Month: September 2020

Categories
E-Commerce

Flipkart Wholesale Launches Business-to-Business Platform for MSMEs and Kiranas

Flipkart. (Photo Credit: Twitter/@Flipkart)
Flipkart. (Photo Credit: Twitter/@Flipkart)

Bengaluru, September 3: E-commerce platform giant Flipkart has recently launched operations of its digital business-to-business marketplace, aiming to connect local manufacturers with retailers. With the launch of Flipkart Wholesale’s B2B platform, Flipkart aims to bring the entire wholesale marketplace at their fingertips.

Issuing a statement, Senior Vice President and Head of Flipkart Wholesale — Adarsh Menon — said, “With the strong capability within the group in B2B, we will focus on meeting the needs of kiranas and MSMEs by providing these small businesses a wide selection at significant value, powered by technology to make their lives easier.”

Adding more, he said, “Whether in grocery, general merchandise or fashion, these businesses will have one-stop access to an extensive selection of products with attractive schemes and incentives.” Menon stated that Flipkart Wholesale is currently available for fashion retailers, especially footwear and apparel, in Gurugram, Delhi and Bengaluru. However, Flipkart is planning to expand the platform to Mumbai as well.

Meanwhile, Head of Flipkart Wholesale stated that e-commerce is planning to the new platform to 20 more cities and in categories such as home and kitchen and grocery by December 2020. It is also aiming to rope in over 300 strategic partners and has over two lakh listings in two months.

Apart from this, the business-to-business (B2B) platform will enable the onboarding of 50 brands and over 250 local manufacturers in the coming days. Through this platform, kiranas, resellers and MSMEs will have access to the easy credit facility. The company statement said that platform, will provide a wide range of assured quality products, micro-market level B2B and B2C insights from the Flipkart ecosystem and an easy order tracking facility.

Categories
Startup

What is a Unicorn? Here Are 4 Ideas to Help Startups Become a $1 Billion Company

Startup
Startup (Photo Credits: Pixabay)

A unicorn is a term used in the venture capital industry to describe a privately held startup company with a value of over $1 billion. The term was coined in 2013 by venture capitalist Aileen Lee, choosing the mythical animal to represent the statistical rarity of such successful ventures.

According to Investopedia, companies with valuations of over $10 billion are sometimes referred to as decacorns.

According to the Hurun Research Institute’s Global Unicorn List 2020, India is home to 21 unicorns, valued at $73.2 billion. Paytm is India’s highest-valued unicorn, at $16 billion. Top 10 Indian unicorns make up 78 percent of the total value of unicorns, while Paytm alone claims nearly 22 percent of the total valuation share of these unicorns.

Find the right idea

The most essential work of your startup if you are aiming to become a unicorn is to find the right idea for your business. The idea has to be innovative and should have the potential to work. The idea should create a change in customer behaviour and also improve their lifestyle.

Understand the potential of your product

It is very important to understand whether your product will fit the crowded and the cluttered market and has the potential to stand out. Your product should also be attractive enough to encourage customers to pay a premium price on a regular basis.

Keep your customers in the centre 

The job of a startup is to find a solution to a problem that customers want to solve.

Recognise your weakness & Keep an eye on the competition.

Never lose sight of how the industry and competitors are evolving, especially start-ups with new and potentially disruptive ideas. If you have to succeed, along with your strength, it is also very important to identify your weakness. If you understand your gaps and imperfections, you can always make away with them. This ability defines the success of a startup.

 

Categories
Finance

Narendra Modi Govt Clears Payments of Over Rs 6,800 Crore Owed to MSMEs Over Past 3 Months

रुपया
Money

In a bid to help the MSMEs, the Modi Government has been taking a series of measures. The government on Wednesday informed that the Central ministries and PSUs have cleared payments of over Rs 6,800 crore owed to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSEMs) in the last three months. It said almost three-fourths of the monthly dues have been paid during the same month by most of the ministries and CPSEs. The pending amounts are expected to be released in the normal course of business and within 45 days.

The MSME ministry, in a statement, said that “more than Rs 6,800 crore have been paid by the Ministries and CPSEs in the last three months alone”. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as part of AtmaNirbhar Bharat package, had announced that Government entities should make such payments within 45 days. The Ministry of MSME followed up this announcement vigorously and took up the matter with the Central Ministries and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and State Governments. Particularly very active follow up has been done with the Heads of CPSEs.

The MSME Development Act of 2006 provides that such dues should be paid within 45 days. To make the reporting easy, regular and seamless, a dedicated online format has been made for reporting the monthly payments and pendency, the ministry said.

