Whatsapp Business offers a variety of features that make it easier for small businesses to run their daily operations
Ghosting is impolite, but not returning a customer’s message promptly might lose your company a lot of money. When Shikha Yadav, a beautician in Lucknow, was unable to answer a call from one of her frequent clients, she had to learn this the hard way. Because it allows them to respond to inquiries even when they are busy, WhatsApp Business has been a lifeline for solopreneurs who lack fully functional customer care staff. WA Business is now a descriptor for success for small and even medium-sized enterprises since it has addressed many of their issues, provided them with accessible tools to increase their reach, and brought in new clients for their services.
Small and large businesses were both harmed by the epidemic, but for solopreneurs like Yadav, life came to a complete halt, and engaging with both her current and potential clientele was extremely difficult. Many solopreneurs, primarily independent service providers like beauticians, tutors, tailors, handicraft producers, and even small farmers, who lost their existing clientele as a result of the pandemic’s disruptions and lockdowns, have now begun using technology tools to rebuild their clientele networks by advertising their goods and services on WhatsApp. Conducting business using WhatsApp is as simple as using it to talk with friends and family. Many housewives now resell goods purchased from other e-commerce platforms on the social network in smaller towns and villages. In some instances, the WhatsApp Business app has actually given rise to brand-new companies that did not even exist before the pandemic. Gurugram residents can purchase freshly ground grains, lentils, and wheat at Rajeev Khera’s Chakki Peesing. Khera’s family is from Madhya Pradesh, and it was during the pandemic, while giving food to migrant laborers camped in his neighborhood, that he got the idea to launch his own company. Madhya Pradesh produces the greatest variety of wheat known as Sharbati, and Khera wanted to offer his consumers in the Delhi-National Capital Region flour made from that wheat. Khera made the decision to launch a hyperlocal business in Gurugram that would provide freshly ground flour to customers in 2020. In the Delhi NCR, Khera today serves 5,000 clients after having begun with only 100. According to Khera, reaching their clientele, who are primarily women and grocery shop owners, was a hurdle when they first started in 2020. Their ability to connect with customers was made possible via WhatsApp Business. Solopreneurs have also benefited greatly from easy access to Facebook and Instagram, where they may enhance their postings to attract more clients to their offerings. With the cart feature, customers can select multiple items and send their orders in one message. Businesses and companies can showcase their offerings through a catalog on the WhatsApp Business app. The use of automatic responses has allowed many solopreneurs to save time and labor. Additionally, WhatsApp Business enables a single businessperson to administer several groups. With WhatsApp Business, users may immediately welcome new clients with a pre-written welcome message that can be automated. Additionally, it enables users to quickly respond to frequently asked inquiries and communicate with clients using shortcuts even when they are not present. The program also aids users in maintaining organization by separating personal and professional communications. Additionally, it’s simple for them to market their companies because the app contains options that let them share their posts on Facebook and Instagram. Through the WhatsApp Business app, an Indore tutor or saree vendor can now connect with a much larger audience.
Many solopreneurs have found fresh life, thanks to WhatsApp Business after losing their markets and clientele after the lockdowns started in 2020. Small businesses have gained new life, but the WhatsApp Business suite of services is also giving rise to innovative concepts like Chakki Peesing. WhatsApp Business provides an architecture that enables APIs to plug in and leverage the current platform to serve clients at a much greater scale for those who want to extend their wings and go local, national, or even international.
