Miscellaneous

Growing Plants Only in Compost- The Pros & Cons

My gardening experiment & experience

Image that reads Growing plants only in compost-the pros & cons.
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Plants are generally grown in a mix of garden soil, cocopeat and compost. But for a change, I wondered, what if I could grow plants only in compost. So I went ahead putting my thought into action.

Compost is a mixture that is largely made of decaying organic matter like dried leaves and food scraps and is used as a fertiliser for plants. Mature compost is rich in readily available nutrients and is also lighter than soil. 

Inspired by Vani Murthy ma’am, the composting queen, also known as the WormRani (follow her on Instagram here, for a daily dose of motivation) in the gardening circle, I took to composting 4 years back. One year later, I was so obsessed with the process of composting and compost that I wanted to try and experiment with growing plants only on compost. 

In Bangalore weather and on an open terrace that gets a fairly good amount of sunlight throughout the day, growing only on compost did have a decent outcome. Mind you, I started with zero expectations and I always indulge in gardening just for the sake of it with not many expectations. 

Here are some observations from growing plants only in compost

Pros of growing plants only in compost

  1. Compost is lighter in weight compared to soil. Water drains through it easily thereby avoiding stagnation of water in potted plants. This in turn highly reduces the chances of root rots in plants. 
  1. The lighter nature of compost makes it easy to transfer or carry pots around while shifting. Trust me, it is something you may want to consider if you are someone who is into shifting houses, often.
  1. The lighter nature of compost always makes it easy to till up while repotting or sowing or removing weeds, unlike working with soil that gets hard and crusted, making it difficult to till. 
  1. As a lot of chopped vegetable scraps goes into the compost, the nutrient availability increases in the end product, i.e, the mature compost.
  1. Compost is something that is always in progress. It gets denser over time which means that the pot you might have filled to the brim with compost might have reduced in quantity in two weeks. This acts as an advantage as it gives more space to add more compost which in turn reduces any chances of excess wet waste from our households going to landfills. 
  1. Having compost in your pots or soil bed may surprise plants that might have grown from a seed from veg or fruit scrap that had gone into the compost bin and thrived to turn into a sapling. We had watermelons and papaya plants come that way. 

You might as well, like reading this:

The Joy of Gardening

Cons of growing plants only in compost

  1. As much as the lighter weight of compost is a plus, it is equally a minus. The lighter weight doesn’t help in providing firm support like soil, especially to climbers and some tender stemmed plants like tomatoes.
  1. Compost, if added prematurely, turns acidic which may harm plant growth. 
  1. Again, adding premature compost may also end up having the growth of unwanted plants (courtesy, the seeds from veg & fruit scars gone into composting & chosen to survive)  along with the ones you intentionally sowed. 
  1. Adding premature moist compost may invite grubs and affect the roots of the plants. 
  1. The easy to dig property of compost may have your furry friend dig it all away and have a good night’s sleep in the warmth of the pot (true story!). 

Have a look at the garden that thrived only on homemade compost.

The result may surprise you!

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zr__rzBsc-s

Wrap up words

As much as compost is rich in nutrients and can be tempting enough to grow plants only in compost, we should know that it may not provide firm support which too is vital for healthy plant growth. 

So my key takeaway from the experiment was to have a mix of garden soil and matured compost, say in the ration, 4:6 and it has been working well for me till now with decent yields without the need for any chemical fertilisers. 

Happy garden, happy me!

Hope you find this helpful. Also, I am all ears to know about your gardening experiments and hacks. Indulge me!

Signing off with this interesting quote:

Kings and cabbages go back to compost, but good deeds stay green forever.

~Rick DeMarinis

“This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter.”

11990cookie-checkGrowing Plants Only in Compost- The Pros & Cons
Tips for crafting & editing poetry

On Poetry & More With Sampurna Chattarji

Recap of the session on Getting Started with Poetry- #BlogchatterWritFest 2022

For quick access:
  1. Poetry makes nothing happen
  2. Purpose of Poetry
  3. Poetry as a spontaneous overflow of emotions versus poetry as a craft
  4. Basics that a poet needs to follow to get better at the art of poetry
  5. Multiple formats of poetry in one book
  6. Experimenting with “trends” in poetry: Yay or nay?
  7. On poetry translation
  8. On pitching poetry for magazines
  9. Suggested Reads
  10. Parting words

Poetry makes nothing happen

Baffled reading the heading that says, ‘Poetry makes nothing happen’? Well, you are not alone if you come across this for the first time. I was confused too when I heard it for the first time, especially from a renowned poet like Sampurna Chattarji while quoting it to explain the purpose of poetry. It may sound contradicting but in actuality it is not. To get the essence of it, read ahead.

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.

~WilliamWordsworth

Celebrating World Poetry Day on the 21st of March, 2022 with a conversation with the poet and translator, Sampurna Chattarji, as part of the #BlogchatterWritFest2022, turned out to be a blissful and resourceful session. The one-hour session flew in a jiffy only to make us, the poetry enthusiasts, more thirsty for the poetry conversation.

