Small steps to big success
In the big bad world an individual has to be patient and innovative to succeed; especially if s/he comes from a poor and dejected family background

By Jyotsna Singh
Hamidia Road is a busy street in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Both the sides are lined up with shops of all kinds. One can see showrooms as well as small enterprises here. One such small shop is that of Devendra. It is a photo studio called Aakriti Photos. In a busy market, you might not even notice it, but after knowing the enterprising work of Devendra, no one dares to miss it.

Devendra comes from a very poor class. He was raised in a family which was not able to make both the ends meet. He somehow managed to study till 10th standard. He enrolled for further studies, but could never manage to finish it. In the times of acute job crisis, he started working in a local studio. “I got to know that a photo studio in my locality required an assistant. I approached the owner. They were paying me peanuts; I could hardly manage anything beyond travel to that place in that. Yet I took up the job and continued for some time,” says Devendra.

He developed liking for the work and continued for more than six months. Then he planned to open a shop of his own. But it needed expertise in clicking photos and managing a whole shop and its finances. More than that, he needed initial investment, including that of a camera.

Devendra started working on this project. He figured out the places where the said training was offered. The MP government’s Industrial Training Institutes had a course which fitted his requirements. He approached an ITI. Staying in the state capital helped him as there were many ITIs in the city and he could find one that had the needed course. It was a short-term course, but enough for him to brush up the already learnt art.

Then the fight started for investment. Some money had been saved by the family. He applied to many banks but due to sheer lack of enough collateral, no bank gave him enough money for initial investment. Then he approached the government through various schemes. This made things easier for him. He could borrow Rs 20,000 and set-up a small shop. Rs 3,000 went into buying a camera. As there were not many photo studios in the area, his shop picked up.

It has been three years now. The shop is still a small one but is fitted with all modern technological material. Devendra has bought all the latest software to match up to the quality of the big shop owners. He has also bought a new camera worth Rs 25,000. “I realised that in the modern times it is important to keep yourself updated. People expect same quality from every photo studio. You cannot say that as I have a small set-up so I should be excused for a lesser quality of products,” explains Devendra.

His studio has many backgrounds and objects which act as accessories in the photos that he clicks. If one wants a plain background, many colours are available. If water or a field backdrop is required there are sufficient arrangements. Not just that. He has some toys for children, ethnic show pieces, a big sized horse etc to offer you a variety of things to get the pictures clicked with. The ethnic show pieces were the most interesting part as they are not available in most studios. Every piece was chosen with care and interest. Devendra also said that he had to be careful with the material of these props as he could not afford the ones which could break easily.

Devendra had the choice of getting a bigger space or an updated studio. He picked up the latter. “It was not an easy choice. Everybody wants to show off a bigger studio. It also builds reputation in the market. But all that will be short-lived if the real work is not worth it,” opines Devendra. Thus, he spent his savings from the work on better material for the shop show casing true management skills which an entrepreneur needs to understand - it’s better to be slow than to be rash.

This also fits in the budget. No one can keep the prices high in these competitive times. Thus the challenge before small business owners is doubled. “The bigger photo studios offer photos at the same price as smaller ones. They also have better facilities, brand name, and better experts. To compete with them I also have to keep prices low and deliver quality,” Says Devendra.

Ask about his dreams, and then list is long. He of course wants to shift to a new, bigger and better place which is also located up market. He wants to buy more computers and better software. More than anything else he wants, to buy a new camera which can beat all his competitors. This may cost him lakhs, but he is determined to get one soon.

A small enterprise like this also creates employment. Along with Devendra, his brother also works in the shop. He has two more employees. All of them work together happily. The earning from the shop ranges between Rs 10,000 - Rs 12,000. “I understand the needs of my employees as I have suffered too. But I also have limitations as my earning is also limited and I have bigger plans for the shop as well. So I encourage them to learn and stand on their own feet ,” says Devendra. He seems to have understood the lesson in life well and not selfish enough to keep it only to himself. Kudos to Devendra!

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