Female Entrepreneur: Khushba Mehta | Social Media Marketing Freelancer

Tell us about yourself

I am a fitness freak and a big foodie!

Born in South Mumbai I lived in Egypt for a few years. I love doing creative and adventurous things and travelling with my family. I have an elder sister and a cute Shitzu named Chikoo. I’m a hardcore dog lover! I like to party, meet new people and am very passionate about my work.

I graduated from Jai Hind College, after which I did my Masters in Corporate Communications and Journalism from K.C College (Churchgate). I hold a diploma in Public Relations from E.M.D.I Institute. I worked with companies like Social Wavelength, Hanmer Msl, Lions Clubs International and Driving Minds (who managed social media for Sharad Pawar and the NCP party during the elections) for three years and then moved into Social Media Marketing .

I started freelancing nine months ago and today I have a team of five handling 10 social media marketing accounts and we are growing each day. My team consists of a graphic designer, website designer, two social media executives and an SEO specialist (search engine optimisation). My clients range from food brands, mobile apps, fitness brands, photography brands, real estate companies, health specialists and NGOs.

My target audience is any person, thing, company, service or product which needs social media marketing services.

What drove you to become an Entrepreneur?

As a freelancer, I do not have to become an agency and give myself a tag of being a “Social Media Company”. There are so many of them in our country and there are so many start-ups who don’t have budgets to afford a fully-fledged agency. That is when they can approach someone like me who can give excellent and innovative digital marketing services at a competitive price.

We come up with strategies and conduct complete market research. We research the competitors and design campaigns to suit the individual brands’ needs and requirements. Graphics for the content are provided. Playing contests, quizzes and organising polls are a regular part of our strategy to provide interactions with the audience. We talk to bloggers on a regular basis for more visibility towards the brand. We come up with best possible strategy for brand awareness.

What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?

For me the challenge is when you are an entrepreneur and you don’t have a fixed job. You are staying up late at night, coordinating, attending meetings, pitching, coming up with interesting campaigns, convincing your clients to go with a certain strategy and making follow up calls. You have to do every single thing to set up your business and keep it going.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration would be my parents, as they have always taught me to work hard and to earn my own money. No matter what the circumstances are Hard Work Always Pays Off! My parents have always supported and encouraged me. I would like to make a special mention to a few people who have helped me in my journey: my dad – Jayant Mehta; my mom – Pratibha Mehta; my sister – Deepali Shah; my brother-in-law – Amar Shah and a few friends including Saurabh Lohia, Eshita Mehta and Dimple Gala. And my entire team! A big thank you to all of you!

How do you balance your work life and home life?

You take the risk to leave everything to follow your dream. I have always wanted to do something on my own. So having an office at home is the best way to balance work and home life. I get the time to do the things I like and being a fitness freak I get time to hit the gym at whatever time suits me. Sometimes it is stressful but that is part and parcel of being an entrepreneur.

What advice do you have for women starting out on their own?

Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength. Also ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.

If you could ask for one thing to help propel your business what would it be?

Staying committed, giving 100%, exhibiting honesty and integrity combined with education and smart thinking.

What does the future hold for you?

My thinking is that my journey has just begun. I plan to always continue growing, evolving and expanding my horizons. There’s no limit to what one can dream and aspire to.