The
International Women’s Day is finally here but is the world around us getting more
women-friendly or at least gender-neutral? This year, the UN theme for Women’s Day is
Inspiring Change, which not only encourages women’s advancement in every sphere of life but literally challenges the status quo that hinders the equality, economic empowerment and overall fulfilment of a tribe, glamorised as half the sky but often left with little opportunity to grow. But could it be the same scenario at the top of the pyramid?
In this fourth and last part of our
Power Women series,
Business Insider India chats with
finance professional and serial entrepreneur Ankita Tandon to know more about how women are doing in the
Indian start-up space,
entrepreneurship as a career opportunity and what it takes to make the most of that opportunity. Grab it while you can; the opportunity to tread a new path, to take up new challenges, to make lasting changes in your life won’t come every day. Look further afield, if one thing doesn’t work out for you or if you want to work across multiple fields like Ankita, in order to achieve that rare sense of fulfilment. Find out how you can be the change from this freewheeling conversation below.
From Finance to starting up was a unique experience At the beginning, I was more focused on Finance than start-ups and my career was designed that way. I am a Mumbai girl, studied Economics at
Jai Hind College and then joined
Warwick Business School for a post-graduate degree in Finance. I got placed with
Deutsche Bank in
London where I worked for two years. But by that time, I was keen to start a business of my own and decided to move back to Mumbai. In 2012, I co-founded a
start-up called
DeliveryChef.in (www.deliverychef.in), an online platform that allows users to order food online.
I am currently a core team member of another start-up called
CouponDunia.in (www.coupondunia.in). CouponDunia enables consumers to save money on their shopping and dining by distributing free coupons for India’s leading brands and retailers. I am also a guest lecture at Jai Hind College – so you may say, I enjoy doing different things.
Get out of your comfort zone to do something new That’s crucial, if you want to do something new and you are serious about it. For instance, I realised pretty early in my career that I could become a
banker at any point in my life. But then, I have an
entrepreneurial bent and I am extremely interested in start-ups and what’s happening in that space. Also, while working in London, I was exposed to a lot of businesses and ideas which were not explored in India at the time. Yet, the way our country was developing, it was quite clear that there would be tremendous opportunity back home. I knew if I wanted to capitalise on the opportunity and take the
entrepreneurial plunge, it had to be now… when I am young and have the risk appetite. So at that point, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and give entrepreneurship a shot.
Even now, it’s tough for female entrepreneurs
Starting up or being part of a start-up could be extremely rewarding and fiercely challenging at the same time. And it helps build character. Right from Day 1, you are accountable and responsible for practically everything – right from operations, finance and business development to HR and even office boy duties. Of course, it is very satisfying because you can clearly see the incremental differences you are making and the fruits of your efforts. That is not always the case if you are working for a large organisation where you are like a drop in the ocean.
But as a
woman entrepreneur, I have faced some challenges as well, especially during
fundraising. Many
investors were sceptical about backing female entrepreneurs and ask several personal questions about marriage plans, etc. It is a lot harder to get the buy-in of investors if you have an
all-woman founding team. We had to prove to the investors that we were serious about our business and personal decisions would not impact the company.
Believe in yourself and make it happen I read an interesting quote the other day... “Women can do everything that men can. And they can do it in high heels.” I honestly believe that women are blessed with creativity and natural talent; the only thing they lack is
self-belief. So I would urge all women to get hold of that
self-confidence and firmly believe that they can make it happen. I am sure they can succeed in anything when they put their heart and mind into it.
Another thing is extremely important when you decide to start up. Make sure you have the full support of your partner and family. Entrepreneurship is a tough and lonely
journey, and you may see long stretches without success, which is demoralising. If you don’t have a family that supports you and cheers you on to get over the finish line, you will start second-guessing yourself and may give up prematurely. Start up once; it’s worth it.
