Ep-61 How to use community and collaboration to grow your Business

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Bilna Sandeep Show. My name is Bilna Sandeep. I am the founder of Growwie and Built Market Lab, a marketing agency based in Dubai. And I’m also the founder of the Homepreneurs  Club Women Entrepreneurs Networking platform. ambitious women and partners come together to learn and network and grow their business? Why is it quite a bit about Homepreneurs club today?

Today’s because I am introducing three home partners, club members who I would call as the power trio of our homepreneurs club. So welcome on board. Thank you.

Pavithra:

Thank you. Thank you, guys.

 

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Bilna:

Yeah, it’s amazing. And thank you so much for accepting my invite on a quick note is and coming to the show.

 

00:00:44:07 – 00:00:48:02

Pavithra:

Show it was pretty very quick and we’re.

 

00:00:48:02 – 00:00:48:22

Marina:

Happy to be.

 

00:00:48:22 – 00:00:49:01

Doaa:

Working.

 

00:00:49:07 – 00:00:50:25

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:00:50:28 – 00:00:54:25

Bilna:

So I think I’ll start with you in the world. Would you like to introduce yourselves?

 

00:00:54:26 – 00:00:55:26

Pavithra:

Yes. Hi.

 

00:00:55:26 – 00:01:18:15

Doaa:

Good morning. First of all, I want to thank you, Bilna, for making us do this. I’m Doa Jabu owner and founder E Boutique, and we are a business listing directory and also proud member at Homepreneurs Club since the last five months. And I think the club has given us a sign speaking for everybody. And if I get yeah all the things that we need, the tools and the clients.

 

00:01:18:15 – 00:01:26:04

Doaa:

So I think it’s a win win situation both ways and we’re excited to be a part of it. And E boutique is. Yeah, Thank you.

 

00:01:26:06 – 00:01:28:18

Bilna:

Amazing. Marina Now would you like to go next?

 

00:01:28:18 – 00:01:29:05

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:01:29:11 – 00:01:31:12

Marina:

Thank you very much for inviting us.

 

00:01:31:12 – 00:01:36:05

Pavithra:

We three Musketeers of the Homepreneurs Club. Yes.

 

00:01:36:05 – 00:02:06:04

Marina:

I’m Marina D’Souza, founder of Connecting Mind Business Centre. And and last year when I joined Homepreneurs Group Club, that’s when I started my real estate company, as well as a co-working space. That’s when I got in touch with homepreneurs. And ever since, my life has changed completely. I have these too to call and crip and about things, and I love doing that always.

 

00:02:06:07 – 00:02:07:18

Pavithra:

Thank you so very much.

 

00:02:07:18 – 00:02:12:05

Bilna:

I am so happy to hear that. Now Pavitra over to you.

 

00:02:12:08 – 00:02:17:07

Marina:

First of all, thank you so much for this interview session. It’s going to be so much fun.

 

00:02:17:11 – 00:02:17:16

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:02:17:18 – 00:02:42:06

Marina:

So it was on a quick note, but I’m so happy and I’m pleased to be here. So yeah, My name is Pavitra Salintridad, CEO and founder of the business at UP Services. So we help people get licenses and visa work done where people find it very difficult to find guidance. They don’t understand, you know, how to get things done when it comes to government because I have quite a lot of experience.

 

00:02:42:06 – 00:03:04:20

Marina:

I help them with, you know, the right solutions. The best thing is I help them with options so they get to choose which suits them best. In terms of licensing, I take care of the documentation so they don’t have to worry about it. So we get the licensing and the visa works done for people. And I’m so grateful to Homepreneurs because I’ve got my first clients from Homepreneurs.

 

Sharing Experiences and Gratitude

Marina:

I’m so proud about it and yes, business being business, the most important thing that I cherish is I’ve got relationships because once I quit my company when I was working, I didn’t have friends, I didn’t I felt very lonely. I like I told I was very depressed. I didn’t have people to speak to or someone who could, you know, say, it’s fine, You know, you’re doing something new.

 

00:03:27:01 – 00:03:35:01

Marina:

It’s fine. You will find your way out. I literally had no one, and that’s when I found.

 

00:03:35:03 – 00:03:37:14

Pavithra:

People like Dua Marino, who brought.

 

00:03:37:14 – 00:03:39:20

Marina:

Me out of that depression. And I think I went.

 

00:03:39:20 – 00:03:49:06

Pavithra:

To a great deal. Would in addition, I think it’s okay. I would take this more.

 

00:03:49:08 – 00:04:08:11

Marina:

Because from the slightest inconvenience to, you know, when you’re confused and you need some business advice, you know, I feel I can, you know, go back to them, talk to them. And they, you know, being there itself means a lot in terms of personal and in terms of business. So I’m really happy and thanks to Homepreneurs. Still, my friend as well.

 

00:04:08:11 – 00:04:32:07

Bilna:

I’m so happy to hear this. And now our topic for today is community collaboration and business growth. So let’s start with the community side of it. So I think when I first met you, the yes, I remember like you told me that you’re launching a business that’s right. And I was like, I have seen a lot of people launch a business directly, but then it doesn’t go so well or anything.

 

Community Impact and Business Growth

Bilna:

So I think even I told you, like, I know that if you’re research done the business right. And we didn’t we were when we were signing on partners, we were like, Now should we go into directly more or should we go in a community learning tool? And then I saw how you have grown in the last five, six months.

 

00:04:48:13 – 00:05:01:02

Bilna:

Right. And I think you have more than 85 businesses onboarded on the platform. And one thing I saw unique about you directly is the community element. Yes. Right. So how is that like, you know, how the whole experience.

 

00:05:01:07 – 00:05:20:21

Doaa:

Beginning with how you said that you had also we had discussed this the time before I launched it. And like you, because you’re in the business and then you need more people who are in business longer than I have been for sure. Each and every person told me the one thing that directories don’t work is directories are old school, and that cannot help anybody in today’s world because you have Google.

 

00:05:20:23 – 00:05:34:24

Doaa:

And somehow it’s worked in my favor because the more they kept saying that you can’t do this because it’s not going to work, I was like, No, I believe in it and I wanted to work and I have spent that much time and energy into it, so might as well launch it. And I had a vision to it.

 

00:05:34:24 – 00:05:58:23

Doaa:

It’s just that sometimes when you’ve thought about something, you’re not able to relate to people in words, but you know how you want to go about it. So when it came to doing it digitally, I had it all sorted. What I wanted to do physically was that in my mind I just didn’t have it on people. Okay? And obviously the whole idea is that when you are dealing with so many people who are in business, the first thing is that you need to build a community.

 

00:05:58:23 – 00:06:16:12

Doaa:

Yes, I don’t think you can move forward without building a community and just being detached, because my business people who are with me as vendors, they want to talk to me almost every single day asking me random questions. It doesn’t even relate to the directorly. Sometimes they’ve asked me questions which I mean with them as well. I don’t know what we talk about half the time.

 

00:06:16:12 – 00:06:34:03

Doaa:

It’s just we started with something and you end with something. And I think that’s what community building is, where you are discussing from the smallest to the biggest problem. Then sometimes it’s not even a problem. You’re just talking. Yes. And that’s the kind of vision I had when I was doing directory, is that you put this thing digitally, but obviously people are just going to go there.

 

00:06:34:03 – 00:06:47:05

Doaa:

You build a community and then you move forward. And that I think that USB has helped. And the fact that I’m personally connected with each and every business that is on boarded only putting, and I think that’s what sets it apart. And you need that kind of Yes.

 

00:06:47:07 – 00:06:49:19

Bilna:

I think people are looking for connections.

 

00:06:49:23 – 00:06:50:15

Pavithra:

Absolutely.

 

00:06:50:15 – 00:07:00:28

Bilna:

Yes. And even in your business, I see you have a WhatsApp group of lot of vendors who do their events in your space. So how has the community element helped you in your business?

 

00:07:01:02 – 00:07:22:16

Marina:

I have been going to a lot of networking events since the beginning of this year, and one of the reasons was again, I lost a few of my good friends, close friends, and then I went out looking for friends in these communities and within no time and like you guys know, I take quick.

 

00:07:22:16 – 00:07:30:26

Pavithra:

Decisions when you talk to me about is that they didn’t know time.

 

00:07:30:27 – 00:07:40:03

Marina:

It was like, you know, I got to meet a lot of different types of people and I got out of my shell. And then when I started Marina Pearl.

 

00:07:40:03 – 00:07:41:02

Pavithra:

And I started.

Empowering Workshops and Networking Events

Marina:

Hosting a few of workshops, some of networking events, and it just added to my list, I’m like, This is what I, you know, I have other businesses which make money for me, but this is that business that, you know, it’s like that is the reason I’ve started my that.

 

00:07:57:26 – 00:07:58:29

Bilna:

Is the happiness factor.

 

00:07:58:29 – 00:08:00:21

Pavithra:

Yeah. It’s like, So.

 

00:08:00:21 – 00:08:02:10

Marina:

 

 

00:08:02:10 – 00:08:04:06

Pavithra:

You? Yep.

 

00:08:04:08 – 00:08:06:25

Marina:

It is that kind of assessment is what.

 

00:08:06:27 – 00:08:08:04

Pavithra:

I have.

 

00:08:08:06 – 00:08:19:08

Marina:

With the club especially. You know, I want to mention one more person over here is Vita. So she has been a person. If I tell her anything, you know, she’s.

 

00:08:19:08 – 00:08:20:27

Pavithra:

Like, Let’s do it.

 

00:08:21:00 – 00:08:23:14

Marina:

You know, the word that comes up is.

 

00:08:23:16 – 00:08:25:18

Pavithra:

Nahi hoga Kaise hoga.

 

00:08:25:18 – 00:08:27:07

Bilna:

That is not a question that I should.

 

00:08:27:07 – 00:08:28:25

Pavithra:

Be like you. Yeah.

 

00:08:28:27 – 00:08:41:28

Marina:

And one of my first workshop and then we 3 became like more close to each other was purple swans workshop at My Space and from there on it has just kicked in and I do a.

 

00:08:41:28 – 00:08:43:17

Pavithra:

Lot of workshops.

 

00:08:43:17 – 00:08:46:25

Marina:

At my premises with the community.

 

00:08:46:26 – 00:08:48:00

Pavithra:

People, so it.

 

00:08:48:00 – 00:08:49:15

Marina:

Has been added value.

