Cover July_Aug 2013.indd
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Cover July_Aug 2013.indd
Issue 03 7 HABITS OF THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEUR Issue 03, 15 July - 14 August 2013 / Rs. 60 ideas changing Nepali tourism A crop of new entrepreneurs are thinking out of the box to reimagine tourism in Nepal. They’re reaping the benefits too. 15 July - 14 August 2013 Going g bananas over marketing? g GO GUERILLA! + What you can learn from failure Re-introducing the Nepali Robot Are you ready to see robots fight it out in Nepal? 28 Issue 3, 15 July - 14 Aug 2013 Publisher ECS MEDIA Pvt. Ltd. Managing Editor Sunil Shrestha Director, Editorial & Marketing Nripendra Karmacharya Group Editor Anil Chitrakar Sr. Manager, Editorial & Marketing Sudeep Shakya, Neeraz Koirala Sr. Manager, Business Planning & Development Rupesh Shakya Manager, Editorial & Promotions Niladri S. Parial Editor Utsav Shakya Editorial Co-ordinator Prabal Shrestha Editorial Enquiries editorial@ecs.com.np Design Executive Sunil Maharjan Assistant Design Executive Samir Ra j Tamrakar Design Assistants Narayan Maharjan, Nirja Gauchan Design Trainee Shraddha Ra jbhandari editor’s note Sr. Photographers Dash B. Maharjan Photographers Suyesh Ra j Shrestha, Hari Maharjan, Umesh Basnet, Rabindra Pra japati, Yogendra Maharjan Patan’s Swotha Tole used to be just another exotic-sounding name. Its main courtyard was a dumpster and locals carelessly used the overgrown foliage around an old house as an open toilet. Fast forward a few years and visit Swotha today. The dumpster is gone, and the courtyard has a classy teashop where locals and tourists laze around as they enjoy the ambience. Nearby is Swotha Gallery, a gallery that’s dedicated to documenting Nepali lives. To mark the gallery’s opening, the owners had Kutumba perform. Foreigners and locals came together that night, dancing together to welcome photography, and art, into the neighborhood. The old rundown house that entertained drunks before is now a classy Bed & Breakfast that competes easily with the city’s 5 star hotels. Adjoining it is a charming café, great for escaping the monsoon rains with a book, some coffee and their magic juju dhau cake. More of Patan’s locals who had moved away have come back since and renovated their homes to catering to this surge in tourism. How did Swotha undergo this transformation? The answer of course is tourism. When Jitendra Shrestha renovated his home in Swotha, he rented out rooms to willing expats. They loved it so much that they spread word about this decades-old traditional home in Patan. One man’s entrepreneurial idea has changes numerous lives and encouraged similar ideas in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Swotha is one of many neighborhoods in Nepal that is benefitting from new entrepreneurial ideas in tourism. If executed well and with the participation of the respective communities, tourism can change the face of Nepal, one idea at a time. The raw material – to put it crudely – is all ready. All we need now are some great chefs to serve Nepal to the world. Head, Business Development Angiras Manandhar, Bijendra Pradhan Assistant Executives, Business Development Jenija Manandhar Ad Enquiries: ad@ecs.com.np Account Executive Jeena Tamrakar Accounts Assistant Amir Ba jracharya Sr. Executive, Production & Distribution Bikram Shrestha Credit Assistant Rabin Maharjan Subscription & Distribution Executive Atulya Acharya Subscription & Distribution Coordinator Sujan Shrestha Subscription Assistants Junee Tandukar, Rabin Maharjan, Ra jaram Nagarkoti Promotions & PR Assistant Rashmi Agrawal VenturePlus Magazine, Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal . Tel: 501.1571, 501.1639 Issue No. 3 15 July - 14 Aug 2013 Color Separation Published at WordScape The Printer Pvt. Ltd. Bhaisepati, 5548861, 5552335 VenturePlus Magazine is published 12 times a year at the address above. All rights reserved in respect of all articles, illustration, photography, etc published in VenturePlus Magazine. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, who cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. All editorial inquiries and submissions to VenturePlus Magazine must be addressed to myventureplus@gmail.com Each Issue Rs. 60.00 in Nepal, Annual Subscription in Nepal Rs 600.00 (For 12 issues) | Send all subscription request to VenturePlus Magazine, E-mail: subscription@ecs.com.np Utsav Shakya, Editor [Please send in your suggestions and ideas, stories even, to our Facebook page, tweet us (ventureplus1) or to myventureplus@gmail.com. This is how we learn and improve and the best message also wins a prize!] Our sister publications Issue 3, 15 July - 14 Aug 2013 inside features A crop of new entrepreneurs are thinking out of the box to reimagine tourism in Nepal. They’re reaping the benefits too. Pg 18 28 5 IDEAS THAT ARE CHANGING NEPALI TOURISM, Text by Kritish Rajbhandari Blogging is probably the best tool to build a community with lasting connections. Pg 40 48 GOOD VENTURES NEED GOOD BLOGGERS, Text by Prabal Shrestha Pg 66 Pg 22 Page 60 Differences in opinion can solve problems too. If everyone agreed on the same thing, the world would be a pretty darn boring place. 60 CREATING ENTREPRENEURS, Text by Ujeena Rana Issue 3, 15 July - 14 Aug 2013 contents how to going bananas over marketing? go guerrilla! 38 5ways to stand out on Facebook 44 do you really need an office? 46 breifing hitting the right notes 18 introducing the nepali robot 20 how to renovate a home into a business venture 22 what is kazi studios doing right? 24 team the 10-minute meeting 40 7 habits of the highly effective entrepreneur 64 features 5 common book-keeping mistakes entrepreneurs make 27 getting started with the legalities 36 good ventures need good bloggers 48 what do you think? 52 what you can learn from failure 56 handshakes for dummies 66 entrepreneur to-do list 82 Pg 64 columns entrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism industry 42 do entrepreneurs need an mba degree? 54 reflections 74 the recommender 78 shop movie review book review health tips gadgets brands apps on the cover Tourism entrepreneurs are venturing out to introduce Nepal to the world in new ways. Illustration By www.water-comm.com Contributors was building a primary school in Sindhupalchowk and helped raise over $10,000 for the project. Shabda Gyawali is an entrepreneur, blogger, and an aspiring impact investor. He started off his professional career as a Gap Year associate in Beed Management. After a stint at Beed, he experimented with his entrepreneurial acumen and started an eco-tourism venture in rural Sri Lanka. As a board member, he advises Biruwa Venture initiated Udyami Impact Fund, this give him an opportunity to be a part of the flourishing entrepreneurial community in Kathmandu. Since 2007; he has been contributing regularly about entrepreneurship in local publication and blogs at ‘economistkancha’. Currently, he is excited to work as an Investment Manager for Dolma Impact Fund, an internationally finance private equity fund that plans to provide growth capital to Nepali SMEs. He earned his undergraduate in Economics and his MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from Colorado State University, USA. In his free time he enjoys working out, drinking craft beer, following geo politics, reading and great outdoors. Favourite tourist destination: My favorite tourism destination is Bridum, a small village in the Lang tang National Park area, nestled among the soaring Himalayan Mountains on the Tibetan border. Backed by the community, you will exclusively experience their warm hospitality, coupled with crisp fresh air, scenic wonders, spiritual influences, and adventure travel. Only about 6 hours from Kathmandu, Bridum is a prefect getaway to re-energize for the hustle and bustle of an urban life. Vidhan Rana I recently started calling myself an entrepreneur. The word entrepreneur goes well with my character. I love coming up with new ideas and finding new ways of doing things. I fail. I learn. I move forward. Two years ago, I co-founded Biruwa Ventures. A company that supports young entrepreneurs transform their business ideas into real businesses. I stay involved. While studying in the U.S., I joined a team that Srishti RL Shah spent a year and half for an academic degree and another two years of work experience all trying to figure out what Development Communication entails. She realized that one big piece of the puzzle has hardly been explored and thus under-utilized – stories. Reaching out to people has to include stories about lives which is much more relatable than the more used poster campaigns and PSAs. So the past year onwards she decided to write, snoop for stories in events and lives, and learn. Favorite destination: I have hardly ventured beyond our subcontinent so most corners of the world remain a television reality to me. From among the few destinations I have explored, my favorite would have to be Udaipur – Favourite destination in Nepal: While growing up, my family spent a lot of time in our ancestral home in Nepalgunj. As a result, I grew an affinity towards the jungle and wildlife around the area. We used to go for camping trips in and around the Bardia National Part. Last December, a group of my friends went for a three night recreational fishing trip in the Babai river valley inside Bardia National Park. Though we were all amateur “fishermen”, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip because of the pristine nature and wildlife. We spent nights in a camp huddle around a camp fire listening to the sounds of the jungle. We were chased by an angry wild elephant. This is truly an amazing destination that outdoor lovers should experience in Nepal. the city of lakes: Rajasthan’s vibrant culture and culinary traditions, the old world charms that remain intact in the city’s labyrinth of narrow lanes, and the palaces that keep the cityscape almost frozen in time. Sunset at Lake Pichola with reflections of the grand City Palace and the pristine Lake Palace is a golden hued dream that slows down time transforming an evening into a spiritual memory. Want to write for VenturePlus? Send us your resumes and writing samples to myventureplus@gmail.com. mailbox mailbox Leotftthee r Month I always wanted a Nepali magazine completely dedicated to entrepreneurship, which could help aspire entrepreneurs like me and others to get motivated to do something for the country by creating a value-added business, which could raise the country’s economy alongside creating job opportunities for thousands of jobless citizens. My wish was fulfilled when the 2nd edition of VenturePlus got to me and I started reading it, appreciating the effort your team had put into bringing out an 80-page magazine. The articles are really inspiring, interesting and thoughtful. The topics covered are so resourceful and motivating that its hard to believe that its just a 2nd edition, and its way more to go. It would be better if it explored other cities too instead of being capital-centric to bring some really good entrepreneurs who need exposure and a platform which can appraise what they are doing. Last but not the least it’s a great magazine and you’re doing a wonderful job of creating young entrepreneurs. Keep it up guys! Ashish Subedi, Hattiban Send us your feedback to our facebook page and you could win a gift hamper worth Rs. 4000 courtesy the ESCAPE store, City Centre, Kamal Pokhari Picture Worth A Thousand Words A colleague passed me the June issue of VenturePlus and asked me to send feedback about it. I was captivated by the glimpse, and slowly scanned through the content. The initial pages are fully occupied by the advertisements. I did not like this. I was influenced by Michael Siddhi’s article titled ‘nurture that spirit’. Through the example of an old man, Siddhi was successful in making me think if it was too early to let my spirit die a slow death too. I hope you will take these views positively. I like the way advertisements have been inserted at the middle section. The printing is not satisfactory. The bottom margin is not uniform which has caused the footer with the page number to be cut on some pages. I feel that Venture Plus sticks with the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”. The images here give a visualization of what the article wants to say. – Sujal Manandhar Great Info Graphis I got hold of the 2nd edition of the magazine at my office today. The name Venture Plus enticed me. I was surprised, delighted and excited to know that it indeed is a magazine from ECS. After flipping through few pages, I saw the yellow cover of the first issue of VenturePlus and I realized that I had seen the cover on a magazine stand. I had not bothered to buy the magazine at that point of time so I thought it was a foreign magazine, the cover being too good to be a local magazine. At home, I read it all, even curtailing my usual novel reading time to go through VenturePlus. The articles and the content are well-crafted. I liked the info graphics the best. The design, the layout and the illustrations are just perfect. Kudos team VenturePlus! Just focus on having less typos in your next edition. - Sachin Joshi, Lalitpur briefing people hitting the right notes Whether it is playing jazz or running a successful restaurant, Sudesh Shrestha follows a single rule - make sure you know who your audience is. Text Akriti Shilpakar Photography ECS Media didn’t work out that well and three months later the band split up, leaving Sudesh to discover a whole new side to himself. rom playing in a band to owning one of the most successful restaurants in Kathmandu, New Orleans Cafe, Sudesh Shrestha has come a long way. Battles were fought on the way – some lost, some won. At the end of it all, victory came to he who who didn’t give up. Shrestha opens up about his transformation from a musician to a restaurateur. F Plans don’t always work out As a business student, Sudesh stumbled into working at the reception of Kathmandu Guest House. That was far from what he had planned. His dream was to be in a band, doing what he loves doing best playing guitar. In an attempt to pursue that dream, he gave up his job and started a band. But things 18 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 From music to food, Sudesh Shrestha’s journey has been full of experiences he has learned from. The making of an enterpreneur What most people fail to understand is that everyday is a chance to learn, to grow and be better than the day before. This stands true in every walk of life, for everyone, especially for an enterpreneur like Sudesh. He attained this knowledge when he was in the US. After the band broke up, Sudesh ended up going to America to work as a camp counsellor for a couple of months every year, for three years. He shares, “The experience humbled me. Contrary to the Nepali rudimentary mindset where doing only what the job asked of me was enough, I did everything in the camp. This was when I got interested in food culture.” He was a work-in-progress, so when he came back home he was ready to take on the challenges of running a company. New Orleans in Nepal Sudesh’s first restaurant was Thamel’s Himalayan Kitchen. The aim was to introduce western food to the locale, which was relatively new for Thamel then. He trained the chefs himself and even got involved in the kitchen. But an enterprenuer is always on the move, thriving on the execution of new ideas. Sudesh wanted an open space in the restaurant, which was not possible in the location where Himalayan Kitchen was housed. So he moved the eateria to a new spot within Thamel, and gave it a new name – New Orleans Cafe. Know your audience Sudesh’s main mantra of success is to know who you are catering to. About New Orleans he says, “The restaurant is targetted at backpackers. And so the ambience is set with a tone to make them comfortable.” He points at the worn out tables that have not been changed ever since the restaurant’s christening and says, “Many suggest me to get the tables changed or painted, but I don’t find it necessary. Say, I change the tables and put tidy table-cloth on it – a sweaty, dirty backpacker would hesitate to enter the restaurant.” The bottomline is that one needs to be clear who their audience is. The moment that clarity is lost, so is the business. The ace card Behind every successful business there is strong, supportive and trustworthy staff. “Two of the staff members that are working for me today have been with me since Himalayan Kitchen started,” shares Sudesh. He adds, “Other team members have been with me for atleast 10 years. They have earned my trust and I have earned their’s.” The staff sell your products for you, bring in more business and so its important to keep your staff happy and satisfied. A happy staff is always pleasant with the customers, which in turn keeps the customer happy. Along with New Orleans, Sudesh also handles three other ventures. How does he manage to do it? He uses this ace card. Staying young To remain fresh is important because after you have done something for a while, everyone starts to catch up to it. Sudesh learned this trick of the game with time. While previously, New Orleans used to have electric live band performances, it has been tuned down to acoustic. The reasoning is simple and smart, “There are live bands playing everywhere in Thamel; why do the same?” To keep the old eatery buzzing, New Orleans recently added a wine bar. They have a special “wine hour” from 3 to 6 pm. Tips for aspiring restaurateurs • Three things are vital for a successful business - Good Food, Great Staff and Pleasant Ambience. • Keep the new ideas coming. • Know your audience. 4 Sudesh owns restaurants at the moment • Olive Cafe, Pokhara • New Orleans Cafe, Thamel • New Orleans Cafe, Patan • Blue Note Cafe, Lazimpat You fall, you get back up No one is perfect, everyone stumbles and falls atleast once; you are no different. Sudesh has seen many ups and downs throughout the years. But he isn’t going to whine over the failures he has had. He says, “You cannot take your falls negatively. Instead you move on, and learn from those mistakes.” You recognize a successful enterprenuer not only by the revenue he earns, but also by the impact he makes on those around him. When Sudesh told me that a few of his staff today run their own restaurants, that is when it hit me – a successful enterpreneur is also a teacher and an inspiration to others. