Connect The Dots

by Rashmi Bansal

But there is one language where Prem Ganapathy is completely at ease, and that is the language of business.

incurred

eked out

“My father did not teach me about business - there he was never successful. But he deeply influenced my thinking, my values.

The stomach may be empty, but a man can still have fire in his belly. And clearly, Prem Ganapathy did.

Now why is a tea boy better off than a dishwasher? Because, baahar chai lekar jaana fetches you a commission of 10%, and a chance to build ‘clients’. Human relationships which can take you - who knows where?

“Kyunki poora market mein, sabko alag alag taste rehta hai. Toh main unke hisaab se achha service dene ki koshish kiya taaki mera naam ho.”

Not that any business is trouble free. “Us samay starting mein CIDCO aata tha, bhaagna padhta tha. Baad mein municipality aaya. Municipality ke logon ne bhi kaafi takleef diya hai.”

You learn to have a ‘setting’, of course. By this

“I put a lot of emphasis on hygiene.

“Prem Ganapathy South Indian fast food” declared a board, in bold blue and white lettering.

The ‘branding’ was clear and concise

vicinity.

But in January 1998, he took a big gamble. “Main hamesha personally nahin khada ho paoonga… is liye ek brand banana zaroori tha!”

Apparently, they had added the term ‘coca’ before cola because it sounded good. Rolled off the tongue easily. Surely he could find a word to add some zing to his ‘dosa’?

The venture was loss-making and so it was shut down after just 3 months. But it was not money wasted, because ‘kuch seekhne ko to mila.’

Because many people were copying me. ‘Sai Sagar Dosa Plaza’, ‘Udipi Dosa Plaza’. And so on and so forth.” Prem got the ‘Dosa Plaza’ trademark registered through an advocate. Today, he has copyrights and trademarks for 27 of his recipes as well.

Vision and mission is necessary, but chance encounters often play an important role in life.

Advertising is great, but there’s nothing as powerful as free publicity.

“Mera dost hai, MBA kiya, ab job hi nahin mil raha. Pehle usko bees hazaar ka salary tha MBA ke baad usey 12,000 mein dawa bechne ka naukri mila hai.”

“Maine usko apna vision bataya. Mera aur baahar mein farak yeh tha ki yahan unko zyada value milega, zyada naam milega. Zyada freedom milega… iss liye unhone mera company join kiya.”

Today, Dosa Plaza is 150 employees strong and has 26 outlets. Five are company-owned, the rest run by franchisees.

In March 2009, the turnover of Dosa Plaza crossed T 5 crore. Remember, the company only counts the royalty from franchises as its income - not actual sales.

With new malls coming up in the area, sales at the Centre One outlet slowed down. In fact, Dosa Plaza decided to shut its counter there last year. Meanwhile, there are others offering South Indian snacks at food courts - more choice for customers, more competition. More problems to face, frontiers to conquer.

He would like his two young children to enter the hotel management industry - even the daughter. But, he adds, “If their vision is different from mine, I won’t oppose them…”

Prem Ganapathy is only 36 but he is wise beyond his years.

Keep learning, keep walking, keep growing!

Luck hai lekin ghar pe baitha rahega to luck nahin milega. Koshish karega to hi luck saath dega.

Mere saath kitna bhi problem ho main sab ko convince karta hoon. Saare team ko motivate karta hoon, takleef door karta hoon. Yehi mera secret hai.

There are people who bumble through and one day become inventors.

meagre,

idyllic

confide in.

perishables

“Read

novels to improve your English.”

Finally I started reading it and in the first year of my life I read around 30 English novels.

sought after

and I passed every year - simply because I did not want to be a failure.

when I was challenged, I used to think that I will do and show them.

steady

learning is a joy in itself,

mind-altering

grins.

He managed to get four or five orders because he was a great salesman.

Kunwer said to them, “Take the keys of my motorbike. Keep it or sell it and make good your money because whatever you had given me, with that I have bought the things required to install the system. But, if you give me a chance, I will see to it that your work is done.”

disbursement

You can call me an egoist, but I’ve never been able to share my sorrows.

If I don’t have something, I will manage without it, but I do not know to cry for it.

“In school I used to run away from Physics, hate History. Today I can miss my dinner to read books on these subjects. I just can’t get enough! I am constantly learning.”