Women nurture their independent spirit

Women in the city begin to follow their heart and start their own business ventures while being able to take care of family at the same time.
Coimbatore has long been known to encourage and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit, with a fair share of successful businessmen having their roots here. However, the women from textile city are not willing to be left behind as they catch up with some interesting and innovative business ventures on their own!
Boutiques, art and craft stores, sweet shops and many other ventures are being started by city women and their personalized interactions are leading to more customers frequenting their stores.These ladies are comfortable being their own boss, and work flexible hours, being able to enjoy their work, and at the same time taking care of their house-hold responsibilities.
“I started selling hand-made cards back in college, and worked from home for a few years, making custom-made cards, gift items, jewelry and the likes. I also used to participate in various art and craft exhibitions in and around the city. Once I started getting more demand through positive feedback, I went ahead and set up my own store two years ago,” says Simran Wahan, who has an art and craft store located at Race Course.
“It was after completing my MBA in Bangalore and returning to the city that I realized there was a dearth of stores selling gift items as per the customer’s requirements. It was also my childhood dream to own a store, so it was only apt that I combined my passion and skills,” Simran adds.
Customers have been flowing steadily from the city and neighbouring areas as well with their personalized demands. “I have customers from Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Madurai and other neighbouring areas too. I am always accessible at the store, so customers can come in with their demands and requirements, and I start working on them right away. Having my own store has given me enormous satisfaction, and I have got to meet people from different walks of life, some of whom have become good friends,” she points out.
Others take the option of setting up their store at home, to be able to manage both their
business and take care of household responsibilities.
“I have been selling customized children’s clothing for the past two years from my house-cum-store, and this has allowed me to do what I enjoy, while taking care of my two-and-a-half year old daughter at the same time,” says Sushma Purshottam, who moved in from Hyderabad a couple of years ago.
Her store stocks a collection of children’s clothing up to 12 years of age, linens, pillow covers, toys and children’s party gifts. “My husband is a businessman, and my family has a lucrative garment export business in Tiruppur. After completing my MBA in Hyderabad and getting married, I had to take care of my daughter, and also wanted to put my education to some use,” Sushma says.
She adds, “Since most retail stores do not have customized children’s clothing and their collections are highly priced, I set up this store, with garments designed according to the customer’s budget. I have been getting a lot of customers through word-of-mouth, and interact personally with them to design garments as per their demands. It allows me to keep myself busy, and take care of my daughter and household responsibilities,” she points out.
With more educated women settling down in the city, Kovai is turning out to be the ideal hub for ladies to follow their dreams, and work at their own pace in the process.