Originally a Chartered Accountant, Sonakshi Pratap went on to start-up Theek Kardo, an online portal for repairing electronic appliances. She is one of the entries for the Business Plan initiative from Mumbai. Here is more about her –
Tell us more about yourself.
I have always been active in extra-curricular activities in school and college. Being from a business family, I always wanted to start something on my own and knew I would do it one day.
I graduated from Narsee Monjee College in 2011 and also did my Chartered Accountancy. Then I worked in KPMG for around 8 months before I quit to start Theekkardo.
What was the inspiration behind starting up theekkardo.com?
One day during my work days in KPMG, on a hot summer day, I came home tired switched on my Air-conditioner. It did not work then I called 3-4 local technicians to repair my AC but they either did not turn up or didn’t give me the service I desired. This is when I realized how unorganized the repair industry is in India. Everybody has an electronic appliance but they is no one reliable agency to take care of these once the warranty is over. I thought how about a One stop for any electronic repairs.You have an electronic problem all you do is call our helpline number or log on to our web portal and we send our verified technician to you to solve your issue. I realized the tremendous potential in this industry and immediately quit my job to work on my idea.
From CA to Theek Kardo, how did that happen?
When I was working as a CA, though it is a highly respected profession, I was never really satisfied with my work and a 9-6 job never excited me. I felt I am not fully using my potential. I wanted to create something or do something bigger. Something that excited me everyday, something that doesn’t let me sleep, something I love more than anything. I realized entrepreneurship is the only option for me. That is when the idea of Theekkardo clicked me and I decided to pursue it. However my CA knowledge and experience really helps me in my business. I understand financials better, I am able to analyze a situation quickly and take a decision.
Did you as a CA ever face any challenges in your role as entrepreneur? What were they?
As a CA working in a multinational I used to interact with CxO's of huge companies whole day in a professional manner and suddenly after starting Theekkardo I found myself dealing with unorganized labour which was a huge challenge. When you start-up your business you find yourself taking up multiple roles. We need to learn how to adapt to different situations quickly.There are a lot of things a degree does not teach you. Relationship management(with employees, customers, co-founders, investors etc), networking and thinking out of the box are some of them. These things are very important to run a successful business.
Message to all SHEROES out there.
If you have an idea,a dream or the passion to do something dont think again just go for it, just do it, Take the leap...It will be the best decision of your life.