About the project :
I eventually realized to do something with my life after spending the lockdown doing nothing. My friend and I came up with the concept of establishing a business out of boredom. Initially, the plan was to use the social networking site to sell graphic tees. We began brainstorming about the designs, raw materials, packaging, and other aspects of the concept after it had been substantially established. Our goal was to offer customers with apparel that was both affordable and fashionable.
Learning outcome 1 :
To be honest, the undertaking was challenging because neither of us had any prior expertise with how a business operates. I was looking for t-shirt wholesalers and compiling a list of possible consumers. My job entailed a lot of communication, and it was there that I realised I needed to work on my patience and communication skills. I used to get angry while talking to wholesalers and other market people because they didn’t get what I was asking for. Identifying my flaws was really beneficial as I progressed through the process; I progressively attempted not to become furious while also improving my communication abilities. Overcoming this issue came in handy when I needed to speak with a professional in this field; in essence, I called someone who runs a comparable firm on a larger scale but offers a wider range of apparel.
Learning outcome 2 :
T-shirt designing became difficult to come up with since they required a lot of drafting and creation. Details such as the current trend, color diversity in the designs, print size, print type, copyright, and so on. This process used to drain me because it is difficult to create/search for so many different designs. The key to overcoming this obstacle was patience and calmness. When the mockups were complete, I felt a sense of satisfaction and as if I had arrived on Mars. This task has taught me how to organize my thoughts and communicate effectively. It is critical to take on new difficulties in order to gain new talents. Organizing and communication skills are quite helpful and will prove to be beneficial in the future while working on projects or conducting research.
Learning outcome 3:
It was the time of the pandemic, everything was changed. As it was my first ever experience of starting a business. I started by brainstorming ideas and looking out for the current market trends. Observing customers and also connecting with my own self helped me understand how overall business works and how people buy things. Planning of the operations, marketing and data management was required. My friend and I divided the task and worked accordingly. My job was to look out for wholesalers and printers in order to produce my finished goods. We took baby steps in order to achieve our goals of starting up the business. First one week was the research and trial time where we found the raw material provider and basically the needs for the finished products. Then the other 1 week was trial and testing time, with our initial design and material were made samples and tried it ourselves first, wearing it in daily usage. In order to approve the quality and check whether it is ready to enter into the ground. After all of this process, we let our business enter into the market. We needed to determine how to start, what to remember, and what precautions to take in the time of a pandemic, among other things.In my work, I had to organize myself, and we did so by holding weekly meetings and reporting each other on our progress. We would also split tasks according to what needed to be done, and a deadline was set so that we could stay on track. Because I am not normally a very structured person, it was tough for me to function at first, but things eventually fell into place.Planning and initialing helped me develop self-management abilities as I became more organized. Such knowledge and experience will undoubtedly benefit me in the future, whether I work for a company or establish my own.
Learning outcome 4:
Some activities, such as designing t-shirt designs, were quite stressful. This needed a lot of dedication; there were moments when I considered quitting and not being a part of the company, but I always found a way to motivate myself to be devoted to my start-up, which finally helped me complete the task. Being committed to the deadlines set in meetings was also crucial, since if the tasks were delayed, we would have to suffer as a result of the loss of time, delaying our ability to begin providing the quality products we intended to deliver.
From the profits, 25% of our profit was donated to an NGO named Siya Foundation. The aim of Siya Foundation is to help the underprivileged girls overcome the stigma associated with the menstrual cycle. In order to support their campaign and become part of such important social act, we donated them money from which many sanitary pads and other essentials for menstrual hygiene were provided to the underprivileged in the different parts of the city.
Learning outcome 5:
Since I have a sociable nature, I get along with people easily, thus working with people is not a barrier for me. Although there are times when you don’t get along, there were a few times when wholesalers didn’t respond on time or refused to bargain, and it became irritating. Here is where I handled my anger and frustration and was able to keep unity with the individuals I worked with. When dealing with others in a professional setting, we must be excellent listeners and respect each other’s perspectives, thoughts, and opinions. The importance of teamwork was evident throughout the project; as a startup, we trusted each other to give our all in order to get the greatest results. It would have taken months to simply develop the database if there had been no collaboration. In other words, without collaboration, this project would not have been started at all.
Learning outcome 6:
Throughout the project, I catered to unemployment as the global issue. Covid-19 had been very tough and many businesses were shut down due to the lack of resources and workers. This project helped me provide employment and aid businesses which were struggling to survive due to the pandemic. This issue is not only prevalent in India, but in every country throughout the world, with some countries handling things well and others improving over time poorly. Knowing about this global issue inspires me to make a difference by doing something about it, prompting me to pursue my startup idea in order to get knowledge in how actual businesses operate. It feels great to contribute to the solution of a worldwide issue.
Learning outcome 7:
There were several ethical concerns. The first is that we do not imitate someone else’s company model. We wanted to be careful not to violate any copyright declarations because we were establishing a business. Second, we acquired data about our customers as well as various t-shirts, their quality, and pricing, so it was our ethical obligation to neither misuse that data or allow it to fall into the wrong hands. Also, as we were deciding on the costs and profit margins, we had to make critical judgments such as how much to take as profits from the customer because it was the period of the pandemic and we weren’t sure how much our consumers would be ready to pay, and so forth. Since we were just starting out, we decided to focus on volume rather than profit because more goods sold will help me generate more customer value for the firm.
Conclusion
This project assisted me in the development of numerous learner profiles such as risk taker, communicator, and balanced. When dealing with someone, you must constantly be open to their ideas, listen first, and then engage. That’s what made it possible for me and my partner to converse effectively. In order to manage time and work efficiently, I was also managing academics and this business simultaneously. During my research, I spoke with a variety of individuals, including wholesalers, retailers, and people who are currently in this industry, which helped me develop confidence and enhance my communication skills. The company benefited both ourselves and our consumers. As students, we obtained an understanding of real-world business, gained experience, and were autonomous and self-sufficient. It was advantageous for our clients since we offered them streetwear clothing that was both stylish and affordable. This gave me a lot of confidence and taught me how to approach individuals for their knowledge. The project’s purpose was to launch our brand, but it ended up becoming incredibly popular with our customers. I would describe it all as a success since it was a journey full of lessons and learnings, and at the end I achieved something useful to society and myself. Overall, it was a really successful adventure, and I am grateful to have been a part of it.
Evidences :
