Bio: My name is Sheralyn Acheson. I’ve been married for almost 14 years. We have a 7-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. Both of our kids were adopted from countries other than Canada. We are 2 Canadians, 1 American and 1 Indian, living in India for the last 3.5 years.
1) Tell me about your family’s legacy in India and your place in it.
In 1965, my grandfather made his first evangelistic trip to India. Since then, he and my grandmother returned every February for one month to minister to people they had made relationships with in the previous years. My grandfather passed away almost 6 years ago, but my grandmother continues to make the trip each year. In 1985, my mom joined them. In 2000, my husband, Shawn, and I joined the family. We immediately understood what kept bringing my grandparents and mom back each year – we fell in love with the Indian people.
My grandparents started a Boys Home here in the early 80’s and about 10 years ago, they started a widow’s home as well.
After my third trip here, I was hit with the realization that I can’t fulfill my purposes on earth in Canada with only visiting India once or twice a year. I knew I had to move here. Shawn had been waiting for me to have this revelation.
In 2006, our home church in Alberta, Canada, sent us here to plant a branch of our “One Church in Multiple Locations”. Our church has since taken over the leadership of the Home of Hope orphanage.
2) What path led you to becoming a businesswoman in addition to your role as a pastor’s wife and mother?
After spending about 3 years to research what it would cost us to live in India, we discovered that, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t cheap to live in India – especially if you don’t want to lower your living standards TOO much. We really saw the potential for business here, and started researching what we could do to make our own money here, as well as be able to give something back to India and the local economy.
3) What kind of businesses do you have? How did you realize these business opportunities?
We have two companies registered with the Indian government, however, both are not fully in operation yet as it seems to take years to get anything off the ground here.
We have just recently started a Training School, where we will teach people basic English, as well as basic employment skills. There are hundreds of thousands of students that graduate as Engineers each year, and an alarmingly high number of those students don’t know proper phone etiquette, or even how to have a job. That’s where we come in – we train them in the basics, and in turn we create employable people – not just educated people.
We also have an export company where we sell factory overage items, such as brand name shirts, accessories, etc.
Our most successful venture has been our banner business. We can print AND ship banners (size has no limitations) to anywhere in the world for a fraction of the cost of what western banner printers pay. Let me make that more clear… it costs a printer in Canada (this is the country where we’ve done our research) about 3 dollars per square foot to print a banner – that’s HIS cost of manufacture, before any margin. We charge 3 dollars per square foot to print AND ship a banner. Same banners, same vinyl material. I had a large banner printed for my daughter’s wall of a photo collage I made of her and her friends and family from Canada… and they’re affordable enough to interchange often.
4) How has the Internet and/or social media facilitated your life work and your ability to do business?
I have mostly used Facebook to advertise products that we have in stock. This has been most helpful as I can send a link to a person not on my ‘friends’ list to view what we have without having to actually become their ‘friend’. But using Twitter and FB for things like this reaches millions – you tell two people they tell two people, etc…
5) What lessons you have learned from doing business in India? What advice would you offer to other expats about starting a business in India?
That’s a loaded question!! Biggest thing I’ve learned… business is hard to do when people aren’t honest; a greased palm gets the most results; things are done, but not done well and nobody wants to do things today… but tomorrow is fine, no? With that said, I believe India is a land of opportunity, and it’s a great place to invest into the lives of people.
Advice for people wanting to start a business here? Make friends with other expats who have already done it, and get their advice and possibly their help if they have it to give. In India, it is not at ALL what you know; it is all about WHO you know. If you are brought to an official by someone who already has relationship with them, you are more likely to receive an answer in a timely fashion than if you were to go there on your own. Also, you must have patience without letting things slip by – know how to hold someone accountable to a GLOBAL way of doing business. And if you are a woman and doing this on your own, don’t expect to get respect in a land that doesn’t hold women in a position of honor, and attach yourself to men who have done this and can help you along the way. There is no shame in that. You can wave your ‘I am woman hear me roar’ flag as much as you want here, it won’t change the level of respect you will receive.
Know the culture; deal with it; don’t buck the system too much – there usually is a method to the madness; and be kind even when you feel like it. Maintain a level of integrity and you will always come out on top and be successful!
Personal Website or Blog: http://www.unitedcolorsofacheson.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sheracheson
How/where can people purchase your products or hire you: email me at sherthelove@gmail.com
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