Startup Accelerator Spotlight: Anjana Shankar
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Anjana has always had a deep love for cooking. While working at a university in Kerala, she would often marvel at her friends' cakes, knowing she could make them even better. But between her career and other responsibilities, she never had the time to turn her passion into a business. Now retired, Anjana finally has the opportunity to focus on what she loves most—cooking. She joined GetSetUp's Cookbook Project to showcase her recipes, and she’s now part of the Startup Accelerator Program, where she's learning to organize her business structure, refine her ideas, and gain the tools she needs to launch her company.
Overcoming Challenges in Starting a Business
Starting a business is never easy, and Anjana's journey was no different. She experimented with various baked goods and curries, making some sales along the way. Her French pie, apple pie, and brownies became customer favorites. However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, wiping out most of her sales.
"I joined Michael's class on starting a business way before the Startup Program, and I was inspired. I realized having time was not enough to develop a business. However, due to my frozen shoulder, recent retirement, and the pandemic, I was very depressed. I couldn't thrive."
Persistence Pays Off
Despite the setbacks, Anjana was determined not to give up. She pushed herself to learn more about the culinary industry.
"During this period, I got a bit of experience and ideas about how our business structure should be and what mistakes we were making. I realized that I must standardize my recipes to taste precisely the same each time. I knew I had to see the science behind cooking."
When Anjana learned about GetSetUp's Startup Accelerator Program, she was thrilled. Social media marketing was still foreign to her, but she was eager to learn everything she could to help her business succeed. She jumped at the chance to take specialized business courses. The program was challenging at first, but as she continued attending classes, Anjana began to see real progress.
New Skills for a New Business
"When GetSetUp came up with this program, I joined the 'Pitch Your Idea' class. It was fantastic because you had to convey what you dream of and put it out in those few lines, which helped me sort myself out."
Anjana especially appreciated the guidance from GetSetUp’s instructors on organization and goal-setting. The classes helped her list out all her ideas and then narrow them down to one. The sessions on setting personal and business goals resonated with Anjana, as she no longer felt overwhelmed. Instead of being tangled in a web of ideas, she could now prioritize what was essential and what could be done later. The assignments provided her with a clear format to structure her thoughts and identify the next steps.
While Anjana is still deciding whether to focus on baked desserts, pies, premixes, or traditional curries, she feels much more confident in her business.
"When I started, I had a one-page business plan, and now we are going in-depth. We would need finances if we want to scale up, and we need to be able to convince people that this is a viable project and that exactly what the Startup Accelerator Program is teaching us how to do."
Looking Forward to Success
"My recipe, kitchen, and presentation are top-notch, and I am confident in these areas. I want to learn more about marketing my product and photography. I love following my cooking passion so much that I forget all about the hurdles and my frozen shoulder."
Anjana plans to continue expanding her skills, learning to bake clean desserts with fresh ingredients, and exploring cloud kitchens and millet cakes.
"I plan to launch my snack business this month. We are working with a local college student to start a kiosk."
Meanwhile, Anjana will keep refining her business ideas and skills, inspired by the new dimension of joy and excitement that GetSetUp has brought into her life.
"This has added a new dimension to my life, bringing zeal, zest, joy, and excitement while helping me explore new avenues and better myself!"
*Authored by Jordan Evans
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