‘Losing is just not an option’ Sonal, Nikhil and Avneet of Shoppundit.com

This Entrepreneurial Story is about Three Entrepreneurs who Founded  shoppundit.com located in Delhi.

Team Introduction 

• Sonal Agarwal – Worked previously at Colgate Palmolive India Ltd and HDFC, resigned and co-founded shoppundit.com
• Avneet Singh Kochar – Graduated from IBS Hyderabad and co-founded shoppundit.com
• Nikhil Miya Bazaz –  Graduated from IBS Hyderabad and co-founded shoppundit.com

What Motivated you to start your Business?

After completing our MBA from IBS Hyd, we were placed in Delhi. During our stay in the new city, we felt a gap that was not catered to by any player in the country.

For instance, we wanted to buy a treadmill. We asked our relatives, many in number, but none knew about stores in South Delhi. And due to time constraints, we were unable to visit a store that was located far from our reach. Delhi is a big city, and has many stores, but due to demanding jobs, we could not have checked out them. This was primarily our motivation.

 Tell us about your Business

shoppundit.com, a venture of Shop Info Services, is a portal designed exclusively for the private shops and services. The private players, across the country are unique and exclusive in terms of their product/service range, quality, offers and prices. Yet they lose out on a lot of business due to their inability in reaching out to the masses. shoppundit.com aspires to be the thread that connects its users to such sellers!

The company’s primary objective is to create an online directory of the private players in the city. This directory offers more than just a phone number and an address. It provides details such as company’s profile, basic information such as working days, timings, price range, list of products & services. It also provides an exclusive photo gallery to showcase the products, services, and ambience of the private player.

Since web media allows real time updating of information, shoppundit.com also promotes its client’s deals and events such as Anniversary, Clearance Sales, Exhibitions, New Stocks, New store inaugurations, etc.

What is a Day in a life of you like?

We are a startup and have a small, but very competent and focused team. Since we are selling a concept to the vendors (private shops and services), of which most are not exposed to the Web World, we hit the market by ourselves. So the day starts on the field, selling our concept to different vendors across the city. Late evenings and nights are spent in back-end work & Creative (mailers, posters, teasers, animations, etc)

One particular skill you got right and gave you best results.

Communication, in our view is the most important skill that has helped us in getting best results. For developing interpersonal relations, as well as for effective sales, it was essential for us to get this skill right!

What have been your biggest challenges in running your Business so far?

To make the private players believe in our model. Since we are not into free listing, it is the most challenging task.

How did you overcome these challenges?

Patience, constant hard work, and strong belief in our model, helped us to overcome our challenge.

What have you found the most effective way to get new clients?

Serving old clients, and showing them the benefits of listing with shoppundit, allows word of mouth publicity, which gets new clients. However, the most effective way to get a new client is still the personal interaction with a prospect. This allows to explain them the current gap, understand their need & then make the best possible offering.

What advice to give to other business owners?

Quitting is a Loser’s Shortcut – so no matter what people around you comment about your venture, do not give up! Believe in your dream, and stick by it, all through!

How did you keep motivated through difficult times?

Our faith in our work keeps us motivated at all times. Our team is such that difficult times just don’t seem so difficult to us! For us ‘Losing is just not an option’. Just because something doesn’t work out for us, we do not think we have lost the battle. We trust that this only means that it will take us a little longer to achieve our goals.

Whats your Marketing, Funding and Team Building Strategy

Our marketing strategy is largely focused towards online marketing, both SEO & SMO. In terms of Funding, the seed capital was invested by the partners. As of now, we plan to maintain shoppundit as a self funded entity. Team Building Strategy is presently focused at hiring, motivating & retaining interns and full time employees for creative, back end and sales work.

Your Achievements

Our clients are our biggest achievement. In the 3 months of our site being live, we have almost 300 vendors listed with us, and the number is growing!

Whats your favorite quote?

“The Edge is not the Limit….It’s only the stating point”

Who inspires you?

The list is long. Our family, friends, clients, movie stars, sportsmen, politicians, social workers, corporates – so many of them inspire us in so many ways – personally as well as professionally.

Do you have a Business Philosophy?

To be different ….To be better

Contact links

Website |  Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

More Info

https://www.startupfreak.com/shop-info-services/

Startup Freak wishes Best of Luck to Shop Pundit Team!