Innovation

The story's primary focus is "The SoulCrafted Store," an online shopping portal offering handicraft products made of organic materials. The aim here is to reduce wastage, reduce plastic usage, and provide products to society at a budget-friendly price. The main goal of soulcrafted is to support the local Shantiniketan artists by bringing in clients. The business started as decorative art pieces in homestays when hotel guests enquired about handicrafts. With the knowledge of SDGs like No poverty & Decent employment and economic growth, the entrepreneur developed a platform called soulcrafted, where she connected with local artists who were in deplorable financial situations because of an unstructured market and high customer bargaining power. The author established a suitable venue for the artist where they would receive a set and fair price for their handmade goods.

Along with ongoing articles on homestay decoration, the pan-India website provided artists with a sustainable means of support and a commercial model where natural utility objects are marketed in houses. The Soulcrafted Store offers valuable home decor items with custom designs. Most entities provide a purpose in addition to being merely ornamental items. The USP has organic and environmentally friendly items.

Inspiration

Aishi Sengupta, the Entrepreneur, had worked in the industry for around six years. Being an HR Executive for HP, her job involved framing HR Policies and Business Analysis across the HR Verticals.

Her husband, working in the hotel industry, underwent frequent transfers. Naturally, she had to move with him, which resulted in adopting to different cities constantly. Given such circumstances, it was challenging for her to manage both work and family.

After that, she had an opportunity to work with a startup involved in trading between India and China. She was in charge of the Operations for India and overlooked Structure formation, Payroll management, Financial management, HR policies, etc., for the Organisation. Her job involved frequent traveling to China, which added to her challenges. She needed to gain some learnings from this job, as she had never worked for a startup before. In the middle of all this, she had twins. Now the decision was clear. After working with the startup for almost nine years, Aishi decided to start something of her own. Hence she says, "I am an entrepreneur not by choice but by circumstances."

Overall impact

The SoulCrafted Store is into handicrafts, working with fundamental and impoverished people. Art is everything to them, but they do not necessarily earn a lot. Usually, art is on the last of the customer’s list to buy. So, a clientele is required who would believe in it and who would find it worth paying for it. People haggle for even two hundred or three hundred rupees from the artisans. Mrs. Aishi’s first business motto is not to bargain with the artisans. This way, the lives of the artisans are hugely impacted.

Business benefit

The Soul Crafted Store is into handicrafts, working with fundamental and impoverished people. Art is everything to them, but they do not earn a lot. This business benefits these artisans by providing them with the perfect opportunity to display and use their skills to earn a livelihood. This business offers a lot of monetary benefits to them. This is an essential source of revenue for these people, and this business benefits these people a lot. It provides a significant opportunity for women artisans to earn for themselves.

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Social and environmental benefit

Environmental Benefits – The Business has been established in ways to reduce any harmful impact on the environment. The handicrafts are entirely eco-friendly. The material used in manufacturing all the products is organic, be it jewelry, accessories, garden decor, etc.

Social Impact – The venture collaborates with rural artisans to promote livelihood and honor the artistic skills of these people. The business ensures there is no bargaining from their side towards the art. It also encourages women empowerment by employing women from rural areas who are early school dropouts but capable in their way. These women work in the homestays and are provided incentives based on guest revenue. They also get paid per meal they cook by the guests themselves. The venture offered multiple levels of earnings to these rural women.

Interview

Aishi Sengupta, Founder