“However, it is seen that MSME suppliers of goods and services do not receive their due payments within stipulated time. Public and private entities do cross this time limit and hence they cause hardship to the MSMEs,” the statement said. According to a government release, the ministry also said close to 4 lakh registrations have already taken place on the Udyam registration portal for MSMEs since the new system was launched in July.

Categories
Finance MSME Startup

98% Exporters, Especially from MSMEs, to Benefit Under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, Says Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. (Photo Credit: PIB)
Union Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. (Photo Credit: PIB)

New Delhi, September 2: The Union Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that 98 per cent of the exporters — especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) — will benefit under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) with reward cap of Rs 2 crore per Importer Exporter Code (IEC) from September 1 to December 31, 2020.

Issuing a circular, the Union Minister took to Twitter and wrote, “98% of exporters esp MSMEs will benefit under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) with reward cap of Rs. 2 Cr/ Importer Exporter Code from 1st Sep to 31 Dec 2020. This will remove uncertainty & protect genuine exporters while ensuring Make in India-Make for the World.”

Here’s what the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry said:

The notification stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 read with Para 1.02 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 and the enabling para 3.13 of the FTP, the Central Government hereby makes the following amendments in the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 with immediate effect.”

The notification spoke about the insertion of two new paragraphs — 3.04A and 3.04B — in the Foreign Trade Policy. As per 3.04A, the total reward which may be granted to an IEC holder under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) shall not exceed Rs 2 crore per IEC on exports made in the period September 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020.

Adding more, the para says those who have made any export with LEO date during the period September 1, 2019, to December August 31, 2020, will not be eligible for submitting any claim for benefits under MEIS for exports. However, para 3.04B says benefits under MEIS will not be available for exports made with effect from January 1, 2021.

Categories
Business motivation

Basic But Crucial: The Basics Of Starting An Online Business

“But where do I start?”. This question, this very small yet complicated question has been crushing ideas to start an online business for ages now. Many online business ideas do not even get to see the light of the day because of the lack of proper execution. There are several brilliant minds that generate mind-boggling ideas that are capable enough to change the face of online commerce but do not get proper information and guidance on how to go about the plan.

We feel it is the need of the hour to make this information available to each and everyone who has a kickass idea and the passion required to start a successful online business. Follow and assess the steps below to simplify the complexities that tag along with starting an online business.

 

1. Choose The Battlefield With A Winning Idea

Now that the soldier in you has decided to fight against all the odds and make it big, it’s time to identify your passion and strengths. We all have been hearing our entire lives that without preparation, never enter a battlefield. It is very important to see for yourself and decide what is your niche. Which idea do you mind yourself most comfortable with?

Choose a business idea that excites you as an entrepreneur, however, it is equally important to realize the market around that product or service that you are thinking to build your business around. We suggest you conduct detailed research on your competitors to analyze if the market is overcrowded or undercrowded. Always go for a business that has a healthy amount of competition.

 

2. Lay A Foundation As Strong As Your Will

Talking of starting an online business, your social media following, your website, and your email list are some of the primary things that are supposed to be taken care of. First and foremost your website needs to be as clean and as simple as possible. Make sure it is catchy enough to hold prospects’ attention for potential conversion. Also, invest a good amount of your time and undivided attention in building your social media presence as well as an email list. We talk of the email list as organic reach is not that easy to obtain, hence email marketing, especially for the initial phase.

 

3. Pan Out That Business plan

Once you have THE idea and are aware of your social media presence and customer base, you will be required to make a business plan that includes all the strategic decisions around your business. This plan revolves around the target market, your unique selling points, the competition around you, the manpower, etcetera. This may sound like a daunting and complicated task but will help you once you start with the execution.

 

4. Make it official and register your business.

Once you lay out a business plan, it will be time to analyze the cost of production, shipping(if required), web hosting fees, etc. It is very important to understand the rules and regulations of the state that you are trying to start your business in. Figure out whatever is necessary, and register your business officially abiding by all the rules.

 

5. Market your business and never stop growing

Now that you have your well-built website with promising products or services to display, what should be the next move? Marketing! Yes, you will be required to market your business with the help of catch yet informative blogs. You can write this blog yourself or get it outsourced, just make sure it serves the purpose to direct traffic to your website. Always remember that to grow further, you always need to stay up to date with the ongoing trends and consumer behavior.

 

Keeping up with the world, and taking your business online might seem like a difficult transition at first, but if done carefully and cautiously, could bring you great results. If others can do it, so can you. Just make up your mind and inspire yourself to get over that 9-5 desk job to follow your passion, digitally!

 

Categories
Startup

Checklist for Your Dream Restaurant!

If you are planning to get into the food business in India, you should start by acknowledging major factors like time, efforts required, and of course, the capital and the market research. Above these, you have so many options for you to enter into the food and restaurant business.

