She shines in the beauty business!

This time, we make you meet a few brilliant womenpreneurs from the wellness, beauty and health sector who self created their businesses and are not just role models for a lot of people but these powerful women are also sharing the power of their livelihood with other aspiring females as franchisees and partners. Take a Bow!

Beauty is a way of life

Samantha Kochhar, Managing Director, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies grew up seeing her mother Dr Blossom Kochhar working hard towards making the company a big success. Samantha spent most of her childhood in her mother’s salon and back stage in fashion shows. When you grow up around glamour, it’s what you want to do. For Samantha, it’s been a way of life. She carries the responsibility to carry the legacy forward with the urge to give back to the industry as a responsible entrepreneur.

Opportunity for womenpreneurs

Apart from being the Managing Director of Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, I have also been the Chief Technical and Creative Director, Blossom Kochhar College of Creative Arts & Design for the past 25 years. BKCCAD acts as the apt platform for not only providing skilled and trained professionals to the industry, it also helps in improving skill quality as a training institute and encourages women who want to start a business of their own by providing then with franchises and training them to understand the nuances of the business. Since BKCCAD is well equipped with trained professionals from the industry, helps in providing knowledge and training to women who want to set up their own salons and business.

% of women in total workforce 50%

Biggest challenge as a womenprenur

It is easy to say that career must take priority but the trick is to ensure that personal responsibilities, chores, relationships are in harmony with the professional ones. I follow some specific rules as under since it actually helps you to get a reality check like try to set limits to work, treat personal time as seriously as you treat work time.

Advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs-Never forget the power within you

TEST OF BEING A MOTHER AND ENTREPRENEUR

Kiran Bawa, MD, IOSIS Wellness is associated with IOSIS since 2008 and is proud to have Shilpa Shetty Kundra, celebrity and Bollywood actress as her partner. She gives the credit of her success to her family, especially to brothers Karan and Vikram Bawa who have stood by as strong pillars and support her in the running of IOSIS. Coming from a business family and having a partner like Shilpa, it was not difficult for her to get the initial capital.

% of women workforce in IOSIS? 70%

Biggest challenge

The main challenge is being a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time. On the other hand, in managing all aspects of life, like social, family and business etc, health takes a back seat.

Advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs

Please study the business very well before getting into any financial commitments. Try and work under somebody from the industry you want to get into so that you understand the business completely. Also do a thorough R&D about the industry and business trends, products, services. If it is a people's business, then first hire a HR before you hire anybody else to maintain a strong team. Also finally ensure that you have funds to backup your working capital requirements in case you need funds for the initial 3-6 months.

Next step for 2015-16

We are very particular in selecting our franchisees as we are very quality conscious wherein we are more interested in ensuring that we break even and that our franchisees get returns.

MOTHER AT 16, NOW A PIONEER IN AYURVEDIC BEAUTY CARE

Shahnaz Husain, Chairperson and MD of Shahnaz Husain Group of companies has a successful track record of more than four decades. She heads the largest organisation of its kind in the world, with a global network of franchise salons, spa, retail outlets, beauty training academies, as well as 375 Ayurvedic formulations for beauty and health care. Shahnaz got married at the age of 15 and by the time, she was 16, she had become a mother. Life seemed perfect, but she was bored with the drudgery of endless routine. She started her first herbal salon in the verandah of her home in New Delhi, in 1971, in a very small way and began extending her salons on a unique franchise system. For the start she borrowed Rs.35,000 from her father.

Opportunity for womenpreneurs

I trained women and gave them the Shahnaz Herbal franchise by which they could carry out my specialised treatments. It was also the beginning of my franchise system and beauty training academy.

% of women in total workforce? 40%

Most memorable part of your story

Entering the international market is most memorable for me. I participated in the Festival of India in London in 1980 and was given a counter in the Perfumery Section at Selfridges. I was rubbing shoulders with the biggest international brand names. In an international cosmetic industry, where billions of dollars are spent on advertising and packaging in the face of fierce competition, I stuck to my guns and solo “India & Ayurveda” image. To everyone's surprise we sold out our consignment in 3 days, breaking the store's existing cosmetic sales records. The next day there was a headline in a London daily, “Herbal Hell Breaks Loose in Selfridges!”

SPREADING SMILES BY ENHANCING BEAUTY

Dr. Bharti Taneja, a cosmetologist, Aesthetician, Thermologist, Magneto therapist, Aroma therapist, Author, Founder Director of ALPS Group and most prominently called 'The Golden Lady' for introducing the 24 Karat Gold Facial. Bharti started her career in 1988 with just Rs 2000 and eventually proved to be the core of a giant group, known to the world as ALPS cosmetic Clinics Pvt Ltd with nine Beauty Clinics and eight Beauty Academies. Her make-up has graced famous faces like Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen etc. Bharti Taneja's nation-wide seminars about the latest technology & make-up make her famous amongst the beauticians all over the country.

How easy was managing funds?

Collecting funds is never an easy task. Yet I was luckily able to manage the funds with the help of Private Investing Firms.

% of women in total workforce? 80 %

Any memorable story in your professional life.

Few years ago, I came across a thyroid patient who was devoid of her eyebrows, lashes and even scalp hair when she visited us. This lady came to us for her permanent makeup session and looked frightened and depressed. However, the session was continued and I implemented her permanent makeup. I was happy to see her gaining her lost-esteem back and walking-out as a changed personality. The very next day, I heard that her engagement has been fixed and she was about to marry soon. I was overwhelmed to hear that news and accepted that as one of my biggest achievements of my professional life.

Advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs

Make sure to learn this art from an expert, professional academy that preaches scientific theoretical knowledge along with 100 per cent practical training approach.

Opportunities to aspiring females

Meena Ganesh, CEO and Co-Founder of Portea Medical started her venture in 2013. Portea Medical provides world class medical care services in the comfort of your home. Portea is already present in Malaysia and in 22 Indian cities like Bangalore, Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Faridabad etc. With Portea, you can now let the hospital come to you. Portea brings world class doctors, nurses and infrastructure to your home. Earlier, Meena has always been associated with big names in the professional front. A few of them include Microsoft India, NIIT, Pearson Education services.

What drives you to work every day?

The need to change, keep learning and do something new.

Opportunity for womenpreneurs

A majority of Portea Medical's workforce is female and we offer wonderful career opportunities on both the clinician-side as well as in other roles such as Customer Service, Quality, Marketing, Finance, HR etc.

% of women in total workforce-60%

Best part of being a womenpreneur

I recall a lady who was paralysed because of a stroke and was in her '80s. The Portea Physiotherapist had been working with the patient over a few weeks and the lady made gradual progress from being immobile to being able to sit up. I was present when this happened and the patient pointed to our Physiotherapist and said “He is my God!” in gratitude for the progress she had made.

Advice to women entrepreneurs

I try to mentor women to go all out and be all they can be without letting their own mental blocks get in

the way of their development.

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