Every Woman Should Have Her Own Income, Irrespective Of The Value And Have A Hold On Her Own Financial Matters

Ms. NEETI MACKER Indian kitchens are now shifting from the old traditional style to more trendy,coastal and serene look. Today’s kitchen has minimal forms, clean surfaces, bold shapes and strong colours. There are trend-setters in this industry who are working day and night to create bespoke kitchen interiors and one such names is NEETI MACKER. Her brand THE HOMEMAKER is serving industry from last 18 years, and is proficient in combining sleek lines and dynamic design, thereby offering outstanding kitchen design to the clients. With her design-led contemporary kitchen interiors, The Homemaker is highly sought by individual clients and big real-estate firms of the country and is looking ahead to associate with reputed European brands. 

Below, we ask Neeti to tell what makes Homemaker unique, the design philosophy it follows and its future projects. 

 

Give a brief description about yourself? 

I completed my Bachelors and Master’s in Business Management from Delhi and entered the corporate world. Later, I also taught at one of the B-schools but never thought of becoming a businesswoman, as I belonged to a family of educationists and business was never on my cards.

 

How did the idea of ‘THE HOMEMAKERS’ came into your mind? 

My husband was into manufacturing of dish-washing racks and had been a preferred supplier for almost the entire hospitality industry. Some architects and designers had approached him to customize shelves and pull out baskets for kitchens and wardrobes for their clients. “This is when I took time off, traveled a bit, and studied the industry, only to realize the nascent stage it was in back home. While the living room was getting all the attention, the kitchen, which according to me is one of the most important rooms of any household, was the most neglected. I took it as a challenge, to give women their due credit and help create better working conditions for them inside their homes. I wanted to make wonderful kitchens for women, as they would spend a major part of their lives in the kitchen, especially in India. Our lives revolve around food. Most of us begin our day with a cup of tea and end with our last meal for the day or may be a glass of milk, yet the space and conditions in which all these are stored and prepared are not organized and hygienic. So, this is where ‘THE HOMEMAKERS’ was born. Over the last 18 years, our business has thrived not only by associating with individual clients but also by taking larger real-estate projects. We have signed exclusivity online selling contracts with a few European brands of repute, which to me has been our biggest success. We have also begun our e-commerce portal to sell even components online. Our components include carcasses, shutters, hardware, accessories, built-in appliances and laminated floorings. With our existing model, we have been clocking Rs 8-10 crores in revenues over the past three years, on an average and hence, we are growing and getting successful with each passing year. 

 

What are the obstacles that you faced during your journey of establishing ‘THE HOMEMAKERS’? 

I faced obstacles at every step of my journey. But, I took it as a challenge and overcame every obstacle with a positive attitude. The biggest challenge I faced was in the initial years of establishing ‘THE HOMEMAKERS’ i.e. since, I was very young and was the only woman at that time in this industry, everybody used to say ‘BACCHI HAI, ISKO KYA PATA BUSINESS KE BARE MAI’. So, it took me some time to gain that confidence and respect of people in this industry.

 

What advice do you have for Indian women as to how should they manage their personal and professional life? 

Every woman can manage their personal and professional life extremely well. It should be in their minds and they should know what their heart is calling. Like in office, women should create systems at home as well and should not feel guilty about it as one cannot end-up doing everything. If women feel that it is necessary to stay home then, they must and if they feel that their professional priorities are more important at a certain point of time then, they must communicate to their family members. Women should do things in which they get a sense of satisfaction. 

 

Do you feel that women should have financial knowledge? 

I believe that it is very important for a woman to understand finances and be financially independent. Every woman should have her own income, irrespective of the value and have a hold on her own financial matters. Managing finances is an integral part of life, both for man and woman. 

 

Success Mantra 

I believe that in order to be successful one should be: 

1) True to yourself 

2) Persistent 

3) Persivering 

4) Working according to the client’s perspective

 

“Every woman should have her own income, irrespective of the value and have a hold on her own financial matters.”