Beyond these, you have so many options for you to inscribe into the food and restaurant business. Simply start preparing the checklist of the requirements and the resources needed for any restaurant idea to go on the floor. Once you make your mind to get into this business, you require to keep a close eye on the next basic steps.

Let’s have a look at the top 4 steps required to be on the top list of your checklist.

Legal requirements
Any commercial enterprise, first and foremost, requires to have legal documentation. For opening restaurants, you need to take in the right knowledge regarding the licenses you need. For opening restaurants, you need to get permission from the local bodies and a license for the area where you want to set up your restaurant.

Along with this, you need to have an FSSAI license for making food safer for the customers, a GST registration, and a business registration to file the ITRs.

Cost to Evaluation
While setting up a restaurant, you need to look at the cost as it is a major factor when it comes to opening a restaurant. These costs are to be further divided into food costs where you need to make an inventory of raw material daily.

Another most significant factor for evaluating cost is infrastructure costs, this is one time during or periodical an investment like rent, interiors, kitchen equipment, and engineering cost.

Fixing Technology Requirements

Technology is your best friend in this fast-paced world. When you open a restaurant, you will need some or the other kind of software which will facilitate you to ease your operations and management process. Careful investment in technology will help you add meaningful value to your job.

Technology not just helps to manage or operate a business; it also helps you connect with your customers in the best possible ways. Therefore, make technology the most significant factor to work on while building your restaurant.


Marketing is important

To gain traction for your restaurant, online or offline, you need your marketing and promotion game stronger than ever as it will bring cash flow in your business. Invest your hard work in marketing your restaurant and menu in the best possible way.

In terms of digital promotion, you need to register your business with all websites where you can attract your customer. This will not only increase visibility but also will give an option to your customers to order online. Don’t forget to be your most active self on social media and run as many campaigns as possible. When you think about offline promotions, you need to have posters and pamphlets with some attractive offers and discounts on them.

When moving forward with any business, you need to have a checklist that could facilitate you to ease out this mammoth of a task. We hope after reading this article, you can be one step closer to your dream restaurant. Start creating a checklist to give wings to dream restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Startup

Cloud Kitchen the New Saviour for Restaurant Business

Ordering food online is the new big thing entirely due to COVID-19 and several lockdowns that have kept restaurants closed and affected business too. But the takeaway meal scenario is at an all-time high, and we believe that people’s interest in ordering food is going to stay with us for long.

As per NRAI reports, over 500,000 restaurants and around 20 Lakh people employed in this sector are likely to lose business due to a pause in the restaurant business. Due to this global pandemic, people are holding on their distance from the restaurants and are now drawn towards cloud kitchen ordering facilities that cater to online delivery.

Here are the factors which make Cloud Kitchens a silver lining in the dark skies of a pandemic-

Delivery is faster
As per reports, restaurants are facing all-time lows and sales are down by 90%. Therefore, the takeaway option has become a vital source of income for the business.
Research has been conducted by the Red Seer company, according to which, the number of orders increased by 60%. Therefore, the Cloud kitchen comes as a rescue as it works best in such a scenario.

Reduction of Operational Cost
While running a restaurant, operational cost is one of the toughest factors in terms of managing a business, and in the current scenario, it’s tougher to achieve.
Cloud kitchen came to be known as a great aid in minimizing the cost of operation in terms of rent and staff. This leads to a higher number of opportunities, low investments, and chances to experiment and scale.
Cloud kitchens don’t just help in maintaining social distancing, but also turn the operational cost in half.

Technology And Food Are Becoming Friends
The advanced technology and love for food are leading to the high growth of the Indian food tech industry. Digital menus, QR code scanners, and app orders have given a new definition to the dining culture.
This not only guarantees social distancing but also assures end to end contactless dining experience in the current situation.

Chance to Bounce Back
Due to this pandemic, many small restaurants and cafes are getting closed. With the help of Cloud Kitchen, they can re-open themselves and receive a steady income.
It also allows these restaurant owners to cater to an increased delivery demand and experiment with the menu levelling up in the acting field.

New Home Dining Experience
Thanks to the huge pandemic, which has transformed people’s approach towards dining out, normal dining out now looks like this – Pre-reservation of tables, sanitizer bottle on the mesa, and servers wearing PPE kits. However, still many are trying to stay away from going out for dining.
A bunch of restaurants has come up with the idea of sending the chefs to homes with the necessary ingredients for experiencing home dining or from 5-star hotels, sending full course meals delivered at homes with the help of a cloud kitchen.

