At a time when people are swooping on the tiniest of the opportunities to proliferate their business, Siddharth Jaiswal, an Ahmedebad-based entrepreneur, resolved to make it big in the organic juice-selling business.
Jaiswal passed out from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and started off with his organic venture, knowing exactly what he wanted to do in life. His small-scale business is now taking a mammoth turn catering to the tastes and demands of his growing number of patrons. Jaiswal struggled to reach this point and laboured to make Joos the most preferred hangout for the young and the old alike. And for the fitness freaks, it’s just the place to be. From a range of organic juices to a sumptuous salads and sandwiches to go with it; you just have to name it, they have it all.
When asked what instigated him to become an entrepreneur Jaiswal said “I did not really have to decide on becoming an entrepreneur; I always considered myself as one. It’s only when I work my own way, can I do well. If I were doing a job, I probably wouldn’t have done justice to the work at hand, and I learnt this while I was undergoing my summer training.”
Like every other venture this one was also fraught with challenges but Jaiswal took all of this in the right spirit saying, “One has to struggle to find a way out, be it in staffing, establishing a supply chain, marketing or sales. I remember having brainstorming sessions almost everyday. We went on planning, discussing and executing till 4 in the morning but it did not deter me from achieving my goals.”
It is not unusual to have a turning point in one’s career that, after years of hard work and strategising, takes the enterprise to a greater height. But Jaiswal, who just started his business some 6 months back, was candid when he said the turning point in his career is yet to come.
Despite facing the worse of times, Jaiswal did not for once think of giving up his venture. In fact, the more difficult the situation became, the stronger was his resolve to succeed.
Ask him what make the venture so irresistible and he says, “It’s my passion for organic fruits, vegetables and all things organic in life that drive me and keeps me motivated. Humans survive on nature so it is only right that we take ourselves towards it and not away from it. I am determined to take Joos to a level where it will be recognised and appreciated by the masses not only in India but also across the world.”
Elaborating on his business model Jaiswal explained, “Our company Joos, offers over 69 different varieties of natural drinks, some of which are organic. However, now, we are trying to have all the other ones in organic form, too. Apart from this, we also serve a range of salads, sandwiches and other dishes that can go along with these drinks. We make available a variety of natural drinks at a single place and that is our unique selling proposition. The concept of organic juice hasn’t gone down well in the market because of erratic supplies and high prices. We, therefore, decided to introduce organic drinks starting from a reasonable rate of Rs. 25 for the common populace. Plans to expand along with consolidation of our organic supply chain are also in the pipeline.”
Jaiswal is magnanimous in giving credit to his coordinators and believes it was the passion of the initiators of the enterprise that made real growth possible. “There were times when differences of opinion among team members have created problems, but timely resolution and team coordination has helped us move forward. As for the future, we hope to become the most favoured destination for the foodies and organic juice lovers by 2010,” he asserted.
For any entrepreneur to become successful, it is important they learn to decide for themselves. “You cannot let external conditions or influences have an affect on your work,” said Jaiswal when asked to give a few suggestions to the aspiring and budding entrepreneurs.