Success and failure stories

Fifty taka of breakfast money spent on data, now 10 lakh a month

Started by saving the 50 taka a day meant for breakfast to buy internet data, working at 100 taka an hour while learning; the income is now about 10 lakh taka a month with 20 young people on the team.

Three thousand taka in the first fortnight, two lakh a month now

Writing in English online alongside a college job: 3,000 taka in the first 10-15 days, and about 2 lakh taka a month now with a team of four.

Started in 2017

A laundry from 1968, 38 years of tax filings, and a top-taxpayer award

The son has run his father's laundry since 1984. Thirty-eight unbroken years of paying income tax brought him an award as one of Chattogram's best long-term taxpayers for 2021-22.

Started in 1968

Started with no capital in 1992; the business now holds 25 lakh taka

She began in 1992 with no capital, only her craft skills. A bank loan came in 2012, and the business now holds 25 lakh taka of capital with 21 permanent staff.

Started in 1992

A 12-day course, then bridal work at homes for 25,000-30,000 a month

Alongside her honours degree she does home parlour work and bridal makeup, earning 25,000-30,000 taka a month. The training was just 12 days.

20,000 taka of capital, 30,000 taka of training

She started on 20,000 taka borrowed from her brother, while a three-month course alone cost 30,000. Planned in 2006, registered and expanded in 2009.

Capital

৳20k

Started in 2006

A 60,000-taka loan took the parlour past 40,000 a month

Built from her own savings, then expanded with a 60,000-taka loan. The parlour now has five regular staff and brings in over 40,000 taka a month.

Capital

৳60k

Started because no one could fix his phone; now five branches in Dhaka

Five branches across Dhaka shopping centres and 50-60 technicians, all paid on commission rather than salary. The national phone repair market is put at about 3,000 crore taka.

A six-lakh fit-out, and 20,000 taka of rent every month

Setting up the compose and photocopy shop cost 630,000 taka, with rent of 20,000 a month.

Capital

৳6.3 lakh

From 600-700 a day down to 200-250, with 3,000 taka of rent

Key cutting once brought 600-700 taka a day; now it brings 200-250, against 3,000 taka of rent.

After twelve years on the footpath, a one-lakh-taka shoe shop of her own

She repaired shoes on a footpath in Jhalokathi for twelve years. A local businessman put up about 100,000 taka to build her a shop and stock it with new footwear, and it opened on 5 August 2020.

Capital

৳1 lakh

From 25 paisa a job to 10 taka: forty years that put a son through a master's

A job once paid 25 paisa to 2 taka; forty years on, his minimum is 10 taka. On that he put his son through a master's and educated and married off his daughters.