Startup Freak Community for entrepreneurs and small businesses
Entrepreneurial Story of Payel Mukherjee who founded Justwords located in Gurgaon
About:
- Payel Mukherjee – CEO, Though her career began working in the print media industry, where she has worked with the top publishing houses, it was a stint with a special-interest media company that introduced her to online content. The dynamism of the online platform led her to delve deeper into the marketing side of content, leading her eventually to challenging consulting roles in content marketing.
Email – payel@justwords.in
The Team!
When Started: 23/07/2010
Location: Gurgaon
What motivated you to start your Business?
While I was working for this special-interest media company, we needed a lot of content and sometimes we had to get outside help to create that content. I realised that there was no singular agency or firm which could give us affordable content and yet stick to deadlines and quality parameters. After doing some research, I found that most people who needed content didn’t know where to go for content. The norm was to look for freelancers who would write the content in her or his free time and charge you cheap. The other option was to get it written by some ad agency copywriter, in which case, you needed to have a good budget. There was hardly any company or agency where you could get affordable content without having to worry about deadlines or quality. That’s when I started thinking, why couldn’t I solve that problem. That was the beginning.
Tell us about your Business
Justwords is an award-winning content agency, where we make it easy for you to get content, any content. You simply order, set the rules, and get the stuff you want – could be SEO-optimised content, could be the content pieces that works your content marketing strategy, could be creative content for your online and print projects, could be any content. You just order it and you get it. The idea is to make content outsourcing as easy and affordable as possible.
If you peel off all the layers of Justwords, you will find that at the raw core we are mainly content people who don’t just create content- we try to understand what best your company does, who is your target audience and what they want to know about you.
Tell us what an average day in your life looks like.
I usually start my day around 8 am, trying to finish all the urgent emails that need answering. I also make note of all tasks that I have to finish that day and this helps me stay more organised and focused. Once I reach office, I usually tend to get sucked into this whirlpool of small work and troubleshooting issues being faced by the team. That is where the list helps, since it reminds me that what needs my attention the most. Prioritizing is the most important thing for an entrepreneur I feel, since there are thousands of things you need to look after at any given point of time. The second half is mostly kept for calls with clients and finishing up things that are stuck because of my approval. I try to keep things I need to concentrate on more, for evenings, when I am out of office. I feel luck on days when I get even 80 per cent of my list done. This means I have got one problem out of the way, and I have moved ahead by one step.
One particular skill you got right and gave you best results.
Being confident about your offerings always helps you make a better pitch to clients. In the initial days, we used to pick up a lot of work just because the client wanted it. We do not do that anymore. Somewhere the confidence helps achieve higher lead conversions.
What have been your biggest challenges in running your Business so far? How did you overcome these challenges?
One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting out payments and dealing with delayed payments, from non-corporate clients and smaller brands who were in the hospitality sector.
We learnt our lesson the hard way when one of clients cheated us by simply moving out as partners of that particular business, and not ever clearing our dues. This forced us to re-examine our payment policies and the clients we were taking on. Eventually we started signing up clients who were okay paying right at the start of the month or an advance.
What have you found the most effective way to get new clients?
Well, its has to be online marketing. Our revenue has grown year on year, simply through a focused approach on content marketing and a strong online presence. I believe you need to be there when your customer is searching for you. That’s half the job done.
What advice do you give to other business owners?
Well, starting up your company is about handling a daily load of chaos. You are always putting out fires, and sometimes you wonder why at all you go through the effort when you can easily get a good job that pays you a lot more than you get when you start up. And yet, it is also deeply satisfying that you are doing your own thing, testing your own idea and taking up a challenge. Not everyone can and will do that. So ask yourself if you are passionate enough about your idea and how far you are ready to go to see it work out. Most important, set a time limit to see whether the idea works out. And lastly, you must love what you do.
How did you keep motivated through difficult times?
Through my journey as an entrepreneur, I have realized that there are times when you feel like giving up, and at those dark moments, the only thing you need is patience to hold on, to believe that this is just a phase and you will ride out of that dark tunnel into sunshine. I have been lucky to have a great supporting partner, my husband, who has always kept reminding me the reasons why I started the business in the first place. From him, I have also learnt that patience was the only way to survive this game called business. It also helps to read the inspiring stories and quotes of your heroes – mine being Steve Jobs. This is my favourite quote never fails to motivate me – “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
What are your Marketing, Funding, and Team Building Strategy?
Our marketing strategy is to create lots of good content, which will tells my customers how to solve his pain points. It not about asking him or her to buy from us. And then, ofcourse, market that content as best as you can!
The greatest team building strategy for me is to allow the team be part of the business, give them the freedom to do things their way, and rely on the fact that they are doing their best.
Your Achievements?
1. A startup to a business that actually makes profit is almost like raising a baby and seeing it grow and stand on its own. I am thankful that Justwords is today a profitable business.
2. Another achievement was winning the Google award for Marketing and PR, twice in a row, in 2014 and 2015.
3. Being chosen for the entrepreneurship program, funded by Goldman Sachs Foundation, and conducted by the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
What’s your favorite quote?
Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. – Steve Jobs
Who inspires you?
Steve Jobs
Share your Business Philosophy?
1. Concentrate on what you do best – do not go to do everything.
3. Have loads of patience
4. Stay motivated
5. Dont always go for the money. It will come to you eventually. Take the time to build a strong business.
