Saloni Sethia’s Post

5 hard-earned lessons I wish I had known before starting my business: 1. Building a Business is not a challenge. Running it Is. The thrill of launching something new is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in keeping the momentum, solving daily problems, and scaling sustainably. Starting is exciting, but maintaining and growing is where the hard work truly begins. 2. You Can't Do It Alone. Seek Help. Do you think you can build something great on your own? That's a mistake. And worse, refusing help when it’s available. Mentorship, collaboration, and seeking advice are not weaknesses; they’re essential ingredients for success. Find people who can lift you and guide you. 3. Make Time for Reflection. It’s easy to get stuck in the daily grind, focusing only on operations and growth. But stepping back to reflect on what’s working and what’s not is vital. Regular reflection helps you adjust your strategies and ensures you're heading in the right direction. 4. Take Breaks & Prioritize Self-Care. As entrepreneurs, we often think pushing ourselves non-stop is the key to success.  But it’s not about the hours you work—it’s about the focus and energy you bring. Taking breaks to recharge and prioritizing your mental and physical well-being is crucial. Your health fuels your business. 5. Build a Support System. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Surround yourself with peers, mentors, and friends who understand the journey. Their support, insights, and encouragement can help you stay strong, especially during tough times. These lessons aren’t just for new founders—they’re reminders for all of us who are constantly learning on this entrepreneurial journey. What’s a lesson you’ve learned along the way? #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipLessons #StartupLife

I built MAW Music Pvt. Ltd from a tiny 500 sq. ft room to Nepal’s biggest retail store—without an MBA. Here are 10 observations I learnt along the way: 1. Slow growth is better than fast growth.  2. Balancing growth and finances is a constant juggling act. 3. The pressure to constantly perform can take a toll on your mental health. 4. Finding people who share your vision and are skilled is harder than it looks. 5. Not every idea or project works out – learning from failure is part of the game. 6. Keeping customers happy and engaged is as hard as getting them in the first place. 7. Shifting focus from being the cheapest to offering the best value is a continuous challenge. 8. Global supply is challenging, with Nepal being landlocked & and having higher freight costs. 9. Pivoting and adapting until we found the right product-market fit took longer than anticipated. 10. It’s not enough to just sell a product – creating a loyal customer base is a whole different game. What is your biggest lesson till date? #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #StartupJourney

Recently, we faced a big setback. After working on a hotel project for a year, providing all the technical work and support, we didn’t land the contract. The client awarded the project to a competitor who used our technical work but offered a much lower bid. Tough lesson, but here’s what we learned: 1. We undersold ourselves by giving away too much technical expertise for free. If we believe we’re the best in the game, we need to start charging for that upfront. Your expertise is worth something – make sure you value it before others can.    2. We didn’t have agreements in place to protect our intellectual property. Moving forward, we’re formalising and safeguarding our technical work, ensuring we’re compensated for our consultancy from the start. 3.  We’ve started doing post-mortem analyses after lost bids to understand where things went wrong. It’s helping us identify gaps and areas for improvement. Whenever possible, we engage with the client to gather feedback on why they chose another provider. This new process is already helping us refine our approach. Failures may sting, but they shape us for the better. Now, we’re more prepared than ever to protect our work and ensure that we’re valued for what we bring to the table. How do you turn failures into learning moments? #BusinessLessons #ValueYourWork #Entrepreneurship

Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked my business —- with this ONE philosophy. Building a business is like growing a garden—nurture it, and it will thrive. 🌱 I’ve also realized that it’s not just about tending to your business. It’s about cultivating yourself from the inside out, just like a garden. You can’t expect beautiful flowers if you’re not willing to care for the roots. 5 pieces of advice for you if you’re building something of your own: - Business will test your resilience, just like weather tests plants. In the beginning, I didn’t anticipate how much emotional strength entrepreneurship would require. There were storms of doubt, moments when I wondered if I was cut out for this. But just like plants grow stronger after surviving harsh weather, I’ve learned to build mental toughness. Now, when challenges come, I see them as opportunities to grow deeper roots instead of obstacles that could uproot me. - You need to evolve just like a garden through the seasons. The market, technology, and customer expectations are always changing. In the same way that gardens need care throughout the seasons, I’ve had to adapt and evolve. Every year brings new trends, new opportunities, and new demands. And like a gardener learning which plants need more sunlight or water, I’ve learned to invest in my own growth—professionally and personally—so I can thrive in any season of business. - Business is like a mirror reflecting your growth, or lack of it. Just as a neglected garden shows weeds or wilting plants, your business reflects how much you invest in your personal development. Running a business has shown me where I need to improve. At first, I thought I just needed to focus on the business itself, but I quickly realized that my personal growth was just as crucial. It’s like nurturing the soil—if you don’t improve it, nothing else can flourish. - Confidence grows like a strong tree. Early on, I often felt uncertain, constantly second-guessing my decisions. But as my business took root, so did my confidence. Like a tree that starts as a seedling and grows stronger over time, my belief in myself grew as I nurtured it. Confidence, like a tree, gives you stability and the strength to weather storms and reach for new heights. - Balance is essential, like watering and sunlight for plants. In the past, I often pushed myself too hard, thinking that sheer effort alone would make my business grow. But just like a plant needs both water and sunlight in balance, I’ve learned that success requires balance. Taking time for myself—to recharge, to reflect—is just as important as the work I put into the business. When I take care of myself, I can bring more energy, focus, and creativity back into my work. The more you invest in your personal development, the healthier your business will be. Just like growing a beautiful garden begins with nurturing the soil. #StartupGrowth #EntrepreneurLife

We’ve worked for more than 150 hotels and another one got added to the list. The recently opened ITC Fortune Bhaktapur, Nepal is making waves, and I'm thrilled to share that Vie Tec played a key role in bringing this luxurious property to life! 1. We designed and constructed a state-of-the-art swimming pool. 2. Our team installed a property-wide audio-visual system for background music and banquet facilities. This project showcases our commitment to blending top-notch construction with advanced audio-visual solutions. It's not just about building spaces; it's about creating experiences. A big shout out to the ITC Fortune team for their trust in VIE TEC Private Limited. Here's to many more successful collaborations! 🤝 #VietecProjects #HospitalityTech #ConstructionInnovation #AVSolutions #ITCFortune #BhaktapurHotels 

It has been a rollercoaster of a ride. After working for 10+ years, I realised that - As a leader, whatever you do and speak impacts your organisation. • 70% of employees say their leader's behaviour directly impacts company culture. That's right, your mood swings aren't just annoying - they're shaping your workplace! 😬 • 93% of employees say they're more likely to stay with an empathetic employer. So, those kind words? They're not just niceties - they're retention strategies! 🤝 • Did you know that inspired employees are 125% more productive than merely satisfied ones? Your ability to motivate can literally double your team's output! 🚀 • 81% of employees say they'd work harder for an appreciative boss. A simple "thank you" could be your secret productivity weapon! 🙏 So, before you open your mouth or fire off that email, ask yourself these four questions: 1. Is it necessary?     • Will this communication add value?    • Is this the right time and place? 2. Is it kind?    • How would I feel if someone said this to me?    • Am I considering the other person's perspective? 3. Is it inspiring?    • Does this message motivate and energize?    • Am I leading by example? 4. Is it helpful?    • Does this solve a problem or provide guidance?    • Will this make someone's job easier or clearer? Your words that can make or break someone's day, week, or even year. Here's a challenge: For the next week, run everything you say or do through this four-question filter. Then, watch how your team's energy, productivity, and happiness transform. And who knows? You might become a better leader (and person) in the process! Let's lead with intention, folks. #Leadership #Empathy #Communication

