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Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 15 (EMN): With an objective to promote local entrepreneurs and businesses, Partners’ Market, in collaboration with Red Door Pantry, organised a pop-up sale in Kohima on Wednesday.
Started in 2018, Partners’ Market consisted of six members having their own outlets/ businesses, who support and encourage each other as well as invite local entrepreneurs to join them.
The pop-up sale featured four of the six members of Partners’ Market including Gutouch, Little Niceties, Barkweaver, 1052 along with Theja Sekhose, Tim Yanger and Bedazzled You.
It was hosted by the Red Door Pantry Café owned by two friends namely Kehoukhrielie Krose and Kekhriesituo Yaotsu. The duo started the restaurant last year with a similar objective--to create space for people not only to dine in--but to promote local entrepreneurs, writers, artists etc.
A member of Partners’ Market shared that the overall idea was to promote and support each other, especially local entrepreneurs.
“At present, there is some kind of revolution and many people have become more open-minded towards taking up non-conventional careers such as artists and entrepreneurs, which in a way is contributing to society by trying to help their own people.
“Nagas are very good at jumping on the bandwagon. Whenever somebody is doing something, that becomes a trend and because that’s the trend, everybody wants to try it out. But then whatever one initiates does not come from a genuine place, it doesn’t work out,” the member observed.
'Particularly, when it comes to business there are many people who start something with much enthusiasm but the flames burn down very quickly. We don’t have the patience and perseverance to continue to be consistent in our effort. However, one has to be passionate about what they are doing', she said adding that they don’t make big money but remain true to their purpose.
The member also pointed out that Naga people need to differentiate between handmade/ handcrafted items and machine-made/ factory-produced items.
“Without knowing the difference, people tend to compare prices of the two different products. But when something is made by hand from scratch, one cannot compare it with the company-made/ machine-made products. Handmade is a luxury item and cannot be compared to mass-produced items,” she added.
One of the entrepreneurs, Vibei Kuotsu Miachieo, raised concern over the Naga youth trying to run after government jobs only. She lamented that people are ashamed of selling small items and to come up with small businesses.
In regard to the level of awareness among the public on the need to promote local entrepreneurs, a fashion designer from Nagaland, Theja Sekhose, was of the view that the public of the present generation, being educated, are willing to buy from the local entrepreneurs. This change, he said, is an encouragement to the entrepreneurs.
With many initiatives taken up by the local entrepreneurs, he expressed hope to see considerable changes in the future.