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Munira Arsiwala’s middle name is grit. As proprietor of consumables company
Office Link, she has single-handedly built up her business from Rs 5 lakh 12
years ago to a Rs 40 lakh-turnover today. And that too by selling only in Mumbai
without any publicity.
Though she has been in the consumables business for over a decade, Munira has
no plans of getting into mainstream IT reselling. According to her, selling
hardware is a one-time affair. But buyers need consumables regularly to make
their machines work. "This is precisely why printer companies are
concentrating more on consumables rather than printer business."
She also concedes that the margins in the hardware business are much lower
than those existing in consumables.
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Munira
Arsiwala |
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will power to succeed in a business dominated by men |
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FROM MICROBIOLOGY TO IT
A BSc in microbiology, Munira did a stint in pathology, which she soon gave
up because it was not a well-paid job. So she switched tracks and joined Towa
Ribbons in 1986 as a sales person. "I joined for a lark, but soon realized
that I had a knack for selling consumables," says she smilingly.
She was promoted as national sales manager in less than a year and was also
instrumental in opening the company’s branch office at Chennai with five
people working for her there.
Munira quit Towa in 1989 and spent a year dabbling in various other
activities. And in 1990, she decided to start her own company Office Link. The
first two years were spent learning the tricks of the consumable trade as a
dealer.
She sold everything from stationery to fax rolls to printer ribbons. "I
would buy from one source and sell it to the customer.
And then use the money I received to buy more stocks," Munira
reminisces. She managed to post a decent tunrover of Rs 5 lakh in the first
year, steadily increasing it over the years.
Currently, Office Link sells various consumables and is also a Lipi Data
authorized partner. Last fiscal, she closed her books with Rs 40 lakh.
THIS WOMAN HAS HER WAY
How does it feel being a woman dealer in a trade dominated by men?
"Different," says Munira. Though she adds that most men are not
uncomfortable doing business with her, even when she goes to meet them in her
traditional Bohri garb.
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PROFILE |
| START-UP YEAR |
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1990 |
| PRODUCTS |
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Consumables, accessories, computer stationery |
| Address |
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95, Modi Street, 1st Floor, Room No 4, Fort,
Mumbai - 400 001. |
| Tel |
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022-22642253,
22691741 |
| Fax |
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022-22691741 |
| E-mail |
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muniraarsiwala@rediffmail.com |
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Also, her prudence has ensured that she gets her payments on time. "If I
am not too sure about a buyer, I would rather not do business with him, than
sell to him and lament later," she adds.
Munira’s biggest angst is large vendors telling users not to use refilled
cartridges, as it will damage their machines. She points out that these very
vendors refill and sell the cartridge themselves.
Lucky for her, she has retained all her customers and they rely on her
judgement. "So diktats from HP and other vendors do not affect my business
that much," she points out.
An active member of the Mumbai chapter of Computer Media Dealers’
Association, Munira has inspired several other women in her community to start
their own business. "I don’t believe that being a woman makes you any
lesser a businessperson than a man. All you need is some common sense and the
will to succeed," says Munira assertively.
VINITA BHATIA Page(s) 1
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