BYFTU is India’s first online platform dedicated to providing small businesses, especially those owned by women, the opportunity to advertise and sell products and services to the world. Founded in 2023, BYFTU connects such small- scale sellers with buyers of handmade/ customized products and services.
BYFTU is an acronym for “By You, For you, To yoU” which represents the idea of people making products and providing services by themselves, for and to people like themselves. Through BYFTU, we focus on small business owners who operate from their homes or at a small- scale, either by choice or due to lack of means to enter the mainstream market. We also specially focus on women entrepreneurs because we believe and acknowledge that there is a prevailing need for a platform for showcasing the products and services provided by women who are vocationally skilled but have not been able to venture into the mainstream market to monetize their talent due to reasons that are societal, physical, financial etc. BYFTU provides the platform to such women and other small business owners to bring out the entrepreneurs inside them and become financially independent by advertising their products and services on BYFTU.
BYFTU began with the realization that Indian women are reservoirs of untapped talent and potential. Noticeably, almost every Indian woman has a vocational skill that has not been monetized. Indian mothers and grandmothers are known to be the best cooks and weave the best sweaters in the world. Many Indian women are trained in Indian classical music and dance. These are just a few examples of the immense amount of unique talent that Indian women possess. BYFTU was born upon imagination of the strength that could be brought to such women by providing them a platform to showcase their talent and monetize it. Eventually, we realized that apart from women, there are several men who are equally talented and are operating at a very small-scale. This led us to build a platform that could provide every small- scale entrepreneur the opportunity to advertise their products and services while operating their business even from their respective homes. It is also inevitable that the potential of such entrepreneurs, when monetized, would contribute to the GDP of the country enormously.
On the other hand, the demand for handmade and customized goods is on a rise nowadays. Handmade products are known for being better in quality when compared to factory-made products and have a touch of uniqueness to them. They have more finesse and are easier to customize as per the customer’s requirements. Home-made food is certainly healthier than restaurant- made food. Indian handicrafts have been liked all over the world for their beauty. Customised packaging is highly in demand during festivals and special occasions. BYFTU is a platform for customers to buy Indian handmade creations and avail themselves of services such as tailoring, packaging, music tutorials etc. at very affordable rates.
Thus, BYFTU is the meeting point for two needs that fulfil each other. Firstly, the need to promote small- scale entrepreneurs, especially women, to advertise their handmade products and services and secondly, the need of customers looking for handmade products and services that are customizable and affordable.
BYFTU for Sellers:
- Enhanced visibility
- Efficient communication with buyers
- Free registration
- Personalised dashboard
BYFTU for Buyers:
- Handmade products
- Customizable products
- Wider marketplace
- Affordable prices