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 19 briefing/technology introducing the nepali robot Of many things we find hard to associate ourselves with, robotics must be one. Nevertheless, winning international competitions, building 3D printers and revamping the education system might change your disposition. Text Prabal Shrestha Photography ECS Media n March of this year, a few Nepali engineering students went to India to participate in the international Autonomous Robotic Challenge [iARC] organized at IIT Kanpur - Techkriti’13, competing with participants from countries like Japan, UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The fact that Nepal participated would already be seen as progress by many. The two participating Nepali teams, Nepal College of Information Technology (NCIT) and Advanced College of Engineering and Management (ACEM) came second and third respectively. “Besides coming second and third, our guys even helped the participants from Dubai to finish their robot,” says Pavitra Gautam, President of Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN) I 20 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 The line tracking robot is part of Karkhana’s proposed school curriculum, which will introduce robotics to young students. Before getting the chance to put forward a question, my interviewee Gautam posed one at me instead “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions robots?” Not to his surprise, my answer was along the lines of describing metallic humanoids. He tried to justify my limited reply by telling me I wasn’t the first to answer with that. Despite the fact that most people in the country probably haven’t even heard of robots, let alone know the accurate definition of one, such an achievenment by the participants is not just a prize for a few, but also a moment of self actualisation for many. The two groups were selected from a national level robotics competetion, e-Sewa Yantra GRC Techkriti 2013, organized by RAN. The latter, not-forprofit organization, has been organizing intercollege level engineering workshops, exhibitions and competitions, including Nepal’s first national level Upcoming Yantra 2.0 Karkhana and Robotics Association of Nepal are organizing their third national robotics championship -Yantra 2.0. With Yantra 1.0, they attracted over 100 participants from 20 engineering colleges and 3,000 visitors. With Yantra GRC Techkriti, they came up with two winners, who then came 2nd and 3rd in IIT Kanpur against teams from seven countries. Now with Yantra 2.0, the stakes are even higher and they are putting everything to scale even higher. Yantra 2.0 is going to include participants from a more engineering colleges, including those outside the Kathmandu Valley. And also, it will be drawing teams from schools (class 7-10) and +2 colleges. For more information and registration, go to www. karkhana.asia robotics competition, Yantra 1.0, since its inception in 2009. Since then RAN has grown from ten colleges to twenty five. In this time, RAN has conducted five national level robotics exhibitions, and conducted trainings for more than a thousand school and college students. “Before RAN came into existence, work in robotics was scattered. Now there is a sense of order, with different people involved in robotics working as part of a community,” says Gautam. Gautam also adds, “being organized has also helped us go beyond Kathmandu. Through our workshops we have had the chance to meet individuals working in robotics outside the valley who haven’t had the chance to formalize their skills. RAN has made it possible to provide new opportunities for such individuals.” As RAN works toward organizing the robotics scene, Karkhana, a for-profit company established in December 2012 and of which Gautam is also Cofounder, is working to create a new batch of robot makers. The company is making robots that help teach maths, science, techonology and engineering to school level students. “I hardly remember most things I was taught back in school. Do you remember Archimedes’ Principle? Most people don’t. But what if we were taught with a miniature boat? That would have had a deeper impression on us,” questions Gautam. Karkhana is involved with several schools to introduce a more participatory form of learning for students. Aside from making learning fun, with robots to work with, these students are going to be better equipped to compete in an increasingly technologydriven world. To show for the capacity of the robots they have for the curriculum, the Educational Robot Karkhana Rover - an all-terrain video capturing robot -which is part of the curriculum, won the local level NASA Space Apps Challenge in April this year. Karkhana’s office in Gyaneswor has more guitars lying on the floor than there are chairs to sit on (they have chakatis). Any concerns you may have will be pacified by the 3D printer they have just built from scratch. Their innovations also include an e-Sewa mobile cash vending machine, automatic timer power strip, solar power monitoring system and ‘Lab in a Bag’ – a solar powered afforadable laptop (in progress), to name a few. As for helping the wider robotics community, they have also set up an online Karkhana made news in the tech community by amazingly building a functional 3D printer from scratch. shop to supply electronic components used in robotics at subsidized rates. As cool as it may all seem, there is a greater sense of purpose that combines all these efforts. From the capacity to transform our daily lives in every small way to transforming the economy by introducing innovation in industrial processes, these efforts lead to the positive change that Nepalis dream about. There is still ground to cover, these efforts need to be supported by a society that rewards innovation. “It’s not just us, there is a lot of work on robotics that is happening here. In TU alone, four hundred electronic projects were done last year. We need these innovations to be recognised and assimilated in the way we do things,” says Gautam. Then perhaps the news of a few Nepalese students winning robotics competetion against the Japanese, Singaporeans and Indians would not surprise us anymore. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 21 briefing/idea how to renovate a home into a business venture In life, you can either love the present and leave the past or love the present and live the past. Text Anubhuti Poudyal Photography ECS Media The Dhakhwa couple pose in the living area of Dhakhwa House. All the bricks are reclaimed. have always wondered how it would be to look at Kathmandu from a stranger’s perspective. Loving Kathmandu takes time, but once you do there is little you can do to change that. Prakash Dhakhwa’s home, Dhakhwa House allows foreigners a different, truer perspective to life in Patan. I was introduced to Dhakhwa House, a Newar homestay-apartment place in Patan’s Nagbahal recently. From the outside, the place looks no different than the other small Newar homes that line the street leading to the popular Golden Temple. I walked into the place with Jitendra Shrestha, who designed the place. As I entered the small courtyard, I began to see the little and big ways in which the place is different. I 22 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 The foyer was airy and well lit. A small coffee machine stood on the side. The building looked strong thanks to the iron rods that reinforced its walls. I noticed big iron utensils used by Newars used to make liquor. “Everything you see here is not just for decoration. It is being utilized in one way or another,” said Prakash Dhakhwa, who owns the place. It is this same practicality that Dhakhwa and Shrestha aimed to bring to their entrepreneurial venture. Built more than a hundred years ago, the house served generations of Newari families, all ancestors of Prakash Dhakhwa. Looking for modern amenities and better ventilation, missing in most old Newari homes, Dhakhwa abandoned the place and moved to Bouddha. When he came back after five years, the place was Prakash and Jitendra pose on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. in ruins; he didn’t know what to do with it. Then he met Jitendra Shrestha. Shrestha is not an architect by training but has an impressive track record of renovating old homes. But this house is not merely a renovated Newar home, its much more. Dhakhwa and Shrestha’s vision was to use this home as a profitable introduction for outsiders to Newar culture and traditions. Whereas most Newar homes and communities aren’t exactly open to outsiders, Prakash would live here and open the doors of his home and his culture to tourists. The wide wooden stairs took us to the first floor which has a spacious studio artmentment and a kitchen plus living room where guests can get together with the hosts and cook and entertain themselves and guests. “People come here to stay for a couple of months. More than a hotel, it is like their home for as long as they are here,” shared Prakash. By interacting with their guests more closely and introducing them to Newari culture by using their own lives as examples, the experience is more personal, something that would not be possible at any hotel or lodge. To indulge guests, the duo have planned cultural activities too. Take the recent aiila making classes for example, where the guests shopped for the ingredients at the local market, were guided through the process of making the liquor in the traditional A studio apartment at Dhakhwa House will set you back by Dhakhwa house has four rooms for accommodation, a common room and a terrace. It is a stone’s throw away from Nagbahal in Patan. Even the garlic and dried chillies that are hung in the place are not decorative. Don’t be surprised if you see the lady of the house pick a few of them for dinner. Along with Dhakhwa House, there are many old homes which have recently been converted into lodges and Bed & Breakfast places in Patan. Newari way and then to round it up in Newar style, by getting drunk silly on it on the conclusive evening. As I left the place through the narrow entrance by bowing my head, Prakash’s parting words rang in my ears. “There are low doors in Newari homes because people want you to enter the place with respect, by bowing down. This place has stood here for a long time. It is not the first of its kind in Patan, but I am glad about that fact. The more we realize that old homes are a treasure, the more chances they have of actually turning into one,” he said. With guests loving the concept and paying more than well to experience Prakash Dhakhwa’s version of tourism in Patan, he’s certainly walking the talk and reaping the benefits too. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 23 briefing/interview what is kazi studios doing right? Its been only three years since Kazi Studios entry into the Nepali market and they are already coming across as serious competitors in the design sector. With a clear focus on design and a cool office, for effect Kazi is in the news for all the right reasons. Text Srishti RL Shah Photography ECS Media fter seven odd years of working in the US in the advertisement and design sector respectively, Manish Shrestha and Kreeti Shakya returned to Nepal because they wanted to set up their own design firm. This was the birth of Kazi Studios. Poojan Shrestha who had a good understanding of the local market, especially the technical landscape, joined them. In a market where a plethora of creative agencies clamor for a limited clientele, they seem to be putting together quite an impressive portfolio and even diversifying into a variety of design and technical projects. Before even hearing about their work I had heard about their creative and bright office space with a table-tennis table taking center stage. They seem to be playing by a different set of rules when it comes to work and it looks like it’s working for them. I tried to find out what Kazi Studios is doing right. A It’s only been three years that you’ve come into the Nepali design landscape and already your website boasts of big clients. What brought you this far this fast? Manish: I can’t point to a particular thing as the key to success, but one thing that’s core to our 24 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 work is we make sure our designs are valued. When we returned from the States and interacted with companies here, we found out that design was looked at as secondary – a lot of designers were earning from the printing charge through a markup, while the design was charged for minimally. We felt like there wasn’t really a company with a focus on just design, and that’s exactly what we wanted to be. We made it clear right at the beginning to our clients we just design and you can use your own printers if you like; what we charge for is our design. What is the most effective part of your work model? Kreeti: I’d say the openness. The sprawling space lets the creative energy flow, and helps practically as well when working under pressure, everyone is a shout away and it’s easier to synergize ideas that way since everyone is accessible. Manish: I’d say openness also in terms of the environment. The work environment is friendly with no imposed hierarchies and titles. We try and make every one as enterprising, and we encourage everyone’s ideas. We don’t have a clock-in-and-out type of work policy. The Kazi’s approach to work is reflected in their office spacefresh, modern and effective. employees have work set out for them that they need to be responsible for and have it done on time. That’s the only thing we emphasize on; how many hours they put in isn’t important. And as a reminder of this policy we have the ping-pong table right in the middle of the office space so people can take time off if that’s what they need to get their creative juices flowing. Is there a gap you see in the market that you’re exploring? Poojan: We are focusing on the crosssection of design and technology. I became part of Kazi Studio for this very reason. Kreeti’s skills with design really impressed me and we thought that we could put together our strengths to fuse design with technology. We are exploring mobile apps, interactive casino games, and websites among others, and for all of that design and technology need to come together. So who keeps tabs on the trends to cash in on? What keeps the ideas flowing? Kreeti: Each of us suggests ideas and explores trends from our own fields. And no one is left out of the brainstorming sessions. The entire company comes together for brainstorming because everyone has a different perspective to add to an idea and that way many more possibilities are discovered. Manish: We are constantly coming up with crazy ideas, some of which we actually go on to implement. Like Kreeti came up with a project involving children’s toys, and we thought it was a great idea and we begun brainstorming about the technology that we can mix with that. And Poojan suggested a cool mobile app for the local market so Kreeti gave her design inputs. We’re always brainstorming to see what’s missing in the market and what we can come up with. One rule that you play by that makes everyone efficient? Manish: We charge by the hour – that makes it clear to the clients that it is the design that the effort is going into and that’s what we charge for. Also it keeps us efficient as we can estimate the time it takes on projects and deliver on time while determining how much workload we can handle. Is the field of design getting more progressive? And what elements do you see bringing this progressive change? Kreeti: It is definitely getting more progressive. The smaller businesses are spurring the design landscape because a lot of entrepreneurs starting out today are young, energetic people who are happy to experiment and try out new ideas. Advice to other design entrepreneurs: Kreeti: Please don’t sell yourself low because design carries a lot of importance; much more than the production material. So don’t be afraid to charge for your work. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 25 feature common bookkeeping mistakes entrepreneurs make 5 BizServe is an account outsourcing company. It helps your company to focus on core business by taking care of your accounting and tax related works. (More info: 01-4001068) Losing sleep over your company’s financial health? Making time for effective book-keeping can give you a clear picture of the company and lead you in the right direction. Text BizServe Photography ECS Media For a new venture, keeping track of financial transactions is as important as focusing on your idea or your customer. However, most entrepreneurs in Nepal are often too focused on the ‘running’ aspect of the business and overlook their book keeping. Here we present 5 most common book-keeping blunders that every entrepreneurial venture — regardless of their size and nature— MUST avoid. Procrastinating on transactional records Recording transactions into account books every now and then is a tedious job no doubt. Deferring it only make things worse, and may also add financial risk. Not only will you find it difficult to remember all petty transactions, but the authorities may also penalize you for not keeping a proper record of your work. Mixing personal and business transactions The famous adage ‘You work on your business, not in it’ applies in the realm of book-keeping as well. Your business is a separate entity from you, even if you own and run it. So keep your personal finances separate from your business transactions. Record what you give to and take from your company. 1 Not using banking channels New ventures often shun banking channels for receipts and payments because either the amount involved is very small, or it’s gratuitously inconvenient. However, using banking channels, even if it is not a mandatory requirement is desirable because it provides a reference for your transactions and you can trace them back in the event of a dispute or when you are finalizing your annual accounts. 2 4 Analysis of accounting and financial data Most new ventures keep books and prepare financials because they are statutory requirements. They never go back to the books once audited. However, this accounting data can provide valuable understanding of the financial health of your business, how much you have put into the business till date, what is the return on your investment etc. So, don’t just prepare financials, review them. V 5 Non-availability of supporting documents Theoretically, and practically too, you can’t have any financial transaction without having a reason to do so. And in business, such reasons should be documented. For example, if you are paying rent to your landlord, you must have a rent agreement. Plus, you need to set a rule on who creates such documents, who approves it, and who ensures that work is performed accordingly. Design and ensure an internal control system on activities to have a ‘check and balance’ mechanism. Also, ensure that a system and not a person runs your business. 3 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 27 cover story 5 ideas that are changing nepali tourism Text Kritish Rajbhandari Photography ECS Media epal is known around the world mainly for its colossal mountains and as the birth place of the Buddha. But there is more to Nepal than just that. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that Nepal is more diverse in terms of topography, ecology, cultures, cuisines and languages than even an entire continent, say North America or Australia. In this feature, I’ve gathered stories of five companies that take a fresh approach to tourism in Nepal. From life-changing mountain biking experiences to a Nepali blend of jazz, these companies have brought out newer ways to sell Nepal’s unique products to the world. These stories show that new ventures in tourism sector if fueled by passion and commitment to ideals can have beautiful outcomes. N A home away from homeDhakhwa House, Patan 1 A Patan native, Prakash Dhakhwa had inherited a dilapidated house that was standing for more than a century at the heart of the old town. Full of his childhood memories, the old Newari residence was crumbling with damp walls, droopy ceilings and cramped rooms. 28 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 The poor condition of the house had forced his family to move to a rented apartment in Bouddha. Prakash ran a family business dealing traditional handicraft items at Bouddha, while his house at the center of a town bustling with tourists was vacant and falling apart. When Prakash was thinking about selling his house, an old classmate of his, Jitendra Shrestha, stopped him right there and suggested that he should renovate the house and turn it into a place where tourists could stay. Jitendra himself was a part of the team that started Traditional Homes, Swotha located in a nearby neighborhood in Patan. Swotha is also a restored Newari residence turned into a luxury bed-and-breakfast place. Foundations: The rebuilding of the Dhakhwa House was done with a view to preserving not only the Newari style and design, but also every single component of the old house, from bricks and wood to furniture. “Every part of the house is filled with so much history,” says Prakash, “so we have reused everything that was usable, and added only what was needed.” Huge steel support was appended from outside to support the house so that old walls and rooms could be Quaint and comfortable, Dhakhwa House has preserved old world hospitality. kept intact. Traditional wooden closets are still in use. Even an old wooden box originally used by the family as an altar during Laxmi puja, is now in use as a counter at the coffee shop. Despite being a house that has an old-Newari appearance, Dhakhwa House is equipped with modern amenities to match a standard hotel. It provides guests with 24 hour hot water, free WiFi, back-up power during power cuts and modern attached bathrooms. With the right combination of old and new, it promises its guests an authentic experience of Newari culture, cuisine and lifestyle without compromising on contemporary needs. Difference: “This isn’t a ‘guest’ house,” says Prakash, “it is a house where a family lives together, eats together, and shares and gathers new and old, good and bad experiences.” Prakash had worked for public relations at a hotel for a few years. Having been in the tourism business as a handicrafts dealer, he is passionate about hospitality and providing the best quality service to his guests. He believes in going one step ahead of the maxim Atithi Devo Bhava or ‘The Guest is God’. His goal is to make his guests feel not like guests in the house or foreigners in town but as a part of the family and members of the community. He and his family live in the same house sharing a common kitchen and dining space with the guests. His family shares their meals with the guests who also go to the local tarkari bazaar for groceries, drink tea on the terrace while having a chitchat with neighbors and attend a jatra if one is happening. “Our objective is to deliver the experience of living with a traditional Newari family in a traditional Newari house in an ancient town with centuries of history and time-honored traditions,” adds Prakash. Besides giving tourists an intimate experience of the daily lifestyle of Patan, Prakash, who is also a mountain biker, occasionally takes his guests on mountain bike trips on the hills around Lalitpur. The ground floor of the house also serves as a gallery where handicraft items mainly statues of Buddha made by traditional craftsmen of Patan are on display. Sustainability: A rain water harvesting system is installed on the roof so during the rainy season the house can sustain on this water. Similarly, solar power is used to heat water and light up rooms during power cuts. All lights in the house use LEDs, minimizing power consumption. Vision: Only two months since its opening, Dhakhwa House has impressed its guests. Most of its clients have been foreigners who come for long stays, usually more than a month, and who want an immersion into the culture. Prakash wants to create a successful model so that his neighbors can also follow suit. “There are hundreds of old houses in the town that are falling apart and abandoned,” says Prakash, “Each one of these houses can be turned into a similar business with very slight additional investment, to not only promote tourism and bring profit but also to help preserve our heritage.” 