Ravi and Rabish has extensive expertise in business analysis and development, marketing and team management. Rabish plays the role of multiple characters as and when needed, make sure the clients are happy and gets what is promised at best with additional services. Ravi is a Marketing Professional with 4 years distinguished performance in the Information Technology (IT) Industry. He started his career in marketing and business development after completing his MBA from Bangalore University.
Ravish also has an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis and started his career as a marketing executive. Both of them came up with an idea of launching a startup catering to interior design. This is when interiorwalaa came into existence. Their goal is to build what client wants within budget and quality professionally.
Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.
We are in “Interior Design and Execution” business. We have onboard senior architects and interior designers. Have partnered with Interior Fabrication Companies (These are the same companies who supply to some top players in the industry). They, based on our designs, deliver items and our team fixes it for the clients. This is not only cost effective but also saves time. We also have Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, Masons working full time with us.
Our Services include end to end in “Interiors” i.e. we visit the clients premises, study it and propose our designs, sit together, brainstorm on some changes and start executing. The craze of Modular kitchens for newly married couples is more, so we bring the real value and give them what they want at 30% lower cost.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
The Real Estate Market! As we have known Roti, Kapda and Makaan is the basic need of every individual. People may not need a Lawyer, Doctor in their lifetime, but they need Carpenter, Plumber, and Painter once. Bangalore being “Silicon Valley” of India nests more than a million IT professionals earning handsomely whose first agenda is buying a car and then booking a luxury flat in an apartment. The city has grown vertically, we can see many apartments by well known and local builders coming up in the outskirts of the city and this was our market that inspired us to offer our services professionally in “Interior Design and Execution” vertical.
What is your life mantra?
“Quality, Affordability, Availability and Trust” We are building Interiorwalaa’s brand on these pillars.
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
Getting the First Break..! We had renovated an unused ATM center, (People start with Garage Offices, rather we started with an unused ATM Center) opened our office in the early third week of September 2015. Days were passing and we did not have a single assignment. Daily we traveled some 100 km in the area where constructions were going on, introducing ourselves (My Partner is a typical sales guy, he brings the experience of selling of enterprise IT services & I had spent 5+ years in this industry building somebody’s dream, this was a different industry than IT). I knew the competition was more, nothing was moving then, our frustration was increasing day by day since expenses were almost doubled with no job or salary in hand, even we had not informed our family that we started something. The first half of the day was spent in the field and second half we spent emailing the quote and BOQ with those whom we met. Finally, end of September a social friend has recommended our “Interiorwalaa” on Facebook to his known friend, we got our first break…, and since then we are on job…!
How did you overcome those challenges?
“Patience and Consistency” I never remember warmth under my office chair, as I do not sit for long, I am always out in market chasing the unknown prospect.
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
I and My Partner Ravi Thakur (co-founder), put our savings that we managed to save.
We initially asked some friends for some help, but somehow we managed with our own kitty. There are known industry veterans who are interested in investing but we are holding this for some time, we are in the process of building something disruptive in the industry (Interior Vertical – E-commerce) which will increase our valuation in the market. Then we would go for external funding.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?
Two Brains Started this “Ravi & Ravish” – i.e RR Enterprises – A partnership firm, we run the brand “Interiorwalaa”, have a dream of making RR Enterprises into RR Group.
Ravi has been getting opportunities to visit his clients in the US from his company (He is not full time here) but has been postponing the same, I am very sure that he will not be the biggest brain drain to start with (Just kidding..!)
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
I cannot just put the qualities under three words but one should be “Focused, Truthful and Practical”
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
Currently, we use Excel, I believe if one really knows excel well they can manage million dollar business on it.
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Getting Up early in the Morning.. Sleeping at whatever time..
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
I need to make exercise a Habit, currently; I have given it a back seat.
Answer in less than 50 words
Be Focus and Consistence, if you have not started any business its better but if you have started something as your dream, do not sleep more to add another dream. Get up and work.
- One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
Plan your investments, Initially money is the only fuel which keeps you driving if you are running a car make sure the tank is full and will, at least, take you to next fuel station. Do not underutilize or overutilize the fund, you will soon run out of fuel. Spend on what is stopping you from moving. Do not buy costly printers (We did) if you have to share soft copies more.
- One most important lesson that you have learned until now:
Customers are Customers their religion is same, every customer worships the same – Quality, Affordability, Availability. Make sure you earn their Trust.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
Year 1: Get an E-Commerce Portal ( I can’t disclose details)
Year 2: Reach All the Metros in India
Year 3: Reach All the Tier II cities in India
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
I think I started my career..!
What are your top three getaway destinations?
North East of India – Manali and Ladakh
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
“Ek Saadhe Sab Sadhe.. Sab Saadhe Sab Jaye..”