With no investors, loans or partners in place, it was a struggle initially to start a business. But in no time things picked up and we started getting work from big brands who availed our PR services on a monthly retainer basis. Due to the demand, I expanded my team from a one-woman show to a strong team of 11 members.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Kavya, a 34 year old single mom entrepreneur. I am the founder of the PR agency - SOCIAL PR based in Kochi. Having completed my Masters in Public Relations from Stella Maris College, Chennai, I have worked in the hospitality and corporate sector both in India and abroad for a decade.
After moving back to India leaving behind a 9 to 5 corporate job in the Middle East, I freelanced as a PR Consultant for almost 2 years and finally decide to start my own firm.
SOCIAL PR is my dream venture and my previous experience of working with some global employees like DHL & IHG Group of Hotels helped me gain expertise in the field.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
After freelancing as a content writer and a PR Consultant for a while, a few of my existing clients and a group of friends asked if I could manage their branding and social media pages - since its a time when everything is digital - and people make decisions on their choices by what they see online - it was important for both small business and large enterprises to showcase their services and products online.
I started by offering my service for friend and acquaintances to help build their brands and to increase their social media visibility and then the demand for the same increased that I decided to register it as a company and expand my team. We are now a team of 11 and we handle everything from logo designing to influencer marketing for brands.
3. What are the challenges you face and how do you overcome it?
With no investors, loans or partners in place, it was a struggle initially to start a business. But in no time things picked up and we started getting work from big brands who availed our PR services on a monthly retainer basis. Due to the demand, I expanded my team from a one-woman show to a strong team of 11 members.
The pandemic has an impact on all businesses and ours is no different as the kind of budget the clients allocates for PR & Marketing has drastically come down and we hope it will get back to normalcy soon.
Starting a business alone with no back up or financial support, as a single mother in the society was a challenge - but I believe with a mix of hard and smart work, consistency and dedication, the market has a place for a person like me!
Yes, I hustle hard but the world has been kind to me - with a few cheerleaders in my life and with clients giving references to their friends and family - I'm overwhelmed with the support I've been getting ever since I launched Social !
4. What are the important factors for running a successful business?
Apart from the usual things like playing smart and staying updated on the latest trends and strategies, I can say even things like being consistent in your work quality and keeping your team players content is equally important in running a successful business.
5. According to you, what are the qualities that is must for a successful entrepreneur?
If you can prioritize the tasks and have the ability to make quick and smart decisions, you are good to go ! The most valued and respected quality is a reputation for absolute integrity - nothing surpasses that as all businesses are based on trust !
Also, persistence and success go hand in hand - and I have resolve in advance that I will never give up, no matter what happens! I have a long way to go to be a successful entrepreneur and these are few qualities Im going to abide by.
6. Tell us more about "social pr"
Social PR is a full fledged Public Relations agency and our services include Branding | Strategy | Design | Content | Social Media | Media Relations | Influencer Marketing | CSR & Events. Its based in Kochi and we do branding and marketing for brands - from designing a logo to making a digital presence! We also include the latest and inevitable marketing strategies like influencer marketing in our services.
Kavya Baburaj
Interviewed by : Adit Koul
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