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This Entrepreneurial Story is about Nidhi Maitrya who Founded ‘InsuranceGurukul.com’ located in Bangalore.
About – After completing her post-graduation in Finance and IT,Nidhi Maitrya went through the rigorous All India selection process amongst 20.000+ students for the final 20 Management Trainee batch of 2008-2009 at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd, where later she was chosen to serve as a Head-Office Property Underwriter and continued to do so for almost 4 years with direct reporting to the Vice President- Underwriting and the Head-Underwriting.
Her passion to learn diverse domains eventually landed her up at Tata- AIG General Insurance wherein she was chosen as a Profit- Centre Marine Underwriter. She served the organization for nearly 4 months and then branched into entrepreneurship.
Along with work, Nidhi completed Fellowship from Insurance Institute of India (III) by being An All India topper. She believes that these years as a professional underwriter, in some of the most prestigious companies in India and her education with III played a key role in what InsuranceGurukul.com has to offer today.
Website/Company Name: InsuranceGurukul.com – under Invicta Veritas.
When Started: August 2012
What motivated you to start your Business?
The idea of InsuranceGurukul.com came when I was preparing myself for the Fellowship Exams conducted by the prestigious Insurance Institute of India. Being an All India Topper in the Associate Exams, I aspired to do really well in the final and the highest level i.e Fellowship Exams too.
However, the biggest challenge I was facing was how to manage reading in the little time left after office hours. It was not possible for me to go through all the books. I needed a good guide to help me sail through.
So, I went online and did some research hoping to find courses that who can train me for these exams and help me get good marks.
All I wanted was a way, to learn the key concepts and I was sure I could take care of the rest. To my surprise, I found not even a single player who was providing organized and dedicated learning kits for the exams which are written by over 1,60,000+ students and working professionals every year.
The next morning, I resigned from work and started working on my own portal, InsuranceGurukul.com
Tell us about your Business…
InsuranceGurukul.com is the pioneer and the first of its kind digital and organized learning medium in Insurance Education space.
The website currently provides an online training platform for the Professional Exams conducted by the prestigious Insurance Institute of India.
Not only this, we have also launched our first Certification Program titled “Advanced Certificate in Motor Insurance” and are working hard to expand the domain and include more industry relevant programs.
InsuranceGurukul.com would not only cater to ‘direct to learner’ market but also to Industry clients in Insurance and technology consulting sectors for all learning and development needs on licensing basis. The platform would allow white labeled training solutions with both content and evaluation modules.
What is a Day in a life of you like?
My day starts with planning the activities at IG and I wear multiple hats as and when required. A regular day goes in brainstorming about my venture with my mentor and life partner Apuarv. Time just flies, but I do not feel the pain of working 24*7 on IG because I just love what I am doing.
One particular skill you got right and gave you best results.
Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.
What have been your biggest challenges in running your Business so far?
1. Educating the customer about online education over traditional methods.
2. Hiring the right talent.
3. As we are expanding, money management is quite a challenge.
How did you overcome these challenges?
By believing that nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
What have you found the most effective way to get new clients?
As of now, we are heavily dependent on Google Adwords and Social Media Marketing. However, word of mouth and referrals are picking up gradually.
What advice do you give to other business owners?
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot aspire to be successful!
Also, the following quote of Steve Jobs should absolutely inspire entrepreneurs!
“Your time is limited, so do not waste it living someone else’s life. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become”!!
How did you keep motivated through difficult times?
Like I said before, by believing that nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
What are your Marketing, Funding and Team Building Strategy?
Marketing- We do not spend to acquire, we spend to retain.
Funding – No strategy, if the concept has potential, funding will eventually follow and
Bingo! we are approached by some eminent angel investors.
Team Building Strategy- Retain and keep the right talent happy!
Your Achievements?
Talk to our students and they have all good things to say about us!:)
Whats your favorite quote?
Path breakers eventually become Path-finders!
Who inspires you?
Self-made people like My Parents.
Do you have a Business Philosophy?
If Plan “A” didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters! Stay Cool
Contact links
More Info
https://www.startupfreak.com/insurancegurukul/
Startup Freak wishes Nidhi, All the Best!
