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Shailendra Singh RaoFounder and CEO of Laundrynow.in Published On: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Views 3741

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"Never dream about success, work for it."

Having initially dabbled between Law & Financial products marketing, Shailendra Singh Rao started his environment & climate change journey in 2008. Initially consulting clients for bio products such as bio coal solutions, he joined the founding team of Abellon clean energy.

Shailendra is a Serial entrepreneur, very active across the start-up ecosystem in India & is a member of various forums, where he is involved in mentoring other start-ups & nurturing entrepreneurship. In addition to consulting, he is also on the advisory board of a few ventures helping accelerate their journey to commercial success.

He heads his own startup, Laundrynow.in, which is a hyperlocal, on-demand services provider for all your laundry needs that helps customers in saving time and money by simply booking their laundry services at a click of their mobile/computer button or by simply making a call.

Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.

The process of service at laundrynow.in is very simple. Customers can simply place an order for Laundry or Iron, Dry-cleaning or range of our other Laundry services through Mobile Apps, Website or a dedicated Toll free number. Laundrynow.in has also planned offline drop points with their partners for the drop of clothes, bed sheets, curtains, sofa covers etc. After booking the services online, a Laundrynow.in agent armed with eco-friendly packing bags, arrives at the customer’s door. This process happens in less than an hour after the order is booked. Laundrynow.in’s expert cleaners and master pressers ensure that customer’s clothes come back to life, looking fresh and vibrant. The order is then delivered to the customers mostly before the committed time. The lead-time for the entire process ranges between 12 to 48 hours, depending on the nature of the job. Under our corporate services division our commercial service is catered to suit corporates from mops to drapes, Laundrynow.in is capable of handling all their laundry needs. For corporates like hospitals and hotels, laboratories, coffee bars etc.

What inspired you to build the above product/ service?

The idea of Laundrynow came through my own bad experiences with my unprofessional Laundromat who used to serve me with his delayed and unprofessional services. And then I felt that there is a strong need to fill the gap by offering comprehensive solutions at an affordable price and in a time bound manner. Gone are those days of pleading, cajoling and depending on unreliable workforce. In the times of hoe delivery of grocery and products, it was about time that some genius took specific to doing your laundry. Yes, no more would washing your dirty linen in public space be a scary business. A cursory look at the market and its potential set me on to the path of collation. And then laundrynow.in was launched. The first few days and service requests only firmed my belief in the business.

What is your life mantra?

Always realise your potential and never overcommit.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

Our firm belief that Information Technology is the most powerful weapon a consumer can have led us to plan and entire venture. It was startling to discover that the consumer almost 80% of the time ended up paying extra due to the lack of expert laundry services. We were sure that We may face an early Adaptability issue by potential customers for the Laundry Aggregation model, since people are used to the services of their local and unorganized Laundromat.

How did you overcome those challenges?

So, in a market dominated by offline players catering to premium categories, the challenge had to be the right price point. We are trying to fill the gap by offering comprehensive solutions at an affordable price, while challenging ourselves by making it a sustainable business model.

Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.

At Idea stage of our business, we raised 1 Crore from an Udaipur based Investor. Now we are raising $ 2 Million through network of our appointed Investment Banker.

How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?

Even though we are a start up yet we are providing competitive salaries and perks to our talents which are certainly one of the best in the industry. secondly, company already has progression plans for it’s people to achieve growth in the path of their career. Our employees policies are designed in such a manner that people would love being with laundrynow.in and shall have a long term association with the company.

According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?

  • Learn to respond to pressure.
  • Avoid impracticalities and pause for clarity.
  • Don’t be adamant and be open for the changes.

Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?

I am an Avid networker and love sharing business insights with people and those in need. And for networking I am Active on LinkedIn.

Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.

I practice Speak less, Do more. Daily Physical workout in gym makes me energetic and keeps me ready for the day’s tasks.

Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.

I would like to exercise my will power muscle. The comfort zone feels so good, yet it’s bad in the longer run. Power has many forms. Will power prevails all.

Answer in less than 50 words

  • One tip to success:

Never create overheads and always know where to spend.

  • One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:

Procrastination

  • One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:

Don’t fear the Enemy that attacks you, but a Fake friend that hugs you.

What are your plans for next 3 years?

My aim is to see Laundrynow.in growing in full pace. And to make Laundrynow.in having pan India presence, Making a 300 Crore Company and an eminent name in Household services segment with core expertise in Laundry services.

If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?

I regret not joining armed forces even after being called for it. Only if I could go back in time and Start all over again, Joining Indian Army would be my first choice.

What are your top three getaway destinations?

Bahamas, Himachal Pradesh, Europe (The Alps)

Share a quote that inspires you the most.

“Never dream about success, work for it.”

Inspiring Entrepreneurs

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