‘No room for profit’: Noida man shares reality of small businesses after selling eggs, juice near gym

Noida man warns people about the risks of small business. (AI-generated image)

With many salaried employees looking for additional sources of income beyond their regular jobs, small business ventures are often seen as a practical option. However, a Noida-based man has shared a warning, saying such efforts can result in losses if they are started without adequate planning and an understanding of local demand.

Vishwas Verma, who shared his experience on Instagram, said his attempt to run a small food outlet outside a gym failed to make a profit, even though it seemed financially workable at first. Speaking about common beliefs around small businesses, he said, “Like many of us, I once believed small businesses are easy money...quick maths, instant profit. I believed it too… until I ran one myself,” he said.

Verma explained that his experience with the business began when he noticed a vacant shop near the gym he regularly visited in Noida. The location seemed suitable, given that gym members are usually interested in health-related food options. “The gym was in the basement, and so was the shop,” he said in his Instagram video.

What made the opportunity more attractive was the low monthly rent. According to Verma, the shop was available for Rs 10,000 per month. Believing this to be a manageable expense, he decided to start the business with a friend.

Verma said he and his friend planned to sell items such as fruit juice, protein shakes and boiled eggs, assuming the gym-going crowd would ensure steady demand. He explained, “We went into it without thinking. We both thought that the Rs 10,000 rent is low, and we have surplus income, so we started this business.”

Despite being confident at the start, Verma said the business began facing problems almost immediately. Although they sold items that seemed suitable for the location, they did not properly consider changing costs and daily expenses. “We sold juice, we sold protein shakes, we sold eggs,” he said.

One of the first major issues arose while selling fresh juice, especially pineapple juice. Verma said the price of raw materials changed often, which made it difficult to fix a steady selling price.

“We hit our first roadblock, for example, while selling juice. So I started selling pineapple juice. But do you know the rate for a pineapple in the market? The price changes daily, so we couldn’t understand how much to price our juice at,” he said.

The shop sold pineapple juice at Rs 90 per glass. However, Verma said they later realised that this price barely covered costs. They also invested in a cold press machine, believing it would increase output and improve margins. “We got a cold-press machine too, thinking we would be able to extract a lot of juice. We barely got one glass from one whole pineapple,” he recalled. As a result, the juice was being sold at close to cost price, leaving no room for profit.

After juice sales failed to generate returns, Verma and his partner shifted their focus to boiled eggs, which they believed would be a simple and profitable item. Their calculation was based on buying eggs cheaply and selling them at double the price. Verma said they were unable to source eggs at the expected price of Rs 5 each. “Everywhere we tried, especially in winters, we found eggs being sold for Rs 7 or 8. And then when we tried to sell them for Rs 10 per egg, we always ended up ruining three to four eggs in the process of cooking,” he said.

The shop also sold instant noodles, which are often believed to bring good returns. Verma said a packet costing Rs 11 was sold for Rs 30. However, he said they did not factor in several fixed costs. These included the shop manager’s salary, rent, electricity bills and equipment expenses. After accounting for these costs, the product did not make a profit.

Over time, Verma said they began to understand why the shop rent was relatively low compared to other commercial spaces in the area. “Finally we realised why the rent for the shop was so low, because no one aside from gym-goers was frequenting that area,” he said.

The low footfall meant the business relied mainly on gym members, with very few other customers. This made it hard to increase sales or recover losses. Verma ended his post by speaking to people working in regular office jobs who plan to start small businesses alongside their work. He said his aim was not to discourage anyone, but to share lessons from his own experience.

“This reel isn’t meant to scare or discourage anyone. It’s my personal learning that every business demands understanding, research, and real-world exposure, not just surface-level calculations,” he said.

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A post shared by Vishwas Verma (@gptnlife)

The video received several responses from users who shared their own perspectives on business and employment. One user commented, “I like people who speak truth about facts... And I am someone who likes business over jobs... and I really don't care what others think of it... It's been 17 years, I am observing in my home Xerox business, and also I am very much interested in commerce and business...But the fear of owning one's own business is not yet over... but it's win-win till date so no regrets.”

Another user wrote, “True talk, sir! When you start, you know the reality of every business.” One comment questioned, “I wonder if they teach this in MBAs.” Another added, “Someone will do the research better because of you.”