Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 24 : 'Where there is a will, there is a way' may be a hackneyed phrase, but it still holds true in the case of achievers today who stand out from the crowd. They are ordinary people, but their thoughts, perseverance and achievements make them truly extraordinary.
Here is a rags to riches story of a barber, who truly is a 'cut' above the rest.
Ramesh Babu from Bangalore who is his late thirties dreamt big, but had no resources or godfathers to make his dreams come true. One of his desires was to own a fleet of luxury cars, but those days it seemed impossible, a far-fetched wish.
Today, he owns not one or two or three, but 128 luxuries cars including Rolls Roys, Mercedes, BMW and many more!
Ramesh's father who owned a small saloon died when Ramesh was a young boy. His mother did not have the means to make ends meet as Ramesh was still a child, and so his uncle took the responsibility to run the shop, and trained Ramesh too in the profession.
"Those days, my mother used to get only Rs 5 a day from my uncle as rent for our saloon," recalls Ramesh Babu.
In 1994, after PUC, Ramesh preferred to run his father's shop rather than continue his education. His expertise soon made him popular, and his clients included policemen, politicians, film personalities, sports personalities and public figures.
However, his profession did not make him rich, but he still cherished the dream owning a car.
He started off by buying a Maruti Omni in 1994 for personal use. And that, perhaps, was what changed his life forever.
Instead of using the car for himself, he rented it out. Even corporate companies would rent his vehicle, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months.
Once he started earning revenue from his car renting business, he went on adding more cars.
"In 2004, I owned six different cars, and started expanding my business," says Ramesh Babu. "To attract big personalities, I invested in Mercdeds, BMW and Rolls Royce...it paid off," he says with pride.
He gives Rolls Royce on rent at Rs 50,000 a day, and when business is slack, he takes his wife and kids for a drive.
"My dream of driving a Rolls Roys is finally fulfilled," says Babu.
While adding on cars, he expanded his saloon business too, and opened two more shops around Bangalore.
"My first priority is my profession, my barber shop. That gave me bread and every day I work from 8 am till late evening. I visit all three saloons, and handle the work personally. This gives me enormous satisfaction," he says.
"Most of the clients for my fleet of cars are celebrities, including Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and others, and top corporate companies," he adds.
Today he owns 128 cars! He runs his business under the company name Ramesh Tours and Travels in Bangalore.
He dedicates his success to his mother, recalling how she had struggled for him especially after the death of his father. "Her sacrifice and guidance have helped me to achieve my goal," he says.
His formula for success? - "All you need to succeed is confidence, relentless hardwork, dedication, and undeviating focus on your goal..and some luck..."
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