 

00:08:49:15 – 00:09:06:03

Bilna:

you are connector with a lot of our businesses, like Home Partners? Club members also do their workshops. The until then they used to come and as you know, is there any cafe that gives them space? Is there any other space where we can go? And once we met you and went, we saw you are there like you’re the go to person.

 

00:09:06:03 – 00:09:07:07

Bilna:

Now for everyone in the club.

 

00:09:07:07 – 00:09:07:24

Pavithra:

Community.

 

00:09:07:29 – 00:09:12:14

Bilna:

Workshop as fast as marina space we do our meetings, you know.

 

00:09:12:14 – 00:09:13:00

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:09:13:00 – 00:09:16:18

Doaa:

I just want to add one thing to her. It’s her team as well, who’s very.

 

00:09:16:18 – 00:09:18:02

Pavithra:

Proactive about.

 

00:09:18:04 – 00:09:23:06

Doaa:

Putting all these things out there and connecting with all of us. So I think that’s good hostility that that amazing.

 

Navigating Challenges and Learning Curves in Collaborations

Bilna:

You’ve selected an amazing team to work with as as well. I see that when we are not home promotes club networking event also they are very active you know they come and do all the listings. I tell them, Could you please do that for me? Could you please do this? That so helpful. Anything, anything that you can find and just do it you.

 

00:09:39:27 – 00:09:40:06

Pavithra:

Know.

 

00:09:40:11 – 00:09:44:14

Marina:

Interviewed by Marina.

 

00:09:44:16 – 00:09:44:25

Pavithra:

You.

 

00:09:44:25 – 00:09:45:19

Bilna:

Should start and it.

 

00:09:45:20 – 00:09:50:25

Pavithra:

Does make don’t promote me. Don’t put it in my head.

 

00:09:50:28 – 00:09:52:27

Bilna:

Anything they want to.

 

00:09:52:28 – 00:09:58:07

Pavithra:

Do now going do you vote?

 

00:09:58:09 – 00:10:01:24

Bilna:

How has the element of community impacted your business?

 

00:10:01:26 – 00:10:25:21

Marina:

Yes, because in our industrial my field, which is, you know, business and licensing, people need to trust you. They need to trust your company, they need to trust your firm. Only then would they come to discuss their dream company or their dream with you. Yes, right now, because I’m new and I am new, I didn’t know from where you need to start.

 

00:10:25:24 – 00:10:44:04

Marina:

I got a few people from the community who trusted me for me, who trusted me, for who I am, who trusted me for being in the group, for being a part of Homepreneurs who trusted me, who came to me and said, okay, you know, this is my dream. Do you think you’ll be able to help? And that’s how things started.

 

00:10:44:04 – 00:11:07:09

Marina:

So I, you know, give them options. I give them guidance, free consultation. I help them understand because in the market there are so many people who give you so many rules and regulations. Few are correct, you are wrong, few are outdated. So they needed someone to help them, you know, kind of handhold them in this process. So that’s what I understood because they trusted me from the community.

 

00:11:07:09 – 00:11:25:28

Marina:

I gave them everything that I could in terms of trust, in terms of guidance. I, you know, gave them the confidence. So they believed in me. I believed in them, and we made it happen. And if you see, I’m so proud to tell this 70% of my clients that I’ve closed in this year, 2023, are from Homepreneurs.

 

00:11:25:29 – 00:11:26:19

Marina:

Wow.

 

00:11:26:19 – 00:11:29:08

Pavithra:

That is exactly.

 

00:11:29:08 – 00:11:49:12

Marina:

And it has been through reference or someone from Homepreneurs have referred me saying that, you know what, go to Pavitra Salene, she’s the boss and she will guide you. Or it is our home panel members who have done their company through you know, through me. And I’m so happy because I’m able to give them the budget friendly options because that’s what they are looking for as well.

 

00:11:49:15 – 00:12:08:00

Marina:

And someone with the knowledge who knows what’s right for them and the situation. Because a lot of people make a mistake in choosing the wrong license for them. And after investing, they regret that, okay, this was not the right option for me. So that element is saved for them when they come through me because I give them the options, the right options, and they choose.

 

00:12:08:00 – 00:12:13:17

Bilna:

What the know them like, okay, if you can go for this, then this is going to go into desert Z. You know? I like that. Yeah.

 

00:12:13:18 – 00:12:30:18

Marina:

Pros and cons. I don’t try to butter anything for them. I make sure they are they are very well aware of what they’re getting in. Yes. And they invest it with all the knowledge. Okay, this is what I’m getting into. If I invest it, this is what I’m getting. And then when they do, they are happy and then they know what they have taken.

 

00:12:30:18 – 00:12:33:11

Marina:

And from there they start there entrepreneurialism journey.

 

00:12:33:11 – 00:12:34:16

Pavithra:

And so, yeah.

 

00:12:34:18 – 00:12:45:00

Bilna:

This is great. And, you know, yesterday, doctor didn’t exactly and she told me something like she had come two months back. First time for our meetup. That’s when she met you.

 

00:12:45:00 – 00:12:45:10

Marina:

Exactly.

 

00:12:45:13 – 00:13:00:09

Bilna:

And she was telling me I said, a, you know, I’d been waiting ten months. I was waiting to set up my business. I was not happy with. They know the business, I know people. I was scared to go. And so I was just going around and round. And now she came back saying I got the license through Pavitra. I was like, Wow.

 

00:13:00:12 – 00:13:18:17

Marina:

And I think we just met twice. And then, you know, she was so convinced and she was like, she had a lot of questions because she was overwhelmed with all the details other people had given. So she wanted to do it, but she was just stepping back because she was so overwhelmed and she was confused with all the mixed answers she’s got.

 

00:13:18:23 – 00:13:35:15

Marina:

So I sorted the questions out for her. I answered them one by one, and then she started relating to what I was saying. Then she started relating to what you want and what she’s getting. And then she was clear and she was like, okay, what? You know what? I’m making the payment, Let’s go for it. And that’s how it happened.

 

00:13:35:15 – 00:13:54:24

Marina:

And you know, we and you know how, you know, things work. So when it comes to licensing and government, things keep changing, Offers keep changing every month. It’s a new offer, it’s a new regulation. And challenges do come in everything. Challenges do come. But the best thing was even in Dinta’s case, when there were challenges, we sat down with solutions.

 

00:13:54:29 – 00:14:07:27

Marina:

We were like, okay, this is a new update. These are the solutions. What would you like to go with? And we are there to support you. So you have people from outside your deal what you want to do, and then she selected what she wanted and then we got the work done for her. So that was the best part.

 

00:14:08:00 – 00:14:08:11

Bilna:

I want.

 

00:14:08:11 – 00:14:27:29

Doaa:

To tell you about that one as well, because I had one vendor who couldn’t renew with me because of her license issues and we met at Entrepreneur’s Bling and they connected that and then Bobby traded. Tell her that I’m going to get to help you out with it. And she did it so fast that the next day she had a new membership, which was really exciting.

 

00:14:27:29 – 00:14:36:16

Doaa:

And she’s also part of companies. So the three of us together like had the other, you know, like in every way possible. So I think that that’s what communities do for.

 

00:14:36:16 – 00:14:36:27

Marina:

You do.

 

00:14:36:27 – 00:14:48:27

Bilna:

That too. And and now when when you mentioned enterprise bling so that was an amazing event which all three of you did together for same. So what was the story behind that? How did that happen?

 

00:14:48:29 – 00:15:08:28

Doaa:

I mean, it started off very, very randomly, but we wanted to the vision was that, again, you know, we all three knew what we wanted to do and we already brought out different elements for that. She got the idea of, you know, bringing in vendors. I knew I wanted to bring in people. She knew she had the space and it’s like all three different things, but how do we bring it together?

 

00:15:08:28 – 00:15:14:25

Doaa:

How do we bring people? And to be honest, all odds were against us. There was a India-Pakistan match.

 

00:15:14:28 – 00:15:16:27

Pavithra:

There was a long weekend.

 

00:15:16:29 – 00:15:19:12

Doaa:

And every single person that I had.

 

00:15:19:15 – 00:15:21:09

Bilna:

It was on the weekend and that’s why I couldn’t go.

 

00:15:21:09 – 00:15:21:24

Pavithra:

Yes, I.

 

00:15:21:26 – 00:15:39:24

Doaa:

Know. I was told by like me and no, we’re on a call. And she said, listen, she’ll be canceled. And this is like five days before the event. And I was like, You know what? I just got to know this morning there’s going to be an India-Pakistan match as well. And our expectation was 60 people. Well, so we were like, what if these people don’t come and what are we going to do?

 

00:15:39:27 – 00:15:57:05

Doaa:

And I was like, okay, let’s cancel. Then I called her in like an hour and I said, Listen, we’ve decided even if it’s 20 people, we are going to do it because canceling an event does more harm than having low people coming in, low number of people coming. So we still went ahead with it and we had 65 people who came in and our vendors stall was full.

 

00:15:57:05 – 00:15:59:07

Pavithra:

Guys are completely oh, and and.

 

00:15:59:07 – 00:16:03:08

Marina:

We had a vendor on the day of the event, she decided she wants to.

 

00:16:03:08 – 00:16:16:14

Pavithra:

Be leading a stall. Yes. So we were like, yeah, Trija last edition. And I’m like, I’m telling you, there is no space, man. Waitw here, can you fix like one.

 

00:16:16:16 – 00:16:25:14

Marina:

Two hour, three hour priorities? When we came to our premises and then we were like, okay, then, then Dua being Dua.

 

00:16:25:16 – 00:16:36:01

Doaa:

So my problem is, I don’t know if it’s a problem. Actually, I can never be like, Let’s not do this because this is against us. Yeah, if it’s against us, I want to do it even more. If I know in my head that.

 

00:16:36:05 – 00:16:37:15

Bilna:

You want to find a solution to it.

 

00:16:37:15 – 00:16:52:03

Doaa:

I want to find a solution to it. I mean, there are a couple of events that we voted on together, otherwise where we were on the verge of canceling because of low attendance over whatever other reasons that was not working for us. But I’ve always been like, let’s do it. Yes, you know, it’s okay to do it. Let’s not cancel.

 

00:16:52:03 – 00:16:56:01

Bilna:

It. Even if one person shows up that does it because they have trusted you.

 

00:16:56:02 – 00:17:04:24

Doaa:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So if people are trusting you to do something and then you canceled last minute, what about those ten people who said we will come? Yes, exactly. You know, and those ten people.

 

00:17:04:24 – 00:17:05:09

Pavithra:

Have to work.

