She Means Business: Content and communities will drive growth

Meet Kajal Chanana of a group of mothers called Dwarka Moms on Facebook. They discuss local issues of Dwarka, explore what's happening where, create their over events, host meet ups, give each other opportunity and support to do business with each other. "We have grown rapidly and at the core of it is the fact we are more than just conversations. We are able to transact with each and that's our biggest support point," she says. Smriti Chhabra of Gurgaon Community Circle have picked Gurgaon as her region to have discussions around community needs for women in the area and also conduct workshops. Common to these young entrepreneurs is the fact that they are leveraging the digital world, especially Facebook to build and foster a community. This was the focus at She Means Business in Gurgaon.

At She Means Business, held by Facebook in partnership with SheThePeople at the Facebook India Office in Gurgaon, the spotlight was on why content and communities will be the drivers of the future.

“We plan events at least once every month and it can be around anything like parties, workshop, around mothers’ subject etc. So when women come, they meet and become friends and then collaborations also happen on the spot,” says Kajal of her community.

At She Means Business, held by Facebook in partnership with SheThePeople at the Facebook India Office in Gurgaon, the spotlight was on why content and communities will be the drivers of the future. “Digital space is a great leveller and it has broken and shattered lots of hierarchies," said Milee Ashwarya of Penguin Random House. "So now one can connect, engage, and have a conversation with celebrities or experts who one wouldn’t normally have access to. So in that way it is a great enabler.”

Author Shuchi Kalra who works in a corporate house by day talked about how social allowed for not just flexibility but also an opportunity to build an individual brand. “Social media is a great platform to reach out to your readers as an author. I am also able to boost sales of my published work through various platforms on the digital space.” She added, not only was it imperative to create relevant and engaging content but also experiment with formats. Priyanka Sachar is a photographer who has build her business through collaborations. "It's a space to get discovered and build collaborations that can eventually lead to business," she said.

Using digital, Prerna Lal runs Ecoplore where she suggests eco-friendly hotels to tourists and fills an important gap in tourism. There is diversity in the businesses women are building and that's what sets their businesses apart. What's common however is the use of technology or a digital platform. Those who have not had luck with community, for them there is content.

Entrepreneurs especially benefit from the growing popularity of social media today as they say that they don’t waste money in ground marketing as today they can do low-cost advertising through Facebook and Instagram etc. Sustainable fashion brand founder, Shalini who runs Indicotton Root, leverages technology to its full potential. She believes that people like her who start from scratch, technology can provide a big boost. “I didn’t have the money to buy a store or reach out to people who are far away so social media is the only place where we get in touch with people and vice versa. Online platform is how people get to know of the work we are doing,” she said.

With perspectives, interactions and some peer to peer lessons, She Means Business ended on a high

With perspectives, interactions and some peer to peer lessons, She Means Business ended on a high. The panel discussion put the spotlight on tools that women can leverage. A key note by the CEO of National Skills Development Corporation of India, Manish Kumar put spotlight on how women and governments can work together. There was commentary on the future of tech and communities by Sandeep Bhushan, Director and Head of India GMS, at Facebook. Further a workshop by Facebook explained more than basics of how to use the platform to do business. Additionally there was a Safety workshop that brought in a primer on how to stay safe and how to use available tools on Facebook to safeguard oneself.