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Fight your fears and breakthrough the glass ceiling Padma Wellewegedara
‘Your Community’ is a series that hopes to bring recognition and business to the amazing entrepreneurs of our country, to appreciate the wealth of talent and sheer resilience of spirit that exists among our people. When spoken to, the majority of the SME’s indicate that their challenges are similar. They are struggling with access to market and access to finance. They need guidance and support to overcome such obstacles. This Column “Your Community” addresses the need to create awareness, by sharing their compelling stories so that potential customers out there can connect with them.
WCIC along with many partner organisations conduct continuous capacity building programmes for SMEs
to gain knowledge in all aspects of business development.
Your Community provides exposure to inspirational women entrepreneurs by sharing their story and making the world know how these courageous ladies are forging ahead. We invite you to interact and engage with these entrepreneur and support local businesses.
We feature this week an entrepreneur who has been supported by the WCIC in her journey.
QTell us about yourself
I am Padma Wellewagedara, an entrepreneur with a desire to add value to my community by way of providing education and employment opportunities to local folk, whilst manufacturing environmentally friendly products. These values were the foundation of Athkamroo which was initiated in 2014. Specialising in the design and manufacture of fashion and homeware accessories such as handbags, wall hangings, carpets, storage boxes, etc all of which are made out of the by-products of Ekel sticks and reed (pan) leaves.
I am proud of myself and I believe that I have been successful by capitalising on every small opportunity to secure a big win both personally and professionally. Success and contentment are the by-products of my well-articulated plan, determination and sheer passion for the job have been the corner stones of my foundation. It’s not the size of the business but it’s simply your foot print that counts.
QHow did you start your business?
Athkamroo, hand crafted local art, complemented by fashion and blended with modern trends, was the beginning.
My mind was set on acquiring technical knowhow on any trade that can be operated from my backyard. I followed several trade programmes covering sewing, cookery, horticulture, jewellery making and pottery, organised by The Gampaha Trade Council. I realised that I could depend on my hands as a key asset, and ventured out using that as an investment. I was determined to create a venture that could help us as we moved through life.
I consulted my son for his thoughts and his advice was “Amma, do what you are good at doing but make sure it’s one of a kind” – words of inspiration from a son to a mother and thus the birth of Athkamroo in 2014. The timing was perfect as my husband returned to Sri Lanka due to ill health and I had made a foundation to liberalise our family and to support him.
My products caught the attention of the discerning ladies. I expanded my product range from fashion accessories to authentic homeware accessories such as light fittings, carpets, rugs, indoor swings and place mats using coconut Ekel sticks and reed leaves.
Gradually I captured the market, and continued to innovate to cater to the taste of the customers. My sons were by my side assisting me with modern technology, providing inspiration for designs from the world out there.
Another creation of mine was the handmade herbal pillow. This forms the base of the pillow weaved in the shape of a mat and enriched with the goodness of 12 different traditional herbs and flowers, which are said to relieve and cleanse your sinuses reducing phlegm related issues.”
QHow did you manage to create a market for Athkamroo?
I followed the fundamentals, understood the needs of my customer and created solutions to address those needs whilst using the marketing mix to the get the best tractions.
Back in the day I didn’t have this sophisticated marketing knowledge and only had access to floating my products through the trade exhibitions and competitions that were held in my locality such as the Gampaha Buddhist Ladies Convention. It was small beginnings that led me to success. Athkamroo was awarded the 1st place at the exhibition organised by The National Craft Council in 2015 putting us on the map.
Recognising my efforts and creativity, The Director of the Gampaha National Craft Council introduced me to marketers and consumers who live by the philosophy of protecting the environment – The Good Market. A totally new experience for me but proved to be the most lucrative business opportunity for Athkamroo, whilst personally challenging me as well.
I gained confidence and continued to take Athkamroo to market, despite my limitations to converse in English and witnessed an expansion of my clientele both local and expats, who embraced the concept of environmentally friendly accessories. At this stage, I was contributing to the family income and wanted to explore more market opportunities. I reached out to key strategic shopping malls in Colombo such as Colombo City Centre and One Galle Face by renting out a kiosk.
It is no secret that the pandemic has changed the way the world does business, moving away from brick-and-mortar stores to marketing online via the numerous applications, appealing to the tech savvy consumer. Backed by the support of my husband and my sons, Athkamroo has a fully functional online marketing platform with close to 32,000 followers and a daily count of 300-400 followers.
