A newspaper Venture-Sandeep Rawool's story

Everyday when I go to the railway station to go to college, I see him working along with his assistants. He sits on the platform besides his wheeler stall and swiftly arranges the newspapers in the stall. His brother helps him in arranging the newspapers and his minions help him by properly separating the newspapers as per requirement. So what is so special about this man who sells newspapers as many others do in the city?? When I spoke to him about the business I came to many things which I didn’t even have the faintest idea of!!

Sandeep Kaka-as everyone call him-at work

Mr.Sandeep Rawool, proprietor of ‘Rawool Newspaper Mart’ may seem as some ordinary newspaper vendor if you judge him by his looks. But as the saying goes ‘Looks are deceptive’, same is the case here. Oh doesn’t it sound to clichéd? Yes! But when you go ahead and speak to him about his business, you will be shocked! Here is a man who knows all the modern terms about business.

So I ask him why he started this business- wherein the profit isn’t as much as it is considered in other business. He replies that this is a family business which his grandfather started. He has been in the newspaper selling business for around 27 years and all these years he has seen a vast change in the newspaper industry!! He says that he didn’t really have to start from the scrap as everything was set. But a very important change came into his life when he and his family decided to shift to Ambarnath from Andheri. Here he had to establish contacts and see to it that everything for his business is set perfectly. When everything was set, he was again ready sail off (I mean into his business). But there was a question that was troubling in my mind, why didn’t go for some other business? He casually replies, “This is a business which will never end. People will always cherish the habit of reading newspaper and at the same time the newspaper industry will never shut down”. Hmm very true!! Isn’t it??

A typical day in Sandeep Uncle’s life:

3.00 am- gets up

3.30 am- goes to the main road near the station to collect the newspapers that come by the press vans.

4.00 am- carries all the newspapers with the help of his assistants to the stall and separate in two parts- One for the home subscription and for the sale on the stall itself.

He is there in the stall till evening 9.30/ 10.30 pm and then retires for the day.

I ask the most important question- about money!!! How does he manage to cover up the transport cost, paying the rent for the wheeler, worker wage, buying newspaper and magazines etc…and finally earn profit? He replies, “Although initially I was worried how I manage the entire process would and this fear would force me to work alone with my brother. But as the workload increased, I had to hire assistants. The cost of the newspapers to be paid to the newspaper office is fixed and the payment is paid on a monthly basis. Every month we go to the respective newspaper’s head office and pay the monthly subscription fees.”

He also delivers newspapers at home- a venture he started when he sensed the fierce competition in this particular area. His assistants distribute it among themselves and everyone is allotted a specific area. The profit he gains from these home subscriptions is fairly well.  When I ask him about the new discount subscriptions that the newspapers give to their customers, he replies that although this is not a profitable venture, he can’t deny the newspapers and also the customers about this. He adds that he gets some commission from this entire venture.

Speaking of the transport cost, he says it is NIL. Initially, the newspaper vendor had to go to the printing press and get the newspapers (his grandfather did the same thing), but now-a-days thanks to the better transport facilities available the vendors don’t have to go anywhere. Their stock comes to their doorstep.

When I ask him what is the best thing about this business? Pat comes the reply, “There is no bargaining. The prices for all the newspapers and hence there is no customers’ haggle like other business. This business is never going to stop!!! So I don’t really have to worry about it,” he smiles. And the Not-so-good fact about this business- “We hardly get time to relax, to be with our family. The only days we are with our family are those days when the newspapers don’t come”. (Pretty bad, eh?)

When I am ready to leave his stall, he is busy arranging the newspapers which were not sold to return them to the press. The press vehicle comes once a week. Any future plans? He is planning to open a book shop!!

Well, I never thought that for a simple newspaper to reach my house- so many people take the efforts. Phew!!!