Mohammed Imran, a Flipkart Seller and Samarth partner based in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, has dedicated over a quarter century to his wood crafts business, Unique Arts Shoppe. Transitioning from embroidery to woodwork in 1997, he embraced the guidance of a friend to turn to entrepreneurship. Today, with e-commerce, the business supports local artisans as it soars to new heights. Read to know how he did it.
Wood crafts and Saharanpur, a small town in western UP, have been synonymous since time immemorial. Wooden handicrafts produced here are known the world over, and generations of craftspersons have created a rich legacy in wood carving and carpentry.
In its maze of lanes and bylanes lives Mohammed Imran, who leverages Flipkart Samarth to preserve Saharanpur’s cultural legacy and grow his entrepreneurial venture.
Combining his skill and that of other artisans with e-commerce, Mohammed Imran’s business, Unique Arts Shoppe, enjoys pan-India demand. However, things didn’t start out this way.
Finding the Right Grain
Mohammed Imran wasn’t always into the wood crafts business. His story took this turn back in 1997. “I used to work on kadhai embroidery on ladies’ suits before I got introduced to woodwork. When Chinese machinery entered the market, the demand for manual work fell. I couldn’t afford the new machinery either, as they cost around ₹25 lakhs.”
As fate would have it, Mohammed Imran ran into an old friend, Sarfaraz Alvi, who was in a handicrafts business that specialized in wood crafts. “He used to make export items in Mango wood. One day, when we met, he asked about work, I told him that it was not going well. He recommended that I work with him and learn woodwork.”
Before Mohammed Imran took the leap, he consulted the one person he knew would help him find the right path. “I spoke to my mother, as she knew that I was worried about taking care of my family. She encouraged me to learn woodwork if I saw a future in it.”
Chiseling Out a Niche
Driven by his responsibility as a husband and a son, Mohammed Imran put his mind to learning this new craft and soaked in everything he could. “I worked with Sarfaraz for one year. In this time, I learned how to cut wood, how to fit it and frame it, and make wood crafts. Once I got used to this work, I told him I wanted to start my own business.”
Receiving nothing but support from Sarfaraz, Mohammed Imran wasted no time. “That’s when I ordered my machine as per my specifications. With nothing but our house to my name, I did what I had to. It was a 2-bedroom place – and I placed the new machine in one room to start my work.”
Sticking to the natural advantages of working with wood in Saharanpur, Mohammed Imran decided he wanted to use Mango wood only. “I am used to this wood as this is what I started out with. Mango wood is also popular, and we get it locally treated and seasoned for us.”
Imran crafts a variety of products from Mango wood, ranging from wooden coasters and trays to bedside tables, incense boxes, bed trays, photo frames, and numerous other home decor items.
Fast-forward a few years, and his work was mainly focused on fulfilling export commissions until 2018, when things changed yet again.
“A few friends of mine used to sell online while I was working offline on export orders, but I wasn’t satisfied with growth. On meeting them and discussing their work, I realized that they were doing good work online. So, I also decided to go online with Flipkart.”
Taking Wood Crafts Further and Building to Last
As is the case with any new venture, there were some growing pains for Imran’s budding business. “In 2018, I took the business online with my wife, but we couldn’t make much progress. The market was dull. A lot of the progress only came in when I started with Flipkart properly, less than two years ago.
Despite having 26 years of experience, Mohammed Imran knew that growing a business online meant learning new things. “In the beginning, orders were slow. We got 5-7 orders only, but now, it is increasing. We have reached 30-40 orders a day.”
Mohammed Imran credits his growth to the inputs of his Flipkart account manager and the dedicated team he has to handle the receipt of online orders, packaging and labeling. “It’s been a great experience so far. We receive instant support from our account manager. The handling of payments is also very clear, and we can see them all online, so we do not feel like we are in the dark.”
Today, Mohammed Imran’s wood crafts business generates an impressive yearly turnover. “After getting into e-commerce, we went from a handful of people to 15-20 artisans.
Right now, we are focused on decorative items and have around 200 products. But I want to introduce new items to the home décor and kitchenware sections, with the aim to launch a new brand specifically for my wife to look over.”
Fuelled by this goal, he leverages every opportunity that comes his way and is most excited when Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale comes around. “During BBD, our orders increase substantially. We start preparing for BBD about a month in advance. It is a challenge, but it is worth it.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs, he has one piece of advice: patience. “For any new entrepreneurs, starting off can sometimes be a challenge. It takes time to build a business and there are chances of losses. To all those who are waiting for the right time, I would say, start your business – do not hesitate.”
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