Our items tell a story deeper than just what the item is at face value, they tell the story of our grandparents taking us to the temple, our parents feeding us special sweets and Indian treats and most importantly they tell our children that our roots are not just overseas, but in their play rooms, on their book shelves and proudly showcased in their classrooms.
What made you start Little Ladoo? How did you decide on that name? How did the founding team (yourself & Vaishali) come together?
Vaishali and I met in University (Ryerson) and have been friends since. We always wanted to start a business together. We tried a few things, but sometimes due to timing, other times the idea, it never clicked. We actually started a Youtube channel and we worked really hard on that. Then we started paying attention to things around us. I noticed over the holidays all the gifts kids would receive and noticed nothing represented the children. There was a hole in the market, especially here in Canada. Vaishali’s husband suggested we write a book, so we started looking in to how with one thing leading to another and Little Ladoo was born. The name came to me quite easily, I just thought it would be cute and could also be our character. To be honest, of all the businesses I have attempted, this name was the easiest, I had no other options to even consider.
What was a challenge that you’ve recently had to overcome while running the business and how did you overcome it?
Running a business is a constant challenge. One recent one, is with our fulfillment. This is sometimes one of the hardest parts of a product-based ecommerce business. We have been doing our own fulfillment, but with some life changes we realize we won’t be able to do this for much longer, so we’ve been looking for ways to outsource this for a while. We’ve finally found something and we’ll be switching over soon – but as a small business this a huge struggle! We have been calling, researching and asking around. I remember even seeing a fulfillment van on the road that had their phone number on the side and in traffic I quickly called them. You never know where opportunities might present themselves, so keep your eyes and ears open at all times.
Is this something that you currently do full-time? If not – do you have plans to make this a full-time endeavour in the future? If not – why?
We both currently do this as a side hustle and hope to one day be able to do this full time. As much as it is challenging, it is also so rewarding being able to work on every facet of your own business.
What has the impact of social media been on your business?
Social media has been the biggest, and perhaps the only way we have been able to grow our business. The reach can be huge and every day we discover new customers but also new businesses that inspire us. Social media has so many positives, and I truly believe that if you focus on that, the sky is the limit.
What’s one goal that, if you were to accomplish it over the next three months, would feel like a big win for you?
We are currently in the stage of some big changes for Little Ladoo and hope to create some new products by the end of the year.
What is a piece of advice you would give to other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially someone who wants to launch an e-commerce business like yours?
START. Literally, start. The to do list will keep growing, so keep writing down all the things you need to do, but prioritize what you HAVE to do to launch and work on that. Also, perfection isn’t always necessary, so do what you need to do and you can improve the details later. Yes, you need a good product/service, but the rest you can figure out and improve as you go.