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 29 cover story 2 Initiative: Mandil started out by inviting the world’s top mountain biking magazines for media trips. “I could never open up shop and wait for the clients to come. So I sent them an invite and promised to pay their airfare, lodging bills and to show them a good time,” says Mandil. They came, they saw and went back to share their experiences to mountain bikers all over the world. The next step was sorting out the logistics. The connections that Mandil had made during his time in Party Nepal turned out to be very useful in the early days of Himalayan Rides to build the foundations for his company’s operations. Himalayan Rides solely focuses on operating its tours. Mandil spends much time mapping trails, and planning trips to make sure that all details from itineraries to safety measures are thoroughly planned out and looked over. He partners with other companies to advertise tours, to connect to clients, and for other logistic operations like transportation before and after the tours. Operation: Himalayan Rides targets only a small and select group of mountain bikers from around the world who have a specific level of skill and experience, and who are willing to pay for serious mountain biking adventures in remote regions of Nepal. The tours are conducted in small and intimate groups of ten. Since Mandil is the sole tour guide, so far the company can handle only eight tours a year. But he is not worried about a small client base. “I am ready to deal with lower profits as long as we deliver the top-notch service that we promise,” he says, “Till now I haven’t had a single unsatisfied client.” The tours take bikers 30 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Himalayan Rides’ unique mountain biking products have earned Mandil rave international reviews. Photo Credit: Gaurav Man Sherchan From Rocking Parties to Rocky Pathways Himalayan Rides Many people who are familiar with the name Mandil Pradhan still associate it with Party Nepal, Nepal’s first event management company. Established in 2003 by Mandil with friends Robin and Bhusan, Party Nepal touched the pinnacles of success in a relatively short time. In 2009, although Party Nepal was still rocking weekends in Kathmandu, Mandil decided to quit. He took a year off to completely change tracks. Based on his passion for mountain biking and love of the mountains, he started a company that operates mountain biking tours in remote Nepali terrains. Mandil remembers riding mountain bikes from the age of 13. While in school, he used to ride with his friends and explore the trails in and around Kathmandu Valley. After Party Nepal, while he was wheeling through rugged tracks, he was struck by a thought. While Nepal’s terrain offers unlimited routes for mountain biking adventures, there is a genuine lack of companies that offer serious mountain biking tours. Unlike trekking, mountain biking, which is another equally popular sporting activity, has been neglected as an avenue to attract tourists to Nepal. So, Himalayan Rides came into existence with Mandil as the founder as well as the only tour guide to lead its tours. through new trails in largely unexplored mountainous regions of remote Nepal combining adventure with safety and relative luxury. Bikers stay at small lodges or guest houses run by locals, and get to uncover their lives as well as explore their landscape, history, culture and cuisine. Mandil puts to use all of his extensive knowledge of the Himalayan trails and mountain bikes in his tours which at the end become more of a personal engagement than a professional enterprise. “By the end of every tour, my clients become my friends,” he adds. Responsible tourism: Himalayan Rides strives to make sure that the trips have as little impact on the environment as possible. Its trips are supported by crews of local people. The company uses local services, guides and drivers. Majority of accommodation used in the trips is family-owned and operated teahouse lodges. Nevertheless, the quality of service to the clients is not compromised. Basic western standard for food and lodging is maintained. Future plans: in the business for only three years, Himalayan Rides is booked till 2016. Mandil plans to slowly expand the company by recruiting additional tour guides and exploring more biking sites. He believes that Nepal’s Himalayan and hilly terrains make it the world’s ultimate destination for mountain biking, but most of the world barely knows it. “Nature has already done half the work for this country,” he says, “it’s just the other half that we need to work on.” Photo Credit: Raj Gyawali Offbeat tourism - Socialtours Established in 2003, Socialtours produces specialized trips and activities for tourists in Nepal by capitalizing on Nepal’s rich and diverse culture, geography and ecology. “The present tourism industry in Nepal is focused on a very small portion of the pie that Nepal has to offer,” say Raj Gyawali, founder of Soicaltours, “With socialtours we hope to expand the pie by developing new products to sell to the world.” Currently Socialtours has 75 different tours and activities and several of them are new and unconventional tourist activities like rice planting trips and hands-on culinary and handicraft experiences. It also operates treks in routes that are not so popular among mainstream tourists like the Limi Valley circuit in Humla and Chepang Hills in Chitwan. 3 Challenges: While a rice planting tour or a trip following Nepali coffee from farm to cafe might sound like fascinating ideas for tourism, such unorthodox trips are extremely difficult to sell. In its early years, the company came up with the idea of skiing in the Himalayas with the tagline “Skiing above Europe,” but no one bought it. One solution, according to Raj was to advertise into specific interest groups. In social networking sites like Facebook, there are groups that attract people with common interests. For instance, the coffee trip can be advertized to a group containing coffee enthusiasts. There are always people out there who would be interested in really specific topics like mountain yoga or herbalism. The challenge is to reach out to them and show them that Nepal might be a place for them to travel. Corporate Social Responsibility: Socialtours embraces a business model that integrates codes of corporate self-regulation in order to ensure its ethical standards and responsibility towards its clients, employees, as well as the communities and the environment affected by its activities. So it designs culturespecific tours and activities that help to keep alive different cultural practices that are slowly disappearing with increasing Trip yoga in the mountains. Socialtours’ ideas are original and this has won it nominations at an international level. Some Sample Experience Tours from SocialTours: Create your own souvenir in Thimi: Participants spend a morning with local artisans in Thimi, learn the skill of pottery and also make their own clay items which are glazed, fired and given back to the participant as souvenirs. Cook like a local: This culinary course has become very popular among tourists in Kathmandu. The participants learn how to prepare local Nepali dishes like dalbhat and momos. The classes end with lunch. modernization. For instance, the company organizes a Newari bhoj every year with a view to preserving this tradition that is becoming less common in Newar communities. Raj believes that resources for tourism in Nepal are very vulnerable if the key players do not operate in responsible manner to preserve our heritage and nature. Voluntourism: Socialtours also works on projects with local partners of Save the Children Alliance Nepal to promote voluntourism (Volunteering + tourism) and charity tourism in Nepal. To combine tourism with social service, the company works to connect interested volunteers from abroad with projects that need extra hands. Vision: Raj sees an unlimited potential for the tourism sector to expand in Nepal. “The entire far western part of Nepal with its cultural, geographical and ecological wealth has been untouched,” he says, “Different forms of tourism can and needs to be developed in this region with careful and responsible planning.” 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 31 cover story for the company was finding talented software engineers. “We were very lucky that we found and trained excellent engineers for our company,” says Sameer Maskey, Founder of Parakhi.com, “As we continue to operate the website, we still find it a major challenge to findand fill certain positions at our company.” Easy hotel booking - Parakhi.com Planning your travel has become much easier with the help of the Internet. Arriving at a place to scour for hotel rooms – that’s old news. In Nepal, however, this is not the case. Only a few hotels and resorts have their own websites with options for online booking. The majority of hotels, especially smaller lodges and bed-and-breakfast places, have little or no online presence. While international hotel booking websites like agoda.com also cover a few hotels in Nepal, their reach is only to major tourists hubs like Kathmandu and Pokhara. Parakhi.com, a relatively new Nepali website, aims to fill this void in the local travel and tourism industry. Through its online hotel directory, users can browse numerous profiles of hotels in different places in Nepal and book rooms over the Internet. 4 Demand: Before starting Parakhi, the team conducted surveys among tourists and hotel owners to understand the need for an online platform for hotel reservations. Especially in medium range hotels, less than 20% of rooms are booked during off-season. Many foreign tourists who cannot afford to book rooms in five star hotels thought that online booking for medium range hotels would be a convenient option. Both hotel owners and tourists expressed interest in having an online reservation system. Challenges: One of the main challenges in the initial phases of the website was finding the data to start the venture. There was no easy way to collect data besides visiting every business and asking questions and having them fill surveys. Another stumbling block 32 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Parakhi is a great example of a company that tweaked plans and managed to sail through choppy waters Parakhi.com was originally launched in 2011 as a review site for local businesses in Kathmandu. The idea was similar to yelp. com. The website had profiles of businesses, mainly restaurants and cafes, and users could post reviews and feedbacks to the businesses. This content was later transferred to parakhireviews. com, after parakhi.com was relaunched as a hotel booking website. Strong Suits: Unlike other major hotel booking websites, Parakhi covers a wide range of hotels in Nepal in terms of prices and locations. The website also posts local updates about activities of interest going on in places where the hotels are located on its blog. Parakhi has a very strong presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube through which it has gathered many followers and users. The website is largely targeted at Nepalese living abroad who often travel to Nepal and need to plan out accommodations for their stay. It also hopes to get international as well as domestic tourists using the service. Nirmal Thapa, Director of Operations, says, “People with disposable income in Nepal are increasing in number. So, the number of people traveling for holidays and work is on the rise. We want these people to use our service.” Parakhi is also launching its own Android app in July which will make it possible to browse and book hotels through a smartphone. Jazzmandu: Tourism Through Music Jazzmandu is an annual jazz festival that began in 2002 with the aim to promote jazz in Nepal. Founded by Chhedup Bomzan of The Jazz Upstairs Bar, and Navin Chettri, drummer and vocalist of Cadenza, Jazzmandu has been able expand in its scale, reach and scope. The size of participants from Nepal as well as abroad has grown, now claiming to be the “biggest jazz party in the Himalayas”. The event has been able to bring world-class musicians to audiences in Kathmandu. In 2012 the festival featured international musicians such as Tito Puente Jr., son of legendary Tito Puente, king of Latin jazz, and 11 time Grammy nominee Marlow Rosado along with other artists across the globe who came and shared their music to an audience that was equally international. 5 Cultural Interaction: Over the course of ten years, Jazzmandu has emerged as a venue for musical interaction among different cultures. Jazzmandu creates a platform for musicians from around the world with diverse cultural backgrounds to interact through music. Besides promoting jazz music in Nepal, the festival also promotes Jazzmandu introduces not just jazz to Nepal but also jazz enthusiasts from around the world to Nepal. the unique and diverse traditional music of Nepal, where top Nepali traditional musicians share the sounds of Nepal, with the audience as well as visiting artists. Jazz at Patan is a unique event that focuses on blending sounds created by visiting international musicians with local Nepalese traditional musicians. This show of fusion has become a crowdpuller during the festival. The cultural interaction has significant impact and influence on everyone involved. Promotion of Tourism: The Kathmandu Jazz Festival has become an annual attraction for tourists who would like to include an international music festival as a part of their experience in the Himalayan country. Many travel agencies have started including Jazzmandu as an attraction in their package tour of Nepal. The festival is a pleasant surprise for tourists who get to witness a jazz party with a Nepali touch. The shows are performed at some of the most fascinating locations around Kathmandu, including some UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These performances help bring Nepal to the attention of communities that might not otherwise be aware of all that Nepal has to offer. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 33 Religious Significance & Bio-diversity: WHERE: The region surrounding Mt. Kailash is an important destination for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and Tibetans. WHAT: Comprising sources of four important rivers of Asia , KSL can provide significantly to the tourism in Far-West. Biodiversity: WHERE: Khaptad National Park in Far-Western Nepal, streches over Bajhang, Bajura, Achham and Doti. WHAT: With views of the mountains over moorland, slopes and streams, Khaptad is one of the major untapped natural assets of the Far-West . Historic Significance: WHERE: Passing through Rukum, Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve and Rolpa, the trek takes tourists through Maoist strongholds during the war. WHAT: The trek that shows how people’s war began and spread, is similar to war tourism products in Vietnam, Russia and China. Mountain Biking: WHERE: The gradually increasing mountain biking industry attracts numerous riders from around the world to places like Upper Mustang, Annapurna region and Manaslu. WHAT: Both commuting and recreational reasons (cross country biking, downhill biking, trial biking and BMX freestyling) have made biking very popular amongst both tourists and locals. Banana Restaurant: WHERE: Tikapur, a municipality in Kailali District, is famous for Tikapur Brihat Park. WHAT: Banana Restaurant in Tikapur, serving only dishes made from Banana –from Banana wine to Banana momos, is one of the new tourist attractions in the region. Sport Fishing: WHERE: Babai Valley, part of the Bardia National Park is popular for its rich biodiversity, inhabited by rhinoceros, gharial, marsh mugger and even Gangetic dolphins. WHAT: Sport fishing in Babai river valley is one of the attractions of Bardia NP. Nepali rivers have around 118 different fresh water fishes, of which Mahseer is considered to be the top most prize Religious Significance: WHERE: Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, is a place revered by all Nepalese and the wider Buddhist community. WHAT: Introduction of Buddhist cricuit, which also includes Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar is an example of how co-operation between two nations can help promote tourism in both. NEPAL INC. Mount Everest and Lord Buddha? Yes, but so much more is in the offering for tourists, both foreign and domestic, today. From mobile apps to brand new tourism products, its the beginning of an interesting era in Nepali tourism. Ethnic Heritage: WHERE: The Gurung heritage trail is a newly found trek that goes through Gurung communities in their indigenous settings. WHAT: The trail focuses on the rich cultural heritage that surrounds it, adding another attraction besides the scenary. Travel App: WHERE: Kathmandu is an open museum with historic monuments scattered throughout the valley. WHAT: Biruwa Ventures and Bajra Technology are working on an App that provides guided tour through Nepalese history and heritage as you go around the valley. Homestay: WHERE: Villages in the south of the valley, like Sankhu and Chitlan, are popular amongst tourists for their rich newar heritage. WHAT: Homestays in the locals’ houses have become very popular amongst the tourists, and have been an important part of the rejuvanated tourist influx to these places. Core strengths in tourism New tourism products Great Himalayan Trail(GHT) Local Industry: WHERE: Providing four-fifth of all tea produced in the country, Illam is widely known for its tea. Illam is also known for its five As -Alainchi, Aulan, Amla, Amritso and Aloo. WHAT: Besides producing tea, the industry has also helped attract tourists to the region. The tea fields of the east are one of the major attractions for tourists. GHT: WHERE: Stretching beyond the eastern and the western frontiers of the nation, Great Himalayan Trail is one of the premier tourism products of the country that takes tourists to some of the most unexplored parts of the country. WHAT: Besides being a one of a kind attraction for tourists, the organizations involved in formulating and promoting the trail are also working to empower the locals around the trail to assimilate the opportunity. Dental Tourism: WHERE: Dental clinics in Kathmandu provide some of the latest technologies in dentistry, but at a much cheaper rate compared to western countries. WHAT: The cheap dental service here can be a reason for tourists to visit Nepal. Money saved from the check up can compensate for other travelling expenses. feature getting started with the legalities Ideas, business model, seed money, all check. But how do you go about the legalities that you know so little about. Text Prabal Shrestha Illustration Kayo Siddhi ntiring excitement fills the head as you work on your new venture. Trying to put everything in place is like solving a never-ending puzzle – you add a piece only to find more pieces missing. Absorbed by numerous challenges, you are likely to overlook the legalities. For not knowing where to start, for wanting to take it as it comes, and for thinking legalities are secondary for a business that hasn’t made a penny –whatever the reasons maybe– ignoring legalities can be costly. Here are a few simple suggestions to help you move beyond legal obscurity: You don’t need a lawyer to write a legal contract but double checking with a lawyer friend is best. U Figure it out before you start the show Legal issues are not something you should put off for later. You need to plan ahead, do what’s required, and also prepare for not-sopleasant developments. Some of the most common legalities to take care of are: choosing the right form of business entity, business licenses, supplier and client contracts and employee matters. Besides legal necessities, it is also important to plan for possible legal issues that might come up later. 