Running and sustaining a flourishing business with unerring consistency, is the hallmark of a marquee small business. Founded by Serrao Francis Socorro in 1999, Crosscraft Pvt Ltd, a company that organises events, weddings and cruises has had a successful innings for over two decades. A native of Divar Island and a lover of music and art, Serrao leveraged this passion, to create an event management business that puts a premium on high ethical standards and delivers only the best to its clientele.

Serrao is the backbone of this enterprise and his quiet confidence shines through whenever he speaks about his venture. He maintains that his stance of avoiding 'overpromising and under delivering' has stood him in excellent stead through the course of his entrepreneurial journey.

In conversation with GlobalLinker (GL), Serrao Francis (SF) talks about the inception and journey of his enterprise.

GL: Tell us about your business.

SF: Crosscraft, which began as a private company, is a combination of three service verticals catering to Goa and international markets. Our focus lies in Event Management, Wedding Planning, and Boat Cruises.

Started in 1994 but not registered until 1999, the company has me as its Founder and Celinda Serrao and Hanish Timblo as its Directors. The origin of our name lay in our services that could be ‘cross-sold’ to the same customer. For instance a cruise liner customer would often look to organise an event. This led us to ‘cross-sell’ our services with great effect. Thus, the name ‘Crosscraft, and the accompanying tag line – ‘We CROSS barriers & CRAFT dreams.’

GL: How did you venture into the field of organising events?

SF: I have always been interested in and participated in cultural activities, be it music or theatre. During my days as a school-boy in the island of Divar, I took part in several cultural activities and was even part of a band. My passion and love for the performing arts drove me to establish my own venture. I wanted to base my business out of Goa and was keen to prove that it could be a world-class business destination, apart from being a beautiful destination meant only for leisure.

GL: What are some of the big events you have done?

SF: We have pulled off weddings and corporate events of enormous scale, across the globe -- from Uganda to Indonesia.

One of our marquee events, the ‘Garden of Dreams’ New Year extravaganza, has been carried off with aplomb at Grand Hyatt in Goa, for the past two years and is one of India’s largest New Year celebrations with 150 national & international artists. We pride ourselves in organising bespoke destination weddings.

GL: Who are your major clients?

SF: By virtue of our membership, we have received tremendous support from EEMA (Event & Entertainment Management Association). While being based out of Goa places limitations on our clientele, we have some regulars in HSBC, ICICI, Citibank & GenPact.

GL: How big is your team? How do you keep your team motivated?

SF: We are a 140-member team, headquartered in Goa with operations the world over. I believe in giving my team a guiding vision, ensuring the best possible working environment and easy access to everything that the team requires to excel at the workplace, while also keeping a close eye on their personal development and contentment factor in their individual lives.

GL: What are the major challenges you have faced in your business?

SF: We pride ourselves in taking on projects that we know we can deliver while adhering to our own quality benchmarks. Only when you undertake what you cannot deliver, does it become a challenge.

GL: How did you come to know about GlobalLinker & how can this solution benefit SMEs?

SF: I am a JetPrivilege member and that’s how I learned about GlobalLinker. A platform like GlobalLinker presents a huge value-add to SMEs across the board, not least among which is the ability to leverage complementary synergies.

GL: What is the one thing that has helped you grow your business?

SF: In my opinion, maintaining the highest ethical standards, honesty and humility are the tenets that have been the foundation of our growth story. Our business is all about relationships and trust, hence our motto ‘ethical in dealings, excellent value and exceptional client service.’

GL: What is your big business dream?

SF: We aspire to be the go-to business house in Goa for all things related to event management, while never losing sight of the ethical principles on which our business was built.

GL: What would your message be for other aspiring entrepreneurs?

SF: My advice to any entrepreneur is simple – there is no short cut to success. Businesses work on relationships and relationships are built on trust. So maintain high ethical standards and promise only what you can deliver with the highest quality and to the best of your ability.

Disclaimer: This article is based solely on the inputs shared by the featured member. GlobalLinker does not necessarily endorse the views, opinions & facts stated by the member.