Jack On Block is there for you and how!
In the year 2009, Sharath Vatsa bought an apartment in Bangalore. But once the purchase of the apartment was done, the real pain began- Sharath could not find the right electrician, plumber or carpenter to get his apartment operational. He nailed his pain points under 4 pressing requirements - accessibility, reliability, safety and transparency of finding workers. This led to the start of his business venture, "Jack on Block". Prior to this, Sharath has worked with Jet Airways, Ticketpro and also ran a successful events business, his maiden venture- Livetree Entertainments. This helped him get Jack on Block off the blocks quickly.Jack On Block is a facility management and services firm which provides services ranging from Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Pest Control, Water Tank Cleaning, Housekeeping, Carpet Shampooing, Sofa Shampooing, Masonry, A/c Service, House Cleaning and Computer Hardware & Networking.
What differentiates Jack On Block is in the way you can engage their services, be it one time, monthly or annual maintenance packages for homes and offices, giving flexibility to choose basis your particular requirements.
What makes Jack On Block stand apart?
While tackling the issues of urban Indian households is one of the big reasons for starting up, what Sharath really intends to do is to bring a deserving respect and credibility to the labourers at the bottom of the pyramid and to their professions. He has made sure that all the employees in Jack on Block (currently 90 of them) are given ESI and PF, a company card (giving them an identity proof for the first time), uniform and stipulated leaves. Sharath fondly says, "One of the young employee got a marriage proposal from a good family because his would-be in laws said, ‘you have a proper job’.” Sharath also ensures that all the employees’ birthdays are celebrated with much fanfare and everyone is given an INR 1000 Big Bazaar voucher on their big day.
Business need and Market Potential
According to a Frost and Sullivan report, roughly 5000 Urban homes in India look for facility management services every day, this translates into a market size of Rs.25 lakhs per day per city. Amit Kumar Rathi, VP, Unitus Capital says, "Facility management is closely interlinked with the real estate market, with the growth in the housing complexes and upmarket homes B2C market opportunities is bound to grow". Jack On Block which is venture backed by Unitus is well positioned to capitalise in this growing segment.
Funding and Expansion Plan
Unitus Seed Fund and Mumbai Angels have backed Jack On Block and the funds are being used to expand operations across different cities. In the next 12 to 18 months, Jack On Block plans to expand its services to Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Cochin.
Client Speak
Ms. Lavanya, who is a Bangalore based homemaker had recently used the services of Jack On Block and when we checked with her on how was the experience, Lavanya said, "I am very happy with Jack On Block and the professional way in which they managed the whole engagement."
Jack On Block is also proud of the fact that they won the entire housekeeping assignment for IPL matches in Bangalore.
Subroto Bagchi in his book "The Professional" highlights 3 qualities at a fundamental level, that makes someone a true professional - the ability to work unsupervised, the ability to certify a completion of a job or task and, finally, the ability to behave with integrity at all times. While Jack On Block has the right intent and a solid business model to take it to the next level, what we at YourStory admire them for is their passion to create an equitable, just and long deserved opportunities for every segment of the society we live in and build a "professional" workforce in the Indian urban economy.
Website: Jack On Block