Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Even lockdown couldn’t deter Meesho entrepreneur Ananya Roy Chowdhury from expanding her brand to far-flung corners of the country
Meesho entrepreneur Ananya Roy Chowdhury had always dreamed of owning a boutique of her own; a space where she could stock and curate beautiful clothes and jewellery for her customers. And, Ananya’s dream turned into a reality in May 2019, when she chanced upon the Meesho app, downloaded it and embarked on a journey to create Fashion n Style — her own boutique and brand.
An active member of the Meesho Community of entrepreneurs, Ananya has been a chemistry teacher for seven years now, but the avid online shopper could not let the opportunity to become an entrepreneur pass by when she saw an ad for the Meesho app on Facebook. A year and few months down the line, Ananya is not only an extremely successful entrepreneur today who mentors other women, and shares tips and tricks to turn their businesses successful like hers, but she also dreams big about the future of her own venture.
Read all about Ananya’s story in her own words:
Life before Meesho
I have been a chemistry teacher for the last seven years and am currently teaching high school students of The New Horizon High School in Kolkata. I love online shopping, and so when I saw the ad for Meesho on Facebook, I took to it naturally. I first purchased a product for myself and then decided to start my own business through Meesho.
My first customers were my colleagues at school and the people in my network of friends and family. Over time, I learned about the various platforms I could resell on, like Facebook marketplace, Instagram, WhatsApp Business, and more. and incorporated them into my business. Currently, I have customers pan-India and I have team Meesho to thank for it.
The work of being a teacher and a board examiner certainly keeps me busy and I also happen to have a YouTube channel called Ananya The Super Woman where I post about my travel adventures. But being a Meesho entrepreneur is my passion. I do all my work for Meesho around my existing schedule, and that way it is convenient for me to not overlook any aspect of my career.
Jab I became a reseller
My husband and my family are very supportive of all my decisions regarding my career. I especially have my sister-in-law Sremoyee Roy Chowdhury to thank for, because there are times where she helps me manage the business when I am unable to respond to the customers, and she also happens to be my business adviser.
I have always dreamt of having a boutique of my own. My mother Mallika Roy Chowdhury, who I am extremely inspired by, is a designer and used to have a small boutique of her own at home. On Meesho, I primarily sell jewellery and sarees. I try to curate them very carefully and with pride because my kindhearted mother was the same way with her physical boutique.
In many ways, I feel like I am fulfilling my mother’s unfinished dreams through my own business on Meesho.
Top tips to run a business
Meesho is extremely prompt with helping entrepreneurs with their queries, and whenever we approach the team with any issues, they sort it out immediately. In case there are any issues, the return policy is pretty great too. In that sense, I trust Meesho wholeheartedly.
My one tip for anyone trying to expand their Meesho business is to trust the company and to give your customers the best products available. Go through the product reviews, filter the products that have the Meesho guarantee, take feedback regularly from your customers, and go through product videos. There are many ways to discern the quality of the products and to develop a sense of trust — we try out all of them.
Another thing I try to do is create festival combos or seasonal combos by putting together products that are most in-demand during a particular period. These combos are extremely attractive to customers. It is all about making the customers feel safe and cared for. I also give tips to my customers on how to trim a dress properly or how to best accessorise it. My customers find these tips to be helpful and that’s why they like to shop from my brand.
I have attended three Mission Rise offline events — Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Siliguri — as a panellist talking about reselling on Facebook Marketplace and Instagram. I participated in the recently hosted season 3 of Mission Rise Connect for Bengali Meesho entrepreneurs as well. It has been a matter of great pride for me to represent so many resilient women at Mission Rise events. Even though I was financially independent before Meesho as a teacher, it was my passion to curate beautiful clothes and jewellery for people, and today I am able to do that because of Meesho.
Earning during lockdown
Since the lockdown began none of my customers were venturing out, and so when Meesho ensured that all the products I ordered were reaching me hassle-free, it worked out well for my business. My customers are extremely satisfied with how well I have been able to serve them during this period.
Even though the lockdown rules might have eased in many places, people still feel unsafe, and it was important for my customers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to get the products they ordered, at their doorstep. So, I focused on reaching out to my customers in places like Shimla, Ranikhet, Almora, Nainital, and more. where malls and shopping complexes aren’t all that common, and Meesho supported me completely by making timely and safe deliveries.
Next Meesho milestone
If I were to have a physical shop in Kolkata, my brand Fashion n Style would have been limited to Kolkata, but because I have a virtual boutique, my brand is able to cater to customers all over India, and my next goal is to expand this internationally. If Meesho starts international shipping, I will be the happiest entrepreneur. I know so many people outside of India who want to buy products from India and it is my next milestone to cater to them.
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