Covid 19 and Lockdown 1.0 has been tough for many of us. From people losing jobs to shutting down the business – It couldn’t be worse. Find out how Spoorthy, turned these tough times into an opportunity to start a business. Through her startup Old Spoon, she is helping many farmers, beekeepers, and homemakers of the Malnad region of Karnataka.
The Pandemic Preneuring
It was in January 2020, I had just left her job as a Data Analyst at a reputed company and was on the lookout for a better opportunity. By March, when I was close to getting a superb job offer, the unimaginable happened. It was Covid 19 spreading like wildfire in India and then the announcement of Lockdown 1.0
There was nothing I could do. My parents and In-laws were worried and they just wanted us to come back from Bangalore. Since my Husband also was asked to Work from Home, we decided to go to my home – Jayapura (Chikmagalur).
Hometown Stay due to Lockdown
Our stay was really good. We really enjoyed the fresh air, fresh food, calm and peaceful environment.
The food culture in villages is so good. They get to eat fresh produce directly grown on their own farms. There is no adulteration, no preservatives, nothing artificial – All Natural.
The utensils used for cooking are also traditional and old-fashioned. My grandma makes real good Mango Pickles using the traditional method. It is made using Pingani Jars. Everyone in the family loves them. We can’t complete the meal without this pickle!
My father is the owner of a small business in my hometown and we also have our Farm where we grow Coffee, Pepper, Turmeric, vegetables, etc. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur who could help farmers like my father.
How did I start Old Spoon
This was a perfect match. I found this opportunity to start online and sell our homegrown products and homemade products. So, I went ahead and started Old Spoon with just 5 products.
When we started, we just had a basic website and we couldn’t take any orders directly on the website. People used to contact me on Whatsapp and then place the order.
Our customers were so happy with our products, they started ordering them for their family and friends. The feedback was very positive and it made me happy. They started asking us to have more products available.
This made me realize there are so many farmers in our village whom we know and the kind of hard work they do is great. They are passionate about their plants and they care so much about what they put on the soil.
I started meeting these farmers started procuring what they grew and added them to my website. It was the Aha moment. People loved buying more and more from us. Average order cost went skyrocketing.
Then we revamped the website in Feb 2021. Now we are able to take orders directly from the website.
I had to put a lot of effort every day and the more effort I put, the better the result. Now we have more than 20 products in our portfolio.
Helping Farmers, Beekeepers, and Home Makers
All our products are directly sourced from farmers of the Malnad and Coastal Karnataka region. We buy only high-quality products from them at a slightly higher cost. This helps them improve their income by 15-25%.
We have a policy to not buy from middlemen and also not buy without visiting the farm and discussing with the farmers.
We have associated with beekeepers of the Western Ghats region. They are known to ethically harvest honey. The honey bees travel around the forests of Western ghats and collect a wide range of floral nectar.
The homemade food products are now being made by the women of the Malnad region. It gives them happiness and satisfaction to see their handmade food products are being used and loved by a lot of people.
How to buy from Old Spoon?
Visit www.oldspoon.in to buy our products online. In case of any queries or if you need more information, you can WhatsApp us at 6362869189. We would be happy to help.
Website: www.oldspoon.in
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldspoon.in/
