Businesses today are built on a solution-based offering. Entrepreneurs young and experienced are not just introducing new products, they are also putting technology and their experiences to crease out the challenges existing in various aspects of societal functioning. Recently launched, Women Listed, by Meeta Gutgutia is one such platform that not only celebrates but also encourages women entrepreneurs and provides the needful support. It is an ecosystem that organises, promotes, and enables women-led businesses to flourish and achieve greater heights. Already a thriving community with women from myriad backgrounds, it helps them forge connections and provides reach and strong marketing support. We talk to her about this journey and the vision ahead.
Snippets from the conversation:
- What inspired you to create Women Listed?
Through my career journey of the last 27 years, I recognised the need of an eco-system dedicated solely to women. I strongly believe that women have to manage their careers and have to do loads of multi-tasking as well. And this is a big roadblock. To make it easier we need to have a solution dedicated and designed for women entrepreneurs and professionals. The need got stronger and stronger with my conversations with the women and the experts since last 4 years at Sipping Thoughts, which is a women’s community-based multi-channel media platform. As they say – it is much easier to propose than to execute and I needed to start from that thought.
- You have an established business, Ferns n Petals, how does it feel to start something from the ground up again?
Since I have been a part of the journey of Ferns n Petals from the ground up and we have created many parallel businesses, starting something new slowly became a part of my DNA. The ongoing learnings and experiences have helped me in starting Women Listed after a lot of research and analysis. Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks and using your strengths for the best results. Having Ferns n Petals makes the basic ground strong and provides access to a strong infrastructure and team support, which, for a start-up would have been more challenging. At the same time, I have never been reluctant to do the basic job of a start-up within the defined requirements.
- Tell us about Women Listed, and its future plans.
Women Listed, as its name defines is a first of its kind of listing app for all women entrepreneurs, homepreneurs, and practitioners. It is created to give visibility to women entrepreneurs with many features like listing, selling, bookings, learnings, and a community-based support system. The unique feature of our platform is a dashboard for self-marketing on all digital mediums. The future plan of Women Listed is to bring every working Indian woman on this app.
- How would this platform enable growth and support in the long run?
Encouraging more women entrepreneurs will help boost the economy. As of now, the contribution of women to the national GDP is 18%, and that too largely in the unorganized sector. By offering equal opportunities to women India could add US$ 770 billion to its GDP by 2025. We are targeting to reach 3 million women by the end of the financial year 2023-2024.
- What’s your leadership style?
I believe I have a Democratic leadership style and work with my team closely. I think the more perspectives I’ll have on the table, the potential for innovation and diversity increases. I believe in sharing my vision as well as the fears with the team. I have been fortunate with my current team who share my vision to build the biggest platform for women in India.