What is the purpose of poetry? Does poetry essentially mean a spontaneous overflow of emotions or does it include crafting too? What are some essential basics for becoming a better poet? Can multiple formats of poetry be included in a single poetry book? Do we follow trends when it comes to writing poetry? How much can a poet experiment with the format of poetry? If these are some questions in your mind, read along to get resourceful insights gained from a conversation with the amazing poet, translator and editor Sampurna Chattarji.

Here is a quick recap of the session with key takeaways from it. The session saw Sampurna Chattarji take up participants’ questions and answer them with insights from her personal experience as a poet, translator and editor.

Purpose of Poetry

The conversation had an interesting start with the poet answering the question what is the purpose of poetry. Chattarji indulged us in a poetic conversation by saying that it’s a perennial question and quoting, “Poetry makes nothing happen”, from the famed poem ‘In Memory of W.B.Yeats’ by W.H.Auden

An excerpt from the poem 'In Memory of W.B.Yeats' by W.H.
An excerpt from the poem ‘In Memory of W.B.Yeats’ by W.H.Auden

Chattarji went ahead to explain beautifully on how poetry survives, transcending time and in essence becoming a way of happening. She said that words are a way of happening; dynamic and not static. The happening though can either be slow and meditative or choose to explode. Ultimately, poetry is in the now.

With reference to the poem, Sampurna Chattarji highlighted that

it’s a poet’s responsibility to be the mouth of truth but not a mouthpiece.

Poetry as a spontaneous overflow of emotions versus poetry as a craft

When asked if poetry is just about the spontaneous overflow of emotions or does it need to be crafted, pat came the reply from the poet insisting that only an overflow of emotions may just be a hot mess on paper and that there is a need for formatting and crafting.

Chattarji emphasized that both the emotions as well as the crafting be given equal importance to get captivating poetry. She went on to share the following tips generously:

Basics that a poet needs to follow to get better at the art of poetry

  1. Know the nuts and bolts of the language: the grammar, spellings, punctuation, etc.
  2. Have a deep love for the language and the craft. Devour others’ works before starting with yours.
  3. Write to rewrite. Don’t be satisfied with the first draft. Develop the ability to take criticisms and work on bettering the craft.
  4. Equip yourself to become your own editor. This comes with years of experience though.
  5. Have patience and persistence.

PRO TIP: As suggested by Sampurna Chattarji, check out and learn about different poetry formats by searching through the glossary here.

Multiple formats of poetry in one book

On the question, of multiple formats of poetry can be included in a single book, Sampurna Chattarji explained that it can be done with careful consideration. She added that the poet must be aware of the inner logic and flow behind the intertwining of multiple formats. Chattarji went on to explain how in her book “Space Gulliver” multiple forms of poetry imbibed in one book and it was absolutely helpful.

On that note, she mentioned that her favourite poetry forms are prose poetry—for its tensile & dynamic nature—and also non-sequential, non-narrative forms of poetry.

At this point, a special mention of Inger Christensen’s book Alphabet got me even more excited as it is based on the Fibonacci Sequence. At that moment, the Mathematician & the poet in me was like- ‘Aaaaah…I can just go on & on with this conversation!’. Sampurna Chattarji also mentioned writing a poem based on the prime number 37, also a star number, and her reasons and thoughts behind it. It only got interesting and I was just wishing that the conversation doesn’t end.

On a side note, one of my recently published poetry in “The Great Indian Anthology” by the Half Baked Beans has that Mathematical touch to it, titled “Number & numeral are not the same”. (winks!!)

With the constraint of time, the poet moved on to answer the next question if it was wise to go with “trends” for beginner poets. Chattarji mentioned that one should be wise enough to know that what can be trending can end up forgotten too. So, it’s better to plunge into the deep end, hone your craft first and experiment with language and forms first-hand. Clearly, her emphasis was on getting better at the craft instead of just going by the trends.

On poetry translation

Here are a few important tips that Chattarji shared when asked for advice regarding poetry translations, especially when there is a cultural difference in the languages involved:

  1. Firstly, it is highly important to understand both languages inside out.
  2. For words that are hard to translate, she urged the poets to be inventive. She added that of all the translators, poetry translators are the best.
  3. When it comes to untranslatable nuances, she suggested that one gets into the skin of the other poet, strike a conversation, gets to know the back story of the poem and then come up with a translation.
  4. In case of uncertainty when it comes to translating a poem of a dead poet, she insisted that we go with our instincts, follow our heart and trust it.
  5. Make research and dictionary your friends.
  6. Most importantly, she emphasized that we have the courage to walk away from translating a poem. She said not to destroy a poem by bad translation and it’s better to leave it alone.
  7. Create strategies, try hard and find solutions, like adding footnotes for cultural references or vernacular words.
  8. Finally yet primarily, care enough for the poem as if it is your own and do justice to it.

On pitching poetry for magazines

As Sampurna Chattarji is also a Poetry Editor, it was more than apt to know what she looks for in a poetry submission as an editor. To start with, she made a note that one should not consider submission as “pitching” as the word pitching gives a sense of selling. She said the better word would be poetry submission and mentioned that primarily she looks for a certain amount of craft in the poetry.

She added that she looks for a voice — honest, new and startling — and a willingness to work with the editor in partnership.