 

00:17:05:11 – 00:17:06:05

Doaa:

Negatively for.

 

00:17:06:05 – 00:17:07:08

Pavithra:

You? Yes, yes, yes.

 

00:17:07:10 – 00:17:10:03

Doaa:

But we were very happy. We had 60 plus people.

 

00:17:10:06 – 00:17:31:23

Marina:

It was houseful. And that was the first event where you know, everything it was and the place was full because so many things happened actually at that event. Like we collaborated together. My space had the first time of visibility of, you know, 65, 65 plus people coming in. It was that that day was something very different.

 

00:17:31:23 – 00:17:33:00

Doaa:

You know, the energy.

 

00:17:33:00 – 00:17:34:06

Pavithra:

The vibe.

 

00:17:34:08 – 00:17:41:01

Marina:

I think. So I know the reason why it was because that event was for small business owners or startups.

 

00:17:41:01 – 00:17:41:11

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:17:41:16 – 00:17:56:19

Marina:

You know, because now that we are in a community where everyone is a startup or a small business trying to put in their passion to business, and on that day, everyone who came was so passionate because they were all small business owners or start up and it was amazing and it was helpful.

 

00:17:56:24 – 00:18:15:13

Doaa:

Yeah, I had three businesses were there is vendors who are also  E boutique vendors and they were vendors at different and we met for the first time over there and they collaborated together and now they have a gifting solution company called Bumblebee Gifting. So all three of them bring out their product, make a hamper, and that’s what this allowed to people.

 

00:18:15:13 – 00:18:18:02

Doaa:

So that’s what happened with Entrepreneurs bling  ready.

 

00:18:18:05 – 00:18:18:25

Pavithra:

And that’s a result.

 

00:18:18:26 – 00:18:20:24

Bilna:

New collaborations that came out then.

 

00:18:20:24 – 00:18:31:09

Doaa:

That’s what I think that’s what communities collaboration is, all of these things and that’s what beneficial collaboration is. I mean, you know, like it should benefit everybody that’s attached to it. And I think all three of us benefited.

 

00:18:31:10 – 00:18:31:25

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:18:31:25 – 00:18:44:17

Marina:

And it was the first time for most of us, that first event, first networking event or first organizing everything was first for many people, a few vendors. Also, it was the first time they were exhibiting their products for the first time. Yeah.

 

00:18:44:17 – 00:18:49:28

Doaa:

So no, the first time, if you were talking about that, I had 15 registrations on e boutique  after that day, within the.

 

00:18:49:28 – 00:18:53:21

Pavithra:

Next 2 hours. Oh, maybe that’s one time again.

 

00:18:53:28 – 00:19:02:15

Doaa:

That was first time again. Yes. 15 people in 24 hours is of course, you understand as openers. It’s not easy. And I didn’t have to convince anybody there. Like, no.

 

00:19:02:18 – 00:19:11:16

Bilna:

I’m on board the design model. Let’s make. Absolutely. I think now coming to the negative side of community, have you ever had a negative experience from a community?

 

00:19:11:21 – 00:19:13:15

Doaa:

I wouldn’t call it negative, but sometimes.

 

00:19:13:15 – 00:19:15:10

Bilna:

Maybe a learning experience for a.

 

00:19:15:10 – 00:19:20:01

Pavithra:

Lot of a lot of it.

 

00:19:20:03 – 00:19:36:28

Doaa:

I think when you are doing a partnership, you feel that sometimes that you’re doing a lot is okay and you shouldn’t be. I think you need to delegate stuff and I have a very hard time delegating stuff because probably I like to be in control of things and I feel like if I’m going to do it, it’s going to be okay.

 

00:19:37:00 – 00:19:42:07

Doaa:

So I had a very hard time continue to her and would not because of them, it was because of me.

 

00:19:42:10 – 00:19:44:21

Bilna:

It’s you find it hard to say no to people.

 

00:19:44:22 – 00:19:56:25

Doaa:

And not like I find it hard to say no to people. I find it hard to give it out that, okay, you know what? You take care of this. It doesn’t come easily to me. Like in my house, they call me the morning after it. So you understand that the control freak?

 

00:19:56:28 – 00:19:58:26

Pavithra:

Yes. And she’s told me this. She’s like.

 

00:19:58:28 – 00:20:01:26

Doaa:

You are too pushing. You know, you just stop.

 

00:20:01:28 – 00:20:03:07

Pavithra:

I’m like, Listen, I have.

 

00:20:03:08 – 00:20:04:10

Bilna:

To Marina the cool.

 

00:20:04:10 – 00:20:11:08

Pavithra:

Factor. Yes. The bubbly one. She’s like, She is lovely and he’s relaxed and.

 

00:20:11:11 – 00:20:38:14

Doaa:

I’m calming her down as it is a very weird combination. There was another event that me and her did it apart from entrepreneurs, where we both felt like we didn’t get in return. What we should have as the third or the fourth partner got. Yeah, and I think again, that was a learning curve, not a negative thing because you’re used to starting out and you always make mistakes and stuff, but it’s what it attaches with your name, what it brings out for you e Boutique and for Marina Pearl and for Enrich Ventures.

 

00:20:38:16 – 00:20:46:10

Doaa:

Is that all? You know what? Who are these people? They are the ones who didn’t end up in reasoning. Nobody cares about the other part of it. But in between us, we have. We get all these.

 

00:20:46:10 – 00:20:50:25

Pavithra:

Funny, funny, funny stories. They all it’s like, yeah.

 

00:20:50:28 – 00:20:56:06

Bilna:

Mayonnaise. And I think other thing which I have seen in three of you, the way that you.

 

00:20:56:06 – 00:20:57:25

Pavithra:

Bring.

 

Balancing Family Support in Entrepreneurial Journeys

Bilna:

Three of you are together Yes. That as important as business as I do have some close friends who are also business owners.

 

00:21:05:18 – 00:21:07:06

Marina:

true 100% because.

 

00:21:07:06 – 00:21:14:20

Bilna:

There are some things we can never discuss with our friends because they don’t understand what we are going as they are running their own business.

 

00:21:14:20 – 00:21:30:00

Doaa:

I can’t discuss it with my husband most times because he’s like, Listen, I don’t understand it exactly. And it makes it very difficult for me because he’s the boss and he’s my partner in life. He’s my partner where I discuss, even when I had a job, you know, I used to discuss things, what happened at work, but that was corporate world.

 

00:21:30:08 – 00:21:50:06

Doaa:

So he understood every part of maturity doesn’t understand. So when for entrepreneurs bling I wanted to give a gift to people from a boutique and it was a plant, it was a money plant, and the idea behind it was eco friendly, sustainable and something you take back home. Ultimately, he said, you can give a plant. He completely defied the idea, said you cannot give a plant that doesn’t look nice.

 

00:21:50:08 – 00:21:55:06

Doaa:

And I’m not kidding. All the 60 people who got the plant have messaged me personally and told.

 

00:21:55:06 – 00:21:58:21

Pavithra:

Me how amazing the idea through so and.

 

00:21:58:21 – 00:22:04:28

Marina:

They all cherish it to me too. I have all the, you know, two plants with me. I have one at home and one at office.

 

00:22:05:01 – 00:22:05:16

Pavithra:

And I only.

 

00:22:05:16 – 00:22:08:06

Doaa:

Discussed with her and she said.

 

00:22:08:09 – 00:22:08:24

Pavithra:

I.

 

00:22:08:24 – 00:22:13:14

Doaa:

Had no idea that I was going to do something. I was literally two days before and she’s like, You’re mad. You don’t want to do this.

 

00:22:13:15 – 00:22:14:00

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:22:14:03 – 00:22:30:03

Doaa:

And I’m like, I want to do this. I just need to find out what I want to give. Yes. And I think she and another friend were the only one who were on board this idea of doing a plant as a giveaway at home. They were like, No, this is not an idea that you should be doing. It’s not professional enough, okay?

 

00:22:30:06 – 00:22:37:18

Doaa:

But it eco friendly it does a lot. So yeah, I think that, like you said, people at home don’t understand how to do things, that.

 

00:22:37:21 – 00:22:51:18

Bilna:

They are also in something similar. They know that. And so this is a challenge which I faced myself as well, because my husband is also completely in the corporate sector. So when I see all this wow ideas and all the excitement I have, it’s like.

 

00:22:51:20 – 00:22:52:12

Pavithra:

Okay.

 

00:22:52:15 – 00:23:00:10

Bilna:

That’s the how important it is to have that family support. Marina from your side.

 

00:23:00:12 – 00:23:12:17

Marina:

See for me, my husband has been that strength person again. I got married and after that I came to the Dubai and if I wanted to, I could choose to just sit back in bangalore.

 

00:23:12:17 – 00:23:13:02

Pavithra:

Or in.

 

00:23:13:02 – 00:23:27:27

Marina:

Mumbai or in Dubai. But he pushed me like, you know, go, go there and get yourself a job. So he was okay with the idea of a job, but after 2017, when I decided that, no, I don’t want to do.

 

00:23:27:27 – 00:23:29:16

Pavithra:

The job anymore.

 

00:23:29:19 – 00:23:34:16

Marina:

I feel my potential is more than the job and I want to be a real estate broker.

 

00:23:34:18 – 00:23:35:21

Pavithra:

Okay. Okay.

 

00:23:35:23 – 00:23:49:19

Marina:

So first, what he said was, I don’t think so. Like, we are not still that stable. Let’s take some more time. But at the same time he was like, If that’s your calling, you go for it.

 

00:23:49:22 – 00:23:50:17

Pavithra:

Even today.

 

00:23:50:17 – 00:23:59:09

Marina:

You know, when I get some idea, some crazy things, even Marina pearl for that matter, I go to him, You know what? I want to do this.

 

00:23:59:09 – 00:24:00:19

Pavithra:

This is this.

 

00:24:00:21 – 00:24:04:12

Marina:

His answer will be, think about it. Don’t do it.

 

00:24:04:15 – 00:24:05:11

Pavithra:

And next day.

 

00:24:05:11 – 00:24:07:25

Marina:

He knows it. I have done.

 

00:24:07:27 – 00:24:12:20

Pavithra:

All right. Well, you know, I you know, so.

 

00:24:12:22 – 00:24:17:06

Marina:

That but there are certain times after I have done it, I realized that, you know.

 

00:24:17:12 – 00:24:18:12

Bilna:

It was not right.

 

00:24:18:16 – 00:24:22:27

Pavithra:

It was not that I should listen to him. But then still, like.

