Typically, the answer to a private downside may encourage you to begin a enterprise. That’s what occurred when sister-duo Jayanti and Shalini Bhattacharya found the advantages of hemp.
The sisters had been looking out for more healthy options for Shalini’s again ache once they stumbled upon hemp, a sustainable plant. At all times striving to reside a zero-waste life, the duo thought, ‘what higher manner of making a sustainable world than to advertise a planet-friendly plant?’
Cue – the inception of their hemp-based meals model, ‘India Hemp & Co’.
India Hemp & Co is a Bangalore-based hemp model that strives to supply excessive vitamin merchandise and construct a group round it. When the duo got here up with their enterprise concept, they knew that having a web-based retailer was a no brainer. However with so many platforms to select from, how do you discover your excellent match?
After an in depth google seek for ‘the most effective platform to purchase a website’, Jayanti discovered Shopify. With its easy-to-learn interface and self-study assets, she constructed the model’s on-line retailer on her personal.
As soon as the shop was arrange, the sisters targeted their efforts on branding and advertising their merchandise. This wasn’t straightforward as paid promoting wasn’t accessible to hemp manufacturers even once they had all of the licences in examine.
Whereas on the lookout for methods to get their model on the map, Jayanti serendipitously stumbled upon a Shark Tank India commercial within the Financial Occasions.
With out placing a lot thought into it, she stuffed out the registration type for Shark Tank India. And the remaining, as all Shark Tank viewers know, is historical past.
We talked to Jayanti, one-half of the founding duo of India Hemp & Co, about their Shark Tank India journey and the function Shopify performed in it.
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to know extra? Then, learn on.
Additionally learn: Our detailed case examine concerning the model’s inception and the way they constructed a group by elevating consciousness about hemp.
Kicking off the journey and busting myths on Shark Tank India
Followers of Shark Tank, the sister-duo puzzled if it was too early for them to use. They took a leap of religion although they had been conscious of the misconceptions hooked up to their star ingredient.
Jayanti revealed that the applying course of was exhaustive proper from the beginning. The appliance type itself was 18 to twenty pages lengthy. The model had to supply 3 years of a number of monetary metrics and knowledge factors in the course of the course of, and located Shopify studies and Shopify analytics extraordinarily helpful for fetching the related numbers and conducting evaluation.
After making use of for the present, the model had a number of on-line and face-to-face interviews together with submitting documentation and certifications for verification.
Roughly 66,000 manufacturers utilized for the primary season, out of which solely 198 had been shortlisted, and solely 97 manufacturers’ pitch was telecasted.
“It took lots of grit, exhausting work and luck to have the ability to make it to the televised rounds. But it surely was an expertise of a lifetime”, Jayanti exclaimed.
With restrictions on internet marketing for hemp, the model needed to discover offline advertising techniques to achieve its viewers. The duo knew that taking India Hemp & Co on nationwide TV would do wonders in boosting its attain.
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Not solely was this a nationwide platform, however entrepreneurs additionally had the chance to showcase their manufacturers in a primetime slot, which might in any other case value crores of rupees.
Whereas elevating capital was undoubtedly on their minds, one other key motive for showing on Shark Tank India was to bust hemp-related misconceptions and make clear hemp’s well being advantages and supply publicity to India Hemp’s merchandise.
The Pitch
The hardest half for Jayanti whereas getting ready for the pitch was explaining hemp and its advantages given its complexities. And doing that in Hindi was an added problem.
Jayanti shares that her fluency in Hindi was under common, however Shark Tank India requires Hindi pitches as a result of tv viewership. Jayanti recognised the language’s nationwide attain and brushed up on her Hindi abilities to elucidate hemp’s worth as greatest as she may.
The Shark Tank group helped her put together a powerful pitch in Hindi inside simply three days.. That’s how invested the group was in guaranteeing that the entrepreneurs gave their greatest shot in entrance of the sharks.
One other problem for India Hemp & Co was how each assertion of Jayanti’s pitch was scrutinised and verified earlier than it was televised by Shark Tank’s authorized group. Hemp has not too long ago been categorised as meals by FSSAI, which implies that hemp-based merchandise can now be bought conventionally like different meals merchandise.
Certain, hemp manufacturers would tremendously profit from this, however it takes time for individuals to familiarise themselves with a change. That is why Jayanti needed to submit quite a few paperwork to again up all the pieces she mentioned about hemp on TV.
Within the tank, the Sharks had never-ending questions concerning the model and hemp on the whole. Aman Gupta (Co-founder and Chief Advertising and marketing Officer of boAt) even questioned if hemp might be bought in markets. Jayanti outlined the model’s stance, shared hemp’s advantages and cleared hemp-related misconceptions along with her pitch.
Although the opposite Sharks backed out, Namita Thapar (Government Director of Emcure Prescribed drugs) was impressed with India Hemp & Co’s branding.
