If your focus is on serving your local community with consistent, reliable service, it’s more likely a local business.

Example: A grocery store that serves customers in your neighborhood.

Local businesses usually grow through self-funding, bank loans, or by reinvesting profits over time.

Example: A local milk delivery service run by a family-owned dairy farm.

Local businesses cater to people in a specific geographic area—like a town, city, or neighborhood.

Example: Ravi Opticals – A single-location optical store in a Bengaluru neighborhood that serves walk-in customers, knows their preferences, and adjusts stock based on local demand.

If technology is just used to support your day-to-day business (like for billing, delivery, or marketing), you are more likely a local business.

Example: A single dance school operating in one locality.

Local businesses generally aim for sustained growth within a community and long-term customer relationships.

Example: A spice shop selling to local customers in a city market.

Not necessarily. If you’re using AI tools (like chatbots or analytics platforms) simply to support your daily operations—without AI being your core offering—you’re still a local or traditional business.

Example: A small HR agency using ChatGPT to draft resumes or emails for clients.

If your business is built with the intention to scale rapidly, possibly disrupt an industry, and serve a large or global market, you're likely building a startup.

Example: A new line of organic snacks with plans to sell across India through retail partnerships.

Startups often raise funding through venture capital, angel investors, or startup incubators to support fast scaling.

Example: A modern dairy brand that raises funds to expand to multiple cities.

Startups aim to reach large-scale or global markets with a scalable offering.

Example: Lenskart – Started by solving the problem of affordable eyewear and expanded to serve customers across India (and globally) through online and offline channels.

Not always. Even without tech, if your business model is scalable, disruptive, or unique — you could be a startup.

Example: A chain of dance studios with franchising plans across India.

Startups plan to grow fast, expand to new regions or markets, and possibly get acquired or go public.

Example: A premium spice brand that wants to enter gourmet food stores and export globally.

Not necessarily. Using AI doesn’t automatically mean you're a startup. However, if your business is building AI-powered products, solving problems through machine learning, or aiming to scale using AI innovations, then you likely fall under the startup category.

Example: A company developing an AI-based hiring tool that screens candidates for large enterprises.