Home ›› 03 Sep 2021 ›› News
The journey to become an entrepreneur is way more challenging for women. In 2007, Shahida Parven started her entrepreneurial venture with a small investment of Tk 45,000 after a discussion with her husband.
The business was running smoothly and she earned about Tk 10 lakh from her beauty business in three years. But she had to leave the parlour business after a massive amount of criticism from her family and relatives. She also had to leave the Chartered Accountant (CA) study as her parents did not allow her to visit a firm for audit outside Dhaka.
Before the parlour business, she also tried three projects but couldn’t succeed due to marriage and pregnancy-related complexities.
“I was on the right track to establishing ‘Pre Oxford School’ and ‘Hostho Shilpaghar Samity’ and ‘Bashabo Tailoring House’ at Bashabo area in 2000. After shifting to Uttara in 2004 after marriage, I couldn’t continue these projects and later joined Holly Care Public School and College in Uttara in 2006. I quit teaching after my first child was born in 2007.”
So many unsuccessful attempts couldn’t stop her from dreaming to become an entrepreneur. Actually, she came back with even more enthusiasm and started a new endeavour titled “Bismillah Trims Solution” and got her fortune back.
She said, “In 2010, I got an offer for a sampling of garment accessories that opened a new door for me but I got success after 13 times failure of the final delivery that also inspired me to do something more for the distressed people.”
“Now 135 products of showpiece and items like bag, sack, mat, portrait, basket, pen-stand, table-folder and jute-made sandal are produced in my three factories and the products are being exported to Australia, Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, US, UK and UEA”, Parven said.
Some 35 permanent and 300 temporary employees are engaged in production in her three factories located in the city’s Middle Badda and Arambagh and Narayanganj. The annual turnover of her business is nearly Tk 4 crore although the business initially started with Tk 45,000, she said.
For her success in business, she achieved various awards like President Industries Development Award-2020, SME Best Award-2018 in micro-entrepreneur (women) category, NPC Award-2017, and Grameen Phone Women Chamber Award -2008, she added.
Responding to a query, she said that she got the priority-based stimulus package facilities to overcome the Covid-19 fallout. The recognition through the awards has brought honour for her and made her an icon in the arena of women entrepreneurship that also created the scope for extra evaluation in the business society.
The entrepreneurial icon advised the would-be entrepreneurs that there is no alternative to hard work, determination and commitment, and most importantly following one’s passion. In addition, one has to be tech-savvy with sufficient knowledge about the whole business process that would pave the way for a successful business career.