1 Find a friend with a legal background Entrepreneurs are the hardworking-doit-yourself kind, but when it 2 36 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Write it down. Its not just the contracts that need to be in writing. From salary negotiations to basic agreements, make it a point to write things down. You never know when the burden of proof falls on you in court. Having important aspects of your business relationships in writing can prevent most legal headaches. Besides being useful in court, a habit of writing simplifies work and defines duties and tasks clearly. Having a written agreement draws the scope of your agreements. 4 comes to legal issues it is good to have someone who knows the law. Finding someone good who you can talk to (frankly) about legal issues for your business for free is a great idea. A good lawyer will try to build relationships to venture into prospects and not charge for every meeting. Contracts do not need sophisticated words Despite popular belief that contracts need to be filled with legal jargon, it’s a better idea to express clearly and in simple words terms and intent of the parties involved. Identify possible reasons for disagreements and write down terms and conditions to avoid or resolve such disagreements. 3 Legal cases are not ego battles It is important to understand the cost effectiveness of legal battles before pursuing one. Legal disputes are not personal, “it’s just business”. As an entrepreneur having to protect your business property and having to interact with other businesses protecting their own interests, legal disputes are common. You need to understand various dispute resolution channels – mediation, negotiation, arbitration and courts. V 5 how to/feature here is regular marketing and then there is Guerrilla Marketing. Guerrilla Marketing borrowed its name from Guerilla Warfare which embodies surprise tactics and non-traditional execution methodologies. All these define guerrilla marketing as it is designed ideally for small businesses that need to reach a large audience to generate profit without necessarily burning a hole in their pocket. Unlike mainstream marketing, guerrilla marketing relies on low-cost marketing strategies like the use of stickers, flash mob, and any new or reformed innovative efforts. The thing is there is no restriction to the methodology but at the end of the day it should bring home sales. As the father of guerrilla marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson says, “It is not just science, not just art; underneath it all, it is a business. Sure, it is the art of getting people to change their minds but if it doesn’t show profit, it’s not really guerrilla marketing. Your prime investment in guerrilla marketing doesn’t have to be money; it is time, energy, imagination and information. And the more of those, higher your profits will be and that is what marketing ought to be all about.” The concept of guerrilla marketing however continues to expand and grow organically. That is why big companies like Coca-Cola, Volkswagen and Ray-Ban T going bananas over marketing? go guerrilla! How do you have your company, your productservice stand out in a crowded market? Move out of the comfort zone with your marketing strategy. If you want to be noticed for doing something no one has done before, you have to present it in a way things have never been presented before. Text Ujeena Rana Illustration Kayo Siddhi 38 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Guerrilla Marketing in Nepal have been inexhaustibly using unconventional marketing ideas for their advertising campaigns, putting at bay the naysayers who don’t label their approach as true guerrilla style marketing. One school of thought rejects strategies implemented by large corporate houses as guerrilla marketing. They might not be totally wrong, as the concept was originally aimed towards small businesses. However, big businesses have adopted the same ideology in grassroots campaigns to compliment on-going mass media campaigns. Guerrilla marketing is also termed as ‘brand activation’. “It is particularly effective if products and services need locationbased marketing. Besides, with hordes of new products and services entering the market, companies are looking towards newer avenues to reach out to target customers,” says Arun Sthapit, Client Servicing Head, Echo Ad, a pioneer advertising agency in Kathmandu. One should follow pragmatism while executing such ideas. Through social media websites like Facebook, individuals have also adopted this marketing style as a way to find work. This application has proved to be an effective self-marketing efforts. Recent Nepali films like Chhadke, Karkash and Uma made extensive use of guerrilla marketing for their respective projects during the promotional period. “These are exciting times in Nepal. It’s not just in Kathmandu, you can see youngsters from all over posting their creativity online, be it motorbike stunts on YouTube, or cover versions of songs from Butwol, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj,” says Manish Shrestha, Director, Kazi Studios, adding, “In Nepal, very few people have tried any kind of experimental marketing. We rarely hear of companies taking risks to try out different medium for marketing, so it is tough to tell how people would react to a completely new kind of marketing.” In neighboring India, startups have already adopted creative guerrilla marketing ideas with great results. Subu Shrestha, Director at Business Advantage informs that guerrilla marketing can be very effective as it is not something that has been done much here – if at all. People in Nepal go for ‘tried and tested’ ways while ‘adopting’ guerrilla marketing. The looming fear is that audiences will not grasp the meaning of the ‘out of the box’ concept. Other times, time and budget constraints limit creativity. Fret not say Subu and Manish. “It is exactly at this juncture that something really innovative should be used to break the clutter,” says Subu. To this Manish adds, “I think this is the beginning. After copying other’s great ideas for a while, people will start tweaking and coming up with better new ideas of their own.” V • For Vianet, in view of their new product launch, Kazi Studios sent lavish wedding-like invitation cards to their potential customers with a big engagement ring made out of fiber optic cables. The tagline said “Let’s start a relationship together”. The whole theme of the event was almost a posh Valentine’s/wedding setting with red and white brand colors. The customers appreciated the effort and the marketing effort caught people’s eyes right away • As a branding activation strategy for Ncell, Business Advantage turned an entire village purple by painting every roof with the color of the brand. This was executed on a small village on the way to Manakamana, visible from the highway and from the cable cars. • Echo had its brand promoters add a shaving service to passers-by at malls. This was to promote the new Gillette Mach3 product in the market. Potential customers did not just get to experience the smoother shave on-the-spot but were presented with the razor too. Things to Consider • First have the strategy and then work on the tactic to achieve it. • It all boils down to doing things the way your customer would care about. • Don’t do what everyone is doing. Go outside your industry; adopt newer ideas from other industries that might work for you. • Consider joint ventures with peers that might profit both of you. Create partnership instead of worrying about competition and reap the long term benefits. • Never underestimate the power of over-communication. Many small businesses are selling themselves short because they are not communicating with their potential customers enough. • Guerrilla marketing is about focusing on your customers rather than your competitors. Great customer service is the surest way of ensuring the longevity of any business. Because people talk. 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 39 team the 10-minute meeting HOW TO PLAN ONE AND WHAT NOT TO DO The business world of today is super competitive in nature and needs more regular personal interactions. Meetings are a powerful business weapon. But attending those long and never ending meetings everyday might get boring.Why not try the 10-minute daily meeting? Text Jenija Manandhar Photography ECS Media s it important to have meetings with your team members on a regular basis? Definitely! Meetings are held not just to get work done, but because they can be a great way to communicate information to others in your team. A meeting is an opportunity for team members to share knowledge and information and update all parties on critical issues. Daily 10-minute meetings help team members answer questions like “What did I accomplish yesterday?”, “What will I be doing today?” and “What are the obstacles in my progress and what are the other resources I need?” A daily 10-minute meeting helps keep track of work progress and updates everyone on how well the organization is working. Meetings can help a team arrive at a common decision or a collective solution. Meetings are also a way to get feedback and evaluation. What are the key elements of a great 10-minute meeting? Read on I 40 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Have a clear agenda in mind 10 minutes is too short for you to ask “So what needs to be dealt with?” Do that homework beforehand and get straight to the topic. Create a list of all the points to be discussed. This discourages members from going off topic and wasting time. Set ground rules for discussion Send out an email with the ground rules or talk about the same at a prior meeting. Make sure attending team members know what they are and are not supposed to do at the meeting. Assign roles Have a facilitator to direct the meeting, someone to keep the time and someone to take notes. All the issues cannot be discussed within a short time. The interaction should be restricted to the high priority issues keeping in mind the time limit. The facilitator will make sure this happens. Active listening and interaction 10-minute meetings are not a place to get emotional about company philosophy. Listen when others What not to do at a meeting • Avoid unnecessary interruptions and distractions: Do not interrupt when someone else is speaking. Keep your use of words and language professional.Keep your mobile phones in silent mode. • Don’t be a passive member: Participate enthusiastically by sharing your opinions and ideas with the group. • Do not walk in late: Respect others’ time. Being punctual for meetings is basic office etiquette and a latecomer impresses no one. • Do not just say “I disagree”: Learn how to disagree in a constructive manner. Ask questions to clarify rather than to assume. • Never go to meetings without pen and paper: You don’t want to miss out on important points and then spend half the day trying to remember what it was. In the long run, daily 10-minute meetings can help save a lot of problems. are talking and interact when you have a question or useful comment to add. Paying attention to what team members have to say and sharing your knowledge with others can help solve a ma jority of your work issues. Body language Your body sometimes speaks for you. Your choice of words, tone of voice and gestures can either convey a powerful message to people across the table or put them to sleep. Morning glory 10-minute meetings work best right before you’re starting the day. Energy levels are at a high and your mind is more alert than when you’re groggy after a heavy lunch. It also clears any issues you might have to deal with later in the day so that’s one less problem to take care of. “Daily short meetings in the morning keep your ideas fresh compared to long meetings where you tend to lose concentration. Short discussions with team members provide a platform where you can share problems and bring out best solutions from the circle itself” says Renu Shakya, HR officer at Laxmi Bank. You may think that missing out on a couple of these 10-minute sessions is OK because it’s a daily ritual at your work. That’d be your loss. Daily meetings can give direction and purpose to your day and guide you too, so make them work for you. Request that one of the meetings include a topic that is of high priority to you. Troubleshooting is better with ten people than going solo. These short morning meetings help the team start the day off with motivation and enthusiasm. Meetings support improvements and consistent success. The team leader can really improve teamwork and overall productivity by improving the meetings. Of course people usually think of meetings as boring and less work - more talk. But you don’t always have to conduct meetings in the conventional way. Don’t be afraid to throw in a joke to wake everyone up. Don’t get carried away though – you just have ten minutes. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 41 column Shabda Gyawali is an Investment Manager at Dolma Impact Fund and a Board Member of Biruwa Ventures-managed Udyami Fund. entrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism industry Nepal’s tourism segment is full of opportunities for the entrepreneur who can break down the problems and take advantage of the gaping voids in what is available for the tourist. Text Shabda Gyawali Photography ECS Media As Nepal slowly emerges out of political instability and moves towards a relatively stable political and economic environment, the country’s tourism industry is experiencing a phoenix-like growth to attract investments. According to a study, travel and tourism industry currently contributes 9.4 % of the GDP and employees around 55,000 people. In 2012 alone, tourism and travel attracted $147 million worth of investment, and the rate of investment is expected to grow by 4.4 % annually for the next 10 years Predominantly, entrepreneurial or investment opportunities in tourism industry has been basically divided into two segments – investment opportunities in capital intensive luxury infrastructure and services mostly catering to travelers with deep pockets and opportunities in micro-entrepreneurial tourism activities like teashops, and guest houses, often run by substandard management and in unhygienic conditions, mostly due to lack of proper training in hospitality. The existing stage of the industry has created a huge gap in the middle market tourist segment, opening up huge entrepreneurial opportunities. This segment can be defined as middle class population travellers: those who do not want to compromise on quality and hygiene but want it at an affordable price. Within this middle market segment, there are emerging opportunities to capitalize on the bourgeoning domestic travellers’ boom. Domestic travel spending generated about 66 % of direct travel and tourism GDP in 2012 compared with 34.3 % from foreign visitors. Domestic travel spending 42 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 is expected to grow by 9.8 % in 2013, whereas foreigners travel spending by only 2.1 %. For an industry that had been designed by the foreign tourist, the growing influx of domestic travelers has been a wake-up call. With rising disposable income and increased awareness, more middle market domestic travellers are opting for adventure activities and interaction opportunities with rural culture and nature in unique destination; places that give them a wholesome experience with comfortable accommodation facilities. A great example is a homestay facility inside a goat cheeses factory in Makwanpur District, where the travellers can also learn about cheese making, the Nepali way. The current challenge is that one, the accommodation facilities in these unique areas falls short of basic hospilaity standards, and due to lack of a web presence and promotional information, very little is known about them prior to the trip. For instance, to find out the availability of rooms at a destination or of an innovative tourism product, one would have to depend on word of mouth or be physically present at the location, which is highly inconvenient. By recognizing various gaps in tourism value chain, one startup tourism venture (yet to be named) lead by Ankit Rana has already forayed into converting these challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities. Rana and his team are deploying two ma jor tools - technology and basic hospilaity training to convert existing challenges into scalable business models in the largely unorganized hospitality sector. The startup plans to build an internet-based platform that will list aggregated accommodation options of potential home stays, farm stays and guest houses around the country. Along with management advice on operations and pricing, the startup will take charge of marketing and promotional activities of its listed accommodation partners. Currently, a ma jority of the accommodation providers in rural settings do not maintain websites because of limited marketing expertise and lack of access to the web. This platform will also allow travellers to learn more about the listed facilities, including, photos of rooms available, destination specific activities, accommodation content, and customer feedback. The startup plans to leverage high penetration of mobile technology among the accommodation providers to feed in real-time availability of room inventory in the online platform and facilitate online booking based on real time payment solutions. Apart from establishing an online footprint for the facilities, the startup will also work towards improving the quality of available accommodation options. Trainings and workshops related to hospitality, hygiene and safety issues will buttress accommodation providers to create more value. In the long run, the startup has plans to provide financial support (loans and equity) to accommodation providers to finance improvements in their rooms and furnishing. Non-investment revenues for the startup will come from commissions on servicing direct inquiries for local travel and logistics, and a fixed transaction fee on bookings through its online platform. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 43 how to 5 ways to stand out on Facebook With the world logging onto Facebook every day, its natural that entrepreneurs are taking to the social network to advertise their work. But when you have to contend with status updates, party photos, and comments of the billions on Facebook, how do you stand out? Text Gita Limbu Illustration Kayo Siddhi Entrepreneurs are always in search of a platform to reach out to potential clients, and no platform stands out more than Facebook. As of March 2013, statistics state the number of Facebook users in Nepal at 1.9 million among a country population of 31.39 million. If the world is your oyster, how do you catch your pearl? Make your ads pop If you are selling a product/ service, do what it takes for your page or your ad to stand out. Choose your profile picture and company name keeping in mind your target audience. According to Mark Sears, Founder and CEO of CloudFactory, it is important to try out different ads and images to get your audience’s attention. 1 Know your clientele Don’t go for a blanket audience. Get as specific as possible. Have a model of a person in mind that would be interested in your Facebook page and cater to that guy. How old is he/she? What would interest them? What are their hobbies? Cater to that guy. 2 44 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Short is sweet Get your point across succinctly. Facebook is no place for long flowery messages. Instead be smart, be funny, but over all be articulate. You’re competing with everything from baby photos and cat videos to invites for Candy Crush Saga. You don’t want to be boring here. 3 Clarify who you are Making the most out of your Facebook presence is determined by your target audience and your purpose of maintaining a page, says Sears. Make it clear what key topics you will be focusing on and what you are offering. “Keeping things consistent and on target will build up a valuable and attentive audience over time,” says Sears. 