Now that the market places a value on Athkamroo, I need to take my next step – creating a niche product.
QTalk to us about your niche product?
With the limitations the pandemic brought about I had more time in hand and I created another winner; a handmade herbal pillow. The operation is very labour intensive, from harvesting the Vatakaiya plant off the river banks of Athanugalu oya in Gampaha to de-thawing them, boiling, straining and stretching the final output. This forms the base of the pillow weaved in the shape of a mat and enriched with the goodness of 12 different traditional herbs and flowers, which are said to relieve and cleanse your sinuses reducing phlegm related issues. The traditional knowledge inherent to our culture offers some meaningful solutions which are being embraced by today’s world.
Neelamani Rajadeva , a loyal customer of Athkamroo endorsed our herbal pillow as wonder product that relieved her from some medical issues and provided her with better sleep.
Customer reviews and feedback of this nature, give me the confidence that Athkamroo is set for greater challenges. I am working on expanding my channels, by convincing standalone stores and supermarkets to provide me with the opportunity to stock the Vatakaiya Herbal Pillow on their shelves as a healthy alternative.
QWhy are Athkamroo products special?
Everything about Athkamroo products is special.
Each creation is a by-product of locally grown plants and herbs that have been known and trusted for many centuries by Sri Lankans. We take great care in harvesting, ensuring there is no harmful impact to the environment and maintaining sustainability for future generations to come. All fashion and household accessories produced are environmentally friendly alternatives to animal skin, plastic and polythene products consumed by the masses. Of course, it will take time to value and appreciate these products as consumers will need to adapt towards using such environmentally friendly alternatives but that day will come. Therefore, we at Athkamroo seek to attract customers through unique creations and colours that are more appealing to the millennial consumer. Furthermore, with the purchase of every product, you contribute towards supporting a local family by way of employment.
I am no advocate to change the economic infrastructure of Sri Lanka but being able to provide a sustainable source of income to 4-5 families in the local community fills me with much happiness and pride.
QTell us about your journey ahead?
Every journey has its road blocks, COVID is one of them but I can navigate through it. Athkamroo’ s, online presence had an enhanced market during this period. So, when normalcy resumes, we invite all our customers to experience our store in Colombo. Currently we are sourcing the finances to kick start the store infrastructure and are looking for a suitable strategic location in Colombo. We welcome investors to partner with Athkamroo and support our small venture to grow into a Medium scale business by catering to the local and expatriate community and eventually to the international market.
QWho has supported you in your journey?
My family - my priority and my pride. They say you don’t choose family but you need to invest your time and interest in creating a family unit that seeks to encourage and empower each other. My husband is my backbone and witnessing his support, my sons Sampath (29) and Kasun (25) gave their unstinted support. Their positive aura is contagious and perhaps the secret of my success.
My family outside my home – is the Women’s Chamber. They have been my guiding star, my mentor opening many opportunities for me over the years. Rewards and recognition are an important part of Entrepreneurial life and securing the Women Entrepreneur Award (Micro Category) in 2017, uplifted my image as a business personality. The training programmes originated by WCIC, were a perfect fit for my curious nature and enriched my technical competency in the spheres of Marketing, Supply Chain and Finance & Business Management.
QWhat do you do to enhance your personal net worth?
Net worth shouldn’t be restricted to a lavish bank balance. It also encompasses personality growth attained through lifes learnings. My thirst to learn has always enabled me to find the time to indulge in educational programmes, thereby opening new windows of opportunity.
Embracing the learnings of fellow business personalities is also an important ingredient to increasing one’s net worth. So, I invest my time wisely by allocating 30 minutes a day to understand the wins and the failures of people who made a mark then and now.
Sharing is caring and I take great pride and love in sharing my knowledge with potential entrepreneurs. Since 2015, I enrolled myself as a mentor at the National Knowing that I have helped a cross section of youth to find passion, an objective and income stream is certainly fulfilling. Whilst this may not have a price tag, I will add it to my net worth.
QWhat is the best piece of advice you could give to a fellow female entrepreneur?
You are a woman, and a woman has the will power to do anything that she sets her mind to. You take the lead, you may fall, but you will rise stronger than ever before.
Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) is the premier organisation supporting entrepreneurs and professional business-women. The membership is open to women who believe they can contribute to society as well as benefit from the many facilities the organisation creates.
For more information on ‘Athkamroo ,’ email [email protected]
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