Women Entrepreneur

Government MSME Schemes for Entrepreneurs

Posted on

The Government of India offers some schemes to the MSME’s as they lack in resources and Technology and need assistance from big companies. Below are the schemes offered by the Indian government to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

MSME Schemes – Launched by the Indian Government for Entrepreneurs

  • Udyog Aadhaar memorandum
  • Zero Defect Zero Effect
  • Quality Management Standards & Quality technology Tools
  • Grievance Monitoring System
  • Incubation
  • Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme
  • Women Entrepreneurship

1. Udyog Aadhaar memorandum
Provides ease in availing credit, loans, and subsidies from the government with mandatory Aadhaar card.

2. Zero Defect Zero Effect
Manufacturers can be eligible for certain rebates and concessions if they manufacture export goods that adhere to certain standards.

3. Quality Management Standards & Quality technology Tools
Gives SMEs opportunities to learn to maintain quality standards while implementing new technologies through various seminars, campaigns, activities etc.

4. Grievance Monitoring System
Offers a platform for business owners to check the status of their complaints and open them if dissatisfied with the outcome.

5. Incubation
75% to 80% of the project cost can be financed by the government to help innovators with implementing new design, ideas or products.

6. Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme
Capital subsidy for SMEs to upgrade obsolete technology and have better means to do their business.

7. Women Entrepreneurship
Only 14% Women amongst the total entrepreneurs in India. To enable women to start, manage and expand their business, the scheme provides capital, counselling, training and delivery techniques.

msme schemes india

Business Ideas for Women in India

Posted on

Small Business Ideas for Women in India – Home Based, Online, Low Investment & High Profit

Today’s women are more enterprising and confident in their pursuits. However, getting a business loan for women is still not an easy feat. Gender bias is a truth that cripples the personal and professional growth of women in India. In such a scenario, a woman starting a business will be not be taken seriously by most men in the country. Some may even consider it a threat to their age-old belief of maintaining male dominance and discourage efforts of women who want to explore entrepreneurship.

Fighting bias to build flourishing enterprises

For women entrepreneurs, convincing a bank for a business loan can result in giving explanations on how they are going to manage their household chores and business. And what about kids? In a country, where it has been preached and promoted that it is a women’s responsibility to take care of the house and children, a journey of financial independence with an entrepreneurial dream begins with an interaction that questions their responsibilities.

Thankfully, things are slowly changing in cities but there are still many rural and semi-urban areas where women struggle to get a women business loan for starting a business. The good news is that many women have successfully broken the gender bias. These women have gone ahead to build successful ventures across industries.

You can find these successful women entrepreneurs and ambitious women leaders in well-known names such as Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and MD, Biocon Limited, Shahnaz Husain, CEO, Shahnaz Herbals Inc., Ekta Kapoor, JMD & Creative Director, Balaji Telefilms, Shradha Sharma, Your Story Media Pvt. Ltd., Upasana Taku, Co-founder, MobiKwik, Rashmi Daga, Founder at FreshMenu.com etc.

200+ Small Business Ideas with Low Investment

Best Business Ideas For Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs in India

If you want to see yourself as one of the successful women entrepreneurs of the future, here are some of the business ideas that you can explore:

  1. Boutique / Fashion Design

If you love fashion, opening a fashion boutique can be a good idea. A loan for women entrepreneurs can support you with working capital. You can offer readymade as well as tailored clothes. If you have knowledge of fashion design, you can think about launching your own brand of apparels.

  1. E-commerce store

Do you know of valuable products that online shoppers will be interested in? Research about the product. Use your product knowledge to open an e-commerce store and sell products online. Your product can be anything from handicrafts and apparels to gift items and customised office products.

  1. Play School / Day-care services

While the parents are away pursuing their professional interests or working to meet financial goals, they need help to take care of their children. If you get along well with children, then think about starting a day-care centre. Women with higher degrees can open a play school or activity centre for kids.

  1. Food Outlet

Do you enjoy cooking or fancy opening a café of your own? Why not open a food delivery or tiffin services company. If you have space, then you can open a food joint or a Café. Home bakers can also become women entrepreneurs through tie-ups with retail food chains and sell their bakery products.

  1. Manufacturing

You can also venture into small scale manufacturing and then grow their business. Products such as pickles, paper cups, instant foods, etc. can be manufactured in a small manufacturing unit. You can also utilise a business loan for the necessary capital to scale up when the demand for your products increase.

  1. Graphic Design

There are several established businesses as well as start-ups who have design requirements from time to time. All you need is a good graphic design portfolio to get clients. If you have knowledge of design and design software, you can start small with business loan for women. Later, build your team of designers to take up more work.

  1. IT Services

Based on your IT background, you can develop apps or websites for businesses. The initial investment would be to buy a laptop or computer with a good configuration. Later, you can rent an office space and expand as your business grows.

  1. Financial Consulting

A degree or relevant certification in finance can help you start a financial consulting firm. Based on your background and interests, you can become a personal financial planner or offer consultancy to corporate clients on taxation, corporate finance etc.

