Startup : A Word That Changing the Lives of Homemakers
Every startups are equally important to reduce poverty
What does a startup mean to you?
Several years ago, I associated this word with big investing.
Today, my idea is quite different.
I have seen a lot of changes in the lives of homemakers who were struggling to survive. And all of these became possible for some innovative startup businesses.
What happened first to make this change?
I am from India. Even ten to fifteen years ago, there was too much poverty in my village. But my village was known for its flower production.
Then a big flower market set up and everything gradually started to change. 90% of my village’s population makes their living through the flower industry now.
There are many home-based businesses based in this industry now.
What types of startups have they started?
I am just mentioning some of the most prominent ones……..
1. Making flower garlands for everyday puja ritual
Flowers are needed every day for the puja ritual in the Hindu community. A startup home business group has started based on this idea.
Women make thousands of garlands every day by hand. Then they supply those garlands to district and state markets.
Thus way their income has increased.
2. Making yarns to produce garlands
For making garlands, Yarn is a necessary ingredient. So, yarn making is also a business for uneducated homemakers in our community.
Local government imports cotton for making yarn. After that, they distribute it within different women’s self-help groups. Those women make yarn from that cotton.
Additionally, these yarns are used to make bags to carry the garlands to different markets.
3. Flower arrangement for decorating wedding venues and parties
Flower arrangement for parties is also a business idea within women of self-help groups.
Husbands of them grow flowers in their fields. Then women make flower arrangements for parties.
After that, another group of women takes them to different markets for selling.
Thus, a hierarchy has been established within the business community to ensure the smooth operation of all those functions.
There are also many more. And most importantly, all these businesses are based on the flower industry.
Why am I sharing these ideas with you?
I am sharing this to prove that a startup business can start at any time, with any investment. There is no limit. We only need the determination to prove ourselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic makes this especially important.
81 million jobs were lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2020.
And also, according to an MIT Sloan study, more than 24 million people in the US quit their jobs between April 2021 and September 2021.
