KONNECT connects the dots making the women confident and successful individuals and fempreneurs

‘Networking is an investment in your business’ Konnect knows and implements it well for its members

BILKULONLINE

By Rafat Quadri 

Ahmedabad, Jan 28: Meet the founder of Konnect …  Nayika Agrawal, 41.  Six years back she decided to form a platform for the business women of India which is based on networking, training and scaling heights both as an individual and as a fempreneur.

Nayika is working from Ahmedabad for Konnect but keeps travelling and is well connected with thousands of women on day to day basis training, strategizing and organising the workshops, exhibitions and other business promotion avenues for Konnect members.

By profession she Nayika is a computer engineer and hence networking, virtual training and social media connect are all at her fingertips.

But, what makes her different from other women is that she decided to lend a supporting hand to the women who needed it. This, she took not only as her passion but as a profession and thus KONNECT was born with its slogan as ‘Women empowering Women’.

Nayika while speaking to BILKULONLINE explains that today she has over 1,000 registered members and several lakhs of women are connected through social media and direct connections.

“Konnect is a Women’s networking group formed to hand-hold the enthusiastic and enterprising women. We highlight the need for women to know and explore themselves first, know their inner strength and create an identity for themselves by gaining confidence and financial independence. Currently spread across Ahmedabad and Baroda, this group brings women from various areas of expertise on a common platform and facilitates them to empower each other by way of providing business opportunities. At present, there are more than 1000 women entrepreneurs, spread across 12 chapters. Interestingly, our reach through social media and group members’ connections is running into lakhs. My dream is to connect to millions of women through members of Konnect.”

Nayika says “We undertake online training programme and introduce the members to their own self and build confidence in them to assess their skills, areas of accomplishment and so on and where they are lacking and how to improvise. Idea is to make them feel proud entrepreneurs— the fempreneurs” .

                                                                                                                                              Konnect has 12 chapters across India with three more to be launched shortly at Bhopal, Indore and Lucknow. Plans on the card are to energise the networking group to another level by using the MSME programme of the Government of India.  Since the Konnect  members can avail the benefits of registering as a Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) and can include access to credit, subsidies, and various government schemes, as well as eligibility for certain preferential treatment in government procurement processes.

It is said that “A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts”. Nayika with her team knows it well and she builds confidence in the members of Konnect to go big and grow big business or shine in the profession of their choice”.

Reiterating the usual problems that the women entrepreneurs in their early stages or in their down moments during the business tenure. Nayika says “their biggest concern remains the fact that they don’t get the expected number of clients to their shop or business place or the online sales target are discouraging and similar issues with the professionals”.

Konnect offers a one year certified online training course (four classes a month of two hours each) at an yearly fee of Rs 3,600. For becoming a registered member to avail other facilities and knowledge there is a different city wise fee structure.

Nayika believes in “If you’re not networking, you’re not working” and “The way of the world is meeting people through other people.” Hence, at Konnect they are pulling a good network together encompassing the efforts, sincerity and time.

Konnect members spread the message of their business and enhance the scope of activities by way of participating in various exhibitions, adopting improved marketing and online selling techniques, collaborations and sponsorships. Basically it is the networking which is most essential part of connecting with Konnect. 

In order to get associated with Konnect for training, to become a member or to start a franchise of Konnect in your city you can connect with Konnect !

(Rafat Quadri can be contacted at editorbilkul@gmail.com)