As a pro tip, Sampurna Chattarji suggested not to overdo the cover letter or bio and rather work harder on the poem instead. Finally, she said to keep the poem true, simple and distinct.
Click to Tweet

Suggested Reads

Towards the close of the session, when asked for poetry reading suggestions, especially for kids and beginners, Chattarji left us with the following reading list:

  1. Coney Island of the Mind: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  2. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats: T.S. Eliot
  3. Beastly Tales from Here and There: Vikram Seth
  4. Revolting Rhymes: Roald Dahl
  5. The Fried Frog and Other Funny Freaky Foodie Feisty Poems: Sampurna Chattarji
  6. Learn from the Almond Leaf: Eunice de Souza
  7. The Penguin Book of Indian Poets edited by Jeet Thayil (for a wide variety of themes, styles, generations: out in April)
  8. Indian Love Poems selected and edited by Meena Alexander (Everyman Pocket Poets)
  9. Wordygurdyboom! The Nonsense World of Sukumar Ray translated by Sampurna Chattarji (Puffin Classics)
  10. The Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh: A.A. Milne

As a special recommendation for children’s poetry, she suggested Earth, our Home by Karthika Nair. For a poetry book using vernac, she suggested her book, The Bhyabachyaka and other wild poems.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/inger-christensen

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/147924.alphabet

Parting words

On a final note, Sampurna Chattarji mentioned looking up for first books of those you consider established poets now and reading more anthologies.

The session then ended with a reading of her poem “Evil Eye” in her magical voice.

Overall, it was an exciting and engaging session that I just keep ruminating upon and this blog post is one way to do so. Hope you find this useful.

I just can’t thank enough the Blogchatter Team for making such conversations with poets/authors possible through the BlogchatterWritFest. As my fellow blogger Harshita would put it here, the BlogchatterWritFest is a different level of crazy!

Apart from providing us with this wonderful session where 3 to 4 of my questions got answered, Blogchatter did go one step ahead to choose me as one of the winners of a book giveaway. I am definitely on a poetic high and I’m sure you would have definitely got to know it by now.

BlogchatterWritFest Session 4 Winners, one being me!
Happy Me!

I leave you on that note and see you soon with Intuitive Poetries in the month of April (just a few more days to go!). Stay tuned.

This post has been written as part of BlogchatterWritFest.

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Bookish Posts, Fiction

Black Hole – Book Review

A brilliantly written fiction woven through the threads of non-fictional, historical & contemporary events and characters.

Book Cover of Black hole
Book Cover of Black hole
For your convenience
  1. Book Details
  2. Blurb (as on Amazon)
  3. Book Review
  4. Writing Style
  5. Content Warning
  6. Final words
  7. Buy here

Book Details

Title: Black Hole

Author: Tomichan Matheikal

Illustrator (Cover Design): Nishant Thakur

Genre: Fiction

Type: E-book

Print Length: 105 Pages

Price: ₹99

Blurb (as on Amazon)

Ishan Salman Panicker’s father is a Malayali Hindu and his mother, a Catholic tribal woman from Shillong. His maternal grandfather is a Muslim from Bangladesh. Father Joseph Kunnel prophesies a dark future for Ishan. Ishan escapes from the priest and his prophecies and arrives in Delhi with his wife Jenny. Delhi turns out to be a twirling black hole that drives Ishan to write his own gospel.

This novel is, short as it is, a complex work that probes the inevitable mystique and horror of life. The plot spans a whole century. Saints and sinners, Gandhi and Godse, Jesus and Krishna, and a whole range of ordinary people come together to continue the evolution of a 14-billion-year-old black hole.

Book Review

This book is a brilliantly written fiction woven through the threads of non-fictional, historical & contemporary events and characters.

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

― Rumi, The Essential Rumi

At some point or the other in the journey of life, we all go through what is called an existential crisis. We get this nagging urge to find out the purpose and the meaning of our life.

Questioning all of our experiences and beliefs, we seek solutions. We seek the truth. But how many of us get to be guided on the right path and how many of us are misguided by bad influences in the name of guidance, religion or spirituality?

Do we really get to unfold our own myth? Is it as simple as it sounds? Well, the book Black Hole by Tomichan Matheikal gives us the idea of how complicated and/or corrupted can things get in the journey that starts as one man’s search for his meaning of life.

The story revolving around multiple characters over a period of three generations brings out the dark side of all religions through the careful capture and layering of real-life historical events that wear the myriad shades of religious politics.

The story is rich with philosophies and perspectives touching upon a wide range of topics. It has references from Bhagwad Gita and Bible and also talks about Judaism in the same breath.

One of the parallel stories set around the Khasi tribe in Shillong that talks about khadduh throw light on lesser-known things showing the amount of research that has gone into writing this book.

While political topics run from Gandhi to Godse and Indra Gandhi to Narendra Modi, the author’s love for Literature can be seen from his references ranging from Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha to Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary to Bhasa’s Dutavakya.

Writing Style

In what may be considered a well-researched and intellectual piece of writing, the author has carefully dealt with controversial topics with an unbiased approach. With a no-nonsense style of writing, this book obviously makes for a quick-moving and short read in spite of its complex settings.

Straightforwardness and satire are in proportion throughout the book.

Spirituality is the best agglutinating force.

-Black Hole by Tomichan Matheikal

When he taught them to heal themselves, they demanded miracles.

