Empowering Women in Kashmir : Educational Startup Founder Masarat Farooq Breaks Barriers and Achieves Success

"Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Kashmir: Smart Classes Home Tuitions Launches Innovative Educational Program"

As a 30 year old female with a postgraduate degree in clinical psychology, I come from a middle class family located in the downtown area of Srinagar. Throughout my academic career, I consistently excelled and possessed a strong determination to accomplish personal goals.However, the tumultuous climate in Kashmir significantly impacted my family, resulting in the loss of my father's business and a severe decline in our financial situation. Despite these challenges, I remained hopeful and focused on my education. In an effort to support my family, I began offering private tuition at home before eventually securing a teaching position at a school. Despite facing adversity, I never let go of my ambition and persevered in my pursuit of success.

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to shut down, I saw an opportunity to provide home tuition services. I started by offering these services on my own, but as my business began to grow, I hired well-educated and experienced individuals to join my team. I also began promoting my services on social media and in print media, and received a positive response from parents and students who appreciated the personalized, one-on-one interaction provided by home tuition.

With the support of my family, dedicated team, and community, my organization experienced rapid growth. I continued to hire more tutors and expand my services, and before long, my business was flourishing. The hard work and dedication of my team, combined with the support of those around me, allowed my business to thrive and reach new heights of success.Through participating in the HOUSLA program organized by JKTPO, I gained valuable skills and knowledge as an entrepreneur. As a result, I was able to successfully register my organization, "Smart Classes Home Tuitions," through the MSME and LABOR department. I have also applied for a trademark and am awaiting approval.

My hard work and dedication have been recognized, as I have received several accolades, including being named "Valley's Youngest Education Entrepreneur" by the honorable Lt Governor, Mr. Manoj Sinha. I have also received certifications from JKTPO and NMSME. These accomplishments serve as testament to my dedication and commitment to providing top-quality home tuition services.

As a provider of private home tuition services, I operate in a niche market, as not everyone is able to afford this type of individualized instruction. While companies like Byju's and other service providers have also entered this space, I am not concerned about competition. Instead, I am focused on continuously improving the quality of my services and ensuring that my team of tutors is highly qualified and dedicated to helping students succeed.

I believe that the personalized attention provided by one-on-one tutoring is invaluable and strive to make this type of education accessible to as many students as possible. I am confident in my ability to provide a high-quality service that meets the needs of my clients and sets me apart from the competition.

I have received many offers to partner with others in starting coaching centers and similar ventures, but so far, I have chosen to decline these opportunities. Instead, I have focused on growing my home tuition business and continuously improving the quality of my services.

While going public through an IPO is still a long-term goal, I am dedicated to expanding my business and bringing my services to other parts of the country. The government of J&K has been supportive in this endeavor, providing programs such as HOUSLA that are specifically designed to assist and empower women entrepreneurs.

I am grateful for the support I have received and am determined to continue working hard to achieve my goals. I believe that with dedication and hard work, I can take my business to new heights and make a positive impact in the lives of students and their families.