 

00:24:22:27 – 00:24:38:22

Marina:

You know, I get the I get the push that I require and I even get the push that I need to stop here. So that’s the support I get from my family and from my husband, my parents, my brother. You know, You know, my brother is all always.

 

00:24:38:22 – 00:24:40:15

Pavithra:

Your right hand. Yeah.

 

00:24:40:20 – 00:24:50:07

Marina:

So my my father was a person who was like, you know, I want to do something. And when I was doing college that damaged to help my dad in his canteen business.

 

00:24:50:10 – 00:24:51:09

Pavithra:

So me.

Entrepreneurial Journey and the Power of Support: Overcoming Challenges and Building Strong Connections

Marina:

Wanting to become an entrepreneur.

 

00:24:53:16 – 00:24:54:05

Pavithra:

Was there.

 

00:24:54:05 – 00:25:07:10

Marina:

From the very small age and we used to have this school canteen rohans school had this three day festival and used to put a canteen stall over the vendors.

 

00:25:07:12 – 00:25:12:00

Pavithra:

Okay. Do you think I used to be, you know.

 

00:25:12:05 – 00:25:15:12

Marina:

And I used to get to count the money at the end of the stall. How much of a.

 

00:25:15:12 – 00:25:16:26

Pavithra:

Diet I used to be.

 

00:25:16:28 – 00:25:20:11

Marina:

I used to come back home and we are talking about 2000.

 

00:25:20:11 – 00:25:21:04

Pavithra:

And ten.

 

00:25:21:04 – 00:25:28:00

Marina:

11 to around the time I used to come home and I used to count ₹20,000, ₹30,000. I’m like.

 

00:25:28:06 – 00:25:32:00

Pavithra:

Wow, in one day you didn’t do this.

 

00:25:32:03 – 00:25:40:04

Marina:

So I’m like, And today when I sit like, you know, I’ve called my parents back, and when stalls happened, I loosened them on video.

 

00:25:40:04 – 00:25:41:00

Pavithra:

And pictures.

 

00:25:41:06 – 00:25:54:26

Marina:

And I show it to them. I’m like, Wow, You know, we used to be a part of one of the stores and really you hosted so it my family has always been a support system. But, you know, there are certain times I don’t listen to them. I’m sorry.

 

00:25:54:26 – 00:25:56:08

Pavithra:

For that.

 

00:25:56:11 – 00:25:59:24

Bilna:

And those mistakes, whatever you might have made, you take on us.

 

00:25:59:27 – 00:26:00:24

Pavithra:

Yes. Yes.

 

00:26:00:27 – 00:26:14:23

Doaa:

To be another day, we have to take ownership of what we are doing. And I think when we do things impulsively, she does it. She does it. I do it. It’s delivered a calculated risk. It’s not like I just went out and did something like crazy. We are crazy.

 

00:26:14:23 – 00:26:17:10

Pavithra:

But that’s crazy when it comes to business. Yeah.

 

00:26:17:12 – 00:26:35:12

Doaa:

So I think, yeah. And I feel that support that we are talking about, all three of us have that support at home and that’s probably why anybody can excel. I mean, not even just for us, even our husbands were working. They have that kind of support level. Yes, that’s how they can even operate where they are operating. And I think it’s equal partnership and everything that everybody does.

 

00:26:35:12 – 00:26:35:21

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:26:35:21 – 00:26:38:03

Bilna:

What about your pavitra? You want to add something?

 

00:26:38:10 – 00:26:58:29

Marina:

Definitely is because mine is a little emotional when it comes to this, because even now I get a lot I get anxiety when I think about it, because when I was working, I had a very stable job paying me a very amazing salary. But the worst part was me and my husband. We were working in the same company, I was in the sales and he was in operations.

 

00:26:59:02 – 00:27:19:28

Marina:

My husband was so attached to this company that he he is sick and he used to still go to the office. And I was not like that. I was a little you know, because I went to and I if I was flexible. Yes, yes. I’m like, I’m sick. I’m taking a sick leave. So my husband being so attached to the job and me, I got the worm of becoming an entrepreneur.

 

00:27:19:28 – 00:27:34:21

Marina:

I was because when I have something on my mind, it’s on my face. And now I was not able to be an employee anymore. This was making me uncomfortable. So I did go to my employer and tell, You know what, I want to quit, okay? I want to do something on my own, maybe a freelance. So but I want to quit.

 

00:27:34:21 – 00:27:37:10

Marina:

Okay. And that’s where things started.

 

00:27:37:13 – 00:27:37:24

Pavithra:

To get.

 

00:27:37:24 – 00:27:39:16

Marina:

There. So, yeah, it was buy one, get one free.

 

00:27:39:16 – 00:27:47:17

Pavithra:

So all that. And so if you’re leaving.

 

00:27:47:20 – 00:27:52:24

Marina:

Then and my husband was really devastated.

 

00:27:52:25 – 00:27:53:24

Pavithra:

Because he was.

 

00:27:53:24 – 00:27:55:21

Marina:

Very, very, very attached to his company.

 

00:27:55:21 – 00:27:58:21

Bilna:

So you were the one who disrupted it. Yeah.

 

00:27:58:21 – 00:28:18:02

Marina:

And so now it’s, it was very difficult for him to support me as well as support the family, because we both were earning from the same place. And now we have to leave because of me, because of something that I wanted. Now he had to go to my house. Yes, but this man, Sunil Kumar, thank you. He stood by my side.

 

00:28:18:02 – 00:28:26:08

Marina:

He was like, It’s okay. I know it’s going to be difficult. It’s okay. Okay. I know we are going to be unemployed. It’s okay. Let’s do it. So I’m someone who stood.

 

00:28:26:11 – 00:28:27:16

Bilna:

To support your dream.

 

00:28:27:16 – 00:28:31:21

Marina:

Exactly. And I’m, you know, I talk a lot and he does not at all.

 

00:28:31:27 – 00:28:33:28

Pavithra:

I love making friends. And he’s like.

 

00:28:33:28 – 00:28:36:13

Marina:

Okay, if there are people, he’s you’ll find him somewhere in the got.

 

00:28:36:13 – 00:28:38:20

Pavithra:

A good combination. You know.

 

00:28:38:21 – 00:28:46:02

Doaa:

But you’re always much better. Not only do I mean you started out saying it’s an emotional story for Sunil. I thought it was for you, but it’s an emotional.

 

00:28:46:02 – 00:28:49:02

Pavithra:

Story because you need to.

 

00:28:49:05 – 00:29:06:13

Marina:

Know. But we went through together like being, you know, unemployed. We did it together, you know, starting from scratch. We did it together. We both didn’t have any experience of being. And Bruno, my dad, was an entrepreneur. But then, you know, things didn’t go yeah. Through and things didn’t go well, so I didn’t have anyone to back us up.

 

00:29:06:13 – 00:29:25:14

Marina:

Yes. So that’s when family played a major role. My brother was like, if things go wrong and you are facing difficult and you’re still trying to bring up your company, don’t worry about the home. I’m there. I will take care of your house. This was what my brother told me and my husband was like, You know what? Don’t worry of the office, because I was someone I had to go out.

 

00:29:25:14 – 00:29:34:12

Marina:

Yes. Go to networking events, go to home homeowner entrepreneurs , go meet friends, go meet clients. I had to go out. So what? What about the office? So you, like, say definitely.

 

00:29:34:15 – 00:29:35:01

Pavithra:

You go.

 

00:29:35:07 – 00:29:49:10

Marina:

You know, what do you have in mind? I’ll take care of the office. I will take care of the people. I will take you. You’ll go bring work. I will make sure that the work is done on time. And he’s doing it even today. Now I’m with you guys doing this interview and he’s in the office working for me.

 

00:29:49:13 – 00:29:50:16

Marina:

So that’s the support.

 

00:29:50:16 – 00:29:52:02

Pavithra:

I got a power couple, Yeah.

 

00:29:52:06 – 00:29:55:07

Marina:

So I’m grateful and I’m happy for that day.

 

00:29:55:09 – 00:29:57:28

Pavithra:

So do you know, it’s like.

 

00:29:58:00 – 00:30:17:26

Bilna:

You know, there would be some moments, right? Like, Oh my God. Because when I started my business, one thing that I was thinking was, again, my husband, he is still in conflict, so he has a stable income. So that was one easy point for me. I take it more like it was a privilege that it is actually because though I didn’t take any financial support from anybody, it was all from me.

 

00:30:17:26 – 00:30:27:29

Bilna:

But there was that thing that, you know, if things go wrong, I still have my, you know, someone who takes care of the home. So when you bought good, that’s.

 

00:30:27:29 – 00:30:30:02

Pavithra:

Like taking the money.

 

00:30:30:09 – 00:30:55:20

Marina:

And we put all the savings that we had in the business. So anything and everything that we had for us, it could be my jewels, it could be anything. I had all my savings, which was a security for both of us, my vacation plans and everything. We just put it in and we like now we are pushed to do this because our our idea was like, he will still continue in the company and I will do some freelancing and things will go that that was a bad idea.

 

00:30:55:23 – 00:31:11:09

Marina:

But then when we both lost a job, we were forced to start a company on our own and we decided, okay, you do the sales, I’ll do the operations, and we did it. And it’s working out. I think every woman, you know, if she has this kind of a support, everyone is going to be a millionaire.

 

00:31:11:11 – 00:31:13:00

Doaa:

Need to do a business setup.

 

00:31:13:03 – 00:31:22:16

Marina:

I mean it it ourself. And you know, that was the time we understood what people go through when they are doing their business and set up.

 

00:31:22:18 – 00:31:23:22

Pavithra:

So the name.

 

00:31:23:22 – 00:31:27:18

Marina:

And it enrich Ventures got rejected. They didn’t give us the name.

 

00:31:27:22 – 00:31:29:08

Pavithra:

They said it’s already taken.

 

00:31:29:11 – 00:31:35:17

Marina:

So I understood when I tell a client, you know what the name that you are dreaming of, you’re not going to get it. I understood how that feels.

 

00:31:35:17 – 00:31:38:24

Bilna:

I know it’s very difficult for me to get the name.

 

00:31:38:28 – 00:31:39:20

Pavithra:

Exact.

 

00:31:39:22 – 00:31:41:13

Doaa:

Domains I bought before they actually.

 

00:31:41:13 – 00:31:43:12

Pavithra:

Bought myself. Yeah.

 

00:31:43:14 – 00:31:55:04

Marina:

Oh, yeah, we could relate. And because we did it ourselves and we went through the process of arranging money and starting a business, we know the heat of the moment. I think that’s why I connect to my clients even more better.

