucial elements that help a startup succeed. Many entrepreneurs often take help from a business coach to receive fundraising guidance.

Securing funding to launch a startup can be difficult. More often than not, entrepreneurs use their savings to start their businesses. Another report by NASSCOM states that around 25% of Indian startups shut down untimely due to failure to raise follow-on funding rounds beyond Pre-Series. A good and effective management of finances can make a massive difference between a business that keeps climbing the ladder of success and one that falls at the very first challenge.

Here are five financial tips that would help every entrepreneur or small business owner manage their finances better:

1. Create a Dedicated Emergency Fund

A contingency or an emergency fund to provide financial security in desperate times. This fund helps an organization meet significant expenses in unforeseen circumstances. Ideally, one should have six months of living expenses as a contingency fund.

If you own a business, it is suggested to create a larger emergency fund if your company has seasonal cash-flow fluctuations. It is best to build such a fund and invest it in a mutual debt fund as it will give far better returns than a savings account and help you encounter unforeseen challenges.

Having an emergency fund will also give you peace of mind, and you can make more confident decisions for your business. A good business mentor will help you how to create a dedicated emergency fund.

2. Avoid Expensive Credit Loans

Credit is the lifeblood of any business, especially for startups. Hence, entrepreneurs need to keep their credit scores high. Always pay your bills on time. When it comes to financing your business, the cost of credit is a critical factor, especially in the initial months of operation.

In the beginning, when the business has not even reached the break-even point, the company’s financing should be done by keeping the interest cost at the bare minimum. This will reduce cost and attain profitability. Never miss a payment or delay the payment date, even if you face a financial crunch.

Also, keep your credit utilization ratio under consideration. The credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your available credit limits that you borrow during the month. Keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30% will help you maintain a better credit score.

3. Keep personal & business accounts separate

It is wise to keep your business and personal bank account separately. It will provide the benefit of easier accounting at the end of the financial year for tax purposes and eliminate the cash crunch situations in business caused due to withdrawals for personal expenditure.

4. Bad Debts

Debts that cannot be recovered are called bad debts. When credit sales are not recovered, bad debts are created. Entrepreneurs should eliminate the situation of a fund crunch in business due to withdrawals for personal expenditure. Instead, these debts should be repaid in the next year so that a healthy financial position of the company can be showcased in front of potential stakeholders. You can also take guidance from a best business coach to plan your finances.

5. Develop Financial Goals

Keeping the in-flow and out-flow of your finances is extremely important. Planning a year for significant expenses in advance can help small business owners to reduce the financial burden. If your future business goals involve expanding and launching new products or services in the market, it is essential to plan everything related to finances.

If you are not sure how to manage your finances or ensure a solid financial future, you can also take the help of a certified financial planner. A financial advisor can also help you build a strategy to meet your business objectives.

Instead of investing all your profits back into your startup venture, save for your future by investing your funds into multiple investment schemes. A wide array of investment schemes is available, from stocks to mutual funds. You do not have to invest every last penny into your business; save for your future.

If you can improve your finances with a better emergency fund, a solid credit score, and a robust retirement savings portfolio aside from the equity you own in your business, you can run your startup with a more focused and peaceful mind.

And for business owners, who are some of the busiest people in this world, having financial security is genuinely priceless. Are you planning to launch your dream startup business but worried about managing your finances?

Do you have any other financial tips for our entrepreneurs? Please share them with us in the comment section below.

The idea of managing a business is more straightforward said than done, and we agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses.

To know more, visit www.badabusiness.com.

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Startup

5 Effective Ways To Raise Funds For Your Startups Without Investors

Summary: Want to raise funds but can`t find investors? Here are four ways in which you can raise funds without investors.

Establishing a business from the scratch is not so easy. It is quite difficult when it comes to strategizing, managing, and thinking about different segments of the business. And to build it without the initial capital investment from the investors can be even harder.

Though the process might seem time-consuming, starting a startup in India without the burden of investors can yield benefits that outweigh the cons. If you are an amateur, you can take help from a motivational speaker.

Here are 5 ways in which you can do fund-raising for a business without investors:

1. Keep Your Job as Side Hustle

Since starting a startup business in India without investors can leave you with a lack of funds, it is always a cool idea to continue with your day job. This will give you the advantage of saving your salary.

2. Make the Most of Government Loan Schemes

Whether you want to start your business without an investor or are unable to find one, you can still fulfill your entrepreneurial dream, thanks to government schemes. To focus on ‘Make in India’, the government has started a few loan schemes.

Schemes like CGTMSE, MUDRA, and Stand-up India can provide you with collateral-free debts and can get access to low-cost capital. To get expert guidance, you can work with the best motivational speaker of India.

3. Use your Revenue to do Fund Raising

Not all startups are pre-revenue generators. Many startups have customers and monthly revenue, so why not plan smartly and use that money to grow faster. A Revenue Based Loan can turn your revenues into growth capital and can help you to do fund-raising without an investor.  To know step by step process of fund raising, watch here:

4. Go for Crowd Funding

You can also raise money through crowd-funding. Crowd-funding refers to the funds from a large number of people who contribute with a small amount of cash. The process of crowd-funding is typically done via online platforms.

5. Do Everything for Your Business

A business is just like a baby! Hence, be ready to give all your time and attention. Not just that, you must be willing to make sacrifices to free up your time.

As an entrepreneur, you may want to taste success as soon as possible. However, patience is the virtue that makes any business successful. You may feel challenged at the initial stage of building a start-up. If not prepared, you may have to suffer losses too. Hence, get all the information and knowledge from the industry experts.

We know what you are thinking! The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer courses like Business Coaching Program, Problem Solving Courses (PSC) & Lifetime Membership (LTM).