At 64, Premlata - fondly referred to as Handloom Grandma - embarked on a journey of financial independence through artisanal handloom treasures. Starting to earn at the age of 60, she found her niche in creating exquisite handloom products for homes. Speaking to SheThePeople, Premlata shared how, driven by a desire to combine comfort, style, and quality, her creations have resonated widely. Her late-in-life venture not only showcases her passion but also underscores the importance of pursuing dreams at any age.
It Was Not Easy, But I Had No Choice: Grandma Reclaimed Financial Independence At 64
"The year was 2022 when I lost my 40-year-old son due to a heart attack. I was completely devastated. On one hand, there was grief over losing my son; on the other hand, I was worried about how this house would run since he was the breadwinner in the family.
We were helpless, so my daughter-in-law took up a job to take care of daily expenses, while I managed the house and took care of my two grandkids, which was not easy. But what else could we do? We had no choice.
We were barely managing the expenses when, one day, our relatives' son, who had come to see us, suggested starting something of our own. We didn't even know the basics of running a business, let alone think of doing something. But he was our angel; he had made up his mind to help us out of the situation. He supported us with our business plan of selling bed sheets and AC comforters. And even offered us a stock without any advance. ‘You can pay me back once you make enough money,’ he said. That’s how our small step towards making our own money actually started.
But the road to success was not easy. We were unable to sell to people during the initial weeks. We were extremely stressed about our future. We knew we had to succeed; failure was not an option. And one day it struck us—why not sell online? So we created our page on Instagram and started posting content about our products. This is how Grandma's Handloom came into being in 2024.
Our hard work started paying off; the page was growing, and so did the orders. It was slow in the beginning, but more and more people started showing faith and purchasing from us. From influencers to artists, people started sharing our content. At 64, I was on Instagram promoting my business. I knew I would never get to do this—not even in my dream.
Today, my daughter-in-law and I are able to make our ends meet through our business, and all I have to say to anyone who is reading this is: don’t let your age or circumstance stand in the way of what you want. Life is long; good and bad times are part and parcel of it. So step out and do what you have always wanted to do. Trust me, you will succeed."
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