 

00:31:55:06 – 00:31:57:23

Pavithra:

And yes, yes, that’s.

 

00:31:57:23 – 00:32:12:24

Bilna:

I know. Let’s move on to the collaboration side of things. So I mean, we already covered a bit of on how you guys collaborated, and I just want to know, like, how did you meet for the first time, all three of you? I think you both made first and then marina came .

 

00:32:12:24 – 00:32:25:04

Doaa:

Met her at the first homeowners networking event, which was also my first ever networking event. And this was much before I had launched a boutique. So I was very nervous. Not only was I know was when I did, I didn’t even know that pitch was called elevator pitch.

 

00:32:25:06 – 00:32:28:28

Pavithra:

So that’s how bad I wanted to elevate it.

 

00:32:29:01 – 00:32:45:12

Doaa:

Not one minute. You have to talk about your business. I’m like, I can’t talk about something that’s not launched. I’m still not sure what’s going to happen, and I still have to talk and still be that confident. And I was in a room full of 20 ladies. Yes. And I felt they were all confident. Much later I found out they all were nervous was in the same boat.

 

00:32:45:12 – 00:33:00:18

Doaa:

And then I didn’t get a chance to, like, talk to her. But then I saw her following her on Instagram. We connected well, and then I saw that on her personal account as busy one. So she keeps adding whenever there is a potential networking event. And then she said there’s a event. And I said, okay, let’s go for it.

 

00:33:00:18 – 00:33:09:22

Doaa:

And I was like, I’m going to be there. But that’s when I met her again. And then I met Marina, all of that. And I and Marina didn’t connect on business. We connected on food, okay?

 

00:33:09:25 – 00:33:15:12

Pavithra:

And we just I would say beforehand.

 

00:33:15:15 – 00:33:18:25

Bilna:

We know anybody who has become for three or four years.

 

00:33:18:25 – 00:33:20:24

Pavithra:

It is and it is. I mean.

 

00:33:20:27 – 00:33:26:11

Doaa:

There are some networking events. We go to After, which is Lunch together. It always ends up in Lunch.

 

00:33:26:13 – 00:33:28:04

Pavithra:

The same with that.

 

00:33:28:06 – 00:33:29:05

Marina:

Maybe by anybody.

 

00:33:29:05 – 00:33:31:10

Pavithra:

Or do it has something.

 

00:33:31:12 – 00:33:36:05

Doaa:

Don’t really of so we work but we love to eat and.

 

00:33:36:08 – 00:33:37:06

Pavithra:

That has actually.

 

00:33:37:06 – 00:34:00:19

Bilna:

Brought that casual connection element right Absolutely. Because some people when I join one of the networking platforms initially I didn’t know. So it was a huge amount that I had to pay for the membership. And then the first six months I was like, I have to go and meet everybody. But my splits, my friends like get back with my back goes down because I had no nobody does even networking, nobody don’t know what networking is.

 

00:34:00:21 – 00:34:20:07

Bilna:

And then I was always like, I have to sell to that community. Then later I realized it was not selling to the community, to selling through the company. But it took me six months on this tender and in six months nobody really bought much. Maybe I got some small, small amounts, but nothing big was happening. And then after that, I realized that I have to.

 

00:34:20:08 – 00:34:37:15

Bilna:

And now I’m like, okay, until renewal. That is time. Maybe I’ll just go and make some friends. And now my closest friends come from that community. We go out for drinks, we go out for food. I just hope that then they are like, now the point like now. Last week I had an issue with one of our clients.

 

00:34:37:15 – 00:34:47:15

Bilna:

There was a huge amount that was like stuck and they were not paying and they were saying that a lot of things and I can’t go home and cry because my husband is going to like you took it on your head.

 

00:34:47:18 – 00:34:50:21

Pavithra:

Why’d you do that? You know.

 

00:34:50:23 – 00:35:00:20

Bilna:

I’m like, No, I can’t go into them. I know this. It started out that I’m sitting with my friend. She was that I said it was. Yes. I was sitting at her home and she was replying and she was like.

 

00:35:00:20 – 00:35:04:13

Pavithra:

You type like this. Your type like this. To the claim that you said.

 

00:35:04:15 – 00:35:06:20

Bilna:

Yes, that you told me I.

 

00:35:06:20 – 00:35:09:13

Doaa:

Would call as the mean girls of the business.

 

00:35:09:16 – 00:35:09:29

Pavithra:

And I think.

 

00:35:09:29 – 00:35:13:13

Doaa:

Every person needs to have that mean girls.

 

00:35:13:15 – 00:35:14:21

Bilna:

Community together. Right.

 

00:35:14:21 – 00:35:24:04

Doaa:

Friendship. You know, because there are some times that I can’t discuss it with an explicit. Yes. And I can’t go all out because giving is not allowed, you know.

 

00:35:24:07 – 00:35:30:15

Pavithra:

So you have to talk to your girls. And I don’t know, you know, I mean, I won’t tell you anything.

The Dynamics of Collaboration and Community in Entrepreneurship

Doaa:

But, you know, need to talk to them and they will bring you down and see, you know what? I think you are in a different zone right now. Come back to them and then and I always meet people like that and who understand what I’m talking about. I can do that at home. I talk to my husband about a lot of other things that’s perhaps not related to business, but when it comes to the business part of it, like we discuss, they don’t sometimes understand or they don’t relate to it.

 

00:35:52:22 – 00:35:56:16

Doaa:

And that’s when these people help me. Yes, both of them, like I know they’re.

 

00:35:56:19 – 00:35:58:19

Pavithra:

Trying to make deals, right.

 

00:35:58:22 – 00:36:09:18

Bilna:

Because we can make mistakes in that emotional moments. How to react? We don’t know. But if we have two friends to call and take, you know, this happened, what does the also addition give you a better situation, which is without the emotion.

 

00:36:09:18 – 00:36:13:03

Doaa:

Part of it? Not only suggestions I get text messages for me. Tell me.

 

00:36:13:03 – 00:36:14:00

Pavithra:

Okay.

 

00:36:14:02 – 00:36:14:17

Doaa:

You know.

 

00:36:14:19 – 00:36:17:10

Pavithra:

Do this for me. I don’t know.

 

00:36:17:11 – 00:36:19:16

Bilna:

I think that is another element of the community.

 

00:36:19:16 – 00:36:37:20

Marina:

Yeah, but what I would like to say is this is no brighter part of the collaboration. Whether you end up getting good friendship, you end up making it a success. For example, entrepreneurs  bling. Now, because we had that done, we had our ups and downs, but then we got to a conclusion on why this is happening. We got we brought in a solution.

 

00:36:37:25 – 00:36:55:16

Marina:

We’ve made it happen most of the time. What happened in the community in collaboration is people don’t understand whom they have to collaborate with. Yes, they have a motto in mind. You know what? I want to do this collaboration because I want to own so much. I want business, you know, I want to use the other person for collaboration.

 

00:36:55:18 – 00:37:16:18

Marina:

But collaboration doesn’t work like that. So collaboration will not always be business. B For us it was the collaboration worked out, amazing friendship. For few people. Collaboration might work out an amazing business like you told it from into business brings. So from collaboration you don’t know. You might get a few Instagram followers. You really don’t know what you will get out of a collaboration.

 

00:37:16:20 – 00:37:24:06

Marina:

So you have to make sure you’re collaborating with the right person, someone who’s complimenting your.

 

00:37:24:08 – 00:37:26:29

Pavithra:

Thought process or what you are expecting.

 

00:37:27:01 – 00:37:45:06

Marina:

You know, people just randomly collaborate. Okay, I want I’m looking for a collaboration. She’s also looking for collaboration. Okay, let’s collaborate then. They don’t know what to do. They just, oh, you know, get big ideas and they do it. And don’t get results. And then they’ll be like, Oh my God, collaboration doesn’t work for me. You know, I don’t like to collaborate with people.

 

00:37:45:09 – 00:37:57:15

Marina:

So, you know, it’s always important to collaborate with the right person, have an agenda in mind. What is your purpose for the collaboration, then? Collaboration works and it is a success. Or else.

 

00:37:57:18 – 00:38:00:07

Doaa:

Somebody doesn’t give you endless examples of I love.

 

00:38:00:08 – 00:38:03:24

Pavithra:

This. Oh my God, I have new news.

 

00:38:03:27 – 00:38:23:14

Marina:

Yes, I’ve had three sisters writing, you know, it was so nice when they came to me and they were like, We are going to collaborate. We are going to start a business. It’s going to be like a family business. My kids are going to take it forward. And you know, the eldest sister was given more powers. She was like, Diddy, now naam aap bolo Diddy.

 

00:38:23:18 – 00:38:26:18

Marina:

And you know, like who’s going to sign the papers? Was they like.

 

00:38:26:21 – 00:38:27:12

Pavithra:

Did you.

 

00:38:27:12 – 00:38:30:28

Marina:

Sign first? And, you know, I felt so happy, like, okay.

 

00:38:30:28 – 00:38:32:21

Pavithra:

You know, be really happy.

 

00:38:32:21 – 00:38:50:14

Marina:

Business, you know, three sisters coming together and starting a, you know, online e-commerce trading business. And you have no clue six months down the lane, they came to me again. So I was the giant my member then. And you know, the SSA doesn’t allow me to do business the and this is doesn’t allow me to take decisions and the younger.

 

00:38:50:14 – 00:38:52:15

Bilna:

Ones that did the business in one person’s name.

 

00:38:52:17 – 00:38:58:01

Marina:

You people on the team were the partners but more was were given to the elder sister because use a and.

 

00:38:58:04 – 00:38:58:10

Pavithra:

In.

 

00:38:58:10 – 00:39:10:02

Marina:

Six months that was an issue like why is only one person given more powers in the business? Why is only she doing the business? Why is she taking to this moment and six months down the line they came to me saying that they want to close the company down.

 

00:39:10:05 – 00:39:11:22

Pavithra:

Or and they don’t.

 

00:39:11:22 – 00:39:14:09

Marina:

Want to continue the company. So here.

 

00:39:14:12 – 00:39:16:19

Bilna:

If you choose the wrong partners to collaborate.

 

00:39:16:19 – 00:39:35:05

Marina:

With, you know, so if you collaborate, it doesn’t really matter that all we are sisters and we collaborate. This is going to be a hit. You know, if you don’t have things planned well, you don’t have, okay, who gets what, right? You’ll get financial rights, you’ll get social rights, you get the signatory right. If you don’t decide it from the beginning, collaboration doesn’t work even if your sister.

