Month: August 2013

Licences for Starting Small Business in Kerala

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
One of the most dreadful thought that comes across any small business owners is the hassles of getting Govt sanction. We in India, our bureaucrats are known for their creative skills at making confusing laws that opens doors for thousand interpretations. In effect, these come as the nemesis for most small biz owner.

There’s no escape  from these mandatory certificates, and only way available now is to overcome with solid will power and sheer determination. Despite all the efforts, our God’s Own Country has witness many premature closure of business, but for these laws.

So, in this post, I’m sharing frequently asked questions by small business owners and also the related answers.

  1. Whom do I approach to get small business license in Kerala? 
  2. Where are the regional offices located? 
  3. How to set up a catering unit in Trivandrum or a spa in Kottayam? 
  4. What kind of licences should I have to start a hotel in Kerala? 
  5. How can I apply for a licence to start a resort or home stay in Kerala? 
  6. Is there a agency to help me in procuring all the licences? ( Biz opportunity here)
  7. Do I need a license for running a tuition center? 
  8. I’m selling food from home – Which license should I have?
  9. How can I set up a pub in Kerala or a discotheque?
  10. Where can I get SSI registeration?
  11. What about food license?
  12. How to set up a machinery or packing business in Kollam?

Links to different sources:

How to register a company in Kerala? Source: http://www.signsandmarks.com/

Registration Department  ( Govt of Kerala)

Registration of Small Scale Industries(SSIs) 

Your inputs is valuable and it will help many others hunting for different licenses. I suggest you to share links or put the rules on a blog. 

Training Institute – Accounting Outsourcing Jobs

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Accounting outsourcing projects to India are on the rise. This is a good news for B.com graduates, and for finance professionals in India. The spurt in accounting outsourcing projects are creating plenty of openings in various BPO’s and KPO’s situated in Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Technopark Trivandrum, and even in smaller towns in India.

Despite the demand for accounting profs, only a small fraction people living in big cities has knowledge, access about these openings. So, why is this break in information? Why are most students in tier two cites unaware of the big career potential?

These are related questions that popped up on my mind:

  • Why are MBA or other degree colleges ignorant of these opportunities? Why are teachers, college administrators or career councilors failing to inform students?
  • Is there a place for finance or B.com graduates to evaluate the skills for a accounting job at a KPO?
  • Does anyone train people on accounting jobs? ( sample test paper, brushing accounting skills, accent training, etc ) 
  • How many finance graduates from small towns like Kollam or Kottayam know about this opportunity?
  • Do you know a mentor, trainer or a recruitment agency who does accounting skill training?

Besides this, there are only few institutes offering training to freshers or accounting profs.

Big Opportunity – Start a Accounting Recruitment Center cum Training Centre

Start a HR firm which trains, educates, mentors and places students. If you’re from a smaller city, then you can help lot of clueless students a new career path.

How to Start such an opportunity? There’s hard work here, but results will be obvious.

Collect the various openings, the job description in each profile, and provide this information to students.

  1. Meet the HR staff in various companies to find the job openings in accounting 
  2. Join different finance groups, individuals through LinkedIn
  3. Segment the job based on skills sets
  4. Collect the job description for each of the opening
  5. Also collect the sample questions and practical aspects of the job
  6. Train prospective candidates

Usual set of openings in accounting process: General Ledger Specialists, Pay roll, Bills Receivable, Accounting Specialists, Reconciliation, etc.

Small Business Social Media Marketing

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Books to Read on Social Media – Guerrialla Social Media Marketing

After reading couple of pages from Jay Conrad Levinson’s book, I thought of sharing few points on social media marketing / marketing. If you’re into marketing, I recommend this for a good read. There’re many takeaways from this book, but I’m sharing few points that connected with me.

Ideas to build an authentic brand

  1. Make promise that you can always live by – today, tomorrow and forever
  2. Become customer focused – Sell to the needs of the customer
  3. Be consistent
  4. Avoid taking the shortcuts route to biz
  5. Take critical feedback in the right sense. Don’t try to cover it up (brands are human)
  6. Focus on a distinct area of true competency and expertise ( A very, very VALID point) 

If you need a help or advise on promoting your small business through social channels, then you can get in touch me at bcc2charles@gmail.com or give a call.

Just Confessing – I’ve a Bad Habit

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Google Prompt – Why Indian men stare

I’m an average Indian, with all the goodness and failing. I have to confess that I’ve my share of stereotyped traits of a typical bad-ass India male. It’s seems there are no shortage of people like me. You can see them STARING at you for no apparent reason.

Staring at Women – A collective Pshyo
So, why do Indian men stare at women? I believe it’s for an obvious reason or just for curiosity sake or is to spot out the difference? Why is it so rampant in India, and it seems it’s acceptable behavior here?
As a women, do you feel they are invading your privacy?
Do you feel less-dignified?
Do you feel vulnerable?
Do you feel violated?