-Black Hole by Tomichan Matheikal

The author’s brilliance in literature shines through his lavish use of metaphorical language that at most places blurs the line between prose and poetry. One may want to reread the book just for appreciating the author’s choice of words. Few of my favourites here:

  • The girl was staggered by the tenderness as much as by the alienness of its source.
  • The clouds that kissed the hills strummed on the romantic chords stretched tight beneath her suave exterior.
  • …their dreams fluttered with butterflies and snapdragons.
  • …he introduced himself with a smile that looked sadder than the mist in a lonely sea.

If you are a logophile, you will love this book as almost every page of the book is rich with vocabulary that’s sure to amuse you.

“What is peace?” she wondered. “The absence of conflicts,” he said.

-Black Hole by Tomichan Matheikal

Having said that, if there is something that may seem a little off about the book, it would be the complexity in remembering and relatively understanding the multiple characters and stories that run parallel.

It gets a little tricky actually as it’s the same multi-character, multi-story, multi-plot thing that adds weight to the story is what feels little challenging to comprehend too.

On the other hand, the cover design by Nishanth Thakur is unassuming and I wonder if it was a deliberate choice to keep the cover design simple as opposed to the complex story inside.

Not convinced much with the cover design and the fact that I was so invested in this book, I went ahead to design a book cover using Canva. Here it is:

Creative imagination of the book cover of Black Hole. Designed by self, using Canva
Creative imagination of the book cover of Black Hole. Designed by self, using Canva

Content Warning

There are vivid descriptions of assaults, riots, violent acts and the aftermaths of it which may evoke intense emotions. While it adds to the authenticity of the book, you may want to make sure that you are in the right mental space to read it and be ok.

Final words

This is not the kind of book that makes for a breezy read or is unputdownable. Rather, this is the kind of book that one may read in intervals having the urge to take time in between to process and reflect on what is being said and then get back to reading ahead.

If you love challenging reads with philosophical perspectives trying to understand the purpose of life, people, their emotions, roots of religion or the search for truth, then this book is for you.

Black Hole can get you questioning your own beliefs and make you want to revisit the nation’s history. It may seem to contradict but when you read it, you will find it to be a disturbing and yet satisfying read.

Not every book makes one inquisitive about the author. But the fact that a sense of personal experience in his writing and the honesty that shines even through this fictional work made me want to know more about the author and read his other works too.

You may find the author’s other works here:

https://www.amazon.in/Books-Tomichan-Matheikal/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3ATomichan+Matheikal

Here is Ishaan Panicker’s gospel, a glimpse into the book. To know how he arrived at that, the experiences that led him to write his gospel, read the book.

In the beginning, was a black hole. The black hole was with God, and the black hole was God. All things existed in the black hole. Nothing could escape the tenacity with which the black hole held everything within it. The bonds of that tenacity grew strong and stronger until the black hole could not bear the bondage anymore. And it exploded. Boom. Big Bang. And the black hole became flesh.

Buy here

Hope you liked the review. I wish to leave you with this quote of Rumi for you to ruminate!

When someone critises or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash that ant at once, it might grow into a snake or even a dragon.

-Rumi
The Need for Book Reviews
THE NEED FOR BOOK REVIEWS

“This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program“

‘I’m participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter’.

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English

How I Fell in Love With Her

Love: as I oft reminisce
Of our primordial tryst
Ecstatic words gush out
In this form that it flows...

There at the threshold
Serenity in thy soul,
Warmth in thy heart,
Had me to stand astound...

Flashes when drops of tears
Rolled through my cheeks,
Thou dews of transparency- shared,
Kept me light at heart...

Even through euphoric days,
Joys of mine doubled,
With thine rustle, in harmony
With my whistle...

As we wander side by side,
With surety, I closed my eyes,
Perceiving thy glimmer,
To guide me through life...

Bliss is thou idyllic presence,
Whilst others leave me alone,
Thee Nature! Your eternal love-
Shall flow through my life...

Seeping through my soul:
Gushing through words of cheer,
Spreading thine exuberance,
MCC, you become my lone solace!


PS: Written in the year 2010, this poem is a dedication to my alma mater, the prestigious Madras Christian College(MCC).



        

    
    
    

        
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Bookish Posts, Non-fiction

            

        
Wish By Spirit-Book Review

        
    
          
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A must read book for those fighting autoimmune disorders and also for their support system





Wish By Spirit-Book Review
Designed by the author on Canva







Book details










Title: Wish By Spirit- A journey of recovery & healing from an autoimmune disease





Author: Joan Young





Genre: Autobiography/Memoir





Type: E-book





Page Count: 231





Price: Kindle edition- ₹449





             Paperback- ₹1124





Blurb (as on Kindle)





After mysterious bruises appeared on her arms and each day brought a struggle to maintain the life she knew, Joan finally learned she had immune thrombocytopenia purpura, ITP. ITP is an autoimmune bleeding disorder, subjecting its victims to a lifetime struggle with low platelet counts and constant fear of bleeding to death, or so Joan was led to believe. After seven failed treatments, the additional health problem they created, and a platelet count that hovered near zero, she began her own search for a cure.