 

00:39:35:07 – 00:39:37:08

Pavithra:

Is conventional, you’ll go. But loans on.

 

00:39:37:08 – 00:39:37:28

Marina:

Your company.

 

00:39:37:29 – 00:39:43:17

Doaa:

Only surprising. And you also started getting no rights in my life.

 

00:39:43:19 – 00:39:49:21

Pavithra:

So yeah. So collaboration works better. You know what doesn’t work And it doesn’t matter.

 

00:39:49:24 – 00:40:11:12

Bilna:

You know, we we are this a community all our competition  now there are so many communities anyway and now for example both of us yes, we have Homepreneurs  club. It’s a community, even on a boutique that is a community. Even Marina has a community, right? So all these communities and for me, I am a member of a boutique and you are a member of the home business class.

 

00:40:11:14 – 00:40:20:12

Bilna:

You see how we can grow each of those business. But whereas this is something the station we have had, we have band out of so many communities.

 

00:40:20:18 – 00:40:21:13

Pavithra:

Yes, I’ve got.

 

00:40:21:14 – 00:40:26:15

Bilna:

Facebook groups, people I know, you know, there’s this voice in this group. You know, maybe it might help somebody no club.

 

00:40:26:15 – 00:40:27:25

Pavithra:

So I clicking the link.

 

00:40:28:00 – 00:40:30:02

Bilna:

And I think there’s no such link exist.

 

00:40:30:02 – 00:40:58:01

Doaa:

That’s it happens all on a weekly basis with me because that’s how many networking clubs are coming up, how many communities all are coming up. And anybody with the power vested in them by Facebook and WhatsApp can open a community and you know, they can do it. And I think it’s good that they’re doing it. Some of the groups are incredible, but then the idea that they get bogged down with competition, I think that is where you’ve lost the battle.

 

00:40:58:04 – 00:40:59:05

Pavithra:

Oh.

 

00:40:59:07 – 00:41:22:16

Doaa:

Instead of that person a competition, make them your ally. Yes. And cross-sell. I always believe in the power of cross-selling. But again, that comes down to collaborate. Should I collaborate with you or should I not? Yes. Oh, when I was asked, do you know for a to be an ambassador at Homepreneurs , that was a collaboration that I am really proud of because I don’t have to sell Homepreneurs.

 

00:41:22:16 – 00:41:37:16

Doaa:

I already believe in it. And people are it. Yes. You know, so it’s not an effort that I have to make, but it’s not something that I don’t believe in it. And I’m just going to do it because. There’s a benefit attached to it to know it is because I will actually want people to join Homepreneurs as an entity.

 

00:41:37:18 – 00:41:49:06

Doaa:

And that is where you know, you are creating an ally with this person without showing this person to your competition. But it’s actually not a competition at the end of the day, because everyone brings a different thing to the table.

 

00:41:49:10 – 00:41:49:19

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:41:49:19 – 00:42:07:17

Doaa:

So my community deals with men and women. Your community deals with women in business only. But again, at the same time, there are people from able to go into companies and from home buying something to me. But none of the platforms that you’re going to be a part of is going to hamper you at the end because only be positive for you and can help you grow much further.

 

00:42:07:24 – 00:42:25:27

Doaa:

But trade competition at the top and I just very recently said that should the competition happens at the low level collaboration happen at the top this is what you do and I strongly believe in that. Particularly having said that, I’ve said no to other people as well. But being banned, I don’t ban anybody.

 

00:42:25:27 – 00:42:27:22

Pavithra:

Myself and.

 

00:42:27:23 – 00:42:34:14

Doaa:

I in my own Facebook community group of E Boutique that are owners of every different.

 

00:42:34:16 – 00:42:35:15

Bilna:

Community networking.

 

00:42:35:15 – 00:42:48:07

Doaa:

Event and the likes of that and they all boast about their events and they post endlessly. I have to tell them, guys, please, you know, I know that this is free. You can boast about it, but think about other people.

 

00:42:48:07 – 00:42:48:18

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:42:48:24 – 00:42:57:13

Doaa:

Don’t just take this as an opportunity because posting seven times in a week sorry, posting its every week is not going to bring you business. Yes. Like come down.

 

00:42:57:16 – 00:43:03:05

Marina:

Look at this reason what happened. Some of the posts that are really something that connects.

 

00:43:03:05 – 00:43:05:29

Pavithra:

Yes. Yes. Yes. Mr. True. Yeah.

 

00:43:05:29 – 00:43:09:14

Marina:

So the other person has to realize on that level.

 

00:43:09:14 – 00:43:10:06

Pavithra:

As well.

 

00:43:10:13 – 00:43:19:16

Marina:

That it’s not only about your product, it’s about other people as well. Maybe I don’t need your product, but I need someone else’s because of that reason.

 

00:43:19:18 – 00:43:20:23

Pavithra:

You will miss it. Yes.

 

00:43:20:23 – 00:43:35:11

Marina:

So this is something given. I have seen it in the in the groups that I am in, like, you know, don’t go on posting every single day. It’s not going to make any benefit. Instead, pick up the call and call one person. Yes, that might make better in impact.

 

00:43:35:13 – 00:43:56:16

Bilna:

So I was like, you know, one thing I see is like and I am in any community, I look at what I can provide to that community, not putting my posters only. So like when I was when I started out marketing agency, I was part of a community, like I was saying before, right? So I had a podcast and it was audio podcast where every week we were sharing some marketing lessons.

 

00:43:56:19 – 00:44:14:01

Bilna:

So I would just share that that podcast in that group. And there was not even one line that talks about come and join, not marketing agency or whatever. It was completely like giving to the society. And all those customers that I got in the initial days was from that community because they were following my podcast, they were getting benefit out of it.

 

00:44:14:03 – 00:44:20:21

Bilna:

So what I tell people is if you join a community, look at what you can give to them to let people just do for us, you know, for given.

 

00:44:20:21 – 00:44:21:23

Marina:

Definitely.

 

00:44:21:23 – 00:44:40:07

Bilna:

See like your Instagram, you see this bliss influence and this lens, right? It is a good thing, you know, because you are not just selling the licensing, licensing, licensing, you are also telling you are also chatting about all the networking events. I know. So all the independents, they know, okay, if I follow about that, I can know what they think even.

 

00:44:40:09 – 00:44:43:22

Pavithra:

Yes, you know, I follow because a lot.

 

00:44:43:22 – 00:44:47:19

Marina:

Of people following me to know one of the networking events going on.

 

00:44:47:21 – 00:44:49:11

Pavithra:

And so you share information.

 

00:44:49:13 – 00:44:50:13

Marina:

You can be.

 

00:44:50:20 – 00:44:51:29

Pavithra:

The right person.

 

00:44:51:29 – 00:45:03:07

Bilna:

So she shares that information, which is the right fit for her clients. Yeah. So that is why people come to you. So it’s always a balance of giving, giving and then people you don’t have to take, they’ll just come and give you a back, you know?

 

00:45:03:09 – 00:45:10:24

Doaa:

That’s what it’s all about. Giving and the like. Just a small example. Like I think everybody knows that I lost my E boutique account through.

 

00:45:10:24 – 00:45:14:19

Pavithra:

All by one. I remember I am on my guard. Is that.

 

00:45:14:20 – 00:45:15:27

Bilna:

Right? At that time?

 

00:45:15:29 – 00:45:36:09

Doaa:

Four days before long, Yes. The amount of clients I got because of that, because it was also a Homepreneurs networking event and it was a hot topic of that week too. I think Bill Danjuma asked me that, what happened and all of that. And I in fact started telling them what I did to secure my new account and that somehow made me a guru of how to take care of them.

 

00:45:36:12 – 00:45:51:18

Doaa:

I did not. But I had. I met people for coffee and tea personally to set up their Google authenticator and clicked on. I didn’t go with the intention of making them my clients. Yes, I just went with the intention of helping them so that what I went through, they shouldn’t go to.

 

00:45:51:21 – 00:45:52:04

Pavithra:

School.

 

00:45:52:06 – 00:45:56:17

Doaa:

And they became my clients. At the end of the day, maybe a month later or two months later.

 

00:45:56:17 – 00:45:58:12

Bilna:

But eventually you started the relationship.

 

00:45:58:14 – 00:46:15:05

Doaa:

I started the relationship, and I think every business starts with a relationship and I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My dad has always been in business and where I come from, nobody works. They work for themselves, they don’t work for people, and they always be like, Listen, you have the thing you can become a business person, why don’t you do this?

 

00:46:15:08 – 00:46:37:02

Doaa:

And I was like, okay, but I don’t know what to do and how to do. And I have gone with my dad as a child, as an adult, as a teenager, every single office where he’s gone to and that one hour that they would sit and talk, it was never about business. Yes, it was always about crazy, funny stories or gossiping or, I don’t know, business stuff, but never about the actual agenda of the meeting.

 

00:46:37:02 – 00:46:54:22

Doaa:

And by the time we walked out, he’s like, I got the project. I’m like, Why did you talk about this? I have learned from him that Goodwill and Pat is the only way that you can get business beat, small being big. And that’s something I always inculcated in my mind. If I’m going to make a relationship with her, it’s not with the agenda that she’s going to give me business.

 

00:46:54:25 – 00:47:08:02

Doaa:

I have to be clear of the agenda. Yes. Yes. It’s a relationship which can cultivate over time and turn into business, but can’t be like I have to convert her. No, you can’t keep like, nagging. People voted yes. And I think that what that’s what helps me as well.

 

00:47:08:03 – 00:47:27:13

Bilna:

Now, since we will venture into the business side of things, they should all have different type of clients. So would you like to share some experiences, maybe the negative side, something we have, you know, at least that’s the maybe we can look at like what is one thing a client has said to you in a negative way it has impacted you?

 

00:47:27:15 – 00:47:31:10

Bilna:

Oh, or the common problem with a lot of negative clients.

 

00:47:31:17 – 00:47:41:26

Doaa:

I’ve had a few who were not sure what they were doing, but they wanted to sign up with the E boutique and they signed up and within 24 hours they said, We made a mistake. I said, You’re not even experienced.

 

00:47:41:26 – 00:47:44:09

Pavithra:

How did you make a mistake?

 

00:47:44:12 – 00:48:02:07

Doaa:

So see again, Oh, it’s it’s negative in the sense why? Because you have to show up for your business. And I think I say this in every single place. Any platform can only help you if you are going to help yourself. Yes. And when you’re not doing that, that’s when the whole negativity starts. That’s when you feel like you’re disappointed.

