FindYahan: Location based discovery platform primarily for C2C services
Location has always provided entrepreneurs with interesting opportunities and we also ran an entire series decoding LBS. Combining this with the huge market of individuals seeking and providing services, Rachit Mathur and Snehil Khanor have come up with an idea of a marketplace for C2C (customer to customer) and B2C services. Rachit had previously started up Masticart but the idea didn't take off and this is second attempt at starting up with the lessons learnt from the previous attempt.
Rachit met Snehil about a year ago via a common connection and the two of them zeroed in on FindYahan which is a Location based discovery platform connecting skilled individuals and home businesses to their target customers. "FindYahan is a platform which enables people to make money using their skills and talents," says Rachit. There are some other startups like Skillkindle, Skillhippo, Flexing It, etc. which are in a similar space and all have been able to get some traction in their regions but the time that they reach a critical mass is far. "Findyahan was launched at the Websummit in Dublin on 30th November and we were chosen as one of the most innovative startups of the world and given the platform to launch there under the Alpha Startup program," says Rachit.
In just over a month of their launch, FindYahan has seen more than 4500 registrations out of which close to 500 conversions have happened (phone numbers exchanged between service provider and seeker or a communication has been initiated). Completely bootstrapped, the plan is to launch a mobile app for ios and android and go big on mobile with storefronts, intelligent recommendations and hyperlocal communities also on the charter.
The platform currently doesn't mediate connections and also doesn't take a cut off the deal but both of them will be incorporated once there is sufficient traction. In all such cases, the bigger game is to get more people to the platform for which marketing plays a big role. An offline push to build a community also comes in handy because 'only online' is never the real killer in India. Creating communities and building engagement via both the channels is what has worked for moderately successful startups like Dogspot or Hitwicket. For FindYahan as well, a lot will depend on how the platform is marketed and a smooth conversion process.
Website: FindYahan