Doing + learning + improving = success. (Use this method to use failure for improvement) 1. Allow yourself 5 minutes to acknowledge and process the failure. Feel the emotions, but don’t dwell on them. 2. Spend the next 5 hours analysing what went wrong. Dive into details, gather data, and understand the root causes. 3. Over the following 5 days, create and implement an action plan to address the issues and make improvements. Focus on actionable steps and adjustments. By breaking the process into manageable timeframes, you can swiftly move from failure to constructive action, turning setbacks into valuable learning experiences. How do you approach failure and use it to improve? Share your strategies in the comments! #Success #Failure #Improvement #GrowthMindset #ActionPlan

I am not a civil engineer yet I am a part of the construction world at VIE TEC Private Limited While I’m not out there with a hard hat, my focus is on improving our systems and processes. Many people misunderstand what higher managerial positions actually entail. Some think that managers just sit back while employees do all the work, and that’s partly true and partly false. Yes, some in higher positions might not take their roles seriously, but that doesn’t mean all do. Here’s how a person like me contributes to a company: 1. System Optimization: I ensure our processes are efficient and effective. This helps our projects run smoothly and meet deadlines.     2. Problem Solving: I tackle complex issues that arise, making sure we find solutions quickly and keep everything on track.     3. Strategic Planning: I work on long-term plans and strategies that guide our company’s growth and success.     4. Team Support: I support and guide our teams, making sure they have the resources and direction needed to perform their best. So, while I might not be on the construction site, my role is crucial in making sure everything behind the scenes runs flawlessly. It’s about creating the right environment for our teams to succeed and ensuring our projects are delivered as planned. #Construction #Leadership #Management #CompanySuccess #DirectorRole

It’s been sometime now that I have also been working at VIE TEC Private Limited. One of my core responsibilities is problem-solving. This term is overused on social media, and everyone talks about it. But I have a different take on it: (on how I dealt with problems that occurred while starting in the 1st few weeks) 3 strategies from 66-year-old Chris Voss, ex-FBI hostage negotiator, that will NAIL your next problem. 1. Mirroring: Repeat the last 1-3 words someone says.    • This simple tactic gets people talking, often revealing more information.    • It shows you're listening and encourages elaboration. 3. Accusation Audit: Address any potential negative assumptions up front.    •By acknowledging potential negatives, you reduce the chance of the other party using these concerns as objections or obstacles.    •This fosters collaboration, builds trust and leads to a more cooperative and open dialogue. 4. Calibrated Questions: Use "how" and "what" to shift perspective.    •  Instead of asking, "Can we fix this?" I asked, "How can we prevent this in the future?"    • These questions encourage problem-solving rather than defensive responses.    • They put the onus on the other party to find solutions. Problem-solving isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking the right questions, listening to the responses, and creating an environment where collaborative solutions can come up. #leadership #founder #problemsolving #negotiation

When we started my company, we operated out of a tiny 500 sq ft shop. Today, we're proud to be Nepal's biggest audio-visual retail store. The key to our growth? Prioritising the customer experience. Why focus on retail experience? • 75% of customers say they're more likely to purchase from a company that offers a personalized in-store experience • 90% of consumers are more likely to make repeat purchases from brands that provide a great experience Our market research revealed a common issue in Nepal's AV retail: • Shops were small and cramped. • Customers couldn't touch or test products. • Limited ability to compare options side-by-side. We knew we had to change this. Here's how we transformed the AV retail experience: 1. Space to explore: We expanded from 500 sq ft to over 3500 sq ft, giving customers room to move and discover. 2. Interactive displays & demos: We set up our store with space for hands-on product testing. People can try options, experience the product before finalising the product. 3. Knowledgeable staff: We invested in training our team to guide customers through complex AV choices. 4. Comparison zones: Customers can easily compare similar products side-by-side. 5. Immersive experiences: Customers can have have full setup demos to showcase full systems in action. In the AV world, seeing (and hearing) is believing. By creating an environment where customers can truly experience products, we've not only grown our business but also helped music lovers and audiophiles find their perfect sound. What's your take on the importance of retail experience? How have you seen it impact customer behaviour in your industry? #retailexperience #customerexperience #audiovisual #nepalbusiness