 

00:48:02:10 – 00:48:16:28

Doaa:

You’ve not got what you were looking for and you feel like I’ve done everything. But this person has not returned anything to me. And that’s when some of the clients do come and say that I’m not getting any calls, I’m not getting any leads. I said, Complete your listing, update your listing.

 

00:48:17:03 – 00:48:21:12

Bilna:

It’s like they think the moment I sign the next day I get going.

 

00:48:21:15 – 00:48:21:22

Pavithra:

Yeah.

 

00:48:21:22 – 00:48:34:15

Doaa:

And again, I’m not promising sales and that’s the first thing I tell even before they’ve signed up and I specially get on a call to say two things. This is brand awareness and marketing. This is not sales and it doesn’t happen overnight and it’s not magic.

 

00:48:34:15 – 00:48:35:04

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:48:35:06 – 00:48:52:00

Bilna:

And something which we discussed before we started was you told me about how even though everything is that on the website, he’s like, you’re not going to get on a call. Yeah. Then and, and explain to me what are the benefits which is clearly mentioned. Say. So we have the two types of clients. Same thing happened with Homepreneurs club.

 

00:48:52:03 – 00:49:03:27

Bilna:

Everybody, though everything is clear on the website, they want to have a call and understand what the club is about. So we have specifically put one person to answer the call to somebody, you know, as an exception in that.

 

00:49:03:29 – 00:49:06:13

Pavithra:

Because I don’t know. She came to me for.

 

00:49:06:13 – 00:49:17:21

Bilna:

Payment on Monday night. I was asking Anjum, you know, who’s who is this money? And it is like, I have no clue. I have to go and find out. So it is that that that is under the.

 

00:49:17:24 – 00:49:20:25

Pavithra:

Yes, indeed. Like Baker said.

 

00:49:20:25 – 00:49:25:26

Doaa:

Business, just do it with the boutique. So definitely it is a dream life and the easiest this was.

 

00:49:27:09 – 00:49:30:27

Marina:

Wish everyone a blessing to get customer like Marina.

 

00:49:30:29 – 00:49:33:29

Pavithra:

Yes that’s what I would do, that I am in.

 

00:49:33:29 – 00:49:37:19

Bilna:

Action figure and if I make that last, I’m the next moment. She’s like, okay, I’m going.

 

00:49:37:19 – 00:49:40:09

Pavithra:

And you know, I mean, I mean, that’s.

 

00:49:40:09 – 00:49:48:12

Bilna:

What you know, so that just like you said, everyone’s blessing is. Yeah, so, you know, you have any negative experience or disclaim.

 

00:49:48:14 – 00:49:52:21

Marina:

The negative experience that I have is, you know, when.

 

00:49:53:02 – 00:49:53:14

Marina:

Used to.

 

00:49:53:14 – 00:49:58:15

Pavithra:

Sell my office spaces or virtual offices or.

 

00:49:58:15 – 00:50:16:03

Marina:

Anything like that. So there has been a time I don’t believe in, you know, overcharging or I don’t believe in taking advantage. Oh, that man is rich these days in a Palm Jumeirah location, so I should charge him. That’s not my mentality. So I charge.

 

00:50:16:03 – 00:50:21:11

Pavithra:

People equally as the market prices are always.

 

00:50:21:13 – 00:50:30:12

Marina:

And what and when they come on a call with me, you know, they tell me, you know, I’m looking for this particular service. I tell a amount of.

 

00:50:30:12 – 00:50:31:08

Pavithra:

Price.

 

00:50:31:10 – 00:50:32:11

Marina:

And then they’ll be.

 

00:50:32:12 – 00:50:34:21

Pavithra:

Like, okay, last year you.

 

00:50:34:21 – 00:50:41:22

Marina:

Gave me this price, so can you give me this price? I politely want to reply.

 

00:50:41:22 – 00:50:48:00

Pavithra:

By then saying that the market is not the same that it was last year is the.

 

00:50:48:03 – 00:51:16:24

Marina:

Change from last year. He goes. It was one of the biggest excuses everyone had, you know, to get whatever discounts we as possible. And being in the real estate field, I have seen prices going right at the bottom and the way they have come right on top right now. So for me, the biggest challenge that I face with my clients on a everyday basis is that, you know, I give a certain amount of a price and they want more discount.

 

00:51:17:01 – 00:51:19:15

Pavithra:

And people have a very simple excuse.

 

00:51:19:15 – 00:51:21:22

Marina:

Of saying there is no business.

 

00:51:21:25 – 00:51:22:15

Pavithra:

How Are you.

 

00:51:22:16 – 00:51:24:01

Marina:

Still in Dubai? If you don’t have.

 

00:51:24:01 – 00:51:26:29

Pavithra:

Business, you know, how can I be in Dubai if I.

 

00:51:26:29 – 00:51:41:06

Marina:

Don’t have business? So I think I don’t like that is one thing which, you know, but don’t say that because what like my mentor has told me, don’t say you don’t have money, don’t say you don’t have business because that’s how it’s going to affect you.

 

00:51:41:12 – 00:51:44:11

Bilna:

Does it negatively happens that you’re manifesting negatively?

 

00:51:44:11 – 00:51:49:17

Marina:

So now when I get on a call with anyone and they feel like this, I’m like, No, don’t say that.

 

00:51:49:17 – 00:51:50:25

Pavithra:

Yes, you have money.

 

00:51:51:02 – 00:51:52:22

Marina:

It’s just that you have to figure it out.

 

00:51:52:22 – 00:51:55:06

Doaa:

You become a business coach.

 

00:51:55:08 – 00:51:57:05

Pavithra:

And that I don’t get it for you that.

 

00:51:57:09 – 00:52:20:03

Doaa:

I don’t want to be. I can tell you the list of like the type of clients. Okay. One who’s just started out okay, one who doesn’t have the budget. Yes. One who has the product but doesn’t have a stock. And then there are ones who are not very good in that business right now in terms of budgeting. So I’m and then there are people like, you know, her and her and Rita.

 

00:52:20:05 – 00:52:37:15

Doaa:

Oh, they’re on board every single thing that you tell them. And they’re like, okay, we’ll do this. I’ll give you a sign up. Okay, I will renew. And that renewal doesn’t make like it’s not such a problem. But for some people, not about renewal, but acquiring new clients, 80% of the people will like What you said is that I’m not doing well in my business.

 

00:52:37:15 – 00:52:40:16

Doaa:

I think that’s the worst thing that you can do, do for your to yourself.

 

00:52:40:16 – 00:52:40:26

Pavithra:

Yes.

 

00:52:41:03 – 00:52:42:24

Bilna:

It is not going to impact our business its them.

 

00:52:42:29 – 00:53:02:09

Doaa:

Then sort of us going with our business at some point somewhere. Yes, me especially because I’m five months in business and I know what I go through on a daily basis. And the things that we do is I will never tell someone that I am not going to do this because I cannot afford it or that it’s, you know, there are better ways to put it because it’s part of my next.

 

00:53:02:10 – 00:53:07:27

Doaa:

Your business plan. Yes, it’s part of my vision for the next year. There is good reason because you are protecting yourself.

 

00:53:07:28 – 00:53:09:13

Bilna:

It’s a positive thing.

 

00:53:09:16 – 00:53:23:17

Doaa:

That you’re telling because you’re actually putting in your head. My business is not doing good. Imagine you didn’t sign up, but what it did to you is I don’t want to be a coach here. I want to be like this reflection being what you did. But what I’m trying to say is that it works. You know, it does about.

 

00:53:23:20 – 00:53:25:16

Bilna:

What she meant in the money. But. Right.

 

00:53:25:16 – 00:53:27:09

Pavithra:

I would question for you.

 

00:53:27:11 – 00:53:34:12

Bilna:

You know, there are a lot of people, a lot of women business owners, especially in Dubai, who run business without a license.

 

00:53:34:17 – 00:53:35:00

Pavithra:

Okay.

 

00:53:35:06 – 00:53:40:06

Bilna:

Because they want to save money. The thing that nobody’s going to find out, you know what’s at stake on that.

 

00:53:40:08 – 00:54:00:14

Marina:

Okay. I would say that’s a very wrong notion to do business, because business is not something because even if you want to sell something, you first invest in something, then you sell something. Right. And we being in UAE, we being out of our own countries, we being an expat, it’s always to have things legalized so that I’m not in trouble.

 

00:54:00:17 – 00:54:16:11

Marina:

My partner who sponsored my visa is not in trouble. My family is not in trouble. Because I have an example for you when we are talking about this, right? So I had I was in a community, I was in a networking event, and one person bought an amazing gig in the community to cut the cake and all of that.

 

00:54:16:11 – 00:54:33:22

Marina:

And I had this cake. I love cake. And it was so yummy. And I ordered chocolate cake from that person for another event. And I give a testimonial in the next event saying that, you know, I purchased a cake and it was really amazing. And if anyone is looking to, you know, give cakes orders, please go to this person.

 

00:54:33:25 – 00:54:41:15

Marina:

And then we started open networking and I got one person coming to me and she was like, you’re Pavitra obviously you promote people to take licenses. And I was like, Yeah.

 

00:54:41:15 – 00:54:42:23

Pavithra:

Yeah, it’s me instead of me.

 

00:54:42:26 – 00:55:03:02

Marina:

But like, how can you do this? And like, I didn’t understand. Yes, you are someone who tells people to take licenses and you have given business to another person who is baking cake and she does not have license. Do you know that? And it is like pub she’s kind of Do you know that I’m a baker too, and I have a license.

 

00:55:03:02 – 00:55:21:25

Marina:

I’ve invested 10,000 Dhirams and you’re giving, you know, business to another person who does not have a license. And I was like, I went blank. I didn’t know what to reply. I just wanted to leave the event and just go back. That’s when I realized it’s your people pulling you down, you know, just because you don’t have a license.

 

00:55:21:25 – 00:55:23:13

Pavithra:

Yes. And fYI. Yes.

 

00:55:23:13 – 00:55:45:28

Marina:

If in that situation, if that person had a license, I would have, you know, a little more power to say, excuse me. Yes, she has a license. Yes. I didn’t have that at that time. So that’s when I realized giving business to people and communities absolutely fine. But support people who have license because they have done the investment, which means the moment they do the investment, they are ready for the business.

 

00:55:46:06 – 00:55:49:05

Marina:

They are ready, have invested a lot and.