4 Interact Facebook allows you to interact easily with strangers who might be potential customers. Take every opportunity, in fact create opportunities to interact with them. Reply to queries immediately, organize contests and encourage people to give you feedback. V 5 how to do you really need an office? Lets face it, part of the appeal of striking out on your own is to work out of your own cool office. But for a startup, how do you decide whether you even need an office or not and when you need one? Some entrepreneurs suggest solutions from their own experiences. Text Shriju Bajracharya Photography ECS Media onfucius once said, “Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office, instead of being concerned you are not known, seek to be worthy of being known.” It seems the notion of setting up an office revolves around the same saying. Every entrepreneur should first groom their ideas, strengthen them with research and work, instead of jumping into matters bluntly. An aspiring entrepreneur can progress to the time of being fit to have an office, one that is worthy enough to be known by others. Perception always lights the way ahead. With C 46 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 that idea the entrepreneur can now begin to set up the space he requires to work. A social organization, Kehi Garoun (KG) did the same thing. They worked on their idea of giving a platform to individuals who wanted to take initiatives and established an office only later – when they felt the need for one. Umang Pande, the founder director says, “If your clients need your services then open an office, I did the same.” KG’s team add on the benefits of having an office – how it sets a benchmark, a sense of belonging to a group, a place to meet up and discuss and more importantly on being framed to work. However for starters, the office setup cost would be a distraction. “There is no rule that says one needs an office to work, we can start work anywhere,” says Kayo Siddhi who started as a freelance designer and later co-founded Aavishkaar, a design, advertising and marketing firm. Siddhi adds, “As we keep working and persevering, we will understand when we need it eventually.” He also shares that in a field like IT, one can start up by just interfacing in a virtual office. Siddhi ultimately looked for an office space when their client base began to grow. His experiences set forth the importance of location in connecting with clients and the image an office builds in the society. Biruwa Ventures, itself an incubator providing office space to entrepreneurial ideas, has much to say about needing an office. When asked what entrepreneurs come looking for, Vidhan Rana, the founder director says, “When potential clients come in for a visit, they look for a physical workspace with desk and chairs, a conference room for meetings and other office amenities like power backup and internet services.” He suggests that the best time to start using an office space is after one has made a business plan and completely studied the market. “Once they believe the idea is going to work, the next step would be to take up office space and begin company registration,” he says. Entrepreneurial ventures always sound exciting, but needing an office for it is a question that has to take into account the idea, client services, market research and most importantly the business plan. Once all that is done, its then time to start looking for a cool place to call work. V Alternative office spaces Virtual office: Creating a forum where people can meet up, discuss and share data via the Internet. Shared office: Sharing a workplace with someone. Café office: Discussing and meeting with clients at restaurants and cafes. Home office: Using a spare room at home to work and communicate out of Where can you find office spaces? • Biruwa Ventures, Nepal’s first privately owned business incubator helps entrepreneurs by assisting them with a clean, welcoming and functional office space inclusive of parking, 24hour power back-up, phone and high speed Internet connection. (01-4414414, info@biruwa.net) • Pasa Yard provides an entrepreneur-friendly office space from where a business can operate or a freelancer/consultant/ researcher can work. It has basic facilities like high speed Internet, conference room, and amenities like printer, photocopy/scanner machine, phone lines, and a café. (015260919, www.pasayard. com) Benefits of having an office • Helps in focusing on work • Provides a place to conduct formal meetings • Gives a platform to discuss uncertainties and new ideas • It builds an image of credibility for the work done • Privacy, professionalism and discipline is maintained • Sense of team work 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 47 feature good ventures need good bloggers Building your company is all about connecting – connecting the goods, ideas, people and more importantly, connecting with the clients. And blogging is probably the best tool to build a community with lasting connections. Text Prabal Shrestha Illustration Kayo Siddhi f you have heard the late Roger Ebert talk on TED on how blogging has helped him live after losing his lower jaw to cancer, besides being awed by his approach to life, you must have thought about your own life and the role technology has played. Blogging however, is not just for movie critics, writers, poets, activists and the creative kind, as most of us believe it to be. It is also a tool for your business that can help you connect to your clients and if you do it right, form a community around your company. Having a business website is a no brainer, yet websites aren’t doing half of what they should for your business. Most are still going on with the old web 1.0 approach (I write, you read); but as an Internet user yourself, you must have noticed that a website with a few static pages does not cut it anymore. A few regular blog updates can change your website from a notice board into a hotspot. The more you blog, the more reasons you have to be ‘searched’ online. Blogs improve your page ranking for search engine results; every new blog post adds a new URL or page to your website that can be crawled and indexed by search engines. And if you are also taking the social media route of marketing, blogs help keep your followers and friends engaged. Blogging attracts relevant clients, who are genuinely interested in what you have to say, unlike other online advertisements, which are more annoying at times than being effective. It is more like a two way conversation – you exchange your expertise and experience for I 48 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 your clients’ opinions and feedback. Blogging provides a platform to establish connections with your clients, and even get a lead on what their preferences and inclinations are. Your customers are more likely to feel connected to your company, with blogs to comment on and to share, and with a voice that speaks to them. Without that connection your company might just seem like a distant factory exploiting Oompa Loompas. Blogs make your company real, something that the customers themselves can feel connected to. However, writing is hard, and even if some feel otherwise, we can all agree it is time consuming. Still, writing makes you think. The process of posting regular blogs, looking for stories within your business and industry helps you get a better understanding of your business. All the writing and talking about your business and the industry also builds your image as an industry expert. And as more and more people start referring to your blogs for information and insights, what you say becomes ‘expertise’. The improved visibility, and the rising popularity online - thanks to your blogs - not only attracts new visitors to your blog, but keeps bringing them back. Regular new blogs with updated information gives something to look forward to for your visitors. Your blogs showcase your enthusiasm towards your work, your excitement on being part of the industry and your eagerness to interact with your customers. It gives your company a voice, a personality. The best part of blogging is probably the best effectiveness-to-cost ratio. It doesn’t cost Local blogosphere: Successful blogs add value before selling Know who you are writing for, identify their problems and address them. Show how your business helps solve those problems. Your blog’s primary goal should be to add value to your customers. If it’s possible, downplay your involvement, people will get it without you having to remind them of your exceptional efforts. sustainablenepal. org Kashish Das Shrestha writes and photographs on issues related to the environment, energy and sustainability. The research for his blogs are selffunded. Kashish is a Renewable Energy Policy Fellow (Niti Foundation). you as much as online advertisements; and even if plans for setting up a website for your new startup have been set aside for financial reasons, setting up a blog is definitely a viable option. You don’t need a professional designer to setup a blog. Blogging platforms like WordPress, Blogspot and tumblr provide pre-existing templates (some for free). All you need to do is start writing about what you are doing, why you are doing what you are doing, and how it is helping the community that’s evolving around your business. HOW TO EXCITE YOUR READERSHIP Online content produced in 48 hours today is more than that produced till 2003 from the beginning of time, according to Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. The last time someone checked, there were 161 million blog posts on the web. In this explosion of online contents, your blogs would most likely end up under a heap of rubble. How do you get your blogs to surface? surathgiri.com Surath Giri’s regularly updated blog posts quite popular and are mostly on libertarianism, movies, books, economics, public policy, social media, travel and more. Surath is also a part of the Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub. guffadi.com If you’re looking for some humor and pointed satire, guffadi is for you. svbel.tumblr.com Subel Bhandari’s blogs are mostly about his work life in Kabul as DPA’s youngest bureau chief. Don’t just write about yourself Besides writing only about the company, talk about the market and the industry as a whole, imply the importance of your work without undermining anyone else’s people appreciate integrity. Keep your sales messages as low key as possible Traffic does need to turn into buying customers, but for that you also need a strategy. Identify conversion points and figure out methods to convert customers. Your blogs should have marketing functionality, not to be mistaken with “buy or leave” approach. Your blogs need to convince your readers they need what you have to offer. If it’s possible, provide free gifts, whatever it takes to get them listening to you. Humanize Add a human angle to your blog, keep it real. Your blog should be something personable, something readers can relate to. It must be engaging, something to look forward to, and not something that looks like an excerpt from a dissertation.J 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 49 feature Specific example on how writing blogs have helped your career/ personal growth. The website is essentially not just my primary publishing platform but in many ways also my portfolio. So it certainly helps build my profile as an active researcher and writer on issues of sustainability such as environment, energy and agriculture, with many years of background and experience in this field. J Blog to build relationships. Tell your readers about your business and the market, and make them feel like a part of the community. Welcome comments, and respond in time with helpful comments. Also make it easy and simple to like, comment on and share your blogs. Use keywords. To boost your search engine result rankings, apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. Tools like Webtracker and Keyword Discovery helps you identify keywords and keyword phrases. Incorporate those words in your blogs and layout, especially in the titles and the links. Functionality is paramount. Your blogs must be easy to navigate with easily visible headings. Use grids and categories, and make it easy for the readers to find what they are looking for. Also consider a responsive theme for your blogs that can adapt to mobile devices; mobile is the future. Visual branding is an important aspect of your blogs, even if you are not pushing that hard for sales, your blogs can be a great platform for branding. Try to weave in a theme throughout your blogs, implying what your company is about. Make your blogs stand out, but stay aesthetically appealing. Diversifying the content is a good idea to attract a range of readers. You could also invite other contributors, attracting new readers via their followers. If you feature multiple topics, a grid format could make it easier to navigate. Mix up the media Your blog does not have to be all text. Photos are a great way to improve the aesthetics of your blog, and it adds to the experience. You can also include video to showcase your work. Behind the scene pictures and video can also make your blogs more personal. Editorial Calendar will help you follow through with your plans. Having a schedule makes your processes efficient, making it easier to balance different categories, and track the tangible outcomes of your blogs. Write and rewrite. Develop your tool, find your style to present an authentic voice. Titles are important, make them want to read your blog. Track your performance and improve. Enjoy the process. Your passion and enthusiasm will show on your blogs. Get your readers thrilled to being part of the community. V 50 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 How do you manage the time to write? Writing is how I probably communicate best. And many times I see something in the news and realize I want to write about that immediately with broader context and if apt, a sense of the news’ implications. I am generally always writing and making drafts on the phone or the iPad even. Were you worried that at the start no one would read it, and felt the effort is not worth it? As a researcher and writer, my first interest is to be able to put out good, quality, and thorough information and content. I think if anyone can do that consistently, the audience will come sooner or later. Once I put it out there, it seems to run on its own. In Nepal’s context, how important do you think blogging is for businesses, considering limited internet coverage and even the infant online culture? When someone, or an organization, begins developing a blog it shouldn’t be just with the thought of serving an immediate audience. Internet users in Nepal doubled between 2010-2012, and the world will become increasingly connected. So when an organization invests in developing a blog, what should be in their mind is –a sense of where our society is headed in the way it communicates rather than where it has traditionally been. It is time they not only blog, but also build a larger social media audience to give that blog a better presence. A few tips from blogger Kashish Das Shrestha who writes on environment and sustainabiity at sustainablenepal.org Follow his tweets @kashishds feature Workplace discussions not only encourage employees to entertain different opinions but also help refine ideas. what do you think? ENCOURAGING DISCUSSIONS AT WORK There’s three things to keep in mind when you want your employees having constructive and passionate discussions – the people themselves, the reasoning and the methods. Get these three things down and you’re well on your way to a team that works better together. Text Aayush Niroula Photography ECS Media The Whos An office space is segmented into cubicles. Even if you don’t have those neatly squared boxes, you at least have a desk, some leg room to stretch out, a little corner cut out just for you. This dissection of an office room can be thought of as the blueprint for the under workings of the office itself. To each his own. The individualized spaces we hold dear at our work habitat, and the everyday memorabilia we keep there, the little routines we indulge in those confines tell us that employees are after all individuals. Even if we are only a small part of the whole set up, we are unique to oneself in many of our daily choices, in music, websites, lunch schemes, brands, drinks and even moral conundrums. And the office is made up of people who work it out together, who play as a team under the aegis of the system. But if you take that out it’s mostly a gathering of people in proper clothes, with distinct histories, personalities and quirks of 52 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Encouraging Office discussions: • Hold workshops, outings or office parties on some regular basis to help the people at work gel better and also get the shy ones to come out and bond with the rest. • Create a better environment for meetings, from having a large, comfortable space to letting everyone make their point. • Do weekly lunch days where the office can sponsor lunch for the staff over a single table. Nothing gets the conversation going better than good food. • Have an open door policy when it comes to conflict situations, anybody with a problem should be able to walk in to the boss’s office and discuss it. their own. The point being: the said system that binds all the people in that office together should keep in mind the individuality of all its cogs if it expects to do better as a whole. And nothing proves this advice better than when it comes to handling office discussions. Healthy discussions are so important to get rid of the yes-sirs and land up with better ideas, that we cannot push it off altogether under the rug. But we cannot let them get out of hand too. The Why We all know at least one Mr. Know-it-all in our lives. It’s safe to assume the smartypants will eventually get a job one day, and in his weekly meetings he will annoy as many co-workers as he’s annoyed fellow students in college. Then we have the knowit-alls who don’t really know that much but put all their effort to convince everyone otherwise. We also have the demure ones, who have something useful to say but can’t pronounce it and those who don’t actually have anything to say and out of habit don’t say much either. We have everybody else in between, from the passionate to the stoically cold. While discussing an office matter in a meeting, all of these personalities will play out in their own ways. In a heady mix of ego, history, and a fan that’s stopped working in the middle of summer, you might have a full blown war in your hands for the smallest reasons. Conflict can be regressive if not handled with care or shaped towards a productive end. And it leaves stinking vibes all around. The What to do Management gurus are gaga over the ideal conflict. Which is when every little exchange is doing the company (and in turn its employees) good. It’s not happening tomorrow at your office though. The thing underpinning a bad discussion is almost always a bloated or hurt ego. When you don’t like someone, it’s very hard to see their ideas objectively: the good ones are pompous, over the top, reaching for clouds that don’t exist and the bad ones are downright silly, hilarious even (when you do that snobbish snort). If you see a pattern in two people acting weird like that, it’s time the hierarchy moved in and got to the bottom of things. Literary pundits have figured out a way of criticizing creative writing called the sandwich method: say something positive, put in the negative criticism and layer it up with something good in the end. When suspicion is found out to be true, it needs reminding that the greater good is always with the better idea. Nothing personal should be tinkering with this mantra. Put out the bad ego flames and you’ll have an office humming along like a happy bee hive. Also there is something to be said about criticism. Literary pundits have figured out a way of criticizing creative writing called the sandwich method, say something positive: put in the negative criticism and layer it up with something good in the end. This can be useful when criticizing upon ideas in an office environment too – have at least two good things to say about something that might be bad, so that the person won’t take it too personally, but one has to be sharp and aware of what he/she is saying. Positive reinforcement, putting out egos and a good, solid leadership will be enough to get an office discussing things for better results. