Every individual deserves equal opportunities in the market. Kamal Shah, the founder of Innovative Marketing is working to ensure that the underprivileged and the disadvantaged group of people of the nation, and especially women, get access to the market through proper marketing and promotion of their products. Kamal Shah aims to crowdsource and market locally produced goods, and bridge the gap between supply and demand of locally produced unique goods through his entrepreneurship.
Here is a short conversation with Mr. Shah.
1. Tell me about your journey to starting your venture? When did it start?
Innovative marketing is at its ideation stage. I was involved in importing business for about 8 to 10 years during which I discovered that it was very difficult to work when one didn’t have his/her own product. While importing, we face problems of complicated rules, regulations, and procedures. Along with this, the importing business is also not very beneficial either for customers, business or the country as a whole. Due to which I thought of engaging in production and manufacturing business. However, it had its own shares of problems.
Hence, I thought that it would be far better if we are able to market our local products. So, that is how the inception of Innovative marketing happened. Innovative marketing works to provide a marketing platform to domestic products produced by local skilled women, disadvantaged and underprivileged people.
2. What stage is the company in? What is your current staff strength and how many people did you start with?
Innovative marketing is in its conceptual phase. As of now, I am the only one working on this idea, but my friends are also interested to invest in Innovation Marketing.
3. How will you raise funds to start your company?
Initially, I am planning to self-invest in Innovation Marketing along with the help from my friends. I will also plan to approach microfinance and cooperatives for future growth purposes.
4. What social change do you see your product/service bringing in society?
Through Innovation Marketing, the women, especially in the rural areas will get job opportunities which will ultimately empower them. Women are highly skilled, and they make beautiful handmade products, but lack market opportunities. So, we will provide them with a platform to market their products.
Similarly, when women are empowered and have a stable income generation source, they will be able to fulfill the needs of their children and family, they will also be able to contribute to their children’s education which in return will work towards creating a better society and a nation. Also when women are empowered and employed, the gender discrimination that prevails in our society gets reduced to some extent.
5. What are the challenges that you are facing?
The very first challenge is to find the manufacturers and the producers who are both deserving and capable. The manufacturers are not present in one saturated single area; they are dispersed so finding them, I believe, will be one of the biggest challenges.
In addition to this, Innovative Marketing is not just a business, but like a campaign that will promote Nepali goods and products and uplift underprivileged, disadvantaged communities. This will require a lot of support from individuals, communities, and nations as a whole which is going to be very challenging.
6. Who are your target customers?
We will be targeting middle-class people who prefer using Nepali products as our purchasers and handicraft workers as our sellers. Furthermore, we will ensure that their products are marketed across Nepal rather than limited to only certain districts.
7. Does the business work on a self-sufficiency model or profit-making model?
Talking about the business model, initially, we will visit remote areas where locally produced goods do not have market access. We will then collect products from such places and sell them through online platforms.
We will also be using the offline platform where we will build franchise stores and distribute the products to be sold. We will buy the products from women and appoint women & youths in the franchise stores.
8. What are the key needs of your company?
The major need is to find deserving and capable manufacturers and producers who are in need of a platform to market their products. The next need is to have a perfect business model. Since Innovation Marketing is more of a social business we will be very happy to receive subsidies.
For more details about Innovative Marketing, please contact Kamal Shah at kamalshah.cec@gmail.com.