 

00:55:49:07 – 00:55:50:22

Pavithra:

They are not RUNNING AWAY.

 

00:55:50:24 – 00:56:09:10

Marina:

people with no licenses, you, even if something goes wrong, you can never go back to them. You know, you don’t have the security, you know, there’s nothing. And if someone so basically government does not have time to check, if you have a license, you have a license, you have a license. But if they get a complaint against you that, okay, so.

 

00:56:09:12 – 00:56:09:21

Pavithra:

Nothing.

 

00:56:09:25 – 00:56:15:03

Marina:

Has 200,000 followers on your Instagram, but unfortunately doesn’t have a license.

 

00:56:15:05 – 00:56:17:05

Pavithra:

Bro you are screwed.

 

00:56:17:08 – 00:56:37:18

Marina:

You are you are in high life. So when you have actually when you don’t have people in competition, when people don’t know you, you’re fine. But the moment you’re out, people know you. You have more followers. You have to become dialog, you have to license yourself. Also, bloggers, influencers, they have so many followers, but they don’t have a license.

 

00:56:37:21 – 00:56:38:24

Marina:

They do collaborating.

 

00:56:38:24 – 00:56:39:00

Pavithra:

In.

 

00:56:39:04 – 00:57:01:10

Marina:

Left, right and center and people are paying them for collaboration. But if you’re doing this as a business, you need a license and DD has a license for you, just as you know, as low as 2200 or something. Thousand 200, 3500. You get a license, you become a licensed blogger, make your followers see if they know you’re doing business without you not having a license.

 

00:57:01:10 – 00:57:04:06

Marina:

So Instagram is going your Instagram is just your social platform.

 

00:57:04:06 – 00:57:04:28

Pavithra:

Yes. Yes.

 

00:57:05:02 – 00:57:22:29

Marina:

So this is something that, you know, people don’t know. So there are a lot of things like this people don’t realize. They think I’m just doing a video collaboration. I don’t need a license, nor if you’re doing any business, small or big enough. It’s better to have a license for yourself, Save yourself, save your people, save your business.

 

00:57:22:29 – 00:57:23:09

Marina:

See if you.

 

00:57:23:12 – 00:57:25:15

Pavithra:

Can save your Instagram.

 

00:57:25:17 – 00:57:30:19

Marina:

This is one more type of saving your social platform or social presence. So yeah, that’s what I would.

 

00:57:30:19 – 00:57:36:03

Doaa:

Yeah, I get a lot of businesses that I don’t have a license. Is it okay? I said it’s never okay.

 

00:57:36:08 – 00:57:37:04

Pavithra:

Yes. I mean, if.

 

00:57:37:04 – 00:57:42:19

Doaa:

You want to, you know, hear it from me and see that it’s led to what you say, That was it. You cannot have a license.

 

00:57:42:19 – 00:57:43:28

Pavithra:

I would never say this.

 

00:57:44:01 – 00:58:00:11

Doaa:

Yes. I strongly recommend and like you said, for the job, it is safeguarding yourself first with the license and then everything else. You know, because if led to this, because something would go wrong. She had the license to show that I am in a hygienic place. Yes, I have a proper team. I have this, I have X, Y, Z, whatever is the requirement.

 

00:58:00:13 – 00:58:10:22

Doaa:

And at least you are not, you know, getting this. And if you’re not ready anyway. Exactly. But let’s see if there was a point where the gig did not do good for you, right? Then what?

 

00:58:10:24 – 00:58:14:17

Marina:

I mean, so because I trusted someone who didn’t have a license, I can’t be.

 

00:58:14:23 – 00:58:18:10

Bilna:

The one to trust You also becomes a problem for them all.

 

00:58:18:13 – 00:58:23:12

Marina:

The same to someone. If money knows like you’re not going to order, I’ll be like, No, don’t you know? Because I had a wrong.

 

00:58:23:12 – 00:58:40:20

Doaa:

I did buy something from someone which turned out to be good. I don’t want to see what I bought, but it was edible and I bought quite a bulk of it. And only later to realize that you didn’t have a license. And I was like, okay, I shouldn’t have done a bulk order if I knew that it was some buying one, it’s fine.

 

00:58:40:23 – 00:58:43:10

Doaa:

But then, see, that also happens in a lot of exhibitions and all that.

 

00:58:43:10 – 00:58:44:28

Bilna:

You’re not doing and asking everyone to.

 

00:58:44:28 – 00:58:46:07

Pavithra:

Do things like you.

 

00:58:46:07 – 00:59:05:03

Doaa:

Can’t because at the end of the day, even when somebody is hosting Windows, they don’t always look for the license because they are looking at filling up spaces as well. So it’s it’s also difficult that way. So I think there’s a struggle in every space. But at the end of the day, if you have a license, I think it safeguards you as an entity.

 

00:59:05:05 – 00:59:19:09

Doaa:

So any person who asks me, I want to say today, okay, it’s never okay to not have a license. You need a license. And that also shows you’re serious about it. I would be very I would be looking at a person different get a business differently once they have a license.

 

00:59:19:11 – 00:59:39:08

Marina:

Yeah. And if they don’t, they’re not getting a lot of things. If you don’t have a license and you’re doing business, people will get scared to do collaborations with you. Yes. People would not REFFER  you at all knowing even if your product is amazing, they would not REFFER you because you don’t have a license. You know, people would not promote your product on the social media because they know for a fact you don’t have a license.

 

00:59:39:10 – 01:00:04:21

Marina:

So there’s a lot of things that you don’t get only because you don’t have a license. It’s, you know, regulations, legalization being it site. It’s also the business side, the benefits that we get when we have a license, like we collaborate, we talk about businesses, we get referrals, people you know reference all this goes to a block when you don’t have a tool any time, you know, there is cheap options available, you know, So just go for please contact.

 

01:00:04:24 – 01:00:15:11

Pavithra:

Me and get your license to me once again. I don’t know what else to say in wedding number. So when I.

 

01:00:15:11 – 01:00:31:12

Marina:

Was doing the entrepreneurs building, this was my introduction. Yeah. So everyone here, please get your license done through get your offices through. Marina, Once you have your license, your office, and anyone here, any to do your business, get your business.

 

01:00:31:15 – 01:00:35:23

Pavithra:

Under under the marketing for you learn.

 

01:00:35:23 – 01:00:37:14

Marina:

To help you to do the marketing so your.

 

01:00:37:14 – 01:00:38:18

Pavithra:

Chain of business is.

 

01:00:38:18 – 01:00:41:23

Doaa:

And I think that’s how I see the three of us.

 

01:00:41:25 – 01:00:42:13

Pavithra:

Together.

 

01:00:42:17 – 01:00:45:18

Doaa:

It’s like one after the other.

 

01:00:45:20 – 01:00:46:03

Pavithra:

Which also.

 

01:00:46:03 – 01:00:49:00

Bilna:

Comes with all.

 

01:00:49:03 – 01:00:58:18

Pavithra:

Kids. Everything is done. It’s done. Yeah, I dunno. I think we need to be a break in between. Yeah. I didn’t think a single day.

 

01:00:58:21 – 01:01:00:29

Marina:

You would have realized, Oh my God, I’ve got a few.

 

01:01:01:00 – 01:01:03:11

Pavithra:

TALKING people on the show.

 

01:01:03:13 – 01:01:15:26

Bilna:

So you think so Now coming to the end of the show and I’m so happy all of you said that it was very natural and we didn’t even have to take any breaks. We said we’re going to take. It didn’t happen.

 

01:01:15:26 – 01:01:20:08

Pavithra:

We thought it was a pause and, you know, redo the shoot. I me.

 

01:01:20:11 – 01:01:26:07

Doaa:

That’s what he was signaling. I just thought you had a BREAK.

 

01:01:26:10 – 01:01:28:17

Pavithra:

I mean, obviously we close off.

 

01:01:28:17 – 01:01:33:02

Bilna:

You know, I’d like to say to our audience, you know, how can they find.

 

01:01:33:02 – 01:01:34:21

Pavithra:

You here and.

 

01:01:34:22 – 01:01:35:20

Bilna:

Start with do us.

 

01:01:35:21 – 01:02:01:12

Doaa:

Sure. So you can find us on Instagram. It’s at E Boutique.AE , It’s a business listing directory connecting businesses and their potential customers or clients. It’s a cool platform. All three of them here are also partnerships, so they can vouch for me as well. And again, it’s all collaboration and community at the end of the day. So yes, you can find us on Instagram E Boutique.AE and also our website is WWW.E Boutique.AE

 

01:02:01:17 – 01:02:05:18

Doaa:

Find us there and I hope we can connect Marina.

 

01:02:05:22 – 01:02:06:09

Pavithra:

Okay.

 

01:02:06:16 – 01:02:09:00

Marina:

You will not find me anywhere online.

 

01:02:09:04 – 01:02:10:08

Pavithra:

On the Instagram.

 

01:02:10:08 – 01:02:13:03

Marina:

I’m Marina PEAR; .

 

01:02:13:03 – 01:02:14:08

Pavithra:

E and.

 

01:02:14:08 – 01:02:27:14

Marina:

You can contact us or visit our office. We are based in Latifa TOWER 30 107 is our office number. Apart from that there are you can contact my mobile number which I might not pick up. So please.

 

01:02:27:14 – 01:02:28:17

Pavithra:

WhatsApp me.

 

01:02:28:19 – 01:02:31:06

Marina:

05287109.

 

01:02:31:06 – 01:02:33:26

Pavithra:

Zero eight mais mitra.

 

01:02:33:28 – 01:03:02:08

Marina:

Okay, you can find me on Instagram at best fluent. So that’s my Instagram I.D. You can check out my company’s website which is WW dot Enrich Ventures Dubai dot com or you can directly get in touch with me if you already have a business and you want to get guidance or you’re going to start a business, you can directly contact me WhatsApp or call me at +9715051236535 PAVITRA.

 

01:03:02:08 – 01:03:05:01

Pavithra:

thank you for.

 

01:03:05:05 – 01:03:25:15

Bilna:

A thanks to all of you for being on our show and thanks to all our listeners. So like I said, if you want to start a business, good about that. I get the license, then get yourself onboarded on the US. HOMEPRENEURS Club is here to help you. If you had a woman and a partner. And then that is also if you want to do any events for your business.

 

01:03:25:15 – 01:03:32:09

Bilna:

Marina is here to give you that space, even to get yourself an office. She’s there to help you out. So thank you all for listening.