I started my entrepreneurial journey right when my father ended his. It’s already been 12 long years that I have been solely managing everything. But I got involved in this business even before that. Someone from my family had to take up the responsibility of operating Rima Bazar, and I saw this as an opportunity to become an entrepreneur myself just like my father. As a result, I could not complete my education but looking back at the past decade, I am happy where I am now.
We have a factory as well as a showroom here in Bhairab. We are involved with wholesale only and we have clients all over Bangladesh. From Chittagong to Sylhet, to Barisal and even Mymensingh, I am happy to state that we cover a wide range. But being an entrepreneur has its own pros and cons, much like everything else. The biggest blow we faced was in 2020, when the coronavirus hit the country. I can’t even begin to explain the harrowing situation that we were in, day and night. Our factory was closed for a long time, but expenses were persistent. Even without sales, we had to pay our utility bills, rent, and manager and employee salaries. The money used to pay for all of these came out of my hard-earned savings.
After months and months of enduring this financial predicament, things gradually settled down. But still, there are bad days and good days but I try my best to stay positive and have an overall optimistic nature toward my business, despite the harsh reality. My future plans for my business are to expand even further, and ensure my clients’ needs are met. I believe I still have a long way to go in life and ensure my family’s financial security. I am striving to provide the best education to my children and I want them to grow up without having to worry about their family’s finances. I want them to feel secure and complete their academics because I couldn’t do that for myself.
My experience with LightCastle Partners has been promising from the start. The support they provided along with the continuous advice besides their training sessions has exceeded all my expectations. I feel content and safe knowing they are out there helping MSMEs like us, helping us grow and improve our lives. I am now more inspired and focused on Rima Bazar, and I hope to only do better from now onwards.