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Most individuals studying architecture pursue a career in the construction or design industries. At the same time, some think outside the box and employ their creativity and education to fuel and nurture their entrepreneurial spirit. Today, we will enlighten you with the success saga of such a personality. Himanshu Laul is an architect by training but has become a successful businessman. He leveraged his knowledge and interests to spearhead a successful business in a completely different industry, so read on to learn about the key aspects that contributed to his success story.
Early Life and Education
Himanshu Laul was born in 1988. He grew up in India’s capital city, New Delhi, with his parents and younger sister. He attended the Summer Fields School. After high school, he enrolled in the five-year B.Arch. (Bachelor of Architecture) program at the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He completed the program with a specialization in architecture and planning in 2011.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
Himanshu’s business journey is a classic example of people who started their businesses from scratch without prior work experience. Following his graduation, Himanshu was eager to create a new venture and challenge himself further. Yes, he decided to foray into the food business without any background in the industry or experience managing a similar venture. He was inspired by his friend’s mother’s cooking skills and took a desire to make her tasty and healthy food varieties more accessible to the community. In 2012, he co-founded an art café, Kuzart Lane, in Delhi, where people could enjoy intriguing art and soulful food in a laidback ambiance. He later moved to Dubai, where he served as the CEO of Laully DMCC for more than a year (2019 to 2020).
Joining Rayna Tours and Travels
“The person who has had the most noteworthy impact on my life as an entrepreneur is Manoj Tulsani. He is my mentor,” says Himanshu.
For the uninitiated, Manoj Tulsani is the CEO and co-founder of Rayna Tours and Travels, an award-winning Dubai-based destination management company launched in 2006. Their longtime acquaintance led Himanshu to Rayna Tours and Travels in 2020. When he joined the company as the Director of Business Development, he brought a fresh perception and, of course, a trove of experience and knowledge that would prove to be a game-changer for the company, especially in the testing times of the pandemic.
From his first day in the office, Himanshu hit the ground running. He examined the company’s operations and integrated several strategic initiatives that would improve and boost brand recognition. In fact, one of the first things he focused on was revamping the company’s marketing and branding strategy. He saw the potential of creating a more persuasive and engaging tactic that would resonate with the targeted audience.
Himanshu also worked with the executive team, comprising Manoj Tulsani and Yasser Noman (Rayna Group’s Executive Chairman), to establish avalue-added, strong culture, leading to a more empowering work environment. Thanks to his leadership skills, strategic vision, and passion for fineness, the company experienced incredible success in one of the most challenging times. He has been Rayna Tours and Travels’ managing director since October 2022.
What makes Himanshu’s marketing strategies different?
According to Himanshu, “In today’s fast-paced competitive world, it can be enticing for businesses in every industry to develop pushy sales strategies and engage in marketing wars, but these clashes can cause all your efforts to go into the drain. To avoid this, the businesses must emphasize their unique selling proposition and develop a marketing plan that gives them an edge over their competitors.” So, let us look at how Rayna Tours and Travels put this strategy into practice.
First of all, they make it happen by building strong customer relationships. Himanshu says, “Rayna Tours and Travels has all the essential resources to micromanage every aspect of a trip. And we have gained the trust and loyalty of our customers by providing them with exceptional customer service, which starts with an inquiry about a service.” The company has always focused on creating valuable content that resonates with its audience. It has benefited them in terms of repeat business, unbiased reviews and testimonials, and the elevation of their brand status in the industry.
Himanshu believes that organic marketing is one of the most potent ways businesses reach their target audience and potential customers. The company has effectively incorporated this strategy into the overall marketing plan.
In his words, “Paid ads prove beneficial for driving an immediate result, but they can be expensive and may not deliver a strong return on investment. On the other hand, organic marketing strategies, such as social media engagement, increase a brand’s visibility and help its products and services reach a wider audience, allowing for higher conversions with improved business profitability.”
What’s next for Himanshu and Rayna Tours and Travels?
He answered, “We have some exciting plans for the future! We plan to expand our business by opening more branches. Recently, we launched our new ventures, such as Rayna Properties and Rayna Seacation. We are also exploring avenues to diversify our business activities in more domains like digital marketing.”
Final Thoughts
Starting a new business is overwhelming and scary even for most veteran entrepreneurs, so imagine doing it without solid experience. But some absolute newbies have embarked on the entrepreneurship journey with nothing but their passion, ingenuity, and persistence to turn their ideas into successful ventures. Himanshu is one of them, and we hope his success story will provide an understanding of what it takes to start and thrive in a business without prior work experience.
