Bunko Junko

Bhavini N. Parikh is no stranger to creativity and entrepreneurship. Before starting her upcycling venture Bunko Junko, she was teaching cooking classes and demonstrating crafts on a local Gujarati channel. She also worked at BN Fashion, a garment manufacturing unit, with her husband, white labelling for big Indian brands and high-end designers from across the world. Bhavini noticed that a lot of the fabric was going to waste in the manufacturing process. So she decided to do something about it.

In 2017, she founded Bunko Junko, a business that uses waste fabric to make upcycled garments, furnishings, and accessories. The brand generates Rs 45 lakh (almost USD 63,000) in annual revenue.

For a venture like Bunko Junko, WhatsApp has been a go-to tool to help the business grow.

“I have been using WhatsApp for more than four years now,” says Bhavini. “When I started Bunko Junko, I shared product pictures through WhatsApp to interested customers. This not only helped in conversion but also to get feedback.”

Switching to the WhatsApp Business app helped Bhavini reap additional benefits.

“I created a few WhatsApp groups to maintain constant communication with artisans and operations staff. Today, with the business account, I also share approvals. This helps to speed up operations on the shop floor,” she says. “After using WhatsApp Business, I have seen sales rocket by 80 percent. Sometimes, we just get product orders after customers see what’s on the display picture of the Bunko Junko WhatsApp account.”

Bhavini says that sustainability isn’t a next-generation job or just a trend. “For us, it’s a mission. It’s our future.”