Meet Mishrilal Goyal, a 45 year old living in Kudana village in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh. Today Mishrilal is a contented man! Not only does he own a well flourishing electrical shop, but he also has sons pursuing higher education.

Mishrilal’s journey into the world of small business is a typical illustration of hard work, perseverance and, above all, commitment to providing good quality products and services to his customers. He was not lucky enough to get educated beyond higher secondary, but he had the determination to learn something other than the traditional occupation of blacksmithing, Mishrilal was lucky enough to obtain a diploma in soil conservation which helped him get a government job.

Destiny had something else in store for Mishrilal. The good days for Mishrilal came to an abrupt end with the successive deaths of his mother and younger brother. He had to resign from his post in order to help his father, a farmer and blacksmith. He realised, however, that he would be able to make a better life for himself in a different business.

Consequently, Mishrilal decided to start a motor rewinding shop at Sawer, a small town near his village. Mishrilal didn’t have any knowledge about motor winding, so he underwent training in some electrical shops in Indore for 2 years in 1968 and 1969. This allowed him to acquire the skills he needed to set up his own business, which he then did. Mishrilal started his business in a rented shop in Sawer in 1970 after getting a Rs. 5000 loan. Misrilal became the first person in his family to start a business.

Initially, his customers were few and far between. Those who came were skeptical. Gradually, when people realised the good quality his work, he was able to build a good customer base. Soon competition crept in as few more shops opened in Sawer. Mishrilal had to expand and diversify the activities of his business to remain ahead. He started offering welding and drilling services and, later on, began producing cots, chairs, window grills, etc. To be able to expand his business, he took a loan from the Small Scale Industry Kendra.

Success in business has enabled Mishrilal to construct a three-room house for himself in the village. He also owns 8 acres of land and some cows. This, however, has not stopped Mishrilal from working more than 12 hours a day.