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Young entrepreneur shares Indian culture through jewelry
At 24-years-old, Nitiksha Shah is making her mark as a small business owner in Canada, offering a selection of Indian jewelry under her brand, SAJ.
A 2023 graduate of Algonquin College’s Interactive Media Management program, Shah draws inspiration from her father, who runs a jewelry shop in India.
“Business runs in my family,” said Sash. “My dad does real jewelry, and I’ve always been fascinated by that world.”
Before launching her business, shah conducted extensive research to understand her target audience.
“I knew that many people here admire and miss their culture,” she said.
Her goal is not only to cater to the Indian community but also to introduce non-Indians to the beauty of her heritage.
“I thought, what if I can make people familiar with how beautiful Indian jewelry is?” she said.
Shah uses various strategies to market her business, primarily using social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace.
Inspired by Pinterest, Sash shares creative videos and pictures of her jewelry on Instagram to boost her marketing and celebrate Indian culture.
“I also rely on word-of-mouth marketing,” she said. “It helps a lot to build trust and connect with new customers.”
Alongside her jewelry venture, Sash works full-time as a technical support representative for Apple which make it difficult for her to focus on her business.
Alongside her jewelry venture, Sash works full-time as a technical support representative for Apple which make it difficult for her to focus on her business.
It was challenging for her to raise awareness about the SAJ brand. She had to share her Instagram with everyone on her contact list, including people she never talked to.
“There were days I felt frustrated, thinking it would be easier if I were in India. But my dad reminded me that every journey starts from scratch,” said Sash.
Sash’s father, Ajay, often reminds her of a quote from Mark Zuckerberg: “The biggest risk is not taking any risks. In a world that’s changing quickly, the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” This quote has always inspired him, too.
“I’m very proud of my daughter. It’s amazing how she reached this level of success in less than a year,” said Sash.
Sash sources her products directly from India, with her father helping by sending her the most popular items from his shop.
“I stay on the phone with my dad while he shops to make sure I get the best pieces,” she said. “This way, I can bring authentic culture and value to my customers.”
Sash’s determination paid off when she made her first sale.
“I remember receiving a message on Instagram from someone asking about the price of a piece. I was so excited,” said Sash. “Delivering that first order felt like butterflies in my stomach.
Reflecting on her success so far, Sash rates her business at 7.5 out of 10.
“I’ve started from nothing, and I’m trying my best,” she said.
Starting a business, Sash said it doesn’t always require a large investment.
“It depends on the type of business. My initial costs were low since I started with basic jewelry,” said Sash. “But it requires patience, hard work, and motivation.”
Managing her time has been a learning experience for Sash.
“I’ve never been great at time management, but I’m improving,” she said. “Running a business has forced me to get better at it.”
Looking ahead, Sash has ambitious goals.
“In the next six months to a year, I want to establish my own e-commerce website, because I believe that’s a crucial step for my business,” said Sash.
To those aspiring to start their own businesses, Sash offers encouraging advice:
“Go for it! Don’t step back. If you believe you can do it, take that leap,” she said.
Neil Arsenault: From high school co-op to CTO and co-founder of ZeroTek
Neil Arsenault, co-founder and CTO of ZeroTek, heads a cybersecurity company that provides smart identity access management solutions and plans to grow internationally.
Arsenault’s professional journey began in high school as a co-op student, where he advanced through various roles. “I worked basically my way up from the bottom,” said Arsenault. “I started in quality assurance in the software team and learned, grew then became software developer, principal architect and then helped grow the company.”
10 years ago, Arsenault felt stagnant in his career after the company he worked for was acquired and grew to about 1,000 employees. “Once we were acquired, innovation stopped,” said Arsenault.
After a long journey, Arsenault felt upset and depressed because he was doing nothing. He spent six months just sitting in the office and attending meetings, without building anything—no coding and not even talking to customers. He wondered, “If I continue like this for 10 years and the company closes, how will I find a job?” [After the acquisition, Arsenault spent six months in an unproductive routine. He attended meetings and sat in the office but was not coding building anything or engaging with customers. “If I continue like this for 10 years and the company closes, how will I find a job?” he said.]
“Neil has the passion of a leader, and his experience and skills made him the ideal person to bring ZeroTek’s product to life,” said Peter Sandiford, the CEO of Arsenault’s former company and the founder of ZeroTek.
Unlike other businesses, the pandemic positively impacted ZeroTek, as more organizations required advanced technology solutions.
With the shift to remote work, companies needed to secure data stored in the cloud, which became more challenging than managing information in office buildings.[With the shift to remote work, companies needed to secure data stored in the cloud, which presented greater challenges than managing information within an office buildings.]
“Our partnership with Okta, a leader in cloud security, positioned us well to meet this growing demand,” said Arsenault.
In launching his business, Arsenault faced many challenges, particularly in navigating the dynamics with his partner Sandiford. [ Launching was not without challenges, particularly in navigating the dynamics with his partner, Sandiford.]
“Finding that dynamic of what am I responsible for, what is he responsible for, and then he’s a serial entrepreneur that has been building companies for 40 years. I’ve never worked with someone like that,” said Arsenault.
Also securing the first customer proved difficult, as Arsenault struggled to identify potential clients and understand their needs.
“Trying to find your first customer, it’s like you don’t know where they are or who they are.”
ZeroTek has begun to establish a presence internationally, with customers in regions like South America, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, and the UK. However, the company plans to prioritize its growth in North America before expanding further.
“When you start going international, beyond North America, you run into different challenges, like needing different languages in your application and support,” said Arsenault.
For those thinking about starting a business, Arsenault advises seeking help from mentors and advisors. He highlights the importance of learning from people with experience to make better decisions.
One useful resource he recommends is Dan Martell’s book, Buy Back Your Time, which talks about managing time and priorities in business.
“If you make $100,000 a year, your time is worth about $15 an hour. By paying someone that amount to cut your grass, you ‘buy back’ time for rest, hobbies, family, or work,” said Arsenault.
Success Starts Small