Saying bye-bye to dining out is hard, but in the current scenario, your safety should be your priority. The customer has shifted from dining out to dine-in, which is making people choose a safer alternative like a cloud kitchen. So, if you are a restaurant owner or planning to open one, Cloud Kitchen will help you in stabilizing your business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Finance

Amazon to Invest $18 Billion This Year to Help SMBs in US to Scale Their Operations and Grow

Amazon (Photo Credits: Amazon, Facebook Page)

Seattle, September 2: E-commerce giant Amazon on Wednesday announced that it will invest $18 billion this year to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) scale their operations and grow. The firm stated that in the next 12 months, it will provide more than 5,00,000 SMBs in the US currently selling on Amazon, with online selling guidance, education, and support. Moreover, the company plans to onboard an additional 1,00,000 US businesses as new sellers in its store. Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer at Amazon, said that at Amazon, the mission is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, and part of fulfilling that mission is connecting small businesses with customers.

Wilke made the statement during Amazon Accelerate, a three-day virtual summit for SMBs in the US that was kicked-off on Tuesday. Wilke further said that Amazon’s success is directly tied to the success of independent businesses across the US. “We are passionate about supporting small businesses, investing and inventing on their behalf to help them be resilient through COVID-19 and beyond,” Wilke added.

Despite the impact of COVID-19 has had on small businesses, many American SMBs selling through Amazon have experienced continued growth. The e-commerce behemoth has launched more than 135 new tools and services this year to help sellers manage and grow their businesses, including new ways to connect brands with customers.

According to a report by IANS, the company said it will spend an additional $100 million this year to promote small businesses during Prime Day and through the holiday season. Last year during Prime Day, third-party sellers – mostly SMBs – exceeded $2 billion in global sales. The report added that the third-party sellers continue to account for more than half of all units sold in Amazon’s store, and even during the pandemic, third-party sales continued to grow faster than Amazon’s first-party sales.

 

Categories
Finance

MSMEs Who Are Still Under Financial Stress May Get Another 6-Month Moratorium on Loan Principal Repayment

Currency (Photo Credits: Piklist)

Mumbai, September 2: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and Retail borrowers who are still under financial stress amid the coronavirus pandemic and are unable to repay their loans even after availing the 6-month moratorium provided by the Reserve Bank of India, may get another six-month moratorium only for principal repayments.

The news reported by Economic Times mentioned that Banks and NBFCs may give six-month moratorium on principal repayments for retail and MSME borrowers. The intention is to restructure loans for only those borrowers who really need restructuring, according to reports.

The six-month moratorium on loan repayments ended on August 31. However, borrowers who still feel that they can not start loan repayment now can approach their lenders for the restructuring of their loan.

The Reserve Bank of India recently extended the existing debt restructuring scheme for stressed MSMEs by three months to March 31, 2021, in view of the distress brought upon by the COVID-19 outbreak

Categories
Finance

India’s GDP Contracts by 23.9% in Q1 of FY 2020-21, Worst in 4 Decades

GDP Contraction and Indian FM GDP Contraction- Nirmala Sitharaman.
GDP Contraction and Indian FM GDP Contraction- Nirmala Sitharaman.

New Delhi, September 1: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday released India’s Gross Domestic Product growth for the first quarter of FY-2020-21 and it was found out that India’s GDP shrunk by 23.9 per cent. This is considered to the steepest fall in India’s GDP in the last four decades, which put India as the worst-performing nation amongst the highest several countries whose economies were sliced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the previous quarter (January-march of FY 2019-20), India’s GDP growth rate was 3.1 per cent.

The data compiled by National Statistical Office (NSO) and published the Union Ministry, stated, “GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 26.90 lakh crore, as against Rs 35.35 lakh crore in Q1 of 2019-20, showing a contraction of 23.9 per cent as compared to 5.2 per cent growth in Q1 2019-20. Quarterly GVA at Basic Price at Constant (2011-12) Prices for Q1 of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 25.53 lakh crore, as against Rs 33.08 lakh crore in Q1 of 2019-20, showing a contraction of 22.8 per cent.”

Adding more, the NSO stated that the GDP at current prices in the year Q1 2020-21 contracted by 22.6 per cent as compared to 8.1 per cent growth in Q1 Q1 2019-20. In the report, it added, “GDP at Current Prices in the year Q1 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 38.08 lakh crore, as against Rs 49.18 lakh crore in Q1 2019-20, showing a contraction of 22.6 per cent as compared to 8.1 per cent growth in Q1 2019-20.”

Earlier, the Union Finance Ministry rolled out Rs 20 lakh crore under ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ stimulus package to compensate the loss due to COVID-19 lockdown. However, the overall GDP declined by 24 per cent, despite the government’s expenditure’s share in the GDP has gone up from 11 per cent to 18 per cent. Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service claimed that India, China and Indonesia will be the only G-20 emerging economies in the second half of 2020, post a strong enough pick up in real GDP.