Jumping head on
Nishan
At this time the book ‘The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss’ got me hooked on starting a business and getting out of the 9 to 5. This book completely changed the way I thought about work and life. This was the time when I launched Jump.lk.
It started out as my personal blog. Since I had nothing to blog about, I started writing about the things that I was passionate about. Things on investing, personal finance, online business, mediation, productivity etc. I kept on posting great content and people started discovering my blog. I also created a weekly email newsletter and it grew to more than 4000 subscribers over the years.
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On the business model of jump.lk and how jumpbooks.lk fits into the plan?
Nishan : After launching and publishing great content for more than a year, I realized that I had no way of making money from the website. I knew that if I want to escape the 9-5, I had to start making money from my website. I tried reaching out to potential advertisers but soon realized that it’s a difficult path that requires a lot more effort and more convincing.
That’s when I turned to books. I consider myself as a person who’s willing to eat books if that helps me to learn. That’s how much I believe in the power of reading.
But there was a problem. Most of the non-fiction bestsellers that I wanted to read were not available in traditional bookstores. Even if I wanted to get them down, it used to take time and sometimes the shipping cost was higher than the price of the book. So I decided to solve the problem to myself.
I found an international supplier and started importing books. I listed them on Jump.lk and one by one the number of orders increased.
That’s how Jumpbooks.lk started. Then I decided to separate the two businesses and created a new website for Jumpbooks.lk.
What started out as a personal blog evolved into 2 businesses.
With Jump.lk, we educate Sri Lankans on skills that are not taught in schools. We publish great content on the format of articles, videos, and podcasts. We also have our very own Jump Academy where we conduct monthly workshops on topics such as investing, e-commerce, blogging, etc.
Nishan conducting a workshop. Pic courtesy jump.lk
Jumpbooks.lk is an online bookstore that has one of the best collections of non-fiction books that you cannot find anywhere in Sri Lanka. We sell physical books and we have some of the best-selling books on business, entrepreneurship, startups, personal development, psychology, relationships, stoicism, marketing, biographies, etc. So far we have served more than 1000 customers and we do free Delivery Island wide.
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On deciding to going it alone
Nishan: Yes, I was desperate to leave my job but I always had a backup plan. Until I started making some money from the business, I didn’t leave my job. I left my job only when I realized that it had the potential to provide for my life. Of course, I wasn’t making the same amount from my job in the beginning but I knew in my heart that it was time to go all in.
I think every entrepreneur who starts a business while working comes to a state where you just cannot do both. You realize that it’s time to go all-in on your business. You just feel it in your gut. That’s the time to leave your job. For some, it will take years and for others, it will take months. Either way, trust your gut and let it lead you. You will know the right time to leave your job.
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On venturing into a lesser-known field?
Nishan: Here’s the truth. I did several jobs before starting my business and wherever I worked, I “had” to leave because no one wanted me! Was I a terrible employee? You be the judge of that.
I always liked to run my own show. Being at a certain place at a certain time with a tie around my neck was not the way I expected to live my life. I value my freedom more than anything. From a very early on in my career, I realized that I’m not cut out to work under somebody. So becoming my own boss was the only option available. That’s why I started my own business.
I’m not gonna lie. I do miss the steady paycheck. There are definitely times where I doubt everything that I do. I do worry a lot about the future. But I also know that this is the right path for me.
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Advice for youngsters who are looking to launch out on their own
Nishan: I still regret not starting a business while I was an undergraduate. I had enough and more time to start something on my own but I didn’t. The main reason is we didn’t know any better. No one was there to guide us and show us that starting a business is also a viable option. All we did was try to get good grades so that we can land a great job.
For all the youngsters, I say go and start a business. It doesn’t matter what you start and it doesn’t matter whether you succeed or fail. The number of things you learn when you’re running your own business is unmatched. You don’t get that in a 4-year degree.
Also, don’t overthink. This is what’s wrong with most of us. Out of fear of failure, we don’t start. If you’re thinking of starting something, just do it. Think of it as an experiment. If you succeed, you can continue. If it fails, you’re going to learn something. Either way, you win.
Follow Nishan on the following platforms
https://jump.lk
https://jumpbooks.lk
Jump.lk Instagram -
https://www.instagram.com/jump_lk
Jump.lk Facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/jumpsrilanka/
Jumpbooks.lk Instagram -
http://instagram.com/jump_books/
Jumpbooks.lk Facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/jumpbooks.lk/
Words of advice on the COVID -19 outcome
COVID-19 took most of us off-guard. After all, it wasn’t something that anyone could’ve predicted. The global economy shutdown affected every business you can think of. This impacted my business as well.
The first thing we should do is not to wallow in our misery. Yes, times are tough and we don’t know what will happen in the future. But we will get over this and when we do, we need to be prepared more than ever. If you look outside, you’ll realize that the only active economy right now is e-commerce. From facemasks to vegetables and fish, we are buying everything online.
Going forward, more Sri Lankans will turn to online purchasing. This will force retailers to find ways to cater to the growing online consumers. Those who won’t adapt will eventually disappear. The long-predicted e-commerce boom in Sri Lanka will happen after COVID-19.
Some business owners have stopped their entire operations out of guilt. While the entire country is suffering, should you sell and make money? My answer is, yes you should.
Now more than ever, we need businesses to make money. If not, your employees will suffer and their families will suffer. Not only that, your suppliers and other third party stakeholders will suffer along with their families.
The Sri Lankan economy doesn’t need more companies to cut down salaries and lay off employees. That’s why it’s crucial to make money during this crisis.
Aren’t you grateful that most essential services kept going during the crisis? If it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have anything to eat.
If you’re a business owner, the last thing you should do is stop selling. Figure out different ways to sell your products and services. You may have to offer discounts. You may have to adapt to online sales. You may have to change your offering. But don’t stop selling.