Digital Helped Richa Build A New Identity For Herself And Earn From The Comfort Of Her Home

Richa Lalwani's life turned around when she rediscovered herself as a business owner. The Internet, she says, helped her fulfil her childhood dream of being a businesswoman earning her own money even though she once gave up on that dream after marriage and a kid. Here's her story. 

Richa was an ambitious woman who always nurtured the dream of stepping out to work, but her parents weren't very supportive of her dreams. She got married at a very young age, after which her life revolved around the happiness and expectations of her family members. Having any personal goals was out of the question.

After Richa became a mother to a daughter, the next 12 years were dedicated to her upbringing and care. But somewhere deep within, she craved to build a career and have a solid social and financial identity. During this time, she got in touch with a thriving community of fearless entrepreneurs passionate about achieving their goals. Inspired by them, she decided to launch herself as a businesswoman. Richa quickly established her online store and started selling branded partner inventory. She could now earn money from home without stepping out.

After the initial momentum fizzled out, she faced the challenge of maintaining her profits and growing her business. While looking out for newer skills, she came across the WomenWill program offered by Google. She learnt new things from the entrepreneurship training that the course provided through short, simple and vernacular videos. Specifically, she learnt how to promote her products better online, reach out to new customers, get more sales and leverage social media for business promotion.  

"I also learned different strategies like offering discounts, posting customer feedback on social handles, and always setting catalogues according to customers' demands and requirements," she said.

Richa applied all her learnings to her business. Since then, her profits have shot up, and her confidence has soared. Since completing the program, the mompreneur's profits have increased by almost 15%.

"I started selling my products online by setting up my page on Instagram. I also joined Facebook groups and marketplaces to promote my products and started getting orders. I also used WhatsApp to connect to potential customers. By doing this, in addition to offering freebies and discounts, there has been a significant rise in my income, and I am growing each day," says Richa proudly.

Richa is proud to have come so far but believes that there's a lot she has to accomplish in her business. What gives her immense satisfaction is the fact that she can look after her daughter without giving up on her goals.

With thanks to Google for permission to publish this series of stories about women entrepreneurs who have benefited from the WomenWill platform