A head for things

The only way to do great work is to love what you do — and 30-year-old Astha Khetan wasted no time putting this into practice. The founder of The House of Things — a curated gallery that helps designers reach out to discerning clients — has come a long way from recommending guests on the finest handicrafts available in the markets of Udaipur. In February 2015, she went on to launch her e-commerce website — The House of Things — a luxury furniture/art/home decor website in an otherwise “unorganised” segment. She says she has always had an eye for exquisite pieces.

Her father is in the hospitality business based in Udaipur and as a teenager she would give guests a tour of the local handicrafts market. “At times, I also gave my two bits to the local craftsmen on the kind of designs they could experiment with.” She mentions that even when she vacationed around the globe, visiting a home-décor store featured on her to-do list. However, Astha insists becoming an entrepreneur at 30 wasn’t part of the plan. It was when her husband —whose family is into mining — decided to start something on his own that she was encouraged too.

“My husband didn’t need to start a business because monetarily, we were fine. He had the luxury to continue with this family business all his life. But, when he started something that he loved, I too decided to take the plunge. I realised that doing something you love is the only way to be productive.”

Armed with a degree in marketing, a stint with Adlink Media Norge, an marketing network and Unilever later, Astha decided to start her own business in home décor in August last year. Her corporate gigs helped her put her learning to good use. She says, “The online e-commerce sector in England at the time was in a nascent stage so it gave me an idea about how things work in the space. I think that gave me an edge. Unilever helped me with people management which is an advantage when you are looking to start something of your own.”

Her decision to start her own venture may have stemmed out of a desire to do something new — pros and cons weighed in — but in retrospect, she feels it was a shot in the dark. “The home-décor segment is unorganised, and hence it can get tricky to get consumers to invest in a luxurious piece,” she says. “It is one thing to be passionate about your business, and quite another for your customers to feel the same. Thankfully, I was proved wrong. We have had customers who have invested in pieces worth Rs 2 lakh and that’s when I knew, we are going in the right direction after all.”

With the House of Things, Astha’s schedules revolves around meeting designers, kaarigars and keeping a tight check on expenses. At home, she dons the role of a homemaker and a mother. She admits that her job does get daunting at times but she’s making the best of both worlds. “As Indian women, I think we always have to find balance in both work and family. One’s passion to run a business definitely doesn’t amount to success. Every decision needs to be well-thought out as it has a domino effect on other things in the business. It is hard to disconnect from work. I end up working overtime because you want to make sure you are on the right track. I’m getting used to the frenzy.”

As an entrepreneur who made it big at 30, what advise would she impart to women looking to start off? “Start small. If you keep thinking big but never start working on the plan, it will never work out. Being an Indian woman, it is going to be difficult to juggle work and family life. Once you start working, it will slowly fit into your schedules and you will finally know how to go about it.”