Meet Shar Vaidya | Small Business Owner/Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shar Vaidya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shar, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always been creative . I remember in college I wanted to start my accessories brand that had all possible options for a women on the go. I did actually start my own jewelry business 6 years ago but could not keep up with it due to my full time job and a newborn to care for. Fast forward to 2020 when covid hit in full force, I was working from home and with another newborn, I needed a creative outlet . So I traded my old die cut machine for the latest one and decided to try my hand at engraving. I started by engraving some acrylic and sent some samples to my family members to try which eventually led to me starting my own Etsy Shop NVDSIGNZ (named after the initials of my two boys Neel and Varun). Never did I think that something which was meant to be just a distraction from daily chores has now become my full time job.
 
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what differentiates me from other makers , is my ability , to actually empathize with my customers. Every customer buys from someone who they can trust. I believe I have the ability to combine my Design & Sales skills combined with my ability to care that makes my brand unique ,successful & Trustworthy . I am super proud of the fact that, in my first year in business I catered to the demand of customers from over 45 states !

It’s surely been challenging to balance my home life with my small business life but I wouldn’t trade it for any thing else. I have worked tirelessly to get to a point ,where I am able to launch an item without having panic attacks. Similar to most successful business owners I have worked till midnight to ensure my orders have gone out on time and also I have kept on top of my social media presence. Its been such a great learning curve, I would panic every-time I received feedback or if someone ordered something new. I am still learning to overcome some of those , but I am confident in my ability to serve my customers right, as compared to when i started my business.

I would like the world to know that, I am very confident in how I run my business. All my Products are hand-made individually . To ensure customer satisfaction I never send out a product until it is 100%. I also always test a new product with close friends and family so I can resolve any kinks and issues before I launch it to the rest of the customers.

All of this takes a big chunk of my time and it’s surely been challenging to balance my home life with my small business life. However I do my best to give justice to both.
 
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I feel most people who come to Arizona want to first see the Grand Canyon. Having seeing it a million times by now I would love to show them Sedona or even Show Lo which has slightly different landscape than the Grand Canyon but still very unique to Arizona. Also since I have kids we would also love to go on a train ride by Grand Canyon Railway or Verde Canyon Railway. Scottsdale is one of the places I would recommend anyone for great golf courses, restaurants and night life!
 
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am going to say the real hero behind my business is my husband Aditya . He has been so supportive of this idea even before I wanted to start another business. He takes care of the kids when I have deadlines to meet and whenever I have to manage pop ups .He is also a great listener ! Whenever I have had issues , he listens patiently and always gives great advice.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/nvdsignz

Instagram: @NVDSIGNZ

Facebook: @NVDSIGNZ