We are publishing an interview of Ms. Rukmini Vaish, Founder of CollarFolk – A Gurugram based startup which is creating a lifestyle that ‘includes pets’ in your everyday lives.
About the founders
- Rukmini Vaish – Pet lover, pet parent to Jack, Zara and Kiki. She is taking care of Marketing & Operations. Over 8 years of experience in sales and marketing with global Telecom and Consumer Durable majors. Experience includes distribution, customer retention, product and brand marketing.
- Vijay Chandrashekar – Dog person, shares his home with the mighty Thor and Kaiser. He is taking care of Strategy & Finance. His experience includes, greenfield operations setup, M&A and business turnaround exercises. His latest stint includes managing the India Portfolio for a leading global impact investment fund. Vijay takes on key projects and focuses on business planning. He is also the Race Director for the Aquaterra Challenge with Pets.
It was on a holiday to Rishikesh in 2014 that Vijay and I discussed how much fun it would have been to have our dogs with us here. That’s when we first spoke of the need for pet friendly holiday options, which has today evolved to our quest of creating a lifestyle that ‘includes pets’.
What is the problem you are trying to solve?
In India today, there is a dearth of pet friendly spaces. In fact, the lack of options has over time conditioned us to compromise and remain indoors with our pets. There is a need for an attitudinal shift ; a shift towards a more inclusive lifestyle. One where it easy for people to step out with their pets and do things together as part of their everyday lives.
We are here to create a lifestyle that ‘includes pets’
What is the uniqueness about your Startup?
Everything we do ‘includes pets’ – from office meetings to holidays, to coffee sessions and long drives. This ensures we know what it takes to create a pet friendly ecosystem, one which is dependable and hassle free.
Why do you choose crowdfunding?
I feel crowd funding works well when there is a tangible product. A contributor likes the product, pre-orders it and therefore contributes towards the campaign. Given the mass appeal of our range of pet-inspired everyday products, we felt this was a great avenue to raise funds and get new customers.
Why should anyone or investor back you?
- We are making lives better, not just human lives.
- We are a profitable business that operates in a space that is a globally loved consumption theme.
- We have traction and track record.
- Our products and services always lead to a smile 🙂
Where can people back your project?
http://www.catapooolt.com/campaign/info/title/collarfolk?camp=COLMFZENDX&pid=NTk4&uid=NjY1NQ==
What would you do after raising funds?
With this crowd funding campaign we will be able to manufacture our range of products and ensure they reach the market in August.
What is the revenue model? Explain your thought process.
We are a retail business, we get paid when a customer buys from us, be it a holiday or our products.
Who are the consumers that you are targeting? How is this going to affect them?
We are targeting pet lovers in urban India and creating pet friendly avenues that allow them to step out with their pets, do things together and just add more pet-time to their lives 🙂
What is the big picture of your startup?
The bigger picture is to create a lifestyle that includes pets. Be it using everyday products that are inspired by animal stories or being able to share a ride on public transport with your pet, its about creating an all encompassing eco-system.
What is the success story of your startup in your own words?
Since our launch in 2016, we have created a brand that has loyal customers, created a business model that is profitable and nurtured a team and partner network that is rock solid. We have done this while being bootstrapped, which ensured that we hustle and continue to learn and unlearn till we get it right!
Thanks Ms. Rukmini. Best of luck!
