Pune, 23 Aug 2016
This year’s World Entrepreneurship Day started on a positive note for the city’s business owners, as it marked the launch of the ‘deAsra Connect Club,’ a unique initiative to provide business owners a support ecosystem, along with diverse networking opportunities. Launched by deAsra, a not-for-profit organisation that helps individuals set up their own successful business, the exclusive club will bring aspiring business owners, mentors, trainers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders together.
The launch event rolled out at the Dewang Mehta auditorium and was attended by over 180 business professionals from all walks of life across Pune, including city notables like Achyut Godbole (eminent business personality and writer), S.R. Joshi (Director, deAsra Foundation), Pradnya Godbole (CEO, deAsra Foundation), as well as senior mentors from deAsra. Others in the guest list included business owners who have assisted deAsra’s research team to prepare the business guides, leaders and members of various entrepreneur clubs, deAsra associates, and heads of vocational training institutes. The launch also felicitated small and medium business owners, who have been enabled by deAsra.
Mr. Godbole was the key speaker at the event, and held the audience captive with his informative talk on Management Mantras for Business Success. The program ended on a high note, with invitees making new connections and growing their professional network over High Tea.
Small businesses can make a big difference for the country.
What could help solve the enormous problem of unemployment in the country? For Dr. Anand Deshpande, founder of deAsra and founder and Chairman of Persistent, self-employment is the way forward – more ‘Made-in-India’ businesses can create more job opportunities. deAsra was established with this ultimate goal in mind, and the deAsra Connect Club is a major leap in this direction. This exclusive club will help members set up and grow their business successfully, while expanding their circle of business acquaintances, almost like an offline, face-to-face, Linkedin. Says Pradnya Godbole, “This is a club for small business owners, of them and by them. The deAsra Connect platform will also help us better understand how we can help business owners, while motivating fence-sitters to take up entrepreneurship.” For Mr. S.R. Joshi, educating people about entrepreneurship is primordial. “Our monthly magazine, Yashaswi Udyojak, explains business nuances in plain and simple terms for the benefit of all.”
Be tenacious, determined and risk-ready
These 3 qualities were highlighted by Mr. Godbole as the key deciding factors of entrepreneurial success. “Every year, 10 lac people come to Pune looking for a job. Enabling self-employment is the best way to answer to this growing supply of labour force,” he says.
“However, to be a successful entrepreneur, one must have a never-say-die attitude, be ready to take risks and never give up. Thomas Edison failed 1500 times before he succeeded. Fear of failure should not stop entrepreneurs.” Mr. Godbole also shed light on the rapidly changing face of technology and how one can use this to their advantage. “During the technology shift, many cartoonists at Walt Disney lost their jobs because they could not adapt fast enough. So spot opportunities fast, and ride the technology wave ahead of others,” he concludes.
Bright future ahead
With a membership count of 100 business professionals already, the deAsra Connect Club seems all set to make new inroads in the space of self-employment. Says Sanjeev Bhargava, founder of Yogiraj Tours and Travels, and a member of the club, “This is a great initiative and a wonderful platform to meet and network with fellow entrepreneurs. I look forward to the exciting activities in store.”