Garments Business is Especially Good Because it isn’t

Seasonal – Says Prakash Patel, Owner of a Garment

Shop in Mumbai
JULY 19, 2018

Insights
1. This is a good profession for those who seek only income from it.
2. Running a garments business may not appeal to many, as almost all days are the
same. You don’t get to see very exciting days or new challenges.
 3. I put in about 12 hours per day and work on all days. I also can’t afford long
vacations.
4. Finding the right employees to help you run the shop isn’t easy.

Personal Details
Name – Prakash Patel
Profession – Owner of the Garments Shop, ‘Vidhi Collection’
Gender – Male
Age – 35 years
City – Mumbai
Industry – Garments

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Mumbai. I completed my education and established a career in this
city itself. I’ve been residing here ever since. We were a family of five; my parents, my
siblings and me. My father was a businessman and my mother, a homemaker.

Who would you say, had a remarkable influence on you growing

up and how?
Growing up, I’d say my father had a pre-eminent influence on me. He was always my
source of inspiration.

Please give us a summary of your career.

My career started with the garment shop called “Vidhi”. Here, we deal in garment retailing.
My principal duty involves supervising the functioning of the shop, my employees, our
profits, etc.
I’ve been leading this business for a long time now and plan on continuing to do so.

Which institutes, according to you, are the best for pursuing this
career?
Honestly, the success of your business solely depends upon your knowledge and
experience.
However, if we’re talking about a professional degree, I’d suggest you pursue any
Graduation degree in Business/Management/Accounting/Commerce. Anyone of these
degrees would be enough for you to set up a business of your own. You can apply to
colleges like ​Jai Hind​, H.R or even the ones affiliated to the Mumbai University like ​Mithibai​,
N.M​, etc. These institutes are all among the top 10 colleges in Mumbai as far as I know.

What is the expenditure associated with the education/training of

this profession, approximately?
A ​B.Com​. may cost around INR 5,000 to 6,000 per year. On the other hand, the fee
structure of degrees like B.M.S and B.B.A can be around INR 30,000 per annum.
Cost also depends on the university you plan on attending.
As for the training aspect of it, you’ll start acquiring experience only after you set up your
business.

How does one manage to enter in garments business?

First of all, you ought to possess an extensive array of knowledge with respect to everything
related to your business, especially knowledge about garments and its different types, since
that’s your main product, of course. Your experience will inevitably grow once you start
working.
Once you have the finance, you can start looking for a good location to set up your business
and rent out that place or buy it.
From there, things start flowing smoothly.

What is the range of remuneration one can expect when starting

out in the garments industry?
I can’t really give a definite figure since your income depends upon your investment. Also,
income varies from business to business.
However, when starting out, one can expect to earn about 2 to 5 lakhs INR per annum.
Then the growth of your business depends upon the location of your shop, the amount of
time you’ve been in business, your contacts, experience, etc. So, I can’t really provide a
figure with respect to this.

Describe your work, please.

My main job entails supervising my staff, managing sales, handling customers, sourcing of
garments, accounts, etc. So, manage everything related to my business.
My employees attend to our customers’ preferences and address their issues if any. I also
have an accounts department that keeps track of the sales and purchase, our profits, etc.
I put in about 12 hours per day and work on all days.

In your opinion, what are some benefits that would encourage an

individual to consider a career in the garments business?
Honestly, one of the only benefits I’ve experienced as a part of this business is the fact that
I’ve never faced any financial difficulties till date.
The garments business isn’t seasonal, so profits keep rolling in.
From my perspective, I look for only one benefit from a profession and that is money, which
I get in plenty in this profession.

Can you mention a few challenges that you would want someone
to be aware of if they’re considering garments business as a
career?
The most difficult challenge is choosing the location of your shop because it determines the
success of your business.
If the location is right but competition is high, then profits are low. If the location is wrong,
then you will not have many customers.
The second challenge is finding and retaining the right employees. Unlike the professional
world, employees in this business aren’t generally career oriented. So, finding those few
good employees is a real challenge in the initial days.
The third challenge is the work-life balance. I work on all days without any break. The idea
of working ceaselessly is obviously not appealing to everyone, however, I am now used to
it.

What are some relevant trends/skills/technologies that are

currently commanding a premium in garments business?
There aren’t any specific trends or skills that are commanding a premium in my job profile.
Like I said, you just have to possess a lot of knowledge about the retail business and the
products you’re going to be dealing with.

What kind of a person, do you think, would be content in this

field?
You have to possess patience in order to succeed in this field. Not every day is dynamic.
Some days are monotonous. So if you want something new and exciting happening every
day, this business is not it for you. You also have to possess remarkable communication
skills since you’re going to be interacting with so many clients and people on a daily basis,
in general. Possessing marketing skills, knowledge and a command over the people
working for you are a few factors you have to consider too.
If you think you’ll be able to fulfill these requirements, go for it.

Given another choice, what would you do differently as far as

your professional selections are concerned?
No, I extremely contend with regards to my professional life. I’ve never thought of changing
my career path.

What advice would you offer to students or professionals who

are just starting their journey on a path similar to yours?
As easy and effortless as my work may sound, it really isn’t. It requires patience and
perseverance to be able to work without any promised holidays or fewer work hours. Every
business requires hard work for its foundation to remain strong and unwavering, hence,
remain cautious and conscious of what your next step is, always.
Contributing Writer - ​Urvi Shah
You may also check out ​our conversation​ with Mr. Puneet Gulati (who owns a
sports shop in Mumbai)

Content Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for information purposes only. No legal liability or other
responsibility is accepted by or on behalf MentorClub.in for any errors, omissions, or statements
on this site, or any site to which these pages connect.
MentorClub.in accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a
result of reliance on such information.
MentorClub.in cannot control the content or take responsibility for pages maintained by external
providers. Where we provide links to sites, we do not by doing so endorse any information or
opinions appearing in them. We accept no liability whatsoever over the availability of linked
pages.