Shriti Chhajed from Indore is the entrepreneur behind BookEventZ.com - a company she founded in 2013. Bookeventz is positioned as India’s leading network of branded venues. Growing manifold every year, it has over 3,50,000 customers and 500 corporate events served.
BookEventz provides best-in-class service to its clients for weddings, parties and corporate events. The company hosts events for 50-1,500 people at our varied venues such as hotels, banquet halls, lounges, lawns, resorts, seminar halls, conference halls and corporate training centres.
With more than 40 BookEventZ branded venues, the company is only set to get bigger as a chain of venues. We had a chat with Shriti, ahead of International Women’s Day:
This year's theme for International Women's Day is #Balanceforbetter: What does this phrase mean to you?
Balance is required in each and everything. It is the society that has set up roles for men and women. Each is unique in their own way. In my opinion, success can be achieved only when they work hand in hand. Especially, when we talk about working as a team, it is essential that every member functions as a wheel, so that the organisation can move forward. Women are natural multitaskers, and therefore apt for any organisational environment.
Tell us about your first entrepreneurial venture: How did you come up with the idea and how did you start your business?
While working in the f&b space, we realised that there were lot of solutions for restaurant reservations and event ticketing, but none existed for group booking. It was a thought of easing a customer's event booking experience, and the urge to offer something different from what already existed in the market, I started off BookEventZ.com from a garage with two to three interns, and today, we have a full-fledged team comprising of 100 members. Today, we aim to be India's largest chain of trusted venues.
What is the one thing that your company offers to the customers that makes their event memorable?
We believe in providing a hassle-free booking experience, and build trust relationship with our clients. Deliver what is committed, is our mantra.
When you see women empowerment growing so fast, how do you feel?
Women do not need empowerment. I believe they have always been empowered. That is the reason we cannot imagine homes without women. A woman can achieve whatever she sets her heart out for. And if she wants to achieve something in business or career, then she can definitely climb up there as well. It's all about her choices.
What steps are you taking to safeguard the rights of women in your own company?
We do not judge or make comparisons. So, rights are safeguarded automatically!
How do you celebrate Women's Day in your company?
I believe every day is Women's Day. I do not think it is right to celebrate womanhood in a single day. There is no Men's Day. So, if we are looking at equality, then both the genders must be treated equally, and not be differentiated. Only this approach can make the work place gender-neutral.
Are you contributing or doing any activity for an NGO on Women's Day?
We are a startup, and therefore, coping with our own challenges right now. However, we will definitely be looking at what we can do to give back to the society, in the near future.
What are the pros and cons of being a female entrepreneur in 2019?
An entrepreneur needs to be a multitasker, and being a woman, it comes naturally, which is a huge advantage. However, the work does take a toll on the personal life, and the time you dedicate to family gets compromised.
What is the biggest challenge for you as a woman entrepreneur?
I believe my competition is with myself, and I have to achieve a lot. But this challenge drives me towards excellence every single day!
