With an advancement of an easy access to the internet, tapping a single tab on the web has now become a normal phenomenon. People have an easy access to everything they wish to view and the search bars like Google, Internet Explorer, Opera Mini, Bing have let the outsourcing of information to a new level. Nepal is not far from the touch of such facilitating search bars but when it comes to finding information on accurate local areas or businesses the search bar betrays us.
Prashant Poudel, the CEO and founder of Bhetincha, got a savor of such daily problems people were facing to find the correct information on locations. These locations included businesses, small shops or any areas that people needed to get to. So, he brought Bhetincha in the entrepreneurial space of Nepal. For Prashant, Bhetincha is not a revolution but an access.
Ayush Pokhrel, the core member of Bhetincha, adds on to the story, “The sole idea of creating an online platform of Bhetincha sparked in a ‘Chiya-Pasal’. We wanted to commercialize the idea as well as help people who would get into our site. After months of work, we brought out a model of creating two different databases of businesses and users of the site. In order to bridge information to the users about businesses, we used Bhetincha as a connection.”
Introducing Bhetincha
Bhetincha has been striding to establish itself as ‘Nepal’s local search engine’ in the entrepreneurial sphere since its inception. An online portal that works to provide users with information on places that are easy as well as hard to find, Bhetincha intends to bring out information about every corporation in its site. They have even set up a call center of Bhetincha to modify their services. Till date, Bhetincha has been serving many people to solve the puzzle of finding accurate locations.
The two search bars present in Bhetincha facilitate people to search the places they want to get to by the names and locations. When forecasting the results users can get access to the telephone number, location, email, website and verified mobile number of the contact person.
With a peculiar outlook of listed alphabets in its site, Bhetincha has been listing enterprises to places whose information we require on a daily basis. To name a few, restaurants, automobile centers, real estates, tea and coffee shops, training institutes, hospitals, beauty parlors and so on are the list of places they have in their portal. People can browse their interest according to the list of categories present in Bhetincha. Users who find any flaws regarding their results can directly get access to ‘improve listing’ form that further helps in correcting and improvising the mistakes.
To facilitate people who will to use Bhetincha but lack an access to internet connection, Bhetincha has brought out a toll-free number. Ayush mentions, “You could take an example of a person who is riding a bike and is in dire need of the location he needs to get to. But he doesn’t have a clue to get to the place. If he reaches the toll-free number of Bhetincha for the query, he will instantly get a message from our call center on his mobile phone. This is something we are trying to do in order to bring out a very facilitative ambience for our users as it overcomes the problem of the internet.”
Bhetincha’s page welcomes five thousand daily users who contribute an approximate 15,000 views. The team of 65 members have been executing the call center, instigating collection campaigns for getting the information, entering the data in the portal and bringing the team into one. Although Bhetincha is currently operating in the valley, they have been outsourcing information from outside the valley as well. For the fortification of their data, more than 25 team members set out for a door to door campaigns on a daily basis. Through these door to door campaigns, they verify the contact list of the particular enterprise in Bhetincha’s list of firms. These businesses which have been verified acquire a green check mark just beside their name. Enthusiastic businesses can sign up to Bhetincha’s official online portal and make a profile of their company.
“Bhetincha has acquired numerous indelible memories from the grateful faces of the users. Through the platform of our site, one of the enterprises bagged its biggest contract till date. Reminiscing the thankful face of the client who came to visit us gives me nothing but happiness. Such inspiring moments provide us with motivation to go on and ignite the feeling of liveliness in our workstation.” – Ayush Pokhrel, Core member, Bhetincha
Problems
Besides the daily problems that hit, Ayush mentions the major impending obstacle is the lack of awareness people have on their venture. “If the user reach increases, we could strengthen our data more than ever because if more people ring us we could know about some places we have lacked to mention in Bhetincha’s site,” shares Ayush. In order to bring out more exposure, the team has been dispelling an informative sticker that includes a brief introduction of their work as well as the toll- free number. They have acquired their trusted users who repeatedly depend upon Bhetincha. Although they have been faceting problems of less new users, they are working actively to spread words about their venture and bringing better search results. The events they participate in give them a space to introduce Bhetincha.
Future Goals
According to Ayush, they intend to spread their notion of Bhetincha.com all over Nepal. He mentions, “Starting from the next month, we are in talks of extending the enterprise to fifteen locations. We are initiating it from the next month. At the end of this year, Bhetincha will be having access to data from all over the country because we believe no one should be deprived of accurate information.”
Currently, they have been operating their toll-free number only during office hours. After the site hits the ample target of users, it plans to bring out the availability of its toll-free number for 24 hours.
In the coming years, Bhetincha.com wills to see itself striding in the international arena. Adding an ambition for Bhetincha.com, Ayush shares “Marking presence of 2500 employees all over the country speaks the goal we have been setting. The main aim is, however, to bring out access to information from the corners of Kathmandu to the rustic parts of Rara.”
To the aspiring entrepreneurs
You must always recognize yourself. Even if there comes a leap within the timespan to recognize the potentials you have, the product that comes after is a bliss. The upraising trend of taking entrepreneurship as risk is stressing out the enterprises. Taking forceful initiation and starting an enterprise is visible everywhere but it is always better to form a team which matches the same thought process.
Startups for better Nepal!
Presented by: Kabita Sen
