Humility, the key to sustain success - Victor Hettigoda
by Omar RAJARATHNAM
They say life starts at 40; in Dr. Victor Hettigoda's case, this
couldn't be more true. Known popularly as 'Siddhalepa Mudalali', he took
a plunge by giving up his job to begin his business venture which today
has catapulted into a household name, a journey he says was
excruciating.
Having been granted a loan of Rs. 3,000 in 1971, he aspired to sell
Siddhalepa balm made according to a secret recipe gifted to him by his
father Hendrick de Silva, but little did he know that the idea will be
met with categorical resentment. "We will not buy local balm at all' the
shop owners told him regardless of which town he chose to sell his balm
in. "I was clueless and puzzled but I did not want to give-up although I
was hurt by the rejection", said Hettigoda.
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Victor Hettigoda |
Fighting against the odds he introduced a discount system where three
15 gramme bottles of balm were sold at a 20 percent discount with the
assurance of accepting any unsold items. "I needed Rs. 10 a day to cover
my travel, food and accommodation costs. Although I had an income of Rs.
10 I knew spending it will leave me with nothing to produce balm again.
Hence I pleaded with bhikkhus in temples to let me lodge there at night,
walked through various towns avoiding public transport and skipped
lunch, which became a compulsive habit for six years and I saved as much
as I could. Hence my staff pay subsidised rates for food today", said
Hettigoda.
Within four months the traders realised the healing ability of
Siddhalepa and began demanding at large. He used his savings to purchase
an old Hilman car to distribute the balm to meet the demand. After
one-and-a- half years the number of vehicles increased to two and he
focused on developing his product further. A trilingual (Sinhala, Tamil
and English) instructions manual was printed and wrapped around the
bottles so that everyone could read what ailments the balm could heal.
The demand increased remarkably and vehicles were bought on lease to
help in the distribution of the balm which was sold in tiny boxes during
this time.
Phenomenon
Legislation encouraging local products in 1974 was a very progressive
step for Siddhalepa. The business was local in every aspect and it
helped the company grow at a rapid pace and today his minute business
venture has become a national phenomenon with 200 vehicles, overseas
branches, international expansion, diversification into Ayurvedic spas
and Ayurvedic holiday resorts with a range of 100 products.
"I do not lie in business and I encourage youngsters to likewise.
Honesty is very important for survival, compromising on such standards
is the foundation to failure", said Hettigoda.
"Having a village upbringing has made me very patriotic, I love our
national dress and have never worn anything else", he said. Good
academics are important for one's growth but what is the point in being
unable to apply it in life or being complacent about it? "One should
never cease to learn. Make learning a daily process, learn how to
preserve your authenticity and do not compromise on your identity
because that is the only factor that defines you", said Hettigoda.
Humility
When asked what was his advice to youngsters, he said "Humility is
important to succeed, you must treat everyone around you with respect
and also do your ground work before you begin your business ventures.
Self-employment is not something you should take up to merely because
you do not want to work under someone else, it is a form of employment
that helps create products and services of the highest quality to your
country.
Many youngsters seem to think that they need to have millions of
rupees to begin a business but it is not so. You only need to plan your
expenditure well. What goes around comes around, so try to be socially
responsible no matter what business you choose to be involved in.
wI even insisted on introducing the herbarium concept to schools.
This is the only way we could preserve our environmental cycle which
gets affected by mass production.
The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector has an ever rising
demand. You should learn about patent laws too and protect your designs
and recipes with such patents to have guaranteed results through
avoiding the emergence of duplicate products".
Consumers today cannot be easily misled, they are very well read and
informed, so ensure you honour their sensitivities. Although my business
is based on manufacturing Ayurvedic products, we wanted to have a Halal
certificate so that Muslim customers can be reassured of our
ingredients. Little factors like this go a long way.
Consumers create successful businesses and entrepreneurs through
their purchasing power and choice. Hence the lives of many potential
business lies completely in your hands. Think twice before you purchase
a product and do not compromise on product quality at all, said
Hettigoda.
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