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 Many amongst us harbour aspirations of starting a company at some point in our professional lives. Taking that leap of faith especially when you are making swift strides in a corporate career can be a tough decision! But entrepreneurs seldom see much but the shape of their dreams and the drive to achieve it all.
That was how it was to be for Prabha Hariharan, as she was getting smug with her job at a top notch retail company. She went on to start PSH CORP, a design and manufacture company for retail brands. Within a year the company boasted of clients such as Walmart, Future group, Dmart stores, Globus Stores, in addition to international designer brands like Freesoul and Pure & Simple.
For an entrepreneur, success can be a double edged sword. With success comes stretched goals and scaling up of the firm. This required multi-tasking from product management to client management, team building and funds. It is a tightrope that one walks on and this is exactly where the magic happens. The entrepreneur learns the nuances of decision making, hiring the right people, networking to get views of experts, financing opportunities and while doing all of this steering the ship so it remains on course. It is here that mentors and programs like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Programme (with the Indian School of Business (ISB)) play an important role in nurturing and critically evaluating one's business needs.
For an entrepreneur, it is important that you revisit and review your course from time to time. Evaluating your perspective, vision and aiming higher should be individual aspirations to beckon greater vistas.
In Prabha's case, the capital-intensive nature of her business and the early growth trajectory made her realize that her vision was higher than what she had imagined before she got in. To achieve that scale, it would need financial back up and a longer gestation period. She then decided to sell her company to an export house looking to diversify into the Indian domestic market. Their scale of operations would do justice to her company's vision.
The entrepreneurial stint gave Prabha the exposure and learnings that have held her in good stead ever since. Today as Business Head for Cross Border Trade at eBay Retail Exports (A Flipkart group company), it gives her immense happiness to lead a business that gives a platform to numerous SMEs, MSMEs and entrepreneurs to sell internationally.
Prabha holds a Master's in Fashion Technology from National Institute of Fashion Technology. She has also completed her post graduate studies in International Business from Loyola College. She has over 15 years of work experience in e-commerce and retail.
Here's wishing Prabha the very best for her future!
To read the complete issue click here.
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