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 53 column column Michael Siddhi can be reached at msiddhi69@hotmail.com do entrepreneurs need an mba degree? Are you an entrepreneur? Does passion drive you to aim for the impossible? Are you the sort of person who needs an MBA? Find out what you’re in for before you enroll. Text Michael Siddhi Illustration Kayo Siddhi My Grandfather (may his soul rest in peace) used to say, “If you study a lot (and get higher degrees), you will go astray (dherai padhyo bhane bigrinchha)”. In line with that value, most men in my family got basic education (say a Bachelors in Commerce) and went straight into their family business. It was a very unconventional thought and I immediately wrote off his argument – until a few years ago. In the last few years, I have been wondering if my grandfather was correct in saying education ‘spoils’. Unlike my elders who joined the family business, the generation that came after me, and I, pursued higher education like MBAs and ended up getting jobs for a living. Probably this is what 54 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 our education system does – teach us to be conventional. It enhances our perseverance skills and ability to implement concepts (thus making us good managers) but does little for our critical thinking and visionary skills which is so pertinent when it comes to entrepreneurship. So the relevant question then becomes “Is an MBA degree necessary for being a successful entrepreneur?” When my grandfather passed away, there was no Internet. If he had seen what the Internet (and technology) can do, he would have said “Damn, there is no need for MBA, whatever hole there is in your knowledge, get it from the Internet,online classes and don’t waste your time over getting an MBA”. Experience teaches us things that no B-school lesson can impart. The conventional system that we are used to teaches us that ‘B’ comes after ‘A’, tells us to get good grade and instils ideologies straight from the book. So much so that we lose the connection between education and the real world. Conventional wisdom says get an MBA before you start your venture and it will speed you up in finance, marketing and other aspects of running a business. But then conventional ‘investing’ wisdom also says don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Warren Buffet, who made millions out of the investment world, did not take the conventional route. He was a diversification skeptic who believed that diversification will at best give you average returns. So I am not sure if conventional wisdom can be correct all the time. My take on MBA is that a typical B-school will train you but will not inspire you. It will make you educated but not smart. If the notion that a typical entrepreneur is a nonconformist outsider who does not play by the normal set of rules is plausible, then I would like to believe that they will take the unconventional route. That said, entrepreneurs do need business skills like marketing, accounting, finance and the like. The decision of whether to pursue an MBA or not is an intensely personal decision. If you are at odds, the right thing to do would be to speak to people on both sides of the fence, find a mentor (if possible), seek out your long term goals and analyze them. I am not a critic of the MBA program but simply a proponent of thought that one can also get good education without confirming to the norms. I did MBA because at that point of time it was a fad to My take on MBA is that a typical B-school will train you but will not inspire you. It will make you educated but not smart. do so and at a young age, you would not know what your life’s calling is. For people who want to be entrepreneurs, they should get smart, get educated and more importantly find a passion that they can get immersed in and try to create some value out of it. After all, the motivation force for an entrepreneur is passion which is lost the moment they step into a conventional system that trains them instead of inspiring them. May be my grandfather was referring to conventional learning when he said education ‘spoils’. A great entrepreneur of his time, he would rather see me as a mediocre creator of wealth than an educated white-collared cowboy. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 55 feature magine investing your life’s savings, ideas and passion in starting your own business. Now imagine it failing miserably – all the hours you put in, the brainstorming, the energy, all gone. Your desire to succeed will bring you across situations like this for sure. Unfortunately, your failure does not get a warm reception in Nepalese society where your efforts and passion go unnoticed, and your potential is questioned. Your failure will serve as gossip fodder at family gatherings and draw sympathy at college reunions. How then will you react? Will you be driven away or driven forward? Will you point fingers or gracefully accept it as a part of the process? Will you fall back and settle for the confines of a cubicle or persevere and plot a comeback? When Metro, a free newspaper-style publication, failed in 2004, entrepreneur Suman Shakya refused to take it as a defeat. During the company’s incubation period, personal obligations required Shakya to stay abroad. Without a co-founder, managing the business remotely became increasingly difficult. Coupled with low demand for the newspaper, the company shut down within the first two years of operation and cost Mr. Shakya a large sum of money. The story is no different for budding entrepreneur Deewaker Piya of Green & Green, a company that imports Electronic Catalytic Converter (ECC), a device I what you can learn from failure Failure, by definition, is not too enticing a prospect. In a society that puts its bets on school grades, salary scales and a supposedly prestigious sarkari jagir, how willing are you to fail? Everyone – almost everyone – cringes at the sheer thought of failing. The rest are called entrepreneurs. Text Anuj Adhikary Illustration Kayo Siddhi 56 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 for carbon emission reduction from engines. As with Shakya, Piya’s product was hard to sell particularly due to its unfamiliarity in the market, an aggressive approach and feeble financial strategy. In spite of reaching a point so low that he couldn’t afford to pay his staff, Piya decided to not let go of the company but handle it entirely by himself. And for the better half of 2012, he relentlessly pursued potential clients by marketing door-to-door to sell his product. “The culture of being open to failure doesn’t exist here,” says Shakya, recalling his Metro days when even his nearest ones questioned his capabilities and labeled his past successes as flukes. “From an early age we are taught to win. While winning is certainly necessary, failing along the way is too.” On the contrary, coming from a business family, Piya had all the encouragement he needed from his parents, which he admits is not the case with all entrepreneurs. This reveals a rather interesting argument that regardless of tangible or intangible support – or none whatsoever – the likelihood of an entrepreneur to encounter failure cannot be overruled. It was one common trait that deterred both entrepreneurs from giving up their entrepreneurial spirit: persistence. While Shakya, after a few years of reflecting, learning and regaining confidence conceived the massively successful company Digitainment, Piya resiliently revived his business and went on to sell hundreds of ECC units. Neither comeback was easy – there were several challenges the duo had to overcome in order to give their ventures the credibility they deserve today. Failure is often wrongly attributed to weakness and a lack of skills. But the sweetest victory is often the most difficult one, which requires treading on unstable grounds with innumerable risks. But not all who dare can win, and not all who fail can learn. That begs the question: What is failure? Failure is your greatest teacher, an entrepreneurial rite of passage, and a learning curve for success. Failure is a catalyst that drives you forward with stronger willpower to accept greater challenges. Failure is a process, not a result. Failure is inevitable and it is imperative. Incredible success requires incredible risk, and with that, an incredible will to fail. Entrepreneurs and inventors, writers and actors, athletes and statesmen, and all who choose to think differently and live their lives differently constantly face If people are not laughing at your idea and failure, you’re neither dreaming big nor aiming high undue skepticism, pressure and even harassment before they become successful. History bears witness to countless visionaries who took a fall yet kept fighting back. Names like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Donald Trump and Colonel Sanders don’t usually pop up when we talk about failure, and that’s not even scratching the surface. If people are not laughing at your idea and failure, you’re neither dreaming big nor aiming high. Nevertheless, it is important to not let the negative overrun and discourage you; instead turn it to your benefit by developing a can-do, will-do attitude. Metro’s failure didn’t demotivate Shakya, instead it strengthened his resolve to prove skeptics that his failure was a mishap, and his success not a fluke. Similarly, when all employees quit, Piya looked at the bright side of things – he he didn’t have to worry about others and could focus all his efforts and budget on marketing the product, albeit by himself. Failure indeed is an illuminating experience and a wealth of knowledge from which to learn a lesson. Shakya emphasizes, “Seize the opportunity to identify your shortcomings from what you failed at. Ask yourself what went well and what could’ve gone better. Keep improving.” Besides the inability to give Metro his full attention during its early months, Shakya points out that the team lacked complementary skills, resulting in a less than holistic business approach. Another shortfall was that he put all his eggs in one basket, and when things didn’t go quite as planned, faced incalculable loss. He says that Metro has taught him crucial lessons that no book and knowledge ever could. “I have no regrets with Metro. In fact, I am thankful because I doubt I’d be where I am J 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 57 feature J today without it. Books teach you strokes, but to learn swimming you must take the plunge into the pool. Metro was my plunge into the pool.” Likewise, Piya laments his neglect with Green & Green’s financial planning – the capital was almost exclusively allotted to procure ECCs, leaving little to nothing for marketing and other overhead expenses. Sufficient research regarding the market demand for the device could have sent warning signals about the aggressive sales strategy, which instead backfired. Further, having neither a business partner nor a mentor as a voice of reason led to the hardship he could have avoided. “I came to learn the hard way that you have to start small and work your way up,” shares Piya. Once you’ve learned your lesson well, the time is ripe to zero in on success. This will neither be quick nor easy. As demonstrated by Shakya and Piya and numerous other local entrepreneurs, a comeback is a battle of determination and skill, the will to gain higher ground by constantly learning from your blunders. Piya alludes to the days of his solo marketing conquest and reasons, “Toil sleeplessly and push your limits to achieve your goal. However many times you may have failed in business, devote yourself to that goal. Leave nothing to chance, prayers or hope.” Shakya adds that it is important to be patient in pooling your experience and expertise for a second round. “This time, you’ll be better prepared and that much closer to achieving what you set out for. Follow your dreams but keep them realistic. Don’t forget that passion is only half the story and you must have sound knowledge of and experience in all elements of business because ideas alone won’t suffice.” Both took a hard blow due to their mistakes, but as competent entrepreneurs they endured through failure to rise up for a rebound. Drawing inspiration from his own experience, Shakya explains, “The desire for success must be greater than the fear of failure. You must come to terms that you are susceptible to failure – perhaps repeatedly so – before you can reach success.” Indeed, their stories reiterate that with a positive outlook and motivation, you’ll be able to surpass fear however overwhelming, to accomplish a goal however daunting. A fresh breed of entrepreneurs is needed to stride and debunk the fallacy of failure in our society that is obsessed with security, terrified of risks and drugged by short-term returns of a 9 to 5. Bear in mind that failure is a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to accept great challenges with unprecedented determination. If you’ve learned from your failure and mustered the courage to start afresh, failure has served its purpose because subsequently you will be rewarded with success. V 58 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Failing Forward by J. Maxwell Our obsession with winning has led us to fear failure, sometimes so much that it puts us off from even trying. However, if there is any truth in the old adage that goes –“failure is the pillar of success”, one must be as open to failure as one is to success. J Maxwell suggests that the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. His book -Failing Forward provides new ways to perceive failure, and steps to convert them to success; with real-life examples of people like Lee Kuan Yew, Dave Anderson, and John James Audubon who failed in their way to success. conversation feature Moksh made for a great locatin for a heated discussion between three entrepreneurs. creating entrepreneurs Differences in opinion can solve problems too. If everyone agreed on the same thing, the world would be a pretty darn boring place. During the session, the participants didn’t always agree, but that’s the beauty of working with free thinkers! Compiled by Ujeena Rana Photography ECS Media F or this issue of Conversations, we have Prabhat Shrestha, Director, Communication & Development, Samriddhi - The Prosperity Foundation and Pravin Raj Joshi and Brijendra R. Joshi who brought the Startup Weekend event to Kathmandu. Both parties are working towards promoting entrepreneurship and creating entrepreneurs. 60 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 SWK: Do you know what happens at Startup Weekend Kathmandu (SWK)? Samriddhi: Not exactly. SWK: Startup Weekend is a grass-root movement to promote entrepreneurship. Participants pitching their ideas in 60 sec time. Samriddhi: More like an elevator pitch. SWK: Exactly. Pitching in about 150 words. There is a networking session after that. Ideas get voted and selected. Samriddhi: We also do a mock up exercise in Arthalaya (an education and training exercise under Samriddhi) wherein teams are formed, real-life situations are created, and solutions worked on. SWK: With Startup Weekend, teams are formed from the participants attending. Each team has to produce a product and show it to the judges at the end of 54 hours. Samriddhi: Ours is a five day camp. Is yours only IT based? SWK: Because of the 54-hour timeframe of SWK, we tend to attract the IT crowd. Because that’s the only area wherein results can be visibly generated within 54 hours. However, Startup Weekend global has sessions done in Education, Social Cause, Health etc. We are also trying to do one on Social Issue. Also, why SWK predominately works on mobile apps and website creation because it is in demand; whatever developments have been made in the entrepreneurship area uses IT in a meaningful way. Samriddhi: How are the winning ideas selected then? SWK: The winners are selected on the basis of the formulated business plan, its execution route and its closeness to reality. While the participants are working on their presentation, there are mentors helping them in the process. There are no monetary rewards but now the plan is to facilitate mentorship service to the winners. Samriddhi: And who are these mentors for your programs? SWK: Mentors are investors, entrepreneurs, and others. Samriddhi: One of our efforts, since last two years, has been in creating an ecosystem. In the last five years, since Samriddhi has been in operation, what we realized is there are a lot of organizations and individuals like you, who try build small components. Entrepreneurship can never be worked on by a single individual or a small group. You are creating IT entrepreneurs and there is EFN (Entrepreneurs for Nepal) who is creating a platform whereby they inspire the younger generation and create entrepreneurs while Biruwa is providing spaces and helping newer businesses to startup. So it is not one person or one organization’s effort anymore. We are trying to collaborate with all these varying institutes who are creating entrepreneurs and promoting entrepreneurship. We have been working with Biruwa and EFN. And now that we have met, we can work together to make this ecosystem work better. SWK: What are the problems that Samriddhi has encountered all these years? Samriddhi: One of the bigger problems we faced during our working all these years was to deal with the mind set that profit making is bad. SWK: It could be because if you look into history books people have understood entrepreneurship as trading. The earlier Kathmandu businessmen traded everything and people got ripped off. Samriddhi: No, I wouldn’t say that. Kathmandu was the trade route between India and Tibet and that created opportunities for locals. There is a debate as in who to call entrepreneurs. What’s the difference between a small scale businessman and an entrepreneur? What I believe is entrepreneurship is about innovation first, it is not just about doing things the way it is, also it is about expandability, being able to replicate things. At the end of the day, both businessmen and entrepreneurs are for profit SWK may not produce all successes but one of the things it can do for you is allow you to fail gracefully. making. Utilizing resources in different ways, creativity, getting the best out of what you have differentiates an entrepreneur. And what’s the harm in generating profit? SW: The way we see it is entrepreneurship is a smart solution to problems. Samriddhi: Okay. One thing I want to know is, are your participants fresh graduates? Or are they already doing something? SW: We have both. We have people between the age bracket of 24 to 34. See, at Startup Weekend, you get to test your idea and get validated by peers and experts. It is actually good that you can fail at SWK. Failure is an option. Samriddhi: Yes, you should fail at least once. SWK: SWK may not produce all successes but one of the things it can do for you is allow you to fail gracefully. The problem is in our culture. We only publish and endorse the success stories. Take for example the SLC episode. People are afraid to fail. We are trained to not try and fail. That’s why we look for safer options - the 9 to 5 jobs. Also, the older generation doesn’t allow the younger generation to try new things. That way we are losing possible entrepreneurs. We aren’t taught to form ideas, share ideas. Samriddhi: Risk taking is not promoted. I don’t think it is culture, I would say it is more to do with our education system. In school, we aren’t encouraged to ask questions to our teachers. Students aren’t encouraged to interact with the teachers. SWK: We just need people to think a little differently. Samriddhi: People who are ready to take risks and minimize risks. One of the reasons behind starting up Samriddhi was when during the 2006 revolution, people were just focused on the political changes, things were revolving around politics. Political issues was always put in the front even at the bureaucratic level. For the most part, we work J 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 61 on economic policies. For any economy to grow, one of the key elements are entrepreneurs- the innovators. If we want to see a prosperous Nepal, we need to groom entrepreneurs, help the younger generation, assist them, create platforms and advocate about it. It is not just creating entrepreneurs but we need to make the environment viable for them to work. For example, it is an arduous job to register your company here. In some countries, you can do that within 24 hours and that too online. But here we have to know people, wait months to get it done. SWK: No, registry is not a lengthy process these days. We registered in two days. Samriddhi: All by yourself? SWK: Yeah. The actual problem is that we don’t know the process. There is noone to guide you. No one will tell you what to do to get the job done. So even if it is a day’s work, because you aren’t informed on the process, you are lost in the labyrinth. Samriddhi: The required viable conditions for entrepreneurship isn’t facilitated. SWK: If there is all the necessary infrastructure ready, you probably don’t need entrepreneurs to fiddle with ideas to recover those problems. If everything is there, it becomes difficult to create a new thing, isn’t it? Problems are good for entrepreneurs. We have problems, we have people to solve them. Nepal is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs. 62 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Agreeing to disagree is an important skill to have for an entrepreneur. Samriddhi: Yes. I agree that the more the problems in society, the better the breeding ground for entrepreneurs. What I was trying to say was if someone wants to start a business, that process within the legal framework is difficult; that itself becomes a challenge. SW: I agree that there are challenges, but you can’t expect services available abroad to exist here. We will never have that kind of service. Samriddhi: Why not? SWK: Why have it? This system is perfectly nice if you