This month, an application called OK Sir launched in India, allowing users to hire workers offering various services — the latest in a series of websites and apps in India that are trying to bring some structure and capitalise on the large unorganised segment of the country's labour market. Arun Kapur, the founder and chief executive of the app, talks about the new venture.
Could you explain the app to us?
We’ve registered 25,000 verified service providers. We take on all kind of services, such as a tutor, an electrician, or an AC vendor. We have more than 110 services, which will in a year’s time come to 500 services. We’re launching in Mumbai, and by the end of December we might be in Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa. It helps vendors increase their own business in their locality so they don’t have to do any marketing for themselves. We’re just getting things organised in what has been an unorganised segment. There’s a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the job.
How does your business model work?
The revenue model is 60/40. The 60 per cent we’re charging to the customer goes to the vendor delivering the service, and we get 40 per cent.
There are already other similar companies, so how does your company differ?
They are only looking into a segment, such as a particular area of Mumbai, and only probably giving two or three services, so nobody has come as full-fledged as we are going to come. Nobody is nationwide.
What are the challenges with this type of business?
We have faced challenges earlier and we are ready to face more challenges. A person physically has to be there, but he may decide to not work based on his mood. Those are the kind of challenges we will be facing to get the job done.
Was it difficult to set up the company?
It’s a challenge to get people. We have a team of 50 to 60 executives who go into the field every day and find these people and get them on board. They tell them the concept and then have to certify them. Everyone has to be police verified and have an identity card. That was challenging, so it took us a year for the launch. We have contracts with all these guys so that they are liable to do the services at a certain price.
business@thenational.ae
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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CREW
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
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Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
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December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
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