How Hi5Toys Founder MohanaPriya Started Her Business From Home

Starting a business from scratch, selling products through word of mouth, and having a registered domain within less than three years is not a piece of cake, especially when you have a kid growing along with your business. MohanaPriya, a university rank holder in computer applications, runs a wooden toy business called "Hi5Toys." She is the mother of a 3.5-year-old boy, because of whom she was inspired to start up this business.  MohanaPriya shares her entrepreneurial journey in an interview with SheThePeople,

When MohanaPriya's son, Jishnu, was 10 months old he would frequently break his plastic toys by banging them on the floor. She was concerned that the broken pieces might hurt him, and that’s when the alternative option of wooden toys popped into her mind. Since wooden toys are generally expensive, MohanaPriya began purchasing them in bulk from wholesalers and reselling them to family and friends. And that’s how Hi5Toys got its start in July 2020.

SheThePeople got the opportunity to speak with MohanaPriya about how she used technology to build a business on her own while taking care of her son.

Interview With Founder Of Hi5 Toys MohanaPriya

MohanaPriya has been single-handedly managing her business from the beginning. From searching for reliable vendors and quality products to responding to customers, packing, delivering, and accounting, she does it all on her own. "The initial stage was the most challenging because I had to search for reliable vendors who sold good-quality products. Also, replying to everyone both on WhatsApp and Instagram was time-consuming," said the ">female entrepreneur.

MohanaPriya recently shared a video of her mother-in-law assisting her with packaging and delivery. Talking about it, she said, "My mother-in-law is very supportive of my business. She has been helping me with the packaging for almost two years. She is one of my biggest motivators and always keeps pushing me to do more."

When asked how she manages taking care of her toddler son and her business, MohanaPriya said, "When Jishnu was younger, there were days when I couldn’t spend enough time with him and mom guilt pricked my conscience. But once he grew a little older, I began involving him in many activities like unboxing, arranging, etc., and he loves helping around. Much of my work is structured more like activities for him. This way, I can give him age-appropriate gross motor and fine motor activities while also taking care of my business."

Talking about the journey from selling to a small circle of people through word of mouth to going on social media to running a website now, MohanaPriya said that she has evolved as an entrepreneur and is still learning.

"As someone with no prior business experience, the beginning was difficult. The experience over the past three years has helped me learn the ethics of running a business and dealing with different types of customers. All the hard work has now helped me gain a solid customer base." She is the recipient of the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Toys Store 2022, which she says is one of her proudest moments.

"Hi5Toys started business through WhatsApp, moved to Instagram, and now we have an established website and a warehouse. Initially, taking orders manually from customers through one-on-one conversations was taxing and time-consuming. Now that we have a website, work has become relatively easier with regard to customer management. Now I’m solely focusing on other factors to improve the business," said MohanaPriya, explaining the journey of Hi5Toys.

With many women starting up small businesses that enable them to work from home and still take care of their child, small business in the world of entrepreneurs is a positive step towards empowering women to achieve financial independence and have access to work in the business world.

"To every woman out there who aspires to become an entrepreneur, we all have dreams, but we can achieve them only if we dare to take that first step. Entrepreneurship is an ideal career option for women, and financial independence gives you the wings to fly, so that's something very significant for women," said MohanaPriya in a message to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Suggested Reading: Digital Women Awards 2022: How The Internet Is Enabling Women-Led Small Businesses