Be|Homey : A Web Based Portal To Find A Branded Private Accomodation
Ahmedabad-based be|homey is a web based portal where a user can find a branded private accommodation like a full house/a room/shared room. The startup is focused on branding/standardizing private properties at tourist spots, pilgrim spots, unexplored/uncharted rural and exotic locations. It is working on a model that is based on “predictability.” Also it is adding social-travel factor in the portal, thus enabling local community to flourish beyond hospitality sector.
This is how a local will now be empowered to serve a tourist in a more efficient manner and on the other hand the tourists will also have more option to stay, other than budget hotels, guest houses, PGs, etc.
Be|homey was founded in January 2016 by Kushal Trivedi and his wife Sweta Trivedi. Kushal is a commerce graduate, a travel aficionado having 9+ years of experience in the marketing space and have worked in industries like Textile, eCommerce, IT and FMCG. Sweta is a developer herself, she has helped Kushal in chipping out the unnecessary things from be|homey and have been seen the product development along with Vivek Shah. Vivek is a Computer Engineer looking after everything tech at be|homey. He carries more than 4 years of experience in UX/UI, app and web development and more.
Apart from Kushal, Sweta and Vivek, be|homey has one more member in its team – Dhirendra Rajput, he is a seasoned professional with more than 8 years of experience.
SUJATA SANGWAN SPOKE TO KUSHAL TRIVEDI, BE|HOMEY’S FOUNDER & CEO
Genesis
The idea of be|homey was conceived by Kushal Trivedi when he went unplanned to a famous Gujarati tourist destination – Ambaji few days before the festival of Diwali. His assumption to get a modest room at a decent hotel was blown to ashes when he tried to find a cozy room under his budget for one night-stay. Bam! He was asked to shell out more in the name of peak season; there were no traces of “budget hotels providers,” then. Lucky enough his call was heard by a local person, when he was discussing a way out with his wife. The local offered him to stay in his house for as long as he was around for a very little money, boom goes the dynamite and be|homey was born. At first he was hesitant, they all went to check the place and then Kushal took the room and the deal was in place. Then he came up with the idea of be|homey and decided to make it real for all other impromptu people out there and to make travel safe, fun and definitely easy on the budget.
How does it works?
Be|homey works in three steps:
Select your stay: Once user has decided that where do he want to go, he can surf be|homey site and select from the bunch of handpicked property from the locals that best fits his overall requirement.
Book it: With its payment options, now user can easily book the property that he want to stay.
Stay & share: When everything is done, and user has popped up at the destination, hosts will be waiting to welcome them.
Key Services of the startup
During Holiday seasons the chances of hotels/PGs/hostels getting booked are more, in such situation either a tourist has to pay the price as quoted by the hotel owner or they have to find accommodation that is far from that particular spot, due to rush. But be|homey want to eliminate such exploitation by organizing and branding the homestays space at such spots, this way tourists will have more options and more importantly cheap options to stay and the locals who are living there for generations will get a platform to share their culture, their stories, their business, their values with the guests and make some pretty money.
Differentiation factors of be|homey
be|homey aims to provide branded homestays with locals. Meaning that the tourists will get basic facilities like:
– Fresh linen
– Complimentary packaged drinking water
– Free first aid kit
– Free good quality toiletries
– Hygienic bathroom & washrooms
Also, be|homey is not a marketplace like AirBnb and other homestays ventures in the same space, as here they are handpicking the properties by themselves to make sure that all the standards are met and everyone involved are served properly, be it guests or hosts.
Funding status and monetization model
The startup is bootstrapped so far but it is looking to raise a seed funding of Rs. 40 lakh. The listing of property on its platform is free. Guest will pay MRP that is inclusive of: Hosts’ price + be|homey’s commission + applicable taxes. Avg. ticket size would be starting from Rs. 600/-.
Challenges faced by be|homey while setting up the business
Commenting on the challenges, Kushal said, “We faced some challenges like making a technology as much easy as possible as the hosts are not that savvy with websites, mobiles apps, payment gateways, etc; plus there are several other challenges like network strength, access to computer/laptop,etc;. So what we have figured out is that we will take care of the communication for both the sides, guests and hosts, we will have regular check on properties so that guests get a seamless experience in booking via us.”
Market size and market opportunity
According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council, by the end of 2015, the travel and tourism sector will contribute Rs 8.22 trillion or 7% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP). But as per Kushal regarding sharing his views about the new startups entry in this space, he said, “Before jumping in, make sure that you have done your math in knowing the demand before you work out on getting the supply.”
