Ritu Bhansali: The Inspiring Story of How a Housewife Used Instagram to Start Her Own Store with Just Rs 20,000

September 14, 20212 Minutes
Success Stories

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Ritu Bhansali is the founder of Everything Mom Made. This is a company she started in the COVID-19 pandemic with the help of her daughters. Her business has no physical store but she manages it online on Instagram.

In a short time, her company has got nearly 19 thousand followers online.

Going Out Of Her Comfort Zone To Become A Financially Independent Housewife

Ritu was brought up in a time when society didn't approve of girls working after marriage. This is why even though she had a postgraduate degree in commerce, she didn't go out to look for a job but got married first.

Like most Indian mothers, Ritu gave her daughters natural remedies for various skin-related problems that they complained about. From here began the idea to sell these homemade skin products and start a business. Her daughters also encouraged her to go ahead and create her company Everything Mom Made.

When Ritu started Everything Mom Made, she had no background or knowledge about running a business online. It was something outside her comfort zone because for years she was a homemaker. Yet, she took on the challenge. At age 49, she created an opportunity for herself.

She now has a busy schedule, attends business phone calls and meetings. From being a housewife, she changed her role into a busy entrepreneur. With her earnings, she has the freedom to do as she likes with her finances.

Small Beginnings But Big Growth

Social Media has made it very easy to set up an online shop without the need to make a big investment. Like Ritu, you can make an account on apps like Instagram for free. Most small businesses use regular courier services to send their products to customers. You can directly chat and communicate with customers online and don't need a real physical shop. There are many advantages to setting up an online store.

For Ritu to start Everything Mom Made, she invested only Rs 20,000 to begin her business.

Her products started to receive a lot of love and attention from people that like to shop for homemade chemical-free skin products. Word of mouth also helped the small businessgrow. In addition, there is a huge demand in the market for organic items. This is why small local brands also get a lot of attention.

In an online interview, Ritu's daughter mentions how her mom gets emotional every time a customer leaves a positive review about her product. Running her own business helps Ritu feel like she's making an impact in society.

Homemakers like Ritu have various options to go out and start earning for themselves. In the 90s, it was disapproved of by society when women worked after marriage. But it's not the same anymore. Many women start businesses by themselves and are entering the workforce to be financially independent. There are many internships, work from home opportunities, and exciting marketing jobs out there today.

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Time To Get Influenced by An Influencer: Social Influencer As A Career Option

**25-year-old Anushka is an MBA in HR. She is also a social media influencer who is into make-up and beauty. She shares her journey and everything you need to know before taking up a career as an influencer. So let's get some influencing done!** **Hello Anushka! It's very nice of you to speak with us. Please tell us about yourself.** Hi, I am Anushka; I completed my MBA in Human resources in 2020. I am currently doing a corporate job and simultaneously working as a social media influencer. **How did you start your career as a social media influencer?** I had got very interested in makeup and beauty some five-six years ago. Even during my MBA, I often used to think whether I should start my makeup vlog on social media, but I was pretty much uncertain about it. **When the covid pandemic happened, I could not get placed at any job. I was very stressed, and at that point, I decided to step into social media influencing.** **At first researched video editing, presentation, etc., and then uploaded just 2-3 videos. I had fun doing them. And was happy with the way they turned out.** **Surprisingly I got a good response from the people. I got motivated by the people's support and appreciation. So I continued doing it and gradually became known as a beauty influencer.** **Very interesting! Anushka, if someone did not know about this field, how would you educate them?** If you want to start a career as an influencer, proper research and practice are essential. For example, if you are a girl who does not know anything about makeup, you must watch YouTube videos and start practising. Makeup is an art. And you master it by practising. Even I was terrible at makeup earlier. But I practised a lot. You don't need to enrol for expensive courses or training If you are determined to do, you can also train yourself at your home! Consistency and patience are required; that's it! **You have a full-time corporate job as an HR professional. And now you also work as a social media influencer. So tell me, how do you manage and organise your day?** On the weekdays I am busy with my office work. But on the weekends, I shoot and edit my vlogs. This way, my weekends are all about shooting and content creation which, of course, I love! **Tell us more about being a social influencer as a career opportunity** Being an influencer is like a dream job! You can work from anywhere and at any time. There are no restrictions. Also, many people support and praise us, which pushes us to work harder. In fact, you get paid for what you love, and you need not take any particular degree or course to get into this career. You need to make a bare minimum investment while starting as an influencer. A ring light, an android phone, or a camera if you have and you are done! I have always wanted to work with big brands. This dream of mine is accomplished by being an influencer! I have collaborated with the brands like Nykaa, Purplle Mac cosmetics, etc. Also, the support of my social media followers is immense! So these are the things I will never forget. In my view, being an influencer is not always very happy-go-lucky! There will be hatred; there will be negative comments flowing out in the comment section of your page. A courageous person who can take all this more realistically can choose this career. Also, if you only love doing something and start your vlog page and then stop when you get bored, it will not help. Continuation and the will to inspire people should be there inside you. Moreover, you need to learn skills like editing, presentation, shooting, etc. You should have that spark to learn things. Even I handle all the things by myself. In the end, people will watch you for 2-3 mins, and you should stand out and stick to their attention! **What is your message to the young girls out there?** **I see a lot of girls getting confused about their careers. I would say that go slow, analyse what you love.** **It could be dancing, singing, acting or anything! At some point in life, I loved makeup...I followed my passion, and today I am happy with what I do rather than being stressed out.** Anushka is genuinely inspiring, and this is why she is a successful influencer today.[To read more such inspiring stories of successful girls, click here!](/students-success-stories)