She experimented with vitamins, herbs, energy medicine, and took a deep look into her soul to discover ways to heal her sense of self. Joan’s journey from diagnosis to remission lasted 18 months. The insights into her life, the healing practices she learned, and her spiritual shift changed her life forever. Reading this book could change yours.





Book Review





Wish by Spirit by Joan Young, is more than just being an account of her journey of recovery from an autoimmune disorder. This book brings a total shift in the mindset moving from self-pity to self-introspection to self-healing to self-empowering.





As much as this book has dealt with treating external symptoms, it has also equally dealt with doing the inner work. Thus this book can appeal to anyone who is going through chronic health issues and go for a holistic approach towards health and healing.





If there is one quote that can sum up the gist of this book, then it would be this:
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” 
-Rumi





If you or anyone you know of is going through chronic illness or an autoimmune disease, then this book makes for a must-read. While the autoimmune disease is believed to have “no cure”, this book comes in like a breath of fresh air giving hope and a roadmap to all the possibilities of healing and living a quality life.





It also makes a must-read for the patient’s support system to gain an insight and understanding of what it takes and how much time and energy it takes in their battle against the illness.





Apart from the mention of allopathy medications and treatments, Joan has written down comprehensively about alternative medicine, energy healers, etc. This gives us a clear insight on having a holistic approach towards health and focusing on aspects like lifestyle changes, diets, working on our inner self, etc.





Author’s writing style





It could have been easy for anyone undergoing a health crisis to fall into victim mode and write from the perspective of self-pity. But what makes Joan’s writing style distinct and outstanding is that she writes from an objective view, with a tone of empathy and lots of hope.





Her writing is lucid, honest and has the potential to get you out of your comfort zone, ask yourself the tough but necessary questions, for the onset of your journey towards healing.  





Wrap up words





This book makes for a must-read for those going through critical illness and their support system. Even otherwise too this makes for a great read, as this book changes our perspective towards health for the better and helps us implement necessary changes for better health, physical, mental and spiritual.





Also, a must-read book for those fighting ITP and also for their support system





Buy here





Haven’t read it yet?





You can buy your copy here.





For more reads on autoimmune disorder and ITP, check here:







‘I’m participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter’.  



        

    
    
    

        
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Raising Readers

            

        
Raising Readers Campaign- A journey well begun

        
    
          
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Glimpse of our participants-Happy Readers!
Our priceless participants- Happy Readers!





There’s a general belief that if you do a task consistently for over 21 days in a row, it becomes your habit. The raising Readers Campaign was conceptualized with that idea and went on as a four weeks long campaign.





The first 3 weeks were to build the habit of reading among kids that incorporated various books related activities and the last week was for reflection & feedback.









Block Title








A big kudos to all the parents who invested their time to introduce books to their kid(s). It’s almost next to impossible to raise a reader without the involvement of a parent/caretaker. So, to all the parents who participated actively in this campaign & gifted the joy of reading to your kid(s), you have my heart!





That said, if you are one of those parents who couldn’t make time for reading for your kid, please try doing so over the weekends or during vacation time. Take it slow yet steady.





I bet, books can help you have healthy and open conversations with your kid on taboo topics like gender bias, racism, adolescence, puberty, etc. all at ease, over the due course of bonding over books.





For some additional motivation, have a look at what these two Advanced Readers had to say:





  • Master. Shriyan’s writing!
  • Miss. Akshitha’s writing!




















Also, do not miss out to check out these adorable videos on our channel, under the playlist “Raising Readers Campaign”.





Here’s a glimpse of what the parents of our participants had to say!





Image on Parents' Feedback on the Raising Readers Campaign
Parents’ Feedback





Raising Readers is a journey and we have, together, taken our baby steps. In the months to come, there will be posts on book reviews, recommendations and reading activities. So stay tuned!





Thank you for your support and feedback. Let’s raise readers together!





A page of reading a day, keep ignorance at bay!










        

    
    
    

        
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Miscellaneous, Sponsored Posts

            

        
Digitalization & ECommerceInnovation –the Best Bet to Boost MSMEs

        
    
          
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8 Actionable Tips for MSMEs To Boost Business With Digitalization & Ecommerceinnovation















Designed by the Author, using Canva







From a recent survey by The Economic Times, it’s clear that digitalization & EcommerceInnovation has helped MSMEs sustain their business even through the pandemic. Having a digital presence for your products or service can help you scale your business in many ways.





If you are just planning to start your enterprise or already have one and want to take it online and don’t know how and where to start, then fret not. Here are a few tips and resources that can help you take those essential steps towards taking and scaling your business digitally.





1. Decide on domain name & keep logo ready





The website name for your product/service is going to be of primal importance as it is something that your customer will at once identify your product with. So it’s only wise enough to give it a thought and come up with a sensible, simple, catchy and preferably short name for your website that’s easy to remember.





Logo goes a long way in branding your product. Keep it simple and relatable to your product or domain name. 





Pro Tip: You can create a logo all by yourself using the Canva app’s free version.





2. Get your business registered with Udyog Aadhar





Similar to the Aadhaar- a unique identification number for citizens of India, Udyog Aadhaar is a unique 12-digit Government identification number for your business enterprise. It is provided by the Government and highly beneficial especially for sole proprietors who don’t have official recognition for their business.





To get a quick idea on how to register and the benefits of getting your business registered, read this. 





