Online errand boys make life a lot easier
Portals offering concierge services cash in on busy lifestyles, provide personal assistants at your beck and call
December 03, 2012 / 15:28 IST
Gargi Banerjee
How many times have you wished you had someone to pick up your groceries or deposit a cheque for you? How often have you longed to send flowers to someone special but simply couldn’t make it to the florist?Well, fret no more because that cliche about it being only a click away is actually true. Capitalising on the scorching pace of living that leaves no time to do your chores are portals that take on the onus - at a price. Could it really be that easy? Well, it is. Websites such as www.meranaukar.com provide concierge services, which means someone else runs your errands for you. All you need to do is fill out the relevant details on the portal or make a phone call to the company, pay in advance, and consider the job done.The Opportunity
Manav Shankar, founder of www.meranaukar.com, says the idea grew out of a sense of guilt for “not being able to be there for his parents” because they lived in different cities. “It bothered me that I couldn’t do something more for my parents, like paying their electricity bills for them or just bringing them fresh fruits on my way back from work.”Shankar, who has a strong corporate background and was in the thick of the action when mobile telephony was growing in India, conceived of a service that would fulfil this need. With a few NRI friends, he set up ASR Retail Services Pvt Ltd, which owns meranaukar.com, and launched the portal in May 2012.Depending on the type of service you need and the urgency, you pay between Rs 150 and Rs 300 per service. Payment is made via your debit card or Internet and mobile banking facility. “We deliver happiness both to the sender and the receiver,” says Shankar, explaining that as soon as the errand boy completes the task assigned, he takes a picture of the recipient and sends it to you, pronto.Phone Service
Bharat Ahirwar, who worked in the PR and Marketing industry, runs www.getmypeon.com exclusively in Mumbai. His service is less elaborate and is not online. Launched in July in 2012, it works over the phone. “I want to keep it easily accessible. Just give us a tinkle on 9833183385 or a send us a text message and we will be at your service,” says Ahirwar. The service, however, does have a Facebook page and a Twitter handle which offer tidbits of some of the unique tasks they have carried out, like getting an antique watch repaired for a customer and hot-footing it to fix a broken pair of spectacles for an elderly gentleman.Revenue Model
The revenue model for Ahirwar’s www.getmypeon.com is simple. He bootstrapped his business with an initial investment of Rs 1.5 lakh and has a team of five office boys who manage about 15 tasks a day. The asking price is Rs 150 per errand plus travel expenses, if booked in advance. Services requisitioned the same day cost Rs 200 apiece. Ahirwar says his business typically clocks Rs 1,700-2,000 a day. Monthly revenue amounts to Rs 50,000-Rs 80,000, which is also used to pay the salaries for his boys. Ahirwar stresses that his focus is the service and safety, which he ensures with a thorough background check on his boys. On the other hand, Shankar’s www.meranaukar.com uses a franchise-based business model. He started with a seed capital of Rs 8 lakh, most of which came out of his own savings. The company has not yet broken even but Shankar claims that should happen by the beginning of 2013. To become a franchisee, one needs to invest Rs 1.5-2 lakh, which includes a security deposit, set-up costs and a small franchise fee. Every franchisee earns a 50-65 per cent commission, depending on the kind of orders brought in.On a typical day, www.meranaukar.com receives 30-35 orders, which are handled by 27 delivery boys across 11 cities in India. A core team of seven people manages everything, from use of technology, to tracking orders, to training the on-ground fleet, forging tie-ups with vendors and getting new franchisees sign up.
“We sell a service and thus need to ensure that it is top-notch,” says Shankar, who adds that his ground fleet undergoes extensive training. The company also insures its delivery boys. “To grow properly and steadily, we have to make sure all the stakeholders have some takeaway, tangible or intangible,” explains Shankar.Expansion Plans
Both Shankar and Ahirwar are keen to take their businesses forward and have already drawn up expansion plans. Over the years, Ahirwar intends to expand to smaller cities such as s Pune and Ahmedabad, where he hopes of find local partners. Shankar aims to be present in 32 cities by March 2014 and investing in a vehicle for use by his delivery boys. Oops! Make that ‘fulfilment officers’.You can send your feedback on smementor@moneycontrol.com or simply post comments below Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
