RETAIL ENTREPRENEUR SERIES: NETWORKING FOR SUCCESS IN RETAIL

by Riche Atos / March 23, 2021

While most entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners struggled to cope during the pandemic, there were also those who thrived and grew because they were much more willing and open to adapt to a changing world. Thanks in large part to their networks, they were able to adapt with the help of other businesses through knowledge-sharing and support.

In today’s podcast, I’m talking with Sridhar and Umesh, who started One Retail Connect during the lockdown, a networking platform where people working in retail have found a place to connect, exchange ideas, and most importantly, belong. If you are in the retail business or connected to retail, then this episode is for you.

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Episode Highlights:

09:52 What is networking and how is it related to retail businesses?
12:29 Changes in consumers’ shopping activity and behaviour
13:06 How the entire landscape of retail has changed
16:56 The rise of the omnichannel retail
20:58 How can networking help retail businesses?
22:34 What networking does and doesn’t do for you as an entrepreneur, business founder, or professional working in retail
24:20 What most people get wrong about networking
27:24 Two top tips for networking the right way
27:57 How and why the One Retail Connect networking event was born
34:29 Who should be interested in Retail one Connect?
38:41 What both have learned about networking from launching and running retail one connect
42:13 Umesh and Sridhar’s future plans for Retail One Connect
45:16 What makes for an elevated entrepreneur?

Quotes:

 “Everything is going to stay, you will have physical retail, e-commerce also, and the other channels, that is why it’s called omnichannel. So as long as you are available at all points of time at all the channels and as long as you have the robust technology at your disposal where you are able to connect all these channels you will be successful.” – Umesh Agarwal

“Networking is the backbone of growth. Growth in life, growth in business. It is underestimated, most people don’t network ‘til they actually need it. I always compare it to fixing or building the roof of our room. Would anyone fix the roof of their home after it rains? No, they always keep checking it and fixing it frequently, constantly networking and building relationship and expanding your network, because we never know when a requirement may come up.” – Sridhar V.

What makes for an elevated entrepreneur? Having a mentor. – Umesh Agarwal

 

Thank you for listening! I hope you enjoyed this episode and I’d love to hear your feedback. You can email me at hello@elevatedentrepreneur.fm and help me improve or if you have someone in mind that would be a great guest on the show, feel free to recommend them via email.
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Thanks, and lots of love,

Dhiren Bhatia

  • Episode Transcript
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