In the fast-paced and drastically changing world of business, everyone goes through problems. Problems can stand in front of you in any attire. Most of the businesses downed their shutters due to lack of good planning, strategies, visions, bad cash flow management, lack of training, etc. One always searches for solutions for his problems to run the business smoothly than before. In a crucial world of competitions, it was difficult to find those solutions. ‘Iyer’s Pro-Risk’ Business Solutions gave an end to this solution search. In a conversation with Mr. Ganesh Iyer, founder of Iyer’s Pro-Risk; let’s know about their services and views about business.
Tell us about Iyer’s Pro-Risk.
“Iyer’s Pro-Risk” Group is an Entity created with just 3 main objectives:
· Substance over Form [no theories, only practical HONEST solutions]
· Pro-active for You [Be pro-active and AGILE]
· Begin with the End in Mind.
Our philosophy is to create a Win-Win Solution for all with Total Transparency. We are in the business of Wellness and Risk Management and want to be pioneers in this. We believe that,
“As long as human’s life & death exist, Health, wellness and insurance will exist”
Similarly, I have learned from my basics that Risk can never be ZERO. It can only be controlled. So that’s how the core purpose of “Iyer’s Pro-Risk” has been arrived at.
2. What were the initial challenges you faced while setting up?
By God’s grace, “Iyer’s Pro-Risk” has not faced any major challenges in the initial days, except that sometimes I felt that we should have had a bigger team. We have already crossed 800 days and no major hurdles have been faced by us. We are on our road map. I am very thankful for the insurance industry and allied service industries, which have placed their trust in us and been associated with us, and supporting us in different ways. Of course, thanks to my team members, who kept on delivering consistently on every project of ours and could give me the space to think strategically forward.
3. Which was that point that triggered the growth of Iyer’s Pro-Risk?
After I moved out of my corporate job, I immediately moved into my consultancy role and started on a high with some faded vision of the future and some great ideas in mind but no roadmap. As I started moving on, my vision started getting clearer and the road map is designed in detail. With some great leaders in the Banking, Insurance, and Technology industry, I have got timely mentorship – both friendly and professional, which has helped “Iyer’s Pro-Risk” to be on the right path. I am thankful to all such leaders, who have always been positively guiding me, with their entrepreneurial experience, in my journey. Life’s good with such good people who not only grow but also let others grow.
4. How have Iyer’s Pro-Risk graphs changed since the foundation?
I decided to move out of my corporate job on January 5th, 2017, and finally moved on 12th June 2017. During this period, I started preparing my road map of what I will do after I quit my job, with actually no real plans on January 5th when I first discussed my resignation. On June 13th, 2017 – the very next day, I was already on my toes with a few consultancy contracts and fairly reasonable returns in hand. Within 5 months, I already had a team of 3 people with me.
That helped me look forward with the help of my wonderful reliable mutually exclusive team members to deliver whatever we committed. That was the beginning of a jump from a consulting firm to a Business Solutions Company. It’s less than a year now since this company being formed and we are on the path to do something big in the coming years in the field of wellness and risk management. It’s not a general story of one more start-up company with huge borrowed funds and looking big in a few years.
5. What is the reason behind your company’s long-standing success?
Iyer’s Pro-Risk is too small now, just 800 days and a small team of just around 5 members. No big players or funds behind us or above us, except that we are associated and connected with various service providers to deliver. So would not like to say it’s a long-standing success story or even that we are a Big Success at this stage. It’s a story of a Dream. It’s a story of hope and faith. Let’s wait and watch.
6. What are the products/services Iyer’s Pro-Risk focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?
Our core services are focused on Risk Management and Wellness. We are currently consulting and providing solutions in the areas of Risk and Insurance. Iyer’s Pro-Risk is associated with the best of service providers in these domains and hence can provide a one-stop solution to the clients through these good service providers, coupled with our domain expertise thus providing a win-win situation for all.
7. How do you decide to take Iyer’s Pro-Risk a step further in terms of your services?
Iyer’s Pro-Risk is focussing clearly on our core areas and there is no intention to divert from the same. Very soon, “Iyer’s Pro-Risk Business Solutions” would be coming up with a dedicated Insurance Risk Management Unit, which will later expand into the BFSI space. This will be the first of its kind in the Risk Management space.
