Interview of a Shopkeeper!

If they can work this hard, then why can't we?

Interview of a poor and needy shopkeeper who lives near my house.
Interview by: Syed Adeel Akhtar

How long have you been a shopkeeper?                  
For about 15 years now.

About how much do you earn a day?
I earn about Rs 2000/- a day.

Do you get any profits?
I keep a profit of Rs 5 to Rs 10 on every product, till the end of the month,  i earn about Rs 60,000. But then again, in buying the products to sell, about quarter of my earning is used. And since the expensive is increasing day by day, i have to earn for my family and most of my money is spent! After spending my money on food and other survival items, i am left with about Rs 1000 or Rs 2000.

Are you married? Do you have any children?
Yes, i am married and i have a son and a daughter.

Do you have any partner in your business?
No, i work alone though i have a sweeper to clean the shop so that more customers come in.

Do you have any family members that help you in your work?
Yes, my brother and i work very hard and since he is younger than me and isn't married, we combine our money and live together.

What kind of problems do you face?
Some times, there is a shortage of some product and less customers come to my shop, i still have to pay the bills and it gets really difficult to split the money for different purposes. Sometimes, i also have a lot of loss if none of the customers come and buy things, this gets too hectic for me to manage my shop and support my family but i have to work hard and withstand every problem no matter what happens!

 My shop is all i have, my family and i survive only because of my business and i don't know where i would be if something happens to my shop!