Globalization and advancement in Information Technology have led to the spread of education and awareness among people that women can also take part in a nation’s development. Whether a developed or a developing country, if the particular nation solicits economic growth, then the role of women entrepreneurs is inevitable.
The role and contribution of women entrepreneurs cannot be underestimated. Decades back, it was the thinking that the role of women was limited to household work. Still, the success story of women entrepreneurs has proved that they can contribute very well to the development of a nation.
Believing in women’s empowerment, the stunning success story of a woman named Hemali Shah is worth mentioning. It is inspirational not only in India but also across the globe. Nowadays, she is a recognized personality who continues to receive esteemed accolades that tell the story behind her success.
Hemali Shah commenced her entrepreneurship journey about thirty years back and entered the world of chocolates. At that time, the dominant players across the country were Cadbury, Amul, and Nestle. Amidst such a scenario, she took a bold step and launched innovative homemade chocolates at ‘Choklat House’.
Since her childhood, like every other kid, she has been fond of chocolates. She had a passion for making homemade chocolates, and she decided to do something regarding the same. Initially, with few failures, she succeeded in making the homemade chocolates that the family members relished. Inspired by her creative success, she started her journey as an entrepreneur by making chocolates during her early college days. Her passion, later on, turned into her profession.
It was not easy for a woman to become an entrepreneur thirty years back. It is a fact that around the 1990s, though many Indian women may have ambitions towards entrepreneurship. Still, they did not succeed for various reasons that included unfavourable conditions, gender biases, difficult access to finance and resources, hurdles in developing a marketing network, lack of family support, safety issues in the workplace, and other direct and indirect factors problems.
Amidst such a scenario coupled with hurdles in start-ups and new businesses, Hemali Shah started her venture that became an out and out success in the coming years. Her products are completely hygienic and devoid of preservatives that make them different from other chocolates, and above all, they are pocket-friendly during these competitive times.
When Hemali Shah commenced her business of homemade chocolates with the brand name ‘Choklat House’, she faced multiples hurdles. The first and the foremost was the logistic support. For her, it was very challenging to manage the process of acquiring the resources and storing them simultaneously.
Secondly, it was not easy to transfer the products as the chocolates melted when they reached the customers. Thirdly advertisements and marketing of the same posed problems. At that time, neither internet nor digital devices were available. Even clicking images of chocolates required manual clicking at the studio, consuming much time and resources. Besides the above issues, Hemali Shah also faced stiff competition from the major key players in this particular domain.
She worked very hard and solved all issues of the chocolate business, right from logistics, finance, marketing, networking, and advertisement, by undertaking intensive research and innovation followed by implementing the emerging developments that were the need of the time and situation.
The endeavour of Hemali Shah worked. Her dedication and passion dispensed her fantastic success. She received many accolades. Firstly, she bagged the ‘Stree Astitva Award’ under the ‘Women Economic Forum’ in October 2019, followed by ‘Hastakshar Superpreneur Award in March 2020. The next in the line was the GBTEOI award in October 2020 and, last but not least, the ‘Global Growth Accelerator Award’ 2021 sponsored by GrowthBeats.
The awards given to Hemali Shah are the stairs of success that she is climbing to gain global recognition for her innovative achievements that showcase that women can be successful entrepreneurs. Here she asserts that one must not underestimate the critical factor for success and must know to work on the internal and external environment to reap the benefits of success.
She learned about the various ins and outs of running a business unit with time. For example, during the spread of the pandemic Covid-19, when the entire country was under lockdown, she undertook digital operations for her business. She provided her chocolates to the customers through the delivery system. This system is being appreciated by her customers.
The registration of a business is mandatory to prove its compliance with the rules and regulations of the government. Registration also helps in building the brand image. Her ‘ChoklatHouse’ has also been registered under FSSAI, IEC, and Hemali Shah would like to make it a home name for every home soon as her chocolates create a moment for a family to rejoice.