Balaram Uprety: Nuggets of wisdom from a business coach

Balaram Uprety describes himself as a corporate culture coach who provides valuable advice to top honchos of Nepal’s business houses and institutions. His client list includes Guna Group, Jyoti Group of Companies and Frontline Hospital. He also serves as the director of AP1 TV and Kathmandu Engineering College.

A law graduate, Uprety entered the world of business as a marketing agent and worked his way up to where he is today. He is the quintessential self-made person. He shares some business advices for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Work hard and stay curious

Uprety says he achieved his success through the dint of sheer hard work and eagerness to learn.

“If you work hard and if you are patient enough, success will follow,” he says.

But hard work must be complemented by maintaining an eagerness to always learn new things.   

Although Uprety studied law at college, his first job was that of a marketing agent. When he started out, he had no marketing background whatsoever. He says it was hard work and his spirit of curiosity that brought him success while working for Sign Graphics, his first place of employment.

“My employer was not sure if I was fit for the job because I was a law student,” Uprety says. “But I convinced him to at least give me a chance, judge me by my performance and pay me accordingly.”

Uprety went on to make many clients for his company because he was willing to put in extra work and get out of his comfort zone to learn new things. He later went on to establish his own marketing firm, Advertising In Use.

Be practical, always

Most businesses in Nepal, Uprety says, fail due to lack of market research.

“One cannot succeed in business or any other field just with theoretical knowledge.” 

Every business idea, he adds, “must be put to the test in the real world”.

Uprety believes in the importance of real life interactions with things and people to know their true worth. “It teaches you how different the real world is.”

He learned this while working as a marketing agent.

Uprety says marketing and advertising firms can be a great place for anyone who wishes to learn how the real business world operates and to hone their soft skills.

“All parents should send their children to work as a marketing intern when they graduate from school,” he says

Prioritize your clients

That all businesses should put the needs of their clients first is a no-brainer and yet, many of them fail to do so. Uprety says the measure of any successful business is how satisfied its clients are.

“I have always prioritized my clients and put their needs before mine,” he says. “My objective is to meet their expectations in whatever way I could.”

That old business dictum ‘Customer is King’ holds true even today.

If you are in a business, Uprety suggests, always prioritize your clients, without exception.  

“Always assume that your clients are as good as you think you are in your line of business,” he says. “Always assume that you and your clients have the same knowledge and set of skills.” 

Aim for natural growth

This one is closely linked to the first two points on working hard and being practical. Uprety reiterates success follows hard work.

So his advice to all new entrepreneurs is to work diligently and be sincerely.

“If you have worked hard, you will be rewarded. Be patient and believe in yourself.”

“One must be realistic and aim for natural growth and steady returns,” says Uprety. “There are no shortcuts to success, really.”