I believe most men look or stare at women to spot revealing body or cleavage or cheeky cheeks or gyrating buttocks (behind stare) or belly, etc?

Off late, I was caught by a known friend when she found that I was eyeing her. I felt bad when I noticed that they caught me off-guard staring at them. Also, felt bad and feels sorry that I made them feel uncomfortable.

I’m just wondering…
As a parent will you teach your kids the right way to behave when they go out? Does a finishing school or your regular school tell you the right way to look – look into their eyes and talk. While occasional transgression is fine, constant prying eyes is not a good habit to live with.

Here are few good reads from the net:

1) The Observer or the star gazer kind.or the X ray vision – from Huffington Post

2) Question about starring in Quora and the replies

3) Peek-a-boo Being Physical 

Start Elder Care Services in Kerala

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Poster of Elder Care Services

Saw this promotional standee outside an elder care services. And this triggered an idea about setting similar elder care services in Kerala.

Kerala – Big Opportunity for Elder Care Services 
With a rising aging population in Kerala, the need for care, and attention is on the rise. Most young Keralites are working outside the state. You can find Malayalee’s in US, UK, Autralia and a big tribe in Middle East. While they are working abroad, their aged parents are still in town. So, who’s taking care of them? Is your relatives and friends taking care of their needs? Not for everyone!

So, here lies another biz opportunity. You can start an elder care service in any part of Kerala. It could be a::

  • Old age home or shelter for aging people
  • Home medical care and attention
  • Companion for aged parents
  • Agency to take care of sundry work for aged people
  • Provide house maids, drivers, cleaners, plumbers, etc for senior citizesn
  • Deliver massage, pedicure, hair cut for elders 
  • Provide home nurses to aged cpls or individuals
In Kerala, esp in places like Kottayam, Thiruvalla, I’ve seen many big houses either locked or with only parents. Most of these old couples are not willing to live with their kids, or in some cases kids are not in a position to take them. This creates a very difficult situation for siblings and for the parents. 
This is where you can provide real, value-added service to these people. These people have money to spend for their parents, but they are loving for someone who can be in their place and take care of them. 
Do you have a heart to run a small home business taking care of these elders? 

Healthier Profits for KTDC’s Museum Outlet

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Fruit Sip – Only at KTDC Cafeteria

What’s KTDC doing with cash cow

Napier Museum and the surrounding green space is the green factory for Trivandrum. It’s remarkable architecture, grass slopes, flower beds, white chairs, all adds beauty and charm to this place. Napier Museum and Zoo attracts thousands of visitors from India and abroad..

Despite the heavy rush of tourist, there’s only one KTDC restaurant catering to all these people. So, what is about this cafeteria unit.

What’s KTDC Serves
It serves machine made coffee/tea, bottled juice (Sip-up) , potato filled cutlet and some plain flavored ice cream. It’s perpetually Despite the advantage position, it’s runs like a sick unit.

Go Thirsty Folks
There’s no sales of bottled drinking water, as plastic bottles are banned inside the museum. Sometimes, I wonder why get into some archaic rules that helps no one.

Golden Goose of KTDC
The cafeteria is a true monopoly for KTDC. No private vendor can set foot in this holy land. Despite all the freedom,  this place still clinks to the age old menu. Why?

Besides, you can’t find any popular brands like Pepsi or Coke? Again answer is a mystery. Instead you’ll get some unknown brand with the name ‘Fruitsip’. Where else do you get ‘Fuitsip’. I haven’t found this drink anywhere in Trivandrum, but in Museum cafeteria.

While this unit inside museum can triple or make 10 times the existing profit, it still prefers this level of archaic service. Apart from profit factor, it can also give visitors a memorable experience by providing more choices of juice, (fresh or bottled), better quality coffee/tea ( Hand made or machine made) or even give then tender coconut water (an healthy option).

So, I’m venting out few suggestions, hoping that some big wigs from KTDC department will wake and do something about it.

  1. Replace those old plastic chairs with better ones
  2. Keep additional staff (women) who can smile and deliver better service
  3. Provide better choice of aerated drinks (Pepsi or Coke) or packed juice like ( Tropicana)
  4. Replace old vending machine and introduce a better coffee vending machine 
  5. Have a separate counter for hand-made team or filter coffee ( Chai Point stall kind)
  6. Pls give more options, apart form Fruitsip 
  7. Go natural and healthy by providing fresh tender coconut water 
  8. Sell Napier museum memorabilia in a separate counter ( T shirts, key chains, fridge magnets)

These are points I could figure out. I think, you can add more to it. I hope the big brass from KTDC will have a chance to see my suggestion and act on it.

To Bigger Profits for KTDC!