3. One-page website





It’s always wise to start small and then scale up a business. Likewise, how much ever tempting it might be to invest in a fancy and shiny website, it’s highly recommended to go with a simple one-page website.





What matters is that you get your own domain name and hosting. If this sounds Greek & Latin to you, here’s a detailed article that can hand hold you to create your ready-to-go, one-page website. 







How to Redesign your website’s Home Page







4. Payment Gateway





Now that you have registered your business, have an online face to it and you want to monetize it. This is where the need for a payment gateway comes in.





A payment gateway is nothing but an eCommerce application service provider service that makes money transactions between you and your customer feasible. Some of the common service providers that you might have come across are PayTM, RazorPay, Instamojo, etc.





To know what are the top 10 payment gateway in India and choose the right one for your business, check here.







Top 10 Best Payment Gateways in India for eCommerce Businesses







You may like the below video on how an ECommerceInnovation has improved the Indian Economy!













5. Google business 





To have more reach in your local area, go get yourself a Google business account. It’s free and it’s an easier way to put a word out and find some local customers. Just do this:





Step 1–  Create a Google account. Pro Tip: Have a dedicated email id for your business.





Step 2– Go to http://www.business.google.com and enter your business name, location & delivery.





Step 3– Tell google what areas you serve and your business hours.





Step 4– Choose a business category.





Step 5- Add contact details.





Step 6– Finish & verify your business. You will be sent a code to your address of correspondence in a week & once you enter it your account will be activated.





There you go!  





6. WhatsApp business account





WhatsApp Business Account is the biggest boon for MSMEs for the way it adds professional as well as a personalized touch to the business. Its ease in accessibility and ability to connect with customers directly makes it a must for boosting business. Marketing and reaching out to a bulk of the targeted audiences is the biggest plus. All you need to get a separate phone number for your business account. No big deal right?!












Roadblocks that we overlook in an Indian woman’s journey towards entrepreneurship


ROADBLOCKS THAT WE OVERLOOK IN AN INDIAN WOMAN’S JOURNEY TOWARDS ENTREPRENEURSHIP





7. Social Media Connect





Anyone and everyone are on at least one of the social media platforms. Given the wider reach of social media, you can take advantage of the free platform and connect with your customers there. Social media platforms are the best bets for your product/service launches and marketing.










Pro Tip: The analytics for each platform works differently. So, start with one social media platform at a time, grow your audience there over 3 months and then move on to the next platform.















8. Sustainability factor





The best part of having a small scale business is you have control over it totally and make wise decisions every step of it, choosing sustainable solutions. For example, I have seen small businesses like PracheenVidhaan and Kalpavriksha Farms choose sustainable packaging and also support local artisans. As a small business owner, you will definitely have the hold on making conscious choices towards sustainability.




















In conclusion, this is the best time to take your next big step towards making your dream business come true with the government schemes and technology all in your favor. 
Wishing you the best in all your endeavors. Let growth & success prevail!





This post is written as part of Blogchatter’s campaign #ECommerceInnovation. Read more posts in the campaign here.



        

    
    
    

        
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Raising Readers Campaign- Activities 4 & 5 and Contest Announcement for Advanced Readers

        
    
          
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Images of participating kids.
Our participants, engrossed in books










For your convenience!
  1. Quick Recap
  2. Activity 4- Create Your Reading Corner
  3. Activity 5- Character Play
  4. Surprise Contest for Advanced Readers
  5. Wondering where to send your entries?










Quick Recap





Raising Readers is a 4 weeks long campaign to help kids develop a love for books & reading. We hope you have started the reading journey with your kid and hope the tips and resources from previous posts have helped you along. If you haven’t checked them yet, read them all here.















Good news is, even if you haven’t started yet, you still hold a chance to participate and win. Read through the post to know more.





Remember, you can get your kid started in this beautiful journey of bonding over books anytime. It’s never too late to start but to make it sustainable for a lifetime, the journey has to be made enjoyable.





To make the journey enjoyable, here are two more activities that you and your kid can enjoy doing.





Activity 4- Create Your Reading Corner





The idea here is to create a vibrant reading corner, an atmosphere where even a hyperactive kid will be attracted to explore the space and books.





You don’t have to invest in a bookshelf or buy flaunt worthy books.





Just choose a bright corner in your home. Get creative and use the things you already have at your home to stack the books (it’s ok if just 2-5 books). Have one or two of their favourite toys (don’t overdo with toys!), a small notebook and some stationery. Maybe, add some of their drawings in the backdrop and TADA, there you go with an attractive reading corner for your kid.





This is just a suggestion to get you an idea but feel free to go creative in your own ways.





The point here is when you allocate certain space for reading and stick to it, over time, when kids grow up they tend to make that space their comfort corner and settle there with a book/activity on their own.





So keep it simple and easily accessible for the kid. Make sure to send a pic of your kid exploring a book in their new cosy book corner.










Activity 5- Character Play





Though character play may sound difficult, the rules are quite easy and flexible.





Dress up your kid in their favourite character from the book they are reading and help them say a line or two from it. Smaller kids can identify objects/characters from their favourite book. 





What matters is that they have fun. If your kid is fussy about dressing up, maybe make a cut out of their favourite character/object and let them hold and identify it.





