Starting your own business, especially as a refugee, is stressful but equally rewarding.

Moving to a new country can be very difficult, especially when you have to build an empty life. Dimple Athavia, who traveled from Mumbai to the UK, along with ET’s Rashmi Narayan, advised her to start her own company in the UK, along with her travels, goals, challenges and current successful business.

Tell us a little about your journey from the moment you came to the UK.

I was 18 when I first arrived in the United Kingdom. I landed alone at Heathrow Airport, boarding a plane for the first time, even abroad. I wanted to study wine production and wine production and found that Brighton University College of Agriculture – Plumbton College had a BSc Viticulture and Oenology course. I spent three wonderful years studying in southern England, traveling to Champagne and Montpellier in France, growing crops in Cyprus and another production in Marlboro, New Zealand. As much as I enjoyed traveling and making wine, I wanted to learn more about the wine world and returned to England to study MSc at Retail Management at Brighton Business School. This gave me the opportunity to participate in the UK wine business.

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I worked for Grover Zampa as UK Brand Manager for two years and working with Capil Grover was a big part of my career. My big role was Tastings Manager at the prestigious Beverage Awards – International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). For four years, I was responsible for meeting more than 10,000 wines and spirits year after year, with many traveling and beverage producers. A.D. I was 30 in 2021 and it was during the second lockout period that we all had a lot of time to think about, for the next 10-20 years, when I decided to work for myself and my dreams.

What inspired you to start your own business and what attracted you to this industry?

Even when I was studying to become a winemaker when I was 18-19, I had a good idea of ​​having my own liquor store. I worked part-time in a few independent wineries in the United Kingdom and remember that I was overjoyed when a customer bought the wine I bought. Knowing that retail would be the last game, when my father offered to pay for a master’s degree, I chose accordingly. When it came time to start my own business, the idea had been on my mind for years and I had been clearing it ever since. The biggest change you see from the original idea to this day, what I didn’t see when it came, was my love of taste and my love for people who make sweet drinks – not just wine and everything was drinks. He was born.

What were the challenges you faced on your journey and how did you overcome them?

In those early years, living in England without my family was a challenge. Plumpton College is far away and I was a little stuck without a car. But what amazed me was the support and generosity of the English people – the other students gave me countless elevators, helped me understand my coursework, taught me politeness to say things, and generally took me under their wing. Today I met some of my closest friends at the university and I was married. One of the great lessons I learned was that one must have the courage to be vulnerable and not know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and get others to support you and join you on your journey. Another significant challenge is the UK visa process, but in my experience over the past 13 years, I have found the system to be very fair. I have never felt discriminated against because of my country of origin.

Is it easier in some cultures (in the context of geography) to be a woman in a leadership role than others?

Being a woman born in Mumbai and now living in the UK; I can only comment on these two cultures. Yes, it is easy to be a woman in a leadership role in England and India. However, it is more complicated than that. Women tend to play a leading role in more than one area of ​​life – they want to be successful and successful not only in their careers but also in their homes and communities. Our society is built on these gender roles and it is easier for men to accept leadership roles as they focus only on being professional leaders. This is happening in the UK but compared to India, the world is still far from equal to Indian women.

What does the future hold for your business? What do you want to achieve next?

I have big plans for everything and I want to get there fast. We turn one year in July and the next two years will be very exciting. After successfully launching a business that is thriving on our own money, we are preparing to release some equity to the first round of seed investment and angelic investors. The focus is on getting more people to trade with us in the UK and investing in significant digital systems, growing our small group into a strong core team. Looking at the impact we have had over the past 11 months, I expect everything to be a household name in the UK within five years.

What tips do you have for growing a company?

My advice to anyone considering starting their own business Build a company for your customers and be prepared to learn from the lessons you learn. Another small piece of advice – if you see your business as a future market leader and want to grow into a big company, think about expansion and size from day one. It may be a little extra work, but it will help you reach your goals faster. It is very easy to run a marathon, if you decide to run a marathon; Instead of halfway through the marathon, there are still 13 miles left!

Also, do you have any tips for immigrant and interested entrepreneurs in the UK? Any beginner should know red tape?

Personally, the concept of migration is very entrepreneurial, so I think immigrants can create great entrepreneurs. However, you may be left alone because you may have left your network behind, so make sure you build a community of people you love and trust. My advice to entrepreneurs looking for – not just look at your business in isolation but think of it as a newcomer in that big business world in that market.

Make sure you truly love the industry you are entering. I believe that emotion reduces knowledge, because if you love something, you can always learn more and increase your knowledge. But if you have decided to be a part of the industry you do not have enough love or care; When times are hard, you may feel trapped. It’s been 14 years since I first met the wine industry and I still enjoy learning more about the industry and its beverages. I’m sure if you ask me after 14 years I’ll still be in poetry about some drink or producer or country!

I find the process of setting up an online retail company right. Here are five things you need to do once you have decided to go for it:

1. Start your domain name and website development.
2. Find an accountant and get your company involved and sign up for VAT. VAT is not necessary but if you are in the B2C world – cash flow is king and being able to claim VAT can be crucial for a small business.
3. Find a lawyer in your market and get terms and conditions, privacy policy and GDPR estimates for your business.
4. If you only want to be online – make sure you learn everything about Google. If you have a physical shop, you know the price, the trail, the nearest station, and other businesses in the area. Now imagine your store is on Google – that is your digital address, and you need to know how this amazing powerful platform works to take advantage of your high position on it. Research – Google Advertising, Analytics, Console, Merchant Center and Academy.
5. Get Cheap – CRM System, Cloud-Based Accounting Software and Logistics Software by bringing out the best system or knowledge you don’t want to do or both.