2020-21 has been tough for everyone and small businesses were no exception. Many startups, vendors and resellers struggled to stay open and break even. Yet, as Amazon’s 9 lakh+ network of small business and entrepreneurs show us, trying times birth real stories of inspiration and resilience. From artisans in Tripura selling online for the first time in the middle of the pandemic to women business owners going beyond borders and selling nutritional juices and educational toys, the stories of Amazon’s collective network of small business owners and sellers are both powerful and motivating.
Giving testament to how dynamic partnering with Amazon can be is business owner Ishan Soni who runs a gifting store that caters to millennial preferences. Owner of several branches across Delhi, Ishaan tells us, “In the first three months after opening the lockdown, Northland only saw 25% of footfalls. For small businesses like ours that weren’t part of the essential things, people needed, selling offline only became a huge challenge. "
This pushed Soni to begin his e-commerce journey on Amazon, which soon turned into a brilliant surprise. While orders picked up in-store, he says, “the response online was phenomenal. We were getting orders from as far as Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands." While his offline stores remain the primary source of sales, Soni believes that for his business, the combination of selling both online and offline is what will lead to more tangible long term success.
But Soni was not the only one to benefit and bounce back through this efficient online/offline balancing act. Mohammed Siddiq, whose business focuses on retailing an important product like inverter batteries, was initially wary of getting started online. But given the country’s state over the past two years, staying afloat was eating into his hard-earned savings. “After partnering with Amazon, we started seeing at least five orders every day, and this continued through the month. Finally, we weren’t dependent on just the shop sales." Thanks to Amazon’s massive network and innovative selling options, his business slowly gained momentum, and Siddiq was finally able to restart his offline store at full strength once again.
But what about businesses whose benefits were niche and essential in a very different way? Ashwini Malani started her company in 2014. She began with the purpose of delivering education and developing young students to become the best version of themselves through play. Her product range included designer toys that children could play with and learn at the same time. But uniqueness meant her audience was niche and depended solely on offline sales. But with the whole country coming to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, Malani says her sales “went down to zero." This was when she decided going online was the best course of action for her business and her workers.
With Amazon’s assistance, STEPS TO DO not only bounced back, but Ashwini says, “there’s no going back. Take my word for it. If you have a small business or are running something from your home, Amazon should be part of your business plan."
Each of these sellers represents thousands of others whose stories are similar and who are all willing to vouch for the support, network and marketing prowess of selling via Amazon. It provides the best avenue for growth for small businesses, by joining a large family of small Indian tradespeople, companies and service providers, and successfully bouncing back in the year ahead.
Learn more about how you can be part of the Amazon success circle by clicking here.
With constant support and a massive network to tap into, Amazon India has been enabling small businesses to achieve their goals in an ever changing and competitive market. Buoying these hard-working small businesses, Amazon erased the bounds of brick-and-mortar shops across India and made it possible for anyone with a great product or service to sell to do it out of their own homes.
If you’re thinking of starting your business journey online, click the link to find out how to get started.
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This article has been created by studio18 team on behalf of Amazon.
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