It is not about complaining that so many problems exist. It’s about what you are doing to mitigate that problem on whatever level you can contribute. It is about spotting opportunities in the face of challenges and making the most out of it. Similar to this narrative is a real life story of Mr. Bijay Sharma, who decided to quit his well paying job to start something on his own to create the impact he had envisioned. Through which Whpedia was born which is a platform to connect home tutors with their prospective students and vice versa. So far Whpedia has reached 900+ students and 4000+ teachers in more than two years of its operation. Whpedia also won jury’s choice award in National Social Business Challenge 2018 for its social impact.
On Venturing Out and The Journey
Mr. Bijay Sharma recalls how he has always been interested in creating something to make a greater impact. And he found his way through entrepreneurship. While being in home tutoring himself in his undergraduate days, he realised there was a huge gap in the market for this kind of service and hence started working on this idea. After few months, one of his friends, Mr. Tara Keshar Khatri liked the idea very much and eventually went on to become a co-founder of the company. Since then, Whpedia has grown to 5 team members running the day to day business.
Reflecting back on the journey so far, he spills some great insights about the learning he has had as a person,
“ As a startup, every day brings its own set of challenges and you need to keep moving forward overcoming them. Learning to learn is the greatest thing you can do for yourself. And you realise there is always something you don’t know and you need to be humble enough to accept that and learn.”
Impact
In terms of impact, the founder mentions,
“ With the help of Whpedia, one tutor could earn upto Rs.48000 through home tutoring in a month.”
Similarly, youths and students can supplement their income or earn some pocket money and even utilize their time doing something productive. This fosters employment opportunities in the youths and some of them even earn full time through Whpedia. It also provides free services to differently abled students.
“Gratitude of financially empowered youths and feedback of happy and satisfied parents keeps us going.”
says Mr Sharma to Udhyami Nepali.
Whpedia as a Brand
Getting candid and little emotional, this is how Mr. Sharma explains in his own words about what he does through Whpedia and what distinguishes him from others.
“It’s not just about connecting parents and home tutors. It’s about the experience they have with us. It’s all about how much we care for their growth. It’s about being responsible and it’s about empowerment. We are committed in providing highly personalised service which doesn’t just include connecting a home tutor with a student but about providing all the necessary support through means of orientation, training and necessary equipment for a teacher and understanding the needs of each child and concerns of respective parents to provide utmost support from our side to fuel their necessary growth. And I think this is what distinguishes us from our competitors.”
Future Plans
In the days to come, Whpedia plans to expand its operations in other cities like Pokhara, Biratnagar and eventually all over the Nepal due to rising demands. Also, it is planning to provide tuition services in extra-curricular subjects as well along with creating a volunteering program for teachers to take extra classes in government schools to provide quality education and promote volunteerism in the teacher’s community.
Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
You need to assess yourself first before going out with the external hype, kind of explore yourself and see if you would do fine within a job or need to venture out on your own as a person. Emphasizing on the discipline, Mr. Sharma concludes, “Entrepreneurship is highly dynamic, uncertain and challenging. It’s not just about starting, it’s about how much consistent effort you are willing to put on a daily basis and remain persistent through all the hurdles. It’s not just about a great idea but continuity. “
