Nishant Jaiswal, the Founder and CEO of Easypick, speaks about his entrepreneurial journey towards helping businesses efficiently outsource their pickup and delivery needs

Tell us about Easypick? Who is the target audience?
Easypick is a startup, a web app-based solution to assist other startups, SME’s, corporates and individuals with real-time pick-up and deliveries. These could be parcels, documents, cheques, and non-perishable goods. Think of it as an innovative courier service with a hyper-local focus that allows access to real-time verification of documents, attain signatures on original vouchers, backed up with a solid and secure logistical infrastructure, offering access to the largest network of deliveries (through partnering with several delivery companies) across the UAE in one platform.

Our aim is to provide support to businesses that want to outsource their pickup and delivery so they can focus on what is important – their own business. We currently work with a lot of small businesses and small e-commerce companies as well as provide the back-end support for some of the larger businesses.

How did you start up? When did you start up? How did you arrive at the idea behind your company?
It all began when I had to send something to my mother urgently, and I called the store in a popular mall to ask if they could send someone over. They couldn’t. So, this forced me to make a trip to the mall. Although I lived only 5 minutes away, it took me around 45 minutes to actually get through traffic and find a parking spot.

And while I waited in line for another 30 minutes for a 2-minute job to finish, I started searching for a solution online, something that would make my life easier. I had just wasted more than an hour doing a trivial errand when I could have spent this time doing something with my family or something fun with my kids. Surely, I thought, there HAS TO be an easier way to do this. And if there isn’t one, I am going to create one that would help others in the same boat.  So, the idea was born.

I spent more than a year coming up with a process that would make life easier not just for companies but for their customers. As of now, we have multiple partners across the UAE, and through them, access to over 1500 delivery vehicles. And the store that started the idea is one of our largest customers.

We are still a relatively new company (around a year old) but we realised that people needed help to find the right delivery partner. The smaller courier companies also needed help to digitise and access new business opportunities and we created the platform that now offers both. With EasyPick, businesses do not need to search for a courier company. We search and find the right partners that will deliver on the promise we make. Customers can make the booking through our web-based app and we find the right partner to deliver the service across the UAE.

Tell us about your team? How many members? Who is involved in the day to day operations?
Since the bulk of the service is outsourced, we are a small team and I am personally involved in the operations. This involves coordinating between the customer, their customers, and our courier partners. Ensuring that all deliver on the promises we make to our customers.

Did you come across any challenges during the initial days?
We are still facing a few teething problems – mostly with the courier partners to ensure that they have the same ethics of customer service, to truly make life easier for our customers.  It is also important that our technology platforms are aligned with our courier companies to provide the seamless experience that we promise our customers.

How is your service different from similar companies on the market?
We have several differentiators. We are an aggregator and we pre-qualify the couriers to offer our customers the best service at the most reasonable prices. We are focused on the last mile service and raising the standards for this for the small businesses that are the lifeblood of any economy.

Was the funding self-funded or do you have external partners?
The business has mostly been self-funded but we are open to outside investors but this would need to be strategic and someone that understands what we can do and what we want to do.

What are your future plans with your company? Any new markets/target audiences you plan to reach?
We want our UAE service to be top-notch before we extend it outside the country. We are already exploring relationships within the GCC and India. But these are in the long-term.

What is your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
There are a couple of things: you cannot really do this alone so have a network of mentors and supporters that can guide you correctly. Listen to advice and make the decision that is right for you and your business. Do not take criticism personally but as a learning opportunity for you to improve and establish a stronger partnership with your customer. And always ask yourself WHY you’re doing what you’re doing every step along the way.