can do it. Samriddhi: I wouldn’t say that. SW: Things get done here if we put a little effort into it. The problem in Nepal is that there is no one to tell you, no one to guide you when you visit these government offices. There you will find entrepreneurs making money out of it, though. They see opportunity in the situation and they are doing it. Samriddhi: It’s like saying the bank robbers are still entrepreneurs. SWK: If you can’t keep your bank safe, there will always be robbers who will take that opportunity. Having said that, creating opportunity for people outside the capital is pretty difficult. We don’t want to keep it Kathmandu centric, but people there have to take charge, find mentors there. If some people from Doti are willing to take the initiative, we can have Startup Weekend Doti. But the initial interest has to come from them. We aren’t catering to individuals, if there is a group, then why not. It is just impossible to take mentors there.We can find people who want to go there voluntarily for once to groom them/ mentor them. Samriddhi: But once is not good. SWK: But if you go there once, people can at least learn something. It is about connecting the dots. Samriddhi: One of the challenges I see with groups like ours is apparently it is not just about giving entrepreneurship training once and the job is done. That doesn’t make much difference. Yes, there are exceptionally brilliant people who can take it up even in one session, but in general, the impact is not there. With Arthalaya, what we learnt was the more you follow up, the more the chances that they will succeed. Constant follow up has to be done. SWK: I agree that the follow up is required but if there is a bunch of people and you can help them even once, that does a lot for them. Samriddhi: Yeah. SWK: There has to be both. A long term and a short term mentoring system. I think the development sector is looking into it. Samriddhi: I don’t think funding alone can help. SWK: Other major challenges, I would say is for entrepreneurship to get connected. When you need people to share ideas with, critique, find possible investors, there are none. The connection is missing. Not everybody can connect the dots. One platform we can create or work on is where people can just come and meet - just informally and share ideas, meet people. Samriddhi: There was something like that before it was led by NBI (National Business Initiative) by Anil Shah and Mahabir Pun. SWK: But they were focused on the development sector only, right? What we need is a common platform where all kinds of people can come in. Samriddhi: No. It was targeted for everyone. It was for better networking. But they did it only once. SWK: Then they should do it. Ours is more or less like that actually. Samriddhi: We also thought about it a bit, that’s why in the second half of the Last Thursdays which we do with EFN, there is an interaction/networking session where inspiring entrepreneurs can chat and mingle with the experts. SWK: That’s good. Finding a platform for networking is something people and organizations like yours can work on. But, there will be people who would complain about the heavy flow of students and only being on the giving side. Samriddhi: But it is amazing to see the number of students taking part in such entrepreneurship events. They are the future. They are the ones who will be deciding what they want to do after graduation. And there are good chances that they will be starting their own businesses rather than becoming doctors and engineers. They can at least have an option of starting up something of their own. SWK: There has been a change in mentality. People are coming back and starting their own ventures - be it tomato farming or animal husbandry. People have stared to realize that entrepreneurship can be reap good harvests. From our first session, three ideas started on their own, four ideas got mentoring. Samriddhi: You don’t charge them? SWK: The networking service we provide is free of cost. We are volunteers. We only charge for the event. The after event counseling is free of cost. It is just the start and we know things might get difficult. But we have a long way to go. Samriddhi: Since it’s operation till date, we have been able to generate 50 entrepreneurs for the country. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 63 team 7 habits of the highly effective entrepreneur Entrepreneurs need to take up numerous roles in their company – sort of a jack of all. With so many hats to wear, they need to master quite a number of distinct skills. How do they do it and what are the ingredients that go into making an efficient entrepreneur? Text Ansubha Manandhar Illustration Kayo Siddhi reamers eat, live and sleep with their ideas. Entrepreneurs are dreamers with weapons – they have the skills to materialize their ideas. They are the curious kind, with a knack for problem solving. They bleed new ideas every moment and can be very persistent. Even better, they know how to choose people that will help them live their dreams. Four busy and budding entrepreneurs, Avash Ghimire from Maidan, Ankit Rana from Biruwa Ventures, and Sanam Chitrakar and Abhinav Shakya from Aadhar provide insight on the habits they consider essential for great entrepreneurs. D Constantly discussing and sharing ideas Entrepreneurs enjoy talking about new ideas. Whether it is while hanging out at a bar or at a party, they are constantly throwing ideas around, as part of their thought process and to speculate possibilities. The idea may not be executed but they continuously 64 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 identify problems and look for solutions. Why is it important? “There are millions of ideas going on in our mind. If we share some of them, other people can pitch in their ideas too. We Nepalese don’t have that habit, but I think it gives us a chance to refine the idea and test its feasibility,” says Sanam Chitrakar, Managing Partner at Aadhar Development and Business Consultants Pvt Ltd. Being persuasive Unless you have great financial backup, many successful entrepreneurs say that success depends upon how well you are able to motivate people and persuade them to invest in your dreams. The capacity to mobilize people is a great gift. To do that, entrepreneurs need to have the ability to empathize with people, understand them, and explain ideas from the other person’s perspective. People reciprocate when they feel you’re genuinely interested in them and are not there for networking alone. Looking at problems as opportunities We aren’t short of problems in Kathmandu. Some people look at them as opportunities and reap the benefits. Avash Ghimire is doing really well with the idea of Maidan – an indoor football field. “There are a lot of houses in Kathmandu now and there’s hardly any place to play. If there is, the maintenance is poor.” So his friends and him took it upon themselves to open a cool indoor space for football enthusiasts. By successfully getting youngsters and even corporate clients who play football to come play, Maidon has hit bull’s eye. Relating ideas and real life situations Entrepreneurs have the habit of taking live examples and applying it in business. It helps with the “how to do it” part of the work. For example, Abhinav and Sanam who are now partners at Aadhar, worked for different companies before, but in the same premises. “My friends were complaining that they did not have a computer for research or a system through which they could get substantial data for business. I knew that Sanam was into research for social organizations, so all I had to do was get his guidance and expertise in methods of research in social organizations and apply it to a business,” says Abhinav Shakya, Managing Partner at Adhaar Development and Business Consultant. Stubborn focus Entrepreneurs display a level of focus with determination while working on their idea that is both important for their work and also contagious. Putting those blinders on while working on a project, free of distractions and with dogged determination is crucial for an entrepreneur. Picking a good combination of strikers and defenders Some entrepreneurs choose teammates whose personalities are strikingly in contrast to theirs. This can create an balance while making decisions; one stating the pros and the other stating the cons of an idea or decision. “After all, even if you have five good strikers in a football team, you may not have a guaranteed win because you still need a good defense,” says Ankit of Biruwa. His team members are apparently like that - one is outgoing and the other a critical thinker. Both have the same vision for the company though. Showing a piece of your mind When patients don’t communicate well, doctors have a tough time diagnosing the disease. Good communication is essential for an entrepreneur to have mutual understanding with his team and to give direction to the company. If you don’t share your vision, objectives or even your problems well, your ship may not withstand the storm. Effective entrepreneurs are generally excellent communicators and tend to share their expectations and intentions clearly with people. V 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 65 feature handshakes for dummies There’s handshakes and there’s the hands we encounter at work everyday. Decipher colleagues’ personalities and get the upper… hand at work. Text Utsav Shakya Photography ECS Media hat’s there to say about handshakes in an entrepreneurship magazine? Think about it. Its one of the ways that men (and women too for that matter) define relationships at the workplace. Shake it a little hard and it becomes a challenge, make the mistake of being the weaker hand in a “power shake” and you’re forever the wimp. Provided below is a handshake handbook to help you figure out who is who at work. Heed this advice. W The Hurtshake – The smiling young guy who offers his hand with a wide smile and then crushes your hand so hard you can almost feel his buttocks clench. These are the ones who got sidelined at the last round of appraisals and will now try to show who’s boss with their power-shake. The Self-destruct – The hyper guy or girl at work whose offer for a handshake self-destructs five seconds after they offer it to you, often leaving you with the tips of their fingers in what will appear to be your overtly enthusiastic hands. These are the office screw-ups, often meaning one thing and saying/doing another. Caution. The Feather – The shy and quiet one whose offer for a handshake will be so soft that you’re almost always made to feel like a pervert for shaking too hard no matter how soft you go. Be kind to these people, they’re the ones who work the hardest but get the least credit. Listen to them, help them out. And go soft-er next time. The Timer – The awkward handshake enthusiastic who will offer his hand a second too early and then change his mind, only to leave the other person’s hand hanging in mid-air and then offer his hand again to the person after they’ve already halfturned to leave. Result: Massive mortification and awkward laughter. This is the manager. Enough said. The Paw – The soft shake that surprises all by being not a horizontal offer but a vertical one, fingers pointed to the earth, confusing you with 66 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 a choice between shaking it like a bell or turning it over and converting it into a proper shake. This guy is still in the closet – don’t make this an issue. The schoolgirl – The extended handshaker, who comes up with various derivatives of the simple handshake and ends with fist bumps that should have stopped at age 12 but somehow managed to survive Y2K. Safely lodge your hands in your pocket while you pass this guy – he has unresolved issues. Accpet if you enjoy it too. The Lingerer – You know this one, the one who won’t let go, even when you’re already sweating and people are starting to stare at you. The trick is to withdraw as soon as you enter or else get ready to exchange sweat molecules. This is the friendly one, the one who wants to Facebook-friend his way up the corporate ladder. Pretend to not see him or carry something with both hands. The Elbow – The guy who offers his elbow when you give him your hand because he’s either eating or just coming back from the restroom. A considerate guy who’ll help you troubleshoot at work but the problem remains – what do you do with his elbow? Whatever you do, don’t squeeze it. The Pull – Saved the best for the last. This is the awkward one where you, yes you, my reader-my friend, misunderstand the other person’s attempt to pull you away from a speeding car as an invite for a hug and go all in – not wanting to offend – for a stiff shoulder bump while everyone around you muffles their laughter. Not happening. V Note: The characters in this story are not 100% fictional and might resemble living characters. Any resemblance and pun is intended, enjoyed and not at all regretted. online conversation VenturePlus online NEPALI ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON-THE-GO! Read Our Blog There’s no competing with digitial media when it comes to spreading the news quickly – so when we meet inspiring people, go to awesome events and even find a funny joke (about entrpreneurship) that we absolutely must share, this is where we put it. Just so you don’t have to wait for the print edition to hit the stands! Check Us out on Facebook Have ideas for stories, want to tell us about your company, organize an event with us or write/volunteer for us? VenturePlus is a platform for you - let us know through our Facebook Page. Also, we’re always organizing fun events where you can win prizes so LIKE us on Facebook already! Follow Our Twitter We’ve made it a point to tweet LIVE from the scene of the crime, (kidding!) – from exhibitions, events, and the like so that even though you might miss an event or two, you can always follow our tweets to be in the know. 140 characters that will keep you updated with entrepreneurial news, on-the-go! 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 67 help desk Ask the Expert ? VenturePlus’ Panel Of Experts is a team of experts from the Nepali entrepreneur scene. They bring distinct sets of skills to strengthen and discuss ideas with the VenturePlus. Additionally, these experts will also help solve the problems that you the reader can send to us. To have your questions answered, send in your queries to myventureplus@ gmail.com, message uson Facebook or send us a tweet. I have got a small retail business, with around ten people working for me. Lately, the sales have gone down but my staff is asking for a pay raise. It’s hard for me to come up with the salary every month, let alone be able to afford the raise. How can I keep my staff motivated when I can’t even afford sufficient salary? It may be wise to have an open and frank conversation with your employees regarding your company’s finances. Increasing the salary may hurt your business in the short run. Maybe you can come up with some sort of profit sharing program with your employees through which you can share your profits with your employees. This will create an incentive for your staff to stay on with the company during difficult times. Additionally, you may want to consider why your sales are going down. You can involve your staff in brainstorming ideas to increase your sales which will make them feel like they are part of the process of building your business and keep them motivated. If your business does turn around, the staff will gain through the profit sharing program. I have an idea which I think has a huge scope in Nepal. However, I am having trouble implementing the idea because conducting market research would not make sense financially. How important do you personally think market research is? And also, could you suggest few affordable tourism related data sources? Conducting market research is an integral part of your business’ development. Without proper market research, you will be shooting arrows in the dark, i.e. have a very low chance of hitting your target. If conducting a full scale market research is beyond your need, conduct some basic research. One basic form of research can be done through talking to people who have experience with the business you are opening. This will cost little and actually arm you with very useful information regarding your business. Before you talk to someone, develop an understanding of the type of information you are seeking and prepare a set of questions that will guide your conversation. Nepal Tourism Board regularly publishes data regarding tourist arrivals to Nepal. They are broken down by country, mode of arrival and purpose of visit. There are numerous reports online conducted by various stakeholders of the tourism industry that you can find easily by goggling search terms like “Nepal tourism statistics”, “Nepal tourism data”, “Nepal tourism market research”, etc. Me and my friend recently registered a partnersip firm, but due to some personal reasons we could not take our idea much further. We have done few initial work relating to establishing the business, but we haven’t made any transactions. How do we go about officially ceasing the firm, and as an alternative, can we try and sell the business? Yes, you can either sell the business or liquidate your firm. For that you would need to hire a liquidator. How long has it veen since you registered your firm? How many partners are there? If your partners agree, it would be a better option to sell the business instead of closing down. To hire a liquidator means more cost. Instead you can sell the company at a depreciated value. 68 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 quotes the face of entrepreneurship A musical instrument shop owner, an engineer making robots, a techie with Fortune 25 companies as clients - the Nepali entrepreneur comes in all avataars. Photography ECS Media "As am emtre[reneur I am doing what I like to do best, and where I am happy to be. I have never felt so much energy." SUJAN SHRESTHA Tone music, the new guitar and gadget outlet in Tangal is taking our ways in music to the next level. 70 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 "Entrepreneurship is indentifying needs of the society, and fulfiling them. It is about creating value. Return is not the end - is only a measure of that 'value" PRASHANT SINGH Hamri Bahini, an HCI initiative is taking on plastic bags, and at the same time is providing employment opportunities for many women Entrepreneurship is a philosophical journey driven by passion to change people's lives and challenge the status quo." BAL KRISHNA JOSHI Having revamped the way money is transfered to and from Nepal, Bal Krishna Joshi is taking online business to a different level. 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 71 quotes "Taking a problem, working on the solution with utmost passion and care, and finding a way to monetize it." NIRMAL THAPA Thapa’s Parakhi.com, a hotel booking site is making Nepali tourism more accessible to the rest of the world. "Entrepreneurship is to create value from vision, passion and hardwork." SHOKI SHAKYA As one of the founders of Kegarira.com, Shakya is an example of how to start young and hard. 72 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 "Entrepreneurship is about execution of ideas o solve unique problems. Its about disrupting the trend to create a new market; and having fun in the process." SUBRAT BASNET Thinking glocally, Basnet’s market research company - Grepsr’s provides services for companies around the world. 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 73 column Vidhan Rana is a Co-founder of Biruwa Ventures and can be contacted at vidhan@biruwa.net. reflections Comparing the Journey of a Startup NGO and a Startup Business Text Vidhan Rana Four years before I co-founded Biruwa Ventures, I was part of a team of volunteers at Santi School Project (SSP). Santi School’s first project was to build a school in a rural village in Sindhupalchowk. I was still in college in the U.S. when I committed to raise $5000 to help Christopher Heun (Chris), an American leading the initiative, to build the school. In the past six years that I have been associated with Santi School Project, we have had several learning experiences, troubling failures, exciting successes and key turning points. As Biruwa Ventures completes its first two years of operations, I cannot help but compare these two, albeit different, startup experiences. Here are some of my key reflections: Do your research When I talked to Chris for the first time on the phone in March 2007, I was looking to do something meaningful. I had been in the U.S. for more than two years and had started feeling a distance develop with my home country. I made the $5000 commitment based on a 15-minute conversation and a few emails from a senior alumna of Budhanilkantha School, who had met Chris. I asked some questions about the project and went along, assuming that Chris and other volunteers on the ground had already done the homework. When we decided to build the school, we already knew there was a school 30 minutes down the hill. But the local Tamang community was looking for a school that they could call their own - one with Tamang teachers. Hence, we moved forward. On the other hand, when the idea about Biruwa came to my mind in January 2011, I spent the next six months doing the research, interviewing fellow entrepreneurs and preparing a business plan. Not surprisingly, the first couple of years of the journey with Biruwa, for me, were much smoother than with Santi School. 