The pandemic threw many entrepreneurs off track as they suddenly grappled with unexpected challenges. One of them was Delhi-based Harsh Bala, whose manufacturing business of small electrical products suffered huge losses. But she didn’t lose hope. Harsh Bala reinvented her career as a tutor with the help of digital tools on the internet. Here’s her inspiring story.

Harsh, an engineering graduate, ran her own manufacturing business of small electrical products because she wanted to “be her own boss” but when the pandemic hit in 2020, the business saw sales dropping and costs increasing. The losses started piling up as the country went into lockdown eventually forcing her to put the business on hold.

Tiding over difficult times

From drawing a five-figure salary from her business to sitting idle during the pandemic, Harsha’s life became miserable. From being someone who always kept active and tried out different things, she became clueless about her future. Her savings were nearly exhausted, leaving her devastated. 

“I was unable to come to terms with the fact that I was losing everything, which took me a lot of time and effort to build. I was traumatised and lost my self-confidence”, she says. 

How she harnessed the power of digital

But giving up was not an option for her. She wanted to pull herself out of the loop of self-pity she had fallen into as soon as possible. She started looking for ways to keep herself occupied. She spent more and more time on the internet. After trying out different things, she decided to become a tutor to regain her financial independence and lost confidence. At the same time, she enrolled herself in the WomenWill program. She learnt from the entrepreneurship training that the course provided through short, simple, vernacular videos. Specifically, she learnt how to grow her tuition business and earn money.

She has started earning again and her confidence continues to grow. The best part about her tutoring business is that she is still her own boss. Now that she has a steady income, she also plans to revive her manufacturing business soon.

This article is published in partnership with Google.