Entreprenuership Lessons From A 12 Year Old Kid

A woman selling mangoes at Maho train station, pictured from moving train

Ram Charan says great entrepreneurs can be seen from street corners to board rooms. Yet it's a rare breed.

I agree with him. This story is another proof.

A 12 year old girl, from Anuradhapura came with a bucket full of mangoes. I asked “how much?” and was about to do the transaction. Another vendor (a mid aged male), from behind, started scolding her. All eyes in the train compartment turned towards the kid. I asked “why?” She quickly gave me mangoes, took money and turned back. Muditha also asked “why?”

“We are not supposed to be in this compartment.”

She went, and I got the point. First class compartment is out of bounds for vendors. A supervisor is always on guard to check intruders from taking vacant seats, theft etc. I watched her go past the scolding vendor, who feared wrath of the supervisor. Loud scolding and everyone looking at her - it was too much drama for a 12 year old kid.

I expected her to cry, to turn red, to yell out an explanation, to complain and run away.

Instead she calmly walked passed the vendor - her eyes fixed on the floor, maintaining her balance in the speeding train. She started selling in the next compartment as if nothing ever happened.

“Very good mangoes for just Rs. 50” Muditha said to me.The passenger behind me started moving out of first class to third class to buy mangoes from the kid. Few more moved out.

Then I saw a climax scene out of a movie - the supervisor welcoming the kid and directing her to first class. Almost everyone bought. Muditha also bought some more. Muditha gave her a bracelet as a gift. She folded it in her pocket, smiled back, and swiftly moved to her next customer.

Lessons I learnt from her...

How not to loose emotional balance, facing blame and appreciation.

How to focus on customers in turbulent times.

How to be patient, taking care of all the stakeholders, yet achieving the prime goal of sales.

How to communicate crisply, only the message that needed to be told.

Dr.Ari at 80 - Make a wish !

This is where it all started...Kanatholuwa, in 1958.

I heard of him in my school days at Mahinda. I heard him as a great social worker. At that time 'Sarvodaya' did not ring any bells in me.

After university I worked in many places - then I quit. I thought I will not work any more in an organization. Then I landed in Sarvodaya - by accident. People told me many negative stories. They asked me not to go there. I reflected - I wanted to do something new, I decided to be awakened.

I saw something amazing inside Sarvodaya. Something that you can experience wholeheartedly. I cannot put that in to words. It is a direct experience, that changed my life.

We all call Dr.Ari affectionately as "Loku Sir". I meet him always, when I am in trouble.

I learnt from him...
How to take my own initiative, and make my own goal
How to be humble in achieving my goal
How to see the big picture
How to be patient when everything crumbles around you
How to be a proactive listener
How to empower my self, before empowering anybody...

Happy Brithday Loku Sir ! I wish you all the very best and good health, to bring sanity in these troubled times. 

Fusion created a web space to collect thoughts from all around the world.
In creating this space, and looking at these comments now flowing through, I realized the far reaching effect of his global foot print.

Please leave your wish here > http://fusion.lk/wishdrari/

It takes only 2 minutes. I promise, it is very user friendly.

India, Get Your Business Online !

Google has started giving free websites to Indian small and medium enterprises.

Context: 

India is the world’s 2nd biggest mobile phone market with about 870 million. Internet penetration is about 100 million, or less than a tenth of a country of 1.2 billion, still making it the world’s 3rd-biggest Internet user market. 8 million small and medium businesses, of which about 400,000 have a website and 100,000 have active online presence.

What the Indian enterprise gets...

• Free, easy-to-build, professional website
• Free .in domain name and hosting for one year
• Free email addresses
• Free 365 days support

To register, the enterprise need...

an identification document, either a permanent account number, or a tax deduction account number or a corporate identification number. 

After the first year, the enterprise would have to pay a nominal charge if they wish to renew their domain name.

I think this is a neat initiative. Of course Google would have a business plan behind, ranging for years to come. They do have the investment muscle, so why not? Opening internet up for small and medium enterprises is a clever move. Wish we also had this for Sri Lankan enterprises.