[Seller Interview] How does online seller Shradha Arangil make affordable clothing a business worth lakhs?

Let’s look deeper into her womaentrepreneur story and how she single handedly made a business worth lakhs.

IOS: How did your online retail career start?

The story of RovingMode began in the Year 2014. It took around 3 months of planning and speculating before the launch of RovingMode.com in March 2015. Within a couple of months, the brand went live on Amazon and Flipkart. Now RovingMode has its presence on almost all acclaimed online Marketplaces. As of now, we are live on Jabong, Limeroad, Voonik, Shopclues and Snapdeal.

Our target audience is women between the ages of 16 to 30 years. And we offer them a range of casual and work wear items. We have a terrific collection of clothing and we offer only quality goods at affordable pricing.

#1 – I think one of the most evident benefits of running an ecommerce business is the low overhead costs. This was a big advantage for me as I was working with very little start-up capital.

#2 – The other advantage of ecommerce is that you can sell your products globally and all with the help of a computer or a smartphone. Like many ecommerce start-ups, I started my business from the spare bedroom in my home, which would not be possible if I ran a brick and mortar store, where location is key.

#3 – On the flipside, the challenging part of selling online is that customers cannot experience the product before buying it. Especially with a fashion brand, where customers prefer to touch and feel an outfit before they buy it. Fortunately for us, I was able to establish trust and credibility with my customers by offering only highly curated pieces.

I would say it’s different but not all bad. Being a woman running my own tech-centric business had its pros and cons really. At first, a lot of people, including my closest friends wouldn’t take it seriously, and a few even called it a hobby! But the good thing is, less expectations from you means less pressure on you, which helps you focus on the positives. I think running my own business as opposed to having a 9to5 job gave me the flexibility to have a family life and still have a successful career.

Women have more responsibilities at home compared to men. But it’s easy to manage these if you work on your own time-table.

IOS: Do you call yourself a successful entrepreneur? What benchmarks do you need to reach to become a successful woman entrepreneur?

I’d say I’m fairly successful because of my ability to work hard and to go above and beyond for my customers.

Be comfortable with change

To be a successful entrepreneur you need to be comfortable with changing direction quickly. You can’t be too attached to results, you need to learn to evolve. Sometimes, you end up with something way better than you set out to accomplish.

Take risks & trust your instincts

Also, to be successful you need to trust your instincts and be comfortable taking risks. It is also very crucial to be financially aware. Avoid getting into debt early on in the business.

Be a leader

Lastly it’s important to be a leader and not a boss. Have good people on your team, keep them motivated and happy, because your business is only as good as your team.

IOS: To what do you owe your ecommerce success?

We initially started off with 2-3 sales a week and now we get on average around 20-25 sales every day.

I believe there are a couple of reasons why we were able to grow so quickly.

One is because right from the start of our business we invested in a good support team. What people don’t realise is the amount of backend work involved in running an online brand, which can be very overwhelming.

• Product listing

• Inventory management

• Orders

• Customer support

We were able to focus on our designs and production which is really the heart of our business.

Two is because we put our customer at the centre of everything we do. All our strategies are focused on customer needs and desires.

IOS: Is ecommerce a level playing field for women entrepreneurs?

It definitely is.

IOS: Are there specific challenges for women in online selling?

I don’t believe there are.

IOS: What are the top challenges you face when selling online? Did you overcome any? How?

Challenge 1– Visibility

The biggest challenge you face when selling online is visibility. The bigger brands spend a lot of money on ads and product placement and getting noticed is tough.

Challenge 2 – Obtaining conversions

Once you’ve got the customers attention you face the challenge of converting them into sales. Since there is no touching and feeling the outfit, the next best option is to wow them visually.

Solution: I make sure we use only high-quality product images and also try to include feedback and pictures shared by previous customers. We have also understood the silhouette and cuts that sell better online.

Challenge 3 – Retaining customers

Next, we face the challenge of retaining them (customers).

Solution: At RovingMode.com we try to create the best customer experience. We ship the orders promptly, we follow an easy return and exchange policy and most importantly we try to introduce new pieces every month to keep our stock fresh and updated.

Challenge 4 – Staying current with latest trends

Finally, we face the challenge of staying updated and current.

Solution: This again is a work in progress. The internet is changing rapidly and so is the way we shop online. We interact with the customer through social media to get a better understanding of their wants are.

IOS: Do you encourage more women to come sell online? What advice do you have for them?

A 100%.  I believe being a woman, we instinctively have a lot of qualities that do well in entrepreneurship like:

• Managing people

• Managing a budget

• Multitasking

Starting your own business takes up a lot of your time, and being a woman and having a hectic lifestyle comes with a lot of self-guilt, especially for mothers, but by running an ecommerce business you have the luxury of working from the comfort of your home at your convenient time schedule!

All you need is an idea for a product, internet connection and a smartphone. The only advice I would give them is to create or join a support group with other women where they can share ideas/ collaborate on projects and also to stop surrounding themselves with people who constantly pull them down.

IOS: Do you think there is any mentality difference when it comes to men and women online sellers? What are these? How do they help you sell online?

Of course, there are quite a bit of differences in our mentalities. Women inherently have more patience than men. And, in the online business, patience is key! No matter how great your product is, converting online traffic into sales takes time. Also, in order to grow your online business it is important to research and understand your target customer. Since a large percent of online customers are women, it is easier for woman sellers to understand their perspective better.