Sounds simple right? Do give it a try and send us a very small video of them saying the line/identifying objects all dressed up in their favourite character.





Surprise Contest for Advanced Readers





As a surprise element, for those who approached us asking if their kids who are already into reading can participate or not, here is an exclusive contest- “Reading Is My Superpower”, for those Advanced Readers.





Reading Is My Superpower





This contest is for Advanced Readers (kids aged 8+ who are independent readers and writers).





All they need to do is write a short essay between 200-300 words on the topic “Reading Is My Superpower”, telling why they love reading books and why others (especially younger kids) should read books too.





The best 3 entries will get prizes and also be featured in our Blog. 





Scan the handwritten essay and upload it in the Google form, here. 





Wondering where to send your entries?





All those young readers participating in the Raising Readers Campaign, check out the contest activities (1-5) and send in your entries by the 12th of December, 2021, here in this Google form.  For your convenience, here is a checklist of what’s to be uploaded for each activity.





Contest Checklist
Contest Checklist





Participants of the Advanced Readers Contest, send your entry in the Google Form here.





So, what are you waiting for? Participate and win exciting prizes!










Happy Reading! Happy Book-Exploring!










        

    
    
    

        
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Raising Readers

            

        
Raising Readers Campaign- Making Reading Enjoyable & Activty-3

        
    
          
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Contest Checklist
A sneak peek into the activities ahead!





Raising Readers Campaign
  1. Quick Recap
  2. Tips to make the reading journey enjoyable
    1. Personal Bonding
    2. Sensory experience
    3. Involve others in the family too
    4. Book conversations
    5. Activities around books
  3. Raising Readers Contest
    1. Activity 3-Accessorize Your Book





Quick Recap





Raising Readers is a 4 weeks long campaign to help kids develop a love for books & reading. We hope you have started the reading journey with your kid and hope the tips and resources from previous posts have helped you along. If you haven’t checked them yet, read them here and here.





Remember, you can get your kid started in this beautiful journey of bonding over books anytime. It’s never too late to start but to make it sustainable for a lifetime, the journey has to be made enjoyable.





Designed by the Author on Canva





Tips to make the reading journey enjoyable





One of the frequent queries that we received is what can be done to make a hyperactive kid sit and read a book?





Well, here is the short answer. You need to make the kid ENJOY the book and not just read the book. This can be done easily and here are a few things that you can try:





Personal Bonding





For a kid, reading time is more about bonding with their parent/caretaker than the actual reading. It is about creating a memory.





So fix a time every day to bond over books. Read the book aloud. It can be in any language. All that the kid seeks here is comfort from your presence and voice.





Sensory experience





When starting out, opt for colourful picture books or touch and feel or sound books (you can find resources on where and what to buy, here). Let the kid explore books for their pictures and texture first, like they do with a toy. 





With an appeal to their senses, exploring books becomes more enjoyable.





Involve others in the family too





It can be more fun when kids get exposed to different ways of storytelling. This can happen when people of different ages, say, a grandparent, a sibling or a friend can all read out the same story to the kid at different times or occasions.





Book conversations





Bring conversations around books in your day to day life. Say if you just read about traffic signals in the book, make sure to show them the traffic lights while you are on a drive.





Activities around books





As simply sitting and reading a book can tend boring for starters, you can club reading with other activities. 





You can include some craft works related to the topic or playing a sport mentioned in the book, or list out things mentioned in a book and identify them in your home, or have pretend-play sessions on the topic around the book.  





Hope these help you get an idea of how to make book reading an enjoyable activity than a mundane chore. To help you get started, here come activity 3 of the Raising Readers Campaign.










Raising Readers Contest





We hope you are aware of the ongoing contest and as part of it, here is your Activity-3.





Activity 3-Accessorize Your Book





This is going to be super easy and super fun. Here’s a video on DIY Kawai Origami Bookmark, video courtesy: Roshna Salim.








Video Courtesy: Roshna Salim





All you got to do is take some time out, sit with your kid, get your hands on paper and colours and little glue and make this bookmark together.





Take a pic of your kid helping or making the bookmark and also a pic of your kid holding their favourite book accessorized with this bookmark. Keep them ready for uploading. 





We are so eagerly waiting to see those proud creations and happy smiles!!





Hope you have got your videos and pictures ready (check out this content checklist picture ) from the previous activities. In the next few days, there will be a few other activities. Once everything is done, you can upload your entries here: Raising Readers Contest Form.





If you have any query, write to us at promisingpoetry5@gmail.com





Happy Reading! Happy Exploring!










        

    
    
    

        
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Raising Readers

            

        
Raising Readers Campaign- Resources, Tips & Activity-2

        
    
          
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Image of a quote on books
Designed on Canva





Table of Contents
  1. How to find the right kind of book as per your kid’s age and preference
  2. Where can I buy affordable children’s books
  3. Affordability is a problem? Here’s what you can do
    1. Library subscriptions
    2. Pre-loved Books
    3. Book fairs
  4. Practical tips for sustainable reading journey
    1. Earn a book
    2. Reader Friends
    3. Gift books
  5. Audible books
  6. Raising Readers Contest
    1. Activity 2- Bonding Over A Read Aloud





Now that you are determined to gift the joy of reading and books to your kid are you wondering where to find the right kind of books? Are you worried about the cost of board books? Or wondering about how would you manage with space if you were to pile up books on the long run for your budding reader?