“Namita Thapar is an unimaginable particular person, she actually walks the speak and was very nicely knowledgeable about all the advantages of hemp. It was a tremendous expertise to be to pitch to her”, Jayanti mentioned.
When requested why she declined Namita’s supply, Jayanti defined how reducing your valuation on a platform like Shark Tank India would have an effect on related hemp manufacturers too. “With the grandiose televised setting beneath all these shiny lights, it is rather straightforward to succumb and settle for a suggestion, however as hemp is a rising trade we wished to do proper by it”.
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However the founders have a no-shortcut-to-success coverage that displays in all their endeavours. As difficult because it was to show down Namita’s supply, it was obligatory. Jayanti needed to step out twice to seek the advice of her sister Shalini Bhattacharya and IIMB mentor Gopal Rao Addanki on name earlier than declining the supply.
Turning down the supply labored out within the model’s favour. “I’m glad we held our personal because it resulted in lots of real curiosity for the model”. India Hemp has been receiving lots of queries from prospects on the lookout for a wholesome different in addition to from traders globally after their Shark Tank look.
As a model, India Hemp & Co. desires to develop by constructing a group that wholeheartedly trusts them and their model. To determine that stage of belief, Jayanti believes that ‘each model must have a face’. That’s why the founders have determined to maintain the human contact intact, and actually, they personally comply with up with all prospects to work together with them and deal with all their issues and doubts.
Wish to get natural visitors and construct a group in your model? Listed here are some assets that will help you get began:
The Ripple Impact
Each entrepreneur on Shark Tank India has gone dwelling with one thing invaluable – the expertise and community they construct with traders and fellow entrepreneurs! The funding provides and publicity helped an amazing deal too.
Jayanti expressed her gratitude to Sony and Shark Tank India group for airing the model’s pitch on TV. She recollects how the Shark Tank India group urged being ready for elevated visitors publish the published.
Fortunately, Shopify’s buyer help instantly assured her that the model’s web site was in fine condition and would simply deal with the surge in visitors. “We’ve all the time had Shopify’s help”, she claimed.
After the episode aired, India Hemp & Co noticed round a 500% improve in visitors on the web site. And it stayed like that for an entire month! At present, it has been averaging round 2x the quantity of visitors it obtained earlier than Shark Tank.
Jayanti shared that loopholes within the buyer journey got here to the floor as a result of spike in visitors, however she was in a position to join with Shopify to repair these points.
India Hemp & Co’s shopify web site didn’t face any glitches or downtime. A number of individuals who had constructed on totally different platforms complained of web sites crashing and switched to Shopify based mostly on Jayanti’s suggestion.
On a private entrance, she was shocked on the quantity of people that acknowledged her on the road after the present. “I believe I underestimated how many individuals watch TV. Even now, I come throughout individuals who have that ‘I’ve seen her someplace’ look.”
Nuggets of knowledge for brand new entrepreneurs
We requested Jayanti if she had any recommendation for budding entrepreneurs who want to apply to Shark Tank India. Right here’s a summarised model of her takeaways:
- Take the shot, it may change your life. : “Everybody ought to apply. Don’t hesitate, as a result of you will get there even when you find yourself nonetheless within the ideation stage of what you are promoting!”
- Be open to studying: You’ll meet some superb and enterprising individuals who undergo comparable enterprise issues as you. Plus, the Shark Tank group guides you thru each step of the method.
- Know your numbers: You’ll be pitching to specialists who’re open to out-of-the-box concepts, however not irrationality. For India Hemp & Co, getting knowledge for his or her valuation was simpler as they’d entry to detailed studies via Shopify analytics.
- Put together for the publicity: So long as your pitch is televised, you possibly can anticipate a rise in your attain. The publicity your model may get with being on a nationwide TV channel can’t be put in numbers. Jayanti even has her personal meme now!
- Don’t compromise in your/your model’s price: Most significantly, be captivated with what you do, and by no means cease believing in your model’s true potential. You characterize your group and group alongside along with your model. It’s important to simply accept a suggestion that resembles your unique valuation and advantages all.
Searching for extra assets to improve your entrepreneurial abilities? It’s possible you’ll discover these fascinating:
Going in opposition to the grain, responsibly
From beginning a hemp-powered kitchen to being a finalist on Shark Tank India and scaling the enterprise via all of it, India Hemp & Co has skilled super progress as a startup.
The model continues to encourage change by creating plant-based dietary merchandise that help the thought of a more healthy, sustainable world.
Although accessible on virtually 30 marketplaces, the model continues to have a improbable on-line journey with Shopify. Whether or not it was a number of lockdowns or a visitors surge, India Hemp & Co all the time had a steady platform to depend on. “Shopify is that steadfast help you want when all the pieces else is falling aside,” Jayanti shares.
When you’ve got a singular enterprise concept and are on the lookout for a dependable companion that will help you set up a web-based retailer, look no additional. Shopify supplies you with instruments and assets to create your retailer with little to no tech expertise.
Kickstart your on-line enterprise journey with Shopify’s 14-day free trial.
