Month: June 2019

Boost Entrepreneurship Zeal in Kerala

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
I just had this thought and I didn’t delay in putting down on the blog. It’s like this – when an idea comes to mind, make it a habit to note it down. I keep getting fleeting thoughts about many things and most of it is lost as I don’t think of penning it down.


How Public in Kerala See about Starting a business?
There’s a common myth about entrepreneurship in Kerala. All those who lived here or started a business venture knows the difficulty and the story of becoming an entreprenuer in God’s Own Country. 
I think, we have woven a wrong tale about business. Mothalaly ( Invester/Capitalist) is seen as a villan, a lecher who preys on hapless workers, treats labor as a commodity, etc. The popular movies in 70’s and 80’s portrayed this concept – to the point it was an overkill. 
Whatever, said and one, the stigma of starting a business, or the public opinion is somewhat skewed on this negative aspect of being a business person. However, these days things are changing – not b’cos of Govt but the rise of new generation smart young entrepreneurs who use digital medium to  market, promote their products. 

What if the Government Start a New Yathra on Entrepreneurship?
Every state has seen some kind of yathra for religious, political and publicity stuff. In Kerala, last year, there was a human chain or something of that sort to highlight some issue. ( can’t remember what it was)
What if they start a state-wide yathra eulogizing business? Will the communist Government do it? Or will any State Government take effort to wake people for such a cause?
What’s the New Game Plan
1. Industries department or Social Welfare Department chalks a plan
2. Public talks, speeches on every city and town in Kerala
3. Educate public about how and why to start a business
4. Promote the concept that business is the new mantra
5. Share information about the ease of doing business
6. Distribute forms and application for starting a business
7. Create business start-up booths in every Panchayat
8. Form a Cell ( representing thought leaders and ideators) for giving guidance to public
9 Teach interested people on how to start marketing ( digital)
Stage is set for the people to infuse entrepreneurial zeal amoung the people of Kerala. It’s time for young generation to start something of their own, rather than writing PSC or Bank test. You people are talented, full of energy, ideas – it’s only that you need some kind of mentoring or positive direction to start a business of your own.
 
 

Activity Solace Centre for Widows in India

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
 My mom became widow at a much early age than the rest of my aunts. Initially the thought crossed my mind about how she can keep herself occupied, creative and useful. That was just a thought and I left at it.Much later, one of my colleague called me and asked if I could suggest some activities for his mother to make herself engaged. I told him few things, but that was not suitable for the person she was.

Recently, I spoke to a lady who was travelling with me. Her husband had passed away two years back. She was a active lady, and financially settled. she was on her way to meet her son in Bangalore, who had come down for a visit from US. As we chatted in our train journey, she said that she was busy maintaining her house and she has a hobby of making nettipattam based on the orders. This makes her very busy – procuring the materials, making it with care and time. I wish every women had something productive, something which makes them useful.

Activity and Support Centre for Widows

I’m not sure if there are organizations in India specifically for helping widows with counselling, advice, support, help them combat loneliness, make them active in life, or help them with their grief, depression or help them find a life partner, if need be.

What if there’s a NGO or Private Agency for Widows?

Before we talk of the agency, let’s see what should this agency do.

Here’s my thoughts and suggestion!

1. It must have office cum activity centre in major cities and towns

2. Have a website, an App ( where people can select options)

Next what kind of activities it should provide.

1. Legal work
2. Support – 360 support
( Hospital, Care giver, Financial Management, Solace, Grief etc)

Activities Incumbents can Choose:

1. Hobby ( Sports, Swimming, Cooking, stitching,etc)

2. Social ( Traveling, Volunteer for a NGO, )

3. Relaxation ( Massage, Grooming, Well-being)

4. Sexual ( A forum to share sexual needs)

5. Spiritual ( Visit to holy places, Prayer, etc)

6. Learning/Knowledge ( Facilitate learning new topics,

Each program should be custom-build for the individual. The option to choose the activities should
be left to the user. Mobile App, will provide hassle-free facility for the user to click and select the activities

For instance, user can select any activity for any date. Once selected, agency will get notification and it
will work to execute the order.