  1. Dietician

Rising health issues have increased the need for a balanced diet. More and more people are heading to dieticians and nutritionists to seek help with their diet and stay fit. A dietician or nutrition consultant creates a customised diet plan for her clients and motivates them to follow the plan. You can complete a suitable educational program and become a certified dietician.

  1. Photography

Women with photography skills can offer freelance photography services to clients. You can even set up your own studio. Build your team to cover events, weddings, corporate events, advertising, etc. If you are among the ones who love travelling, explore outdoor photo shoot services.

  1. Embroidery and Knitting

If you have been knitting as a hobby, turn it into a profitable venture. Get some threads and needles to knit saleable items such as woollens, tops etc. and promote your crochet or cross stitch knitting skills. Also, many people love good embroidery work. Create and sell embroidered bags, designer blouses and other fancy items.

  1. Jewellery Making

To set up a jewellery shop, you do not need to spend on expensive gems or precious metals. Get some beads, pearls, wire, threads and other materials to create DIY jewellery items. Chunky earrings or classy imitation necklaces, there is a market for every kind of jewellery.

  1. Personal Chef

Take your culinary skills one step further by starting a Personal Chef business. Position your business as a personalised gourmet food service professional or a healthy food provider. Cook for events as per the menu requested by your client in their kitchen. Costs will include transportation and investment in kitchen tools that may not be necessarily available in the client’s kitchen.

  1. Spa Services

Busy work life brings many people to places such as spas where they can de-stress. If you have a space in a strategic location, then you can get maximum benefit by turning it into a spa and salon. These days, many women prefer companies providing salon services at home. If you do not have space or a budget for renting space, you can build your client base by offering basic spa and salon services at home.

  1. Soap Making

Starting a handmade soaps business doesn’t require much investment. Use essential oils and organic ingredients to make designer soaps. Give your soap a brand name. Create marketing material highlighting the benefits of the ingredients. One of the best marketing strategies to sell your soaps is to give away free small samples to potential clients.

  1. Translator

Do you have excellent command over two or more languages? If so, then utilize your language skills to translate content for corporate firms. Many corporate businesses have offices, clients and business associates who prefer communication in a specific language. With good administrative skills, you can start your translation services business from the comfort of your home with minimum investment.

  1. Handmade Products (Craft items)

There are several handmade craft items which can be sold as gift items or utility items. Sell hand-painted ceramic mugs or t-shirts. Create mirrors, photo frames, lampshades and more with glass. Sculpt modern designs with clay or use shells to make beautiful artwork. You will come across a lot of possibilities with crafts for women entrepreneurs.

  1. Private Tutor

Did you complete a higher degree in a specific subject or are a talented musician? You can become a private tutor offering lessons in a specific subject such as mathematics, music, French etc. The best part about being a private tutor is that you can take your classes online as well as offline.

  1. Recruitment Agency

Turn your people management skills into a recruitment business. With a low-cost setup, you can assist companies to find the right talent. Schedule meetings, screen resumes, search qualified candidates and manage human resource tasks for businesses who don’t have a dedicated HR team.

  1. YouTuber

Pick a favourite topic of yours such as fashion, language, finance, food etc. and start a YouTube channel. Provide useful tips and tricks related to the topic by creating interesting videos and grow your fan following. By monetising your YouTube channel, you can start earning more and more as the popularity of your channel grows.

  1. Florist

Flowers are needed for events and celebrations. For women who are passionate about gardening, starting a florist business can be an amazing idea. You can grow your flowers if you have space or source it from a flower market. To be successful as a florist, you will have to understand the florist industry and how to manage your orders while ensuring timely delivery of fresh flowers.

  1. Chocolatier

There are hardly any people who don’t love chocolates. Adults enjoy the taste of good chocolates as much as kids do. Prepare chocolate baskets or sell gift boxes for special occasions. With an FSSAI license and a proprietorship firm, you can sell branded handmade chocolates.

  1. Yoga and Fitness Trainer

Women who are fitness fanatics can take the entrepreneurship route by completing the necessary certifications to offer fitness training services. Today, many people are suffering from obesity and other health issues due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. These people wish to stay fit but do not feel motivated to go to the gym. Guide those people and help them to lead a healthy lifestyle by offering personalized fitness sessions.

Feeling inspired to begin your entrepreneurial journey? Go ahead and fulfil your dream. Lendingkart offers business loans for women and aims to support aspiring women entrepreneurs without gender bias. If you are a woman who needs funds for carving a name among the successful women entrepreneurs, we offer business loan with no collateral as compared to banks.

Our business loan for women requires minimum documentation and is hassle-free. If you need quick funds for working capital needs, We can disburse your loan within 3 working days post document verification. Additionally, we also have flexible loan repayment options for women entrepreneurs.

With a society that is slowly trying to accept progressive ideas, women can hope to find more support coming from their male counterparts in personal and professional life. To conclude, no societal beliefs or gender bias can stop a woman from starting a venture if she is a passionate entrepreneur determined to succeed. Successful women entrepreneurs of today are proof of that grit and determination.