We invited Sparsh Agrawal, Managing Director at Aurum Resorts, for an interview with Most Popular Stories. Let’s get to know about his entrepreneurial journey.
I am Sparsh Agrawal; a software engineer turned entrepreneur. I was very studios in school and had an extreme liking towards science and computers, so I chose Engineering. Being a day scholar at college, after the 2nd semester, I felt that I have much time left, which I was wasting doing nothing except waiting for the bus to leave campus at 6. Instead of sitting idle, I started renting books to juniors and then began a startup, PickmyBook: which aimed to provide used books to students on a daily or monthly basis.
Then due to time issues I had to shut it. Then in the 6th semester, I, again being an environmentalist, worked on an idea KraftnKala: which was creating household decors by the use of waste. For this, I took NGOs’ help, thus providing them with opportunities to earn and focus on recycling the waste items. It was going well but then came what we called “Campus Placements,” Then, I had to drop it because of my job eventually.
Then I worked as a software engineer in Gurgoan, but I had an idea that I can’t work for and under anyone else. So eventually, I quit the job to start something of my own. I needed a break, so I went on a solo trip to Goa to relax and had planned for a seven day trip in June, I guess.
I didn’t know that it was an offseason, and most of the things were closed in that season. So my Goa darshan got completed in 4 days, and the rest of three days I had nothing to do, so I randomly started calling brokers for some properties ( for time pass). But in the process, I found an impressive small boutique resort on a lease, which was within my budget. So I took that on lease with the name La Sella Resort and started managing it.
And within one year, I was having 90 rooms inventory (or four hotels) in north Goa under my company name Apeksha Hotels LLP. Managing these properties for three years gave me the confidence to build a resort of own, so by the learnings and past experiences, I started my resort by the name Aurum Resorts (www.aurumresorts.com) in Dec 2019. It was running very smoothly, but who knew COVID was on its way, so we had to shut it from April 2020 till Oct 2020. Due to this, I had to shift to Jaipur (my home town) and sit idle; there was also a big challenge. Every day I woke up and thought about the ideas I can work with because it’s tough to stay idle as I am a workaholic.
And due to increased lockdown, we had to shut all leased properties due to the lease amount’s pressure. I was left with little funds as the source of income was stopped. I had a detailed discussion with my family on how to survive and what to do, but everyone put the dreams into the fire and made me apply for JOB or higher studies. Everyone felt that the situation doesn’t want me to be an entrepreneur, and I should focus on a job because it’s high time that they need to search for a life partner for me.
So one more pressure added to my life, which seemed like a task of daily routine. Then, being an environmentalist with immense research and keeping hygiene factors (due to COVID) in mind, I started WYPE (www.wype.co.in) in OCT 2020, an eco-friendly, waterless car cleaning service based in Jaipur, and now achieved remarkable 250+ customers.
So now, since AURUM is also starting with Govt. norms and WYPE is again doing great, I sometimes feel that I had put many responsibilities on the head. Still, after seeing parents’ happiness, it feels very proud and gives good vibes that yes, I am on the right track. Seeing parents proud of their children is a different feeling which can’t be expressed.
In the end, I want to give a piece of advice to budding entrepreneurs is that Never give up. You have taken the first step, and now you need to be unstoppable. You will be put under immense pressure and too harsh conditions for the test with all stakes high, and that is the only time when you will outgrow your inner strength and decision making skills. Just be calm, work hard, and repeat. This will build you into a character who can never stop doing anything and thus become successful.
Regards,
Sparsh Agrawal
Managing Director | Aurum Resorts
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