74 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Start small At Santi School, we started with a budget of around Rs. 21 lakhs to build its first school. By the time the school was finished in 2008, we had spent over Rs. 30 lakhs. When we started Biruwa, our initial planned budget was over Rs. 65 lakhs. After getting advice from some experienced entrepreneurs, we reduced the initial investment to Rs. 4 lakh and later added another Rs. 4 lakh, after verifying that the business model worked. For Santi School, reducing the cost never became the priority. To be frank, we were more concerned about making the school happen than worry about the overall finances. If Santi School had started a dialogue with the nearby school about placing a few Tamang teachers at the school instead of beginning with the idea of building a new school, we could have started with around $3000 rather than the $30,000. Pivot (when necessary) This may be a new term for many. Simply put, pivoting is what you do when the course you are strategizing for your organization/company does not seem like a good choice. As a result, you change direction. At SSP, we quickly realized that we were headed in the wrong direction with the school. However, we had already started construction and made several commitments, so we made the strategic decision to finish building the school. However, our team decided that we would not build any more new schools. Rather, we would focus on rebuilding older schools that were in run-down conditions. Similarly, at Biruwa, we made a major pivot when we realized that the business plan competition we were organizing in November 2012 was not going as planned. We scrapped the competition but decided to continue working with the companies that had already submitted their applications. In the end, we made investments in two of the companies from the group. You cannot always be right. Both with NGOs and businesses, you go in with a lot of assumptions and some of those turn out to be wrong. NGOs and businesses both need to learn when pivoting is necessary, and act on it. Manage your growth If you do good work, success will come your way. This has been the case with both Santi School and Biruwa. By 2010, Santi School had renovated three other schools and conducted training for 25 teachers each, in eight primary schools in the VDC of Sindhupalchowk. Slowly, we expanded our program to Kavre and Lalitpur. The organization grew from a team of volunteers to hiring one project coordinator in 2009 and then hiring a program director in 2010. The organization also decided to leave the tutelage of Budhanilkantha School’s alumni Photo courtesy: Vidhan Rana Keep your focus Santi School began its work by building a school, but soon realized there was more need of renovation work of preexistent schools. As we did more renovation, we saw a real need of quality teachers at the schools we were working at. This led to an identity crisis. How do we market ourselves? What are we focused on? After much discussion, we decided all the work we did should focus on primary schools owned and operated by the government. We would only renovate government run primary schools and the training we provide would also focus on early childhood education for primary school teachers. So Santi School found its core focus in primary education. At Biruwa, we faced a similar choice recently as we started to get requests from established firms for business advice and consulting. This led to a good question-- should Biruwa only work with startups? We took some time to reflect. This was when we realized our focus did not need to be on just startup businesses. We enjoyed working with entrepreneurial people. If our prospective clients were doing entrepreneurial work, we showed interest. Plus, established businesses come with experience, which is always handy. Thus, Biruwa found its focus in entrepreneurs. Both NGOs and business startups need to evolve as their work progresses. At the same time, it is very important to keep your focus intact and not get distracted. association (SEBS) to register as a separate entity in 2010 in Nepal (it was registered in the U.S. in 2006). Without making this tough decision to separate from its supporting organization, Santi School’s growth would have been stunted. Biruwa on the other hand, grew from a small space of 800 square feet to over 4000 square feet within two years. When our team became overburdened with operational tasks, we decided to hire an operations manager. It was important for Santi School to realize that its growth would’ve been limited had it stayed within the alumni association. It was also important for Biruwa to acknowledge that without someone looking after the company’s operations, it would face severe difficulties. In a growing entity, there will always be operational issues. As NGOs or startup businesses grow, the sooner you address these issues, the easier it becomes to manage your growth. Though NGOs do not have to worry about business models, revenue streams and ROIs, the basic fundamentals of management are the same as for a startup business. NGOs needs to carry out in-depth research before beginning the work, manage its resources adequately, adapt when needed, keep a primary focus and manage its growth well, much like a business startup does. Too often, NGOs in Nepal miss these key management basics and growing pains, thus running into problems. Having been part of both startups, I have learnt a lot, and hope that this account serves as a lesson learned for future hopefuls who want to start something of their own. classified the recommender Feeling fat on a work day? Ever wondered how healthy you’d have been if there were more Saturdays and Sundays in a week? We often blame that extra pouch on our stomachs to the lack of free time that a chaotic work week brings. That can change, easily. Here are a few tips to easily include simple work-outsat work. The classic stairs You’ve never realized this but stairs do burn a lot of calories. While running is preferable over stairs for losing weight, stairs do the trick too. You might have heard it a million times but a 125 pound person burns 151 calories during 20 minutes of climbing stairs. That should be incentive enough! What does it do?It burns calories! Stairs are a great way of getting your heart beat up and is a good cardio work out for an ordinary day. When to do it?Opt for stairs over elevators when possible. Do this first thing in the morning or even before and after lunch. Feeling adventurous? Add a few flights if you want to freshen up during work (that could give you an excuse to visit your friend in the next floor too). Desk squats After sitting on that chair for a long time burning next to zero calories, try an imaginary chair.Standing straigh, bend your legs so you are in a sitting position with your thighs parallel to the ground. Make sure your knees are together. Hold for 15 seconds. Retain the standing position. Add 4 to 6 reps. You should feel breathless. What does it do?It burns fat and increases balance in your body. It also helps in overall muscle development. If you ask me, squats rock! When to do it?Preferably when you are alone(or if you have a very supportive work partner). Try squeezing it in during your off time but make sure you do it right. A quick video search will give you a better idea. The ab squeeze I found this one especially easy and effective. Take a deep breath and tighten the abdominal muscles. As you exhale, bring them towards your spine and squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps. What does it do?It works with your abdominal muscles. They make you tired which means you are burning calories as well. When to do it?Avoid doing it right after a meal. Look for a time when you are lighter in your stomach. (Anubhuti Poudyal) 78 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 Startup Weekend for Women concludes The 54 hard pressed hours of Startup Weekend ended on 7 July. Following the success of their first event in February, the second Startup Weekend tried to continue the streak, this time with another first – the first women-only Startup Weekend in Nepal. Same as the basic structure of Startup Weekends everywhere, the event saw participants pitch their ideas, and the highest voted ideas were worked upon in groups. All they had was 54 hours to get the final functional products ready. Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movementthat provides opportunity to pitch ideas, see what others think about them, and work on the idea to see what are the actualities behind the idea. It is the largest community of entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011. For those who have missed this opportunity, possibly for not being of the favored kind, or for not being in Kathmandu, there is a Startup Weekend happening in Pokhara soon. There is also a Global Battle version of Startup Weekend happening in November, with participants from more than 100 countries participating. Young Innovator’s Competition 2013 CG’s new Multimedia Audio Systems Nepal’s CG brand has just come up with a new range of Multimedia Audio Systems –CG-A503F, CG- A504F and CG-A202F, the missing part in your home theatre system. The A202F comes in 2.1 channel (2 satelite speakers and a sub-woofer), and the other two variants come in 5.1 channels (5 satelite speakers and a sub-woofer). The 50 watt (RMS) sub-woofer along with the 15 watt satelite speakers, helps you transform your multimedia device into something more. All three speakers are enclosed in wooden cabinets, and are equiped with LED display, full USB function, SC/MMC Card read and play function, and FM radio; and they also come with remote controls. Price: CG-A504F: Rs. 7,990 CG-A503F: Rs. 6,990 CG-A202F: Rs. 3,690 Available at CG brand’s authorized dealers 2050 Applications for Young Innovator’s Competition, an ITU Telecom Initiative,has just ended on June 30. Young innovators between the age of 18 and 26 have been sending their ideas, to provide solutions to global challenges using ICT, since March 30. The winners of the competition will be getting funding, as well as mentorship for their ideas.This year the competition focuses on the overall theme of ‘technological innovation driving social change’, focusing on six global challenges: • Improve youth and migrant employment opportunities • Reduce food and water wastage • Improve access to ICTs for marginalized groups • Improve natural disaster prediction and response • Improve road safety Protect sensitive personal data and inspire the creation of local digital content The ten finalists of the competition will be awarded USD 5,000 for the concept and USD 10,000 to bring to scale winning start-ups and will be invited to the ITU Telecom World 2013 to be held in Bangkok from November 19th to 22 where they will be mentored by high level industry representatives. the year RoboCup aims to beat the human world champion football team with its robot team Source: foxnews.com om 15 1 5 JJULY ULY U UL LY - 14 LY 14 AUG AUG UG 2013 201 20 2 01 0 13 | VenturePlus Vent Ve Vent ent en nt rreP ntur re eP e Pllu lus us 79 79 Juju’s cool new store in Jhamsikhel Some forgotten faces, some distinctly Nepali landmarks, symbols of unity of the people and what it means to be a Nepali – Juju’s tshirts bring it all together in a celebration of Nepali icons meets contemporary fashion. These elements are at the heart of Juju’s creations. Juju is a sister organization of Karuna, a company that exports clothes to countries like the US, Japan and even Europe. Simply put, Juju showcases the love of art with the love of country. Their spanking new store in Jhamsikhel (near Café Soma) with its smart interiors is a welcome treat to Patan locals and foreigners who want to try funky Nepali designs. Some of the designs featured are the Matsyendranath chariot, the Dharahara tower rocket, a Lakhey, Tongba, popular Nepali poets, Shah king Prithivi Narayan Shah, singer Narayan Gopal, a Nepali Spiderman, Tin Tin in Nepal, the Ghantaghar clock tower and thewishful Mechi to Mahakali Express train. The designs come from a list of Nepali and expat designers. The use of regular cotton, bamboo cotton, and hemp cotton all deliver a different experience. The average price for a tshirt is Rs 800. Wear one as a statement this summer or gift one as a great new Nepali souvenir. (Bitisha Shrestha) To the forests of the far-west What attracts most people to Bardiya is the amazing Bardiya National Park, with an area of 968 sq. km and adjoining Karnali river in the east. Most of the area is covered by lush forest and it is home to more than 600 species of fauna ranging from reptiles like the gharials and mugger crocodiles to mammals like rhinos, wild elephants, the Bengal tiger, and occasinally gaangetic dolhins! How do you get to Bardiya? • Take a bus from Kathmandu. It goes via Ambassa (where you get down) to Mahendranagar. The park is 14 km from Ambassa in a place called Thakurdawa. It’s a 30-minute bus ride, through beautiful Terai plains, to Thakurdawa from Ambassa. • The shorter option is flying to Nepalgunj and then take a 3-4 hour bus ride to Thakurdawa. Round trip prices for locals are in the range of 12000 rupees. What to do in Bardiya? There are plenty of options for nature lovers. You could do a Jungle safari, elephant safari, 80 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 jungle drives. You could go bird watching or even cycle your way through specific parts of the national park. A visit to the Gharial breeding center is a must. An entertaining one could be canoing across the beautiful Karnali river. (Anubhuti Poudyal) Great food at incr-edible prices Good food and high prices are almost complementary in Kathmandu. If you know can afford those prices, you get good food right?Not necessarily says the gang at Munchster. To all those who love their food and would love to find a place they can keep going back to, there’s a newly opened great option. In Jyatha, Thamel there is a place that you mustcheck out if you love great bargains on great food. The logic behind Munchster is the same – to serve their clientele with clean hygiencic food and to provide this service at a surprisingly reasonable price. As you might have guessed from the name, the menu has quick meals like burgers, wraps and sandwiches that are awesome to taste and easy on your pocket. There’s also a small selection of cold drinks to beat the humidity of a Kathmandu summer. To find Munchster, turn left from the first intersection in Thamel and go west till you come to Hotel Utse. Munchster is opposite that. For more info: 9841512540 (Anubhuti Poudyal) Rich Dad Poor Dad A Book by Robert Kiyosaki, an American investor and businessman, is a story of a person who learns unique approaches of succeeding in life from two fathers, poor dad being his own well educated but financially unstable father and rich dad being his best friend's father who is a multimillionaire eight grade drop out. Most of the book covers how the author learns from his rich dad ways to make money and compares it to how his poor dad was making huge money mistakes. The book advocates the need to work for ourselves and not for others.Highlighting the importance of investing and entrepreneurship the author states that in order to become wealthy we need to become our own boss and learn to be wise with our money before we have it, not after we have it. The author learns the importance of financial intelligence from his rich dad, which poor dad always failed to apply in life. This contrast of the rich versus the poor dad forms the basic concept of the book. Though it lacks in terms of concrete examples and is a little vague, the book does a fantastic job in teaching people how to think about work and money which makes it a good read for all young entrepreneurs. (Jenija Manandhar) The Social Network This one’s about one of the ultimate entrepreneurial success stories of the 21st century – that noun turned verb that describes a turn in social media and its effects on modern communication – Facebook. Directed by David Fincher, and starring Jesser Eisenberg in his career-defining role as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the movie follows the path of the entrepreneur as he travels at breakneck speed to establish Facebook. Eisenberg’s depcition of Zuckerberg is full of nuances that Fincher uses ably to describe the ambitions of the lead character. Right from the starting shot of Eisernberg being dumped by a romantic interest, the director opens up one personality trait after another, effectively allowing the character to stand naked to the audience. Although easy to get annoyed with at first, Finches plays with the movie-goers’ empathy to ask for sympathy for Zuckerberg, a victim of his own ambition and willpower, one who is never apologetic of the same but confused why people don’t get it. It’s a cult character that will echo with the aspirations of the entrepreneurs of our generation. Trent Reznor’s dark, brooding music lays down the perfect foundation for the story. 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 | VenturePlus 81 end note entrepreneur to-do list Ideas come from everywhere, but if we are able to use the right kind of idea at the right time, we can actually begin to bring change to our lives. Signing in with the same thought, these entrepreneurs share with us their idea to help us do better in times ahead. Text Shriju Bajracharya Illustration Prabal Shrestha iMANAGE We have a lot of problems in the city infrastructure such as damaged roads, uncollected garbage, broken drainage pipes, dangling wires, unwanted paintings and political slogans on the walls. These unmanaged blocks give an untidy look to the city. It can be better managed if the concerned authorities are better informed. I think we should create a “crowd sourcing” platform to report these problems. A mobile app that any user can use to take pictures of these issues and then later tag the picture with the GPS co-ordinates of the location and post them to a website (and Facebook) along with the problem description can perhaps inform the authorities better. This way they can take necessary steps to resolve the matters posted. Further, we could also add a voting system where the public could vote issues to emphasize on the given problem more. Subrat Basnet, grepsr Lots of entrepreneurs begin with great ideas but as time drifts by they fail to organize their works. They mess up their accounts (cash flows), tasks and eventually lose track of customers. Many startups have at least one or all of the above problems. Each and every beginner goes through this situation. So, the sooner they find a solution for it, the better it is. If we could find an app that could help us in managing and prioritizing our tasks along with our accounts and customers it would make work easier. An entrepreneurial app inclusive of mail, to do list, schedule, customer information could help us better. Pavitra Gautam, Karkhana 82 VenturePlus | 15 JULY - 14 AUG 2013 A smart card option of carrying license, bill book, etc could eradicate the necessity of carrying numerous documents. It could also be a recharge card to charge our phone with, withdraw fines by traffic in case one is caught breaking rules. We could also use the same smart card as a national identity number to identify a person. But having a solution to a problem that nobody has an idea about could keep continuing the things the way they are. If we could also demonstrate the solution to the problems people have by teaming a demonstrating unit we could actually reach out to people with the solution we have for their problems. The demonstrating unit needs to be portable and self sustained so that they can demonstrate the idea to people in rural area too. Pravin Raj Joshi, Co-organizer Startup Weekend One Card to Rule Them All Issue 03 7 HABITS OF THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEUR Issue 03, 15 July - 14 August 2013 / Rs. 60 ideas changing Nepali tourism A crop of new entrepreneurs are thinking out of the box to reimagine tourism in Nepal. They’re reaping the benefits too. 15 July - 14 August 2013 Going g bananas over marketing? g GO GUERILLA! + What you can learn from failure Re-introducing the Nepali Robot Are you ready to see robots fight it out in Nepal?