Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Chennai, Nov 21: To dream big is normal but to wake up and work hard to realize that dream calls for extraordinary boldness and confidence. That is why it is said that ‘the road to success runs uphill’. While history is replete with people who have achieved success in their own unique way under mottled circumstances, the success story of the mother daughter duo Cheryl and Denise of Chennai is extraordinary. In the process of writing their success story this duo has rendered a helping hand to many hapless and less fortunate women rebuild their lives.
The beginning of their success story can be traced back to 2008 when Denise, a fresh MBA graduate decided to start her own business and even coaxed her school teacher mother to give up her job and help her in her venture.
Denise got a brainwave to start her own venture after she saw eco-friendly disposable napkins during a wedding reception they had attended. Denise was so taken up by the brainwave she even refused to sleep that night. Rather she sat the entire night and came up with many designs of napkins and other disposable items and women’s wear. Though Cheryl liked the designs of Denise she was not favourably inclined to give up her job of 16 years as she had a big family to take care of including her in laws, parents and her two children.
Gamble paid off
Nevertheless, Denise continued to convince her mother on the expediency of quitting her job and joining her as her business partner. Cheryl was in a quandary, not knowing whether to stick on to a government job as a teacher or to take a plunge in the uncertain world of business. But she had to take a quick decision on seeing the fate that befell her maid who had literally brought up her daughter, having served the family for 20 years. Prema’s leg had to be amputated due to diabetes and worse, her son-in-law threw her out of the house. Prema, naturally came to their house seeking help and it helped Cheryl take the decisive step of resigning her job as a teacher. Denise also convinced her mother that with their business venture they can provide succor to women like Prema and help them rebuilt their tattered lives. Thus Cheryl joined the company Dream Weavers as a business partner and Prema became their first employee.
Cheryl and Denise had to make numerous trips to government departments to get the permit and complete other formalities. The duo began their business venture with only Rs. 500, which is unthinkable these days. But the lack of capital was compensated with their enthusiasm, confidence, creativity and hard work that was infused in their venture. With the money available they brought a sewing machine on installments and some cloth material. With that Denise decided to come up with something unique namely bras, panties, aprons and other disposable items which can be used conveniently and hygienically in spas and beauty parlours.
Overcoming initial hiccups
Once the product was ready marketing the same was the most crucial and most difficult part of the business. In the beginning, beauty parlors even refused to have a peek at their products. But it never dampened their spirits as they had full confidence in their products. Their first client was a beauty parlour in Alwarpet in Chennai and from there the business grew slowly.
Somehow, in the first month the company was able to manage a turnover of about Rs. 5000/- which was quite good considering that they had started with a capital of only Rs. 500/-. The company needed infusion of more capital and help came in the form of Bharatiya Yuva Sakti Trust (BYST) started by one Lakshmi Venkatesan. BYST helped their transformation from non-businesswomen to businesswomen. On its recommendation the company also got a loan of 2.5 lakh from Indian Bank.
With that loan they brought 3 more sewing machines and many more less fortunate women from the neighborhood were employed to cope up with the increased workload.
In the second month Dream Weavers was fortunate to get a bulk order of Rs. 5000/- from Ayush, the sister concern of Hindustan Liver Limited. This proved to be a morale booster for the company and from there it did not look back. Today the net sales of the company from big clients are worth almost Rs. 2 lakh per month and the company has been able to have an annual turnover of Rs. 30 lakhs. It has become a leading producer of one time use disposable materials used in spas and beauty parlours such as mouth masks, disposable towels, napkins, paper bags, head caps, aprons, gowns, laundry bags etc.
So Dream Weavers had arrived on the scene and took deep roots to stay and flourish. In the last five years the company has been able to garner orders from more than 15 big companies and about 50 small companies are regular clients of Dream Weavers. The company then acquired import-export license also and now has been able to sell its products beyond the frontiers of the country. The company’s products are being exported to many countries like Dubai, Singapore, Malysia, Thailand and Australia. In Dubai Denise has been able to get clients like Chanakya which gave orders for them for anufacturing G-string panties, unisex panties etc. Denise is now based in Dubai most of the time as she is bent upon getting more clients and selling her products internationally on a wider scale.
Apart from scripting their own success Dream Weavers has helped more than 25 less fortunate women rebuild their shattered lives. From a rented place the company has now moved to its own premises. All this has been achieved in a short span of five years by two ordinary women who had nothing but fortitude, unwavering faith in their capabilities as their capital and oodles of guts to gamble.
The success story of Cheryl and Denise is an eye opener to many women in our country. They have demonstrated that if there is a will there is a way and the opportunities are unlimited to those who have the courage to take risks. At the same time Dream Weavers has been able to provide a decent and honourable living to many less fortunate women. Let us take inspiration from Denise and Cheryl and hope that their success will enthuse many more women script their own success story.
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