The veggie man & laundry man cometh @ a click

If you are pressed for time, press the right button. There’s an option to now remove daily worries of getting clothes laundered or your veggies delivered so that this chore gets off your cart. All this at market rates. Pickmycart.com launched in May this year seeks to provide timely assistance to people interested in easing themselves off some of the more repetitive and yet mundane aspects of daily life.
For Vrushali Khadse, the founder and promoter of the portal, the services provided were a reminder of the life lived by her mother and her after marriage.
Vrushali said “My mother spent hours washing clothes and buying vegetables. It is backbreaking work undoubtedly. I did this too after marriage and it dawned on me that if I could provide a service that could ease the burden on women it would make a mark in the market.”
A MSC graduate in zoology who lectured in colleges and schools, she did not want to compromise with regards to the upbringing of her children and Vrushali left her job. She however was keen on doing something that would help the average housewife. Buying groceries she realized was always a very big hassle given the time and energy it consumed and the washing and ironing of clothes was another.
Dipping in her savings she launched the portal with an easily downloadable app. The rains she said had been a helpful ally with several house wives using her services. If a garment needs to be ironed, all one has to do is call, the person will come over, pick it and return it to you in three hours. Washing and ironing will take a day and dry cleaning around 48 hours. The response has been good though Vrushali said the majority of the interested customers usually called instead of downloading the software which is very easy and can be easily downloadable at 6.7 MB. On the app one can choose from multiple products spread over four categories such as ironing, wash and iron and dry cleaning, grocery, fruits and vegetables and flower bouquets.
Like a lot of things in Goa, she has realized the road to success lies in personal interaction. She visits housing colonies and talks to people in the hope that eventually some of them would like to use her services. At present she handles around 20 calls a day and can provide service in Donna Paulo, Merces, Bambolim, Altinho, Caranzalem. She presently operates out of Talegoan and is keen on growing and increasing the number of calls to be at least 50 before thinking of moving beyond Panjim. She would then like to gradually move to Provorim and beyond eventually covering the entire State.
Her tie-up with wholesale vendors of fruits and vegetables ensures there is no difference in the price quoted in the market and on her platform. The minimum order entertained for grocery is Rs 750, laundry Rs 200, vegetables Rs 200 and florists Rs 300. Delivery is free though. If the final total of the transaction falls below the minimum, a fee of Rs 50 is charged. Vrusahli hopes the Goan market will respond to the florist service on offer. She can provide bouquets in various designs and combinations. Vrushali is looking forward to the marriage season after the monsoon for business.
She is also on the lookout for funding to expand her business and as she put it she is open to discussions from anyone interested in being part of this exciting venture. But first she wants to cross the 50 call a day mark.