Become a Personal Fitness Instructor

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Are you a fitness freak?
Do you love sharing your fitness mantra to others?

In India, having a personal fitness trainer is relatively new concept. We only hear of celebrities or high-income people hiring personal trainers, but not in a next door gym.

Thank to the high disposable income of new gen, we see more gyms have personal fitness trainer on their rolls. Recently a colleague, said her gym gave her an option to pay extra and avail the service of a persoanl trainer.

Be a Physical Trainer
If you’re a women reading, then opportunities are more. Here’s the story of a homemaker turned celebrity fitness trainer. Yes, you too can join the six pack club and start earning six figure income.

Coconut Tender Water at Your Doorstep

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Recently I had this experience while buying tender coconut water at Trivandrum. I walked to a road side tender coconut seller and asked if he could deliver tender coconut daily to my house. He bluntly barked a BIG NO. Then, I requested again saying that my mom is not keeping well and there’s no one to come to your stall. Again a firm NO.

So, what’s the opportunity here!
There are many sons, daughters who are away from their home, and would love to have some home delivery service. Can anyone come to pocket this opportunity? Get a boy to pedal and deliver stuff at places around your business. Also change a bit extra for your special service.

BTW, any such service could be valuable for people who are hospitalized. Just wondering, if there’s anyone who will delivery to a patient.

Wake up road side small businesses, you’re very close from making additional bucks.

As a reader what is your thought on this? Is it practicable business expansion or customer friendly plan? Do you have better ideas than this? I would love to hear your feedback, comments.

Home Stay at Varkala

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
From the laid back beaches, to backwaters and to dense tropical forests and cardamon hills and traditional Indian Ayurveda,  Kerala beckons visitors from different lands. All these inbound tourist brings in dollars, hard cash to all the biggies in travel and tourism related businesses.

Apart from these established tourist hotels, it’s an opportunity for YOU. Yes, with existing facility, you can host guest, or escort them to places where travel agencies possibly can’t.

My Holiday at Varkala Beach – Cliff view
Recently, at a monsoon holiday in Varkala beach, we stayed at cliff side lodging named Santaclaus. This place provided an excellent view of the Arabian sea, and had a small verandah to catch the abundant fresh breeze. The stay at Varkala was arranged by a local friend. While he came to meet  me I told him the plan to use a spare room in his house for home stay.

Home Stay at Varkala – Why you should Start
Initially he was cold on this idea of inviting strangers to stay in his house. Next he had doubts on how he can reach to potential customers. Moreover, he had other plans. His wife was preparing to appear for for PSC exam. So, practically this plan fell into no mans land.

If you’re living in Varkala, here’re ways to gain second income from tourism:

  • Rent a spare room to foreigners visiting Varkala
  • Provide exceptional service – A true Kerala hospitality
  • Escort them to local market, or to a coir factory, or fishing trip to backwaters trip
  • Take them to a rice field or to any vegetable field
  • Give then the taste of pure Toddy
  • Ask if they are interested to wear traditional dress ( Sari, Mundu)
  • Teach how to make puttu or make appam from appachatti, etc
  • and make them experience similar or even beautiful moments in your locality

    Well the list goes on. It’s left to you to showcase local places or cater a plan according to their interest. Finally, to reach them, you should either connect with existing travel agencies, or hotel or set a online channels like blog or Facebook or even free website to promote the business.

Apart from this, there are channels like AirB&B or similar portals to get people.

Related Links:

Register home-stay with Kerala Tourism – Click here
List of home stays in Kerala – Click here 

Kerala’s First Audio Book Library

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

 Remember this scene from ‘Ayalathe Adheham‘…Jagathy, owner of video renting library ( Chandy’s Videos) and his assistant Indrans.

During late 80’s VCR and VCP invaded almost every household in Kerala. Thanks to the hard working Malayali’s in Middle East. Every AirBus landing in Kerala also brought scores of ‘Two in Ones’ and the video cassette players. This also sprouted the video lending business in Kerala. During late 80’s and first half of 90’s, every junction in Kerala had a video cassette lending library.

But during the time of video revolution we didn’t have a video player. How I wished I had one?
I used to watch how my friends carried or exchanged movie cassettes and also once I rented a VCP for a day to play blue cassettes.( Blue – outdated word for porn movies)

And today, everything is online. We have books online, movies online, and ebooks online. Though people are used to reading ebooks, we don’t have a place to buy audio books.

I wonder if anyone can set up a store selling audio books. Just imagine the number of train or bus commuters who can listen to a fable or a classic while travelling from Ernakulam to Trivandrum. Why should people spend time on useless discussion on  local politics or the next increment or the D.A, when you can listen to any Malayalam classic while travelling.

For that we should have good number of books turned into audio books? I’m not sure if it’s available. If yes, you can try it out.

Maybe, you can try out an audio book store, Malayalam audio book arcade.