Entrepreneurship, Self-Employment and Work Readiness
This domain tests whether you can turn binding skill into a small enterprise: choosing a legal form, accessing support schemes, costing and pricing, keeping records, and behaving professionally at work.
Enterprise basics
- Forms: sole proprietorship, partnership, self-help group, co-operative, private limited company.
- Register on the Udyam portal for MSME benefits; obtain GST registration once turnover crosses the threshold.
- Support available: Mudra loans (Shishu, Kishore, Tarun), NHFDC and state welfare schemes for persons with disabilities, District Industries Centre guidance, NSIC and KVIC programmes, and tender reservations.
Running the business
- Quote in writing: specification, quantity, unit price, taxes, delivery date.
- Keep an order book, stock register, job cards and simple accounts.
- Market through samples, local stationers, schools, offices and social media.
- Protect quality and delivery dates; they win repeat orders more than price does.
Work readiness
A short, honest CV; punctuality; safe working; clear communication; teamwork; willingness to be trained. Know basic wage computation and the idea of PF and ESI contributions.
Worked example
Price 100 hardbound notebooks. Material ₹60 each, labour ₹25, overhead ₹10, so cost = ₹95. Add a 20% margin: 95 × 1.20 = ₹114, quoted at ₹115 each plus applicable GST. Reasoning: the margin must cover rejected pieces and the delay risk, so pricing at bare cost loses money on every faulty book.
Traps
- Pricing without overhead or wastage, then discovering the job made a loss.
- Ignoring the GST turnover threshold.
- Accepting an order without a written specification, so a dispute is unwinnable.