Although Bhanupratap Singh already runs two successful small businesses, the Jaipur-based entrepreneur has launched his third venture as BP Training Associates to serve the cause of Human Resource Development and Entrepreneurship skills.
Bhanupratap Singh was always going to be an entrepreneur. Even at school the signs were there. "I used to organise garage sales to raise money for various extra-curricular activities. I was good at selling and organizing events," he laughs. "I also recall a wee classmate started making friendship bracelets and I offered to help her sell them to other kids. I'm not sure why I was like that - it doesn't run in the family."
While pursuing his majors in Information Technology from Delhi University, Bhanu was also busy in completing out-sourced IT projects with a small team where his main responsibility included fetching fresh orders. "I've always enjoyed coming up with ideas, but it can be a curse. Most places I go - a restaurant, shop, airport, whatever - my head's busy thinking of ways to improve things. Last year I wrote to a couple of start-ups with ideas after I'd visited their offices."
After completing his Engineering, he considered a career in IT, but was never totally committed. "I ended up landing a job with a leading IT company, but I never enjoyed it, I knew I wanted to run my own business.
In 2005, Bhanu set up his first IT venture from his hometown Jaipur. "We take care of various Software Development projects outsourced to us from US and UK in a time-bound manner at affordable prices. It's not a terribly original idea, but I identified a gap in the market. The business is doing well and continues to evolve."
A year later he ventured into the Realty Business, following an unpleasant experience in a deal where he was assisting his friend. "For an affordable, fixed fee we could hunt valid and Government approved properties and connect the buyers based on their exact needs maintaining complete transparency at all stages. It's evolved to be an excellent business line, the result of trying to solve a problem, honestly with transparency has always been the foundation for many good businesses."
Now he has ventured into Training and Development as his understanding is that in Rajasthan there is a real dearth of Quality Training Firms – when today’s market itself is Consumer driven and controlling costs through effective Training intervention is the only way Companies can survive. "Many Training Organizations functioning in Jaipur or Rajasthan do not have the correct mix of experience and flair in their facilitators and are delivering average and incomplete programs without any kind of effectiveness assessment. BP Training Associates is a conglomerate of passionate Trainers and SMEs with huge Corporate Experience behind them. Therefore BPTA is the only choice in Rajasthan for actual solutions which can be implemented in Board-rooms and Shop-floors.”
How much is the young entrepreneur driven by money? "Obviously, I want to make money, but it's not everything. I like the freedom and satisfaction you get from working for yourself… deciding your own destiny. I couldn't work for someone else now, however good the money was."
"I've only just started. OK, perhaps there aren't many people my age with two successful businesses to their name and launching a third to huge responses - but I'm excited about the future, not the past.