Overview

• Company name: VSK Online Services 

• Business owner name: Vishal Gupta   

• Location: Delhi, India   

• Industry: Men’s apparel 

• Initial investment by the owner: Rs 25,000   

• Current turnover: Rs 3,00,00,000 as of FY 24 

• Protium customer since : 2022 

Background 

In any business, capital flow often poses a significant challenge. Effective capital flow management is crucial because it ensures that a business has enough liquidity to meet its short-term obligations and invest in growth opportunities. Without adequate capital flow, even profitable businesses can struggle to sustain operations and achieve long-term success. Protium plays a crucial role in resolving capital flow issues for businesses, especially SMEs, which often lack access to traditional banking services. By providing alternative financing options such as working capital loans, Protium helps businesses maintain liquidity, meet immediate financial needs, invest in growth opportunities, and navigate financial instability, ensuring sustained operations and long-term success. 

In 2022, Vishal Gupta embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in Delhi with a modest investment of Rs 25,000, starting a small business selling bean bags. Initially, he worked part-time, selling his products offline within a limited area in Delhi. However, with the pandemic creating uncertainty around job security, Vishal decided to focus on his business full-time and take it online to cater to a larger customer base. 

Transitioning from an offline setup to an online platform, he recognized the need to expand his reach to more pincodes beyond Delhi, requiring additional infrastructure support. Facing the common challenges of small business owners, Vishal needed financial assistance and strategic support to realize his vision. This is where Protium provided crucial resources, helping him manage cash flow difficulties and successfully navigate the transition to a broader market. 

Challenges	Solutions
Limited start-up capital: With an amount of INR 25,000, the business order was unable to invest in new products and boost  inflows.	Iinfusion of capital with Protium provided – Expanded product offerings  Improved product quality of all products Increased productivity and efficiency
Limited Inventory: The business owner could not afford to stock a wide range of products and started selling up to 50 bean bags.	Increased Inventory: The number of bean bags being sold was increased Additionally, the product range was also diversified to include 1000 pieces of apparels for men such as shirts, trousers etc.
Workspace – The lack of adequate storage space hindered his ability to manage inventory efficiently and meet growing customer demand.	Addition of a warehouse – He successfully expanded his e-commerce platform from operating out of his home to securing a warehouse for a bigger storage unit.

Results  

• Significant Revenue Growth: Achieved a turnover of INR 49 lakhs in FY 22 to INR 1.5 Cr in FY 23. 

• Business Stability: Established a stable and growing business with a strong customer base.  

• After successfully establishing his presence on one of India’s largest e-commerce platform and experiencing increased sales and customer demand with the help of Protium’s loan, he business owner plans to expand his business to other leading e-commerce platforms that cater to a customer base of 60 million monthly users. 

• Witnessing his business growth, other NBFCs and banks have also approached him and offered similar business loan offerings. However, the business owner continues to remain a loyal Protium customer, appreciating the company’s transparent repayment plans without hidden charges or additional interests.  

Testimonial 

 “Protium has been my rock in my journey from selling bean bags to establishing a full-fledged successful men’s clothing business. Sticking to Protium for the last 3 years has helped me through all my ups and downs and has given me the confidence to dream big and march towards other business platforms.”   

— Vishal Gupta