Business With Values

Robert Collier said, 'Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out' and so believes Thiyagaraaj R of Attrib Systems. Nestled in a quaint city of Tirupur, Attrib Systems is well known amongst the locals, as a company they can trust. Thiyagaraaj R had a vision of becoming an entrepreneur from his college days, but it took him quite a few years to take the plunge, primarily because of the risk behind every business venture.

Thiyagaraaj completed his Bachelor of Computer Application from Anjappar Institute of Technology along with various other computer courses. Since he excelled in his studies, Thiyagaraaj was absorbed into the college as a faculty. He shifted focus to IT by becoming a software engineer in a small IT firm. In 2001, he partnered with his friend and founded Brainware Info. After absorbing the nuances of trade, Thiyagaraaj started his own firm Attrib Systems.

Start of the journey

With a vision of becoming a successful entrepreneur, Thiyagaraaj was contemplated on his decision, since sourcing initial investment was an uphill task. Thiyagaraaj remarked, “Business in rural towns and cities is lot more different from metros. Credit runs high and without that, it is impossible to survive. The size of the market also matters for any business.” After arranging for the necessary capital, Thiyagaraaj kept on investing more in terms of assets, even when there were less returns. He recollects, “The initial months were filled with anxiety and expectation. I kept on investing money even when there were hardly any returns. It took me sometime to build loyalty and trust.”

Fondly remembering an incident, he said,” Few months ago, I encountered a slight problem with finances. I had to manage my customers and suppliers simultaneously. At one point, when I almost gave up, my customers, who had placed advanced orders cleared the amount before the delivery. This kind of relationship is only possible when both the parties are clean and have good market reputation. This is nothing short of a miracle.” Infact in and around Tirupur market, Thiyagaraaj is known for his clean handling of accounts and it has never happened that his cheque has ever bounced. Thiyagaraaj quips, “All my business associates treat my cheque as ATM card. They have never encountered even a single problem till date. I wish and pray to God that I can keep up this reputation for ever.”

Conquering new heights

Moving to a new premise, Attrib is now offering wireless broadband networking for SMB's, anti-virus solutions, besides other products. Thiyagaraaj has also partnered with IBM, Compaq, HCL , Dell and Samsung, thereby expanding his product portfolio Sharing his expansion plans, Thiyagaraaj said, “When I started, my outstanding was running very high. Today I have branched out in so many different IT areas and established a good rapport with my vendors and customers.” Sharing an anecdote Thiyagaraaj said, “Even though I am the proprietor of Attrib Systems, people do not take me seriously because of my looks. Just to change their thought process, my e-mail id has my designation as Head-Business Promotion.” Recently, Thiyagaraaj encountered problems

with Stellar Black Cat anti-virus product. He had purchased 200 units of the

anti-virus product, but because of a faulty part, 95 percent of the stock is not yet dissolved. Thiyagaraaj recollects, “Whenever any company comes to market, they hand out so many assurances. Till date, I have not been able to liquidate the Black Cat Stellar products. There was no support from the company's side at all. I do not want to dump any product on my customer since it is against my business ethics. I have a goodwill to protect. Its my money which has got stuck, but I will resolve this issue, no matter how long it is going to take.” Apart from this minor setback, Thiyagaraaj is gung-ho about the new year and new opportunities.

Family Ties

Thiyagaraaj's family comprises of his parents, brother, wife (Maheshwari) and son (Adhishwaran). He completely dotes on his six month son and believes him, to be his source of inspiration.”My wife has been a great pillar of support to me. It is very important for a person to maintain his personal and professional lives. She makes sure that things are going smooth at home, so, I do not have to worry about that front at all. Now that I am a father, I look forward to spending all my free time with my son,” said Thiyagaraaj.

Sharing his personal details Thiyagaraaj said, “I still keep in touch with my college friends. We have had many memorable holidays together. In spite of being busy with work, we make it a point to meet each other.” In his spare time, Thiyagaraaj loves to go on for long drives with friends and family. He also has keen interest in sports, especially cricket. Thiyagaraaj signed off by saying, “It has been my childhood dream, to become a successful businessman. I am diversifying into many areas, so that there is always a steady flow of income to my family. I also want to contribute to the society and in near future will do so.”

Future

With the onset of the new year, Thiyagaraaj is hopeful of achieving many targets. Since Pongal is the most revered festival in Tamil Nadu, he is hopeful of touching new horizons.

Revathi Raghavan

revathir@cybermedia.co.in