Behind the counter, Mohammad Gufran handles the repairs and the forms himself, switching between tools and a computer as customers come in with problems they want solved quickly.
Gufran’s shop offers a one-stop shop for phone fixing, alongside online services such as income and residence certificates, PAN card applications, ration card-related work, voter ID, and other digital paperwork.
He says the most frequent requests are for income and residence documents, PAN cards, voter IDs, and mobile repairs — a mix that keeps the shop active across the week.
From job work to a shop of his own
Gufran’s route into this work was not through long years of study; his schooling did not go far, and he chose to learn by working. For several years, he was working at a CSC centre and also did mobile-related work, a combination that shaped what he eventually wanted to build.
Over time, the appeal was not only the tasks themselves, but the idea that both services could sit together in one place and serve a steady local demand.
He began his own unit around nine months ago, after working in the field for about six years. The shift, he suggests, was less about a sudden break and more about deciding to move from supporting someone else’s business to taking responsibility for his own.
“Earlier I was working at someone else’s shop, now it is better,” he says, adding that his earnings and stability feel stronger now than they did in a job.
Setting up with support, learning the pace
About seven months ago, Gufran learned about Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA) Yojana through a text message. After checking what it was and how it worked, he applied, and availed a loan of five lakh rupees, primarily to start and organise the shop properly.
His key reason for choosing this route, he says, was that the loan was described to him as interest-free, which made the decision easier compared to other borrowing options.
He does not describe major hurdles in receiving the loan, though he acknowledges that the process had some routine difficulties.
Still, he calls it a workable route for someone trying to set up a small local business without waiting years to accumulate savings.
Looking ahead, keeping the work steady
At present, he runs the shop alone, managing both repairs and online applications end-to-end. As the business grows, he says he wants to hire one or more people to share the workload, a step he links to what he observed in earlier workplaces where multiple staff handled different tasks.
For now, the measure of progress is simple: a regular flow of customers, repeat visits, and the satisfaction of managing his own schedule and income. The early months, he suggests, were about arranging the basics and learning the pace of independent work.
With that foundation in place, Gufran’s focus is on maintaining consistency at the counter, the small daily proof that a decision made during uncertainty can settle into a stable routine.
Discover more from News Link360
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
