My story starting my own business.

 What does it take to transform a simple idea into a thriving business? As a highschool senior, I decided to go on a journey to find out. My idea was simple: contact local business owners and present them with my intention of making them their own specialized business website and then creating one with the help of AI tools and a few customisations in exchange for a small amount of money. It sounds straightforward, but the lessons I would learn throughout this process were far from being simple.

Filled with passion, excitement, and the thought of becoming rich at a young age, I began calling every single bookstore, hairdresser, and event planner in my city. After getting rejected by the first few of my potential clients I failed to get demotivated as my drive for success could not be constrained by a few failures. I tried again and again and again…., until there was no one else to call. All I was met with was a ‘no thank you’ or a ‘i'll get back to you’. Frustrated, I decided that this was not my piece of cake. I had always seen my father, who currently runs an educational institution, make deals and come to agreements with his clients and it seemed so effortless and executable, but stepping out into the field and trying to persuade business owners to believe in my idea was not as easy as it seemed. 

Just as I was about to abandon my entrepreneurial dream, I turned to my father for advice. His response to my problems were both simple and effective : ‘the key to a successful sale is being patient and doing your research’ he emphasized. Filled with a new sense of determination, I decided to give this plan another shot. Instead of cold calling several businesses, I began focusing on hairdressers and planners in my locality and predesigned a template for my website and even visited some stores as I thought that would be more persuasive and effective. 

This new strategy began to take off. A local party planner, impressed by my genuine interest and the quality of my work, agreed to a trial. After meeting up with the owner and presenting my well designed and customized website to him, decided to buy my product. Securing my first sale was an unforgettable milestone. And getting paid for my hard work was an incredibly rewarding experience. Eventually a hairdresser and book store owner followed suit.

Through this experience I gained a new understanding of patience and resilience. I learned that success doesn't come from rushing through tasks and forcing quick results, it comes from a lot of patience, trust and willingness to adapt and most importantly I also learnt the value of human connection in the business environment.

-Sujay Raju