Iyer’s Pro-Risk’s Wellness Arm is also coming up with a Health Food Solution, which is going to be very unique and one of its kind again. This will begin the main foray of Health & Wellness for us, which will then merge in with the Health and Life Insurance connected services to add value to consumers, to service providers, and the Insurers. Again a Win-Win Solution for all.
8. What are the different processes you follow for better results?
Our Entity is clear on the basic tenets of functioning:
- Ethics, Honesty & Transparency [not just in words or statements, but in actual practice]
- Begin with the end in mind. Work backward. First the Why, then what and finally How. We believe, with this, everything will fall in place.
- All Members of “ Iyer’s Pro-Risk” will own the work and clients. We will not be doing any Duty.
- Lastly and most importantly, our focus would be on Culture along with our Strategy. So we will ensure that “Culture will not eat Strategy at Iyer’s Pro-Risk”.
9. With technology taking over, how are you coping with this changing landscape?
I have a very strong belief that “Technology is just an Enabler not an objective in itself”. So obviously, we won’t do anything without the usage of Technology, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. But that doesn’t mean that we will be a Technology Company. Technology will play a main role as a platform and a solution.
But it will not be our core product and will not be a primary driver. So our App, Portal, etc. will just be a platform but not the main product in itself. Humans will play a very important role in all our businesses. Technology will keep on upgrading and we will have to keep upgrading ourselves therewith. That’s no choice.
10. What do you think are the responsibilities of an entrepreneur?
According to my, an Entrepreneur is responsible, among others, for the following things-
- The objective and the philosophy for which his / her entity is created.
- To define the culture of the Organisation and ensure the organization works on that culture & philosophy only.
- Towards each person associated with the entity
- Towards looking forward and maintaining continuity
- Towards the society and mankind
11. Can you please brief us about your professional experience?
I am a Bachelor of Science [B.Sc., Chemistry] and a Chartered Accountant. While the last 19 years, Insurance and services in the related areas have been my life, as a CA I have wider exposure and experience of Risk Management, Processes, Controls, and Designing Strategies, etc.
12. What are the key achievements of your entrepreneurial journey?
I am walking on my journey as planned. I am associated with the best of service providers and able to connect the right gaps. I have followed my principles to the core without a single compromise.
13. How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?
Our employees are aware of the revenues, costing, etc. of the projects; they are involved with absolute transparency. They take responsibility for all dealings with clients, including billing and collections. We believe in Trust and it has been working very effectively. Employees have their leverage and they get Work-Life Balance with appropriate priorities for both home as well as office. As a philosophy, Iyer’s Pro-Risk would be hiring only such people with a positive attitude, sense of ownership, and not considering a 9-5 job.
14. Can you tell us what your favorite book is and your favorite part of the book?
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey: most of my Company philosophies are designed from that.
- “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith: this is what made me think bigger and bigger during my corporate job and then moving out and now for the next step
15. Whose business story do you find the most inspiring?
- GOOGLE –
What a magnanimous vision to rule the EARTH! Great philosophy to support “Making Mistakes and learn from them”.
- AMAZON –
What a powerful way to look at customer centricity: “To be the most Customer-Centric Company on this EARTH”
16. Which is the most inspiring quote you have read?
“When the Sun is Shining, I Can Do Anything”
“No Mountain is too high. No Trouble is too difficult to overcome.” – Wilma Rudolf
17. Constant vigilance- a need or a strategy? Please share your views.
The Dictionary meaning of the noun “Vigilance” is “keeping a careful watch for possible danger or difficulties”.
So according to me, it is a part of my process. It is neither a need nor a strategy. For me and my organization, “Process has to be followed not only during the normal good times but also during the worst possible times. That is the real test of the process.” So being alert and keeping a watch on the probable issues or problems or danger or difficulties has to be part of the process itself to avoid any shocks in life.
18. it’s a rat race out there. How do you cope with that?
I don’t see any rat race out there. It’s we who become rats and join the race. It’s up to us. A rat race in my opinion is against the principle of the Win-Win approach. In a rat race, we just want to win and others to lose. I would like to enjoy and celebrate the achievement of my dreams and desires, where there are many stakeholders to gain.
So let me celebrate with all and not try to be in the sphere of greed, where only I can enjoy. I like a couple of dialogues from the movie “3 Idiots” where he says “Don’t go behind Success, go behind Excellence. Follow your passion. Success will automatically follow”. That’s exactly what I am trying to do in life.
“I do what I like and I like what I am doing”.
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