I have entered the business world out of the blue. My success journey started from nowhere and with years of hard work and commitment, I have bagged the title of best management consultant in Kerala. Earlier, I used to engage myself in social and cultural activities. But as my family grew, there was a need to attain financial stability. So I began my search for a venture that was in line with my thoughts. Finding a business idea that fulfills my passion for social work and at the same time meets my financial needs has been challenging. It was during the time I was looking up for opportunities that I had met one of my best friends, Mr. Denny Thomas Chempazha, who incidentally is also actively engaged in serving the society with ideologies akin to the ones I possess, and during our continuous discussions that lasted for several days and months, we were drawn to an important issue that people of Kerala were facing during those days – unemployment. It was a time when Kerala had been facing a severe unemployment crisis.
The unemployment crisis has affected large numbers of young Indian graduates and a growing number of them were having good academic records as well. Most of the graduates were forced to take up jobs that are not related to their course while some chose to be self-employed. Some of them moved to Gulf countries and were forced to work in risky workplaces to earn a meager income. While the economic crisis hit the gulf countries, some of them were forced to return back to their home countries. This unemployment situation has created worry and anxiety among most young Indian graduates.
In my opinion, this was one of the greatest pitfalls experienced by the state of Kerala. I analyzed the situation and started thinking of a new business venture that could help society come out of this dilemma. I have started gathering as much knowledge about the educational systems prevailing in developed and developing foreign countries and realized that the courses offered there were of much relevance to the industry needs – the present as well as the future. There are a number of highly reputed institutions that focus on high-quality education and practices that guarantee employment in relevant industries right away after course completion.
I thought of it as a great opportunity to invest in. Together with my friend, Mr.Denny Chempazha I started a new venture in the year 2002 to help our youngsters find quality education and befitting jobs after their studies. Our venture was named Santa Monica Study Abroad Private Limited and is headquartered in Kochi. Both of us remained confident in our decision despite the constant societal pressure. Owing to our honesty towards work and the trust people have for our brand, we have helped thousands of students from India graduate from top universities and find high-paying jobs abroad. With our consistency and long-term perspective, we have now expanded our business with many subsidiaries under the brand name Santa Monica. Following the success of Santa Monica, I was able to establish myself as the best management consultant in Kerala.
I have got a piece of advice for all those who are planning to start a new business venture. Before you stick to an idea, you must do proper research to find what your country needs at this point and double-check if your idea when implemented would be of any benefit to society. The next thing you should keep in mind is that you must never invest huge capital to begin a new business as it is likely to lead to a sudden financial loss. No matter how confident you are, you can achieve success only after getting acquainted with your experience. You might be inspired by the stories of businessmen who became successful within a short period of time, but always keep in mind that success is subjective. The number of people who succeed might be one among a thousand people who have tried. It’s just that no one knows the losers and their reasons for failure. Success is a slow process and it takes hard work consistency and clear perspective to be successful.
