Uncle Thakur™

Introducing Uncle Thakur, his friends and family.

My name is Thakur Singh, but you can call me Uncle Thakur, as do my extended family, and many others who have realised that I am not shy in offering advice. I am however discovering that my children may hear the sounds, but don't seem to listen to the words.

I have two sons, Sanjay (nicknamed Apu) & Rishi and a daughter, Tara. I came to the UK in 1969 from Uganda, with only £5 in my pocket. I am now the proud owner of five retail shops, a cash & carry outlet, and a laundrette. You could say that I may know a bit about setting up and running a business. I prefer to think that I have been on a long journey, and have seen the World, or at least thousands of its inhabitants, from my shop, while I punch away at the keys of a cash register. I feel that the time has finally come to hand over the reins but none of my children want to run the family business.

I just want to share my wisdom with my kin, to ease their own journeys; the way I wish someone had eased mine.

My eldest child Apu, having graduated in computer science several years ago, works for a large computer software company. Tara my daughter is finishing her PhD in some human genome project, at which point I hope she will settle down and get married. Then there's my youngest, Rishi. He just wants to play with his musical instruments and gadgets.

Come, join me while I write letters to my old friend, Sher Khan, explaining, complaining, protesting about the challenges, practicalities and reality of setting up a new business, and of a new generation, rejecting the cornershop, setting out on their own.

Appearing regularly in The Chilli, it's the story of youthful energy clashing with elderly wisdom, of today's free money culture at odds with the notion of a difficult business birth and a lifelong journey. Above all, it's the story of Uncle Thakur passing on his business wisdom to his grown up children, who are all set to become the new generation of entrepreneurs on their way to build global brands. Set in a time when any dream seems attainable, in a place where new business, culture & convention struggle to adapt to a new reality. Learn more about Uncle Thakur below.

Uncle Thakur

• Born in Amritsar, Punjab state, India; later migrated to Uganda for a couple of years to start his first business.
• Lives in West London.
• 62 years old.
• Educated to Matric level in Indian education system.
• Came to England in 1969 from Uganda, where he had a small shop
• Rani, his wife, arrived in the UK in 1970; helped with the business in the early days, raised kids - always on a lookout for a suitable bride for Sanjay and a rich husband for Tara.
• Best friend - Sher Khan; retired; wife, Parveen.
• Neighbour - Dinash Patel; son, Ashok (solicitor).
• Customer - Mr. Masood; a local Bangladeshi restaurateur.

Business ventures & adventures

• Runs a cash & carry business in Southall, with retail outlets in:
  • Southall, W London; two branches run by cousins.
  • Ealing, W London; run by cousins.
  • Walthamstow, NE London; run by cousins.
  • Streatham, SW London; run by non-relatives.
• Runs a launderette in Ealing, catering to single professionals in the area.
• Thakur previously relied on family members to manage the branches, but has started relying on outsiders to run the newer branches.
• Uncle Thakur is somewhat reluctant to start businesses outside of London as he is a hands-on entrepreneur, often putting him at odds with his branch managers.
• Uncle Thakur had a bad experience when he invested in a nursing home in Hertfordshire, only to lose his stake after new legislation was introduced, making him wary of outside advisors.

Children

Sanjay; nicknamed Apu

• Born 1972
• Age 31
• Graduated with a BSc in Computer Science

Tara

• Born 1977
• Age 26
• Graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology
• Studying for a PhD in Human Genomes

Rishi

• Born 1979
• Age 24
• Graduated with a BA in Film and TV Production

Others

• Bhiku Shah; friend of Apu, and tech entrepreneur
• Roger; sales and marketing VP at Apu's startup - Api Systems
• Femi; software developer at Api Systems
• Lee; software developer at Api Systems
• Gharbar Singh; good-for-nothing friend of Apu; bit of a fixer, deal-maker.
• Start-up lawyers; Wheeler & Dealer.
• Investment bankers; Silverman Baggs
• Bank's lawyers; Nutt, Lineback & Dour
• Venture Capitalists; 420 Capital including partner Romeo Patel - "The VC who loves you and leaves you"