What’s does most widows do now?

In a typical day, I feel they are finding themselves as a support structure fo the siblings.

1. Baby sitting
2. Cooking
3. Cleaning
4. Shopping for the family
5. Watching TV ( Serials)
6. Whatsapp ( Forward and sharing it on family groups)
7. Gardening or keeping the surrounding clean
8. Shuttling houses – visit kid’s house

Make Yourself Valuable, Useful and Productive

When  I searched online, all that I could find in India was .nic sites and Army sites. Few of them were about army widows, Widow ashram in Varanasi, and then came widow dating sites, which obviously was not of Indian origin. Also, few sites were about empowering widows from economically backward sector.

This project I have envisioned was for widows who are economically self-sufficient. Meaning, they have a sufficient bank balance, but looking for something more than just doing the routine stuff.

Probably, they can choose activity, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly and subscription will be based on the usage.

Sardine Fry

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
It’s Mathi Fry 

For the people from coastal towns, fish is a normal part of their daily diet. As with individual preference, we build our own palette for a particular fish or a certain types of fishes.

Sardine, or locally called mathi, chala, macroni mathi, keeri chala, the different names are used for the different species of sardine. Some more tasty than the other, some more fleshy, some full of thorns, some good only for frying, etc

I like both curry and fry version. Someday, I would like to open an exclusive restaurant serving mathi or sardine. will it run? What type of dishes should be available? Or what about a restaurant only with fish. What about wine as an appetizer? That would be a great idea – serve banana or rice or pineapple fine – just on a shot glass and then the rest of the dishes.

But then, we have regressive and outdated laws governing wine, which puts it in the category of alcohol. ( Akbari Act) Probably, our society, government will grow enough in the year 2055 an give license to sell or serve wine to customers in a restaurant.

Preparing Mathi the Right Way

I have had lunch from many restaurants in Trivandrum. One of the cheapest fish to order is mathi ( sardine). Here’s the major disappointment for me.

The problem is that most hoteliers take mathi very casually. Meaning, as it’s a low priced small fish, less time is given for cleaning the scales, and to check the freshness of it. If the market from which it is sourced sell fresh ones, then customers get to enjoy fresh fish.

In most cases, they don’t really look at the FRESH part of the fish. It will be moderately okay. Not consistently fresh so that a customer can be assured of certain quality and taste while serving mathi.

Also, mathi is not cleaned thoroughly. Mostly, scales around the next and tail is still kept. Also,  the gut area is not cleaned like the way it’s done at most home.

Consistency Rings True

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

How do you rate yourself on the Consistency side?

Given a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate myself 3. That’s me, battling it out on a low score, even after knowing that consistency is the rock-bed of good habit formation, helps to learn new skills, brings positive changes with new habits, etc.

Who Will Shoulder When I Cry

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Today while on a regular evening tea, we choose to visit a Veg restaurant close to Medical College area. As soon as we settled, we ordered tea and dosa and settled in one of the tables.

After some time into the tea and dosa, many other people started occupying seats around us. As a people watcher, I kept looking at people, how they carried themselves.

One family who sat in the next table had a kid with a medical mask. Don’t know what was her ailment? The mother of the kid looked worried. The man of the family ordered food and next they were engrossed in the food.

Worried Faces near Hospital

In and around any big hospital, it’s not difficult to catch sight of the people who are worried, faces filled with stress and often without any emotions. Some would be worried about the health, some about the medical expenses, or some over-stressed with the task of running around.

Solace for the Weary

Who will mother the pained ones? Who will shoulder the responsibility? Who will talk over the worries? Who will cushion the fear, worries faced by you? Who will hold your hand and heart?
Who will pay my bills? A guardian angel to all the weary ones? Who’s there for you? You, your family or friends?

What will you do when you have none of the support structure? 

Try this for Learning

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Learning Always

What did we learn when we first fell from the cycle?
Did we learn when we first failed in a test?
What did you do when they turned their back against you?

Do we really learn from our experiences? Well, some people do and I for one don’t overstep from the potholes of yesterday’s journey.