Fret not.  We have answers to all your queries. Here are a few tried and tested resources, practices and tips that can make your reading journey enjoyable, affordable and sustainable.





How to find the right kind of book as per your kid’s age and preference





While just starting out with a reading journey, it can be difficult to understand which book will get your kid lured to reading. While some prefer comics, some picture books, some may prefer touch & feel books.





With a plethora of options out there to lure you as a buyer with their attractive reviews, it gets confusing and overwhelming for a parent/caretaker to pick the right book.





This is when a book reading community can come in handy. One such community (we bet, there was no looking back or searching for another community after joining this!) is Kids Book Café (KBC).





KBC is your one-stop destination to discover children’s books (well, they have one day of the week dedicated for grown-up reads too!) through peer recommendations and reviews.





The biggest plus of the community is its founder, Asha Chaudhry (a certified community builder) who gets to understand e-v-e-r-y kid’s likes and dislikes and never fails to surprise us with her impeccable book recommendations. (And no, this is not a sponsored post!).





Join their active FB group to find a treasure trove of book recommendations. The members there are quick to respond, non-judgmental and always encouraging. The perfect place to get all the queries answered in the journey of raising readers.





Also, did I tell you they come up with amazing book offers and contests exclusively for KBC kiddos from time to time? Join now! 





Where can I buy affordable children’s books





Here are some of our favourite places for buying books. Again, this is not sponsored and the mentions here are just purely out of the personal experience.





From our collection





https://homelearning.scholastic.co.in/?schoolID=30053&fbclid=IwAR0W3dB6wJ9c-efSIOz8qPzoX_Ra67b3Uw6i_H23AGLeu6HyUc7H6cAgE1o





https://www.nbtindia.gov.in/catalogues__online-listingSearch.aspx





https://www.tulikabooks.com/





https://store.prathambooks.org/productCategory?STORY_BOOKS





https://rupapublications.co.in/book_category/children/





https://www.karaditales.com/shop/





If you have any particular suggestions on where to buy from, do tell us in the comments section.





Affordability is a problem? Here’s what you can do





We have come across concerns over board books & touch and feel books being unaffordable for many parents/caretakers and here are some solutions you can try.





Library subscriptions





One of the best, time-tested solution to have access to various books at affordable rates is to have yourself enrolled in libraries.





While public libraries may be more cost efficient, private or independent libraries have vibrant collection and subscriptions are competitively priced too.





It’s highly recommended that every kid has access to library as it helps them explore different genres and grow to understand their preferences much better. More so, when a kid picks a book of their own choice, in 99% cases they tend to enjoy and finish the book.





So help your child have access to library. I bet it won’t be much costlier than your TV subscription and also the returns are high here. Choose wise!





Pre-loved Books





For those who wish to own a colorful physical books but not in a place to buy them first hand, here are links to some tried & tested places for good quality, affordable pre-loved books:





https://www.weareturners.in/





https://instagram.com/mom.me.nd.books?utm_medium=copy_link





https://instagram.com/pupiliobooks?utm_medium=copy_link





https://instagram.com/peek.a.boo.boo?utm_medium=copy_link





Book fairs





While many may have an idea of book fair showcasing only new books, there are also sections allotted for pre-loved books that come at throwaway prices. One of our favorite places for trying new and preloved books is certainly a book-fair. Discovering books in a book fair is a must try experience.





Practical tips for sustainable reading journey





Earn a book





This is a tried and tested way to help kid have their favorite book while also learning to be responsible. The rule is simple. Assign them doable tasks or chores and tell them they will earn points for every completed task and depending upon the points scored they get a book.





A win-win for both kid and parent!





Reader Friends





Inculcate reading habit among your kids’ friend circle and exchange books. This way they bond over books, get to read different books and most importantly learn to share.





Also, having friends who read books helps have healthy conversations, discuss taboo topics with ease and gives a lot of scope to have book related activities as a group.





Gift books





As a parent/caretaker make it a habit to gift books on different occasions, be it birthday or festivals. This way, over years, you will have a library of your own.





Audible books





Introducing to audible books improves the listening skills of the kid. Also it motivates them to do read aloud.













https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nani-ki-kahaniya-970242





Hope this post helps you. Do let us know if you have any other resources to add to our list. We are always welcome for suggestions.










Raising Readers Contest





We hope you are aware of the ongoing contest and as part of it, here is your Activity-2.





Activity 2- Bonding Over A Read Aloud





One of the best ways to spend quality time with your kid is to pick up their favourite book and do a read aloud.





It is simple. Now that you might have started exploring books with your kid on a day-to-day basis, do a read aloud of a book that your kid is currently enjoying.





Capture a short 1-2mins video of you doing a read aloud for your kid. If you are camera shy, it’s understandable. In that case, capture your child enjoying or responding to your read aloud as you do so behind the camera.





Keep the video ready.





In the next few days there will be few other activities. Once everything is done, you can upload your entries here: Raising Readers Contest Form 





A sneak-peek into what’s coming next!





Stay tuned! Happy Reading!










        

    
    
    

        
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