Bake Shop at 12th Main Indira nagar

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Budapest Bake Inn

A click of the latest bake shop which opened at 12th Main Indira Nagar. It looks like a bake shop with the usual set of items that appeals for the youth crowd. Wishing the best to Budapest Bake Inn. I hope you people has put your best feet forward in choosing the menu, training the staff and processes in place.

In case you need a second opinion about your shop as a third eye, or a s mystery shopper, or just to give you folks some suggestion, then you can avail my service.

—————

This shop has come in the place of a shop which has downed its shutter. At times I wonder would be the cost of a bad venture. How many thousands might have gone gone the drain?  How did it go with the owner? Did he or she had enough cash to offset the loss? Does the government keep track of closed ventures? What lesson did the entrepreneur learn and how can such lessons be shared to others? 

Ring Out the Average

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Average Is Out!

It’s a screen grab from Gary ( garyvaynerchuk) blog. I got hangup on saying the word AVERAGE from Seth’s blog. In fact, I keep repeating this word to such an annoying extend, that my partner gets irritated with it.

What’s is the Fu&*** AVERAGE?

Is it same as mediocre? Could be. Sometimes, when I set inside a clean, well arranged aisles packed with products in a supermarket, I can’t but thing of this phrase – average products for average people.
Sure, these are mass produced products which has found its place in these aisles, which are often picked by the average buyer.

Then, what are not so average stuff?
Does the rest of the things fall into that basket?

Passing Haripad Station

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Haripad Station

Passing and rumbling past this railway station

When was the last time you traveled in an unreserved coach? What do you do to cope with the swelling mass of crowd around you? Will you try to postponed the journey or look for alternate ways to travel if you don’t get the berth reservation in train? Or will you bribe the TT or request him to get a ticket?

For me, this was the latest of unreserved journey which I look from B’lore to Trivandrum. And, this trip gave me a sore ass, that I wished there was a special ass massage at Railway station for the ass weary travelers.

Well, if the airports can have leg massage or other massage facilities, then when can’t railway look for such an option? I think it would give more a lakh of direct and indirect job for Indians.

Imagine, a station with massage cubicles or a service which can be availed at Yatri Nivas. Just have to show the tick pnr and masseurs will do the rest.

Massage Facilities at Railway Station

This idea could be far-fetched in Indian scenario, but not too distant. I can see such added facilities in railway station, from bakeries ( Cantonment Station, Bangalore), to salons for a quick hair cut, Emergency Medical Facility ( Saw one in Quilon), Restaurants, Shoe Shine and Shoe mart, T shirt, Indian Railway Souvenirs, Tourist Information Facility ( already there), foreigners Travel Assistance cell ( For Travelers), etc.

Passing Defence Colony Indira Nagar100

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
100ft Road Indira Nagar

Defence Colony

Every Green and fruit trees 

Times when I have to visit ICICI bank located at CMH Road, I often take the route via Defence Colony as it’s a sanctuary from the honking vehicles, cleaner roads, quieter ride. The streets and compound walled houses is a part of elite neighborhood of Bangalore. Some houses looks like the ones in Trivandrum. All these houses are housed in independent compound, with garden, trees and space.

This part of Bangalore is starkly different from most pockets of the city. Other parts, we see houses sharing the same wall, looking like matchboxes or pigeonholes.

While I pass through the posh, silent houses in Indira Nagar, my mind goes to the type of people who live there. Are they are the ultra rich kinds? What are their fears? What could be their network? Will they invite me home? What if I know couple of people in this locality where I can barge in without any invitation, without calling them? Just for a coffee or tea and some conversation.

It’s all part of my old fashioned way of thinking, the connection, and a feeling of talking to someone, knowing more about them, etc.

Meet-up App
This makes me think of a mobile application, which is for discovering or connecting people who are willing to host for tea/coffee/beer.

Just imagine, I can ride around with this mobile and look at places or houses where they can offer me a glass of water, or where they can spare their minutes of time with a stranger? Will it be too risky? Will it lead to better understanding of people? What if we are not willing to let a stranger come to your house, instead, there are places called hub-pads ( a coffee shop types) where it facilitates random meeting of people.