The Main Challenge Today is Uncertainity says Gaurav and Chetna
INCUBEES: Tell us about your product or services?
INCUBEES: What makes your product/services unique and what competition do you see in India and globally?
Chetna & Gaurav: What is unique about us is that we have stayed true to our purpose. We, as founders customize service offerings for our clients and stay personally involved. A start-up may require PR at launch, a large brand may be looking to position itself as a thought leader, or an entrepreneur, or a family-managed business may be looking for coaching and advisory. We take on limited clients because we believe in personal attention, superlative service, and forging a partnership with our clients in their growth journey.
In India, we find ourselves placed between the big names and the small boutique setups. We like it here, it is a sweet spot. We have a unique service portfolio, high-value delivery at a fantastic price point. Globally, we already have a small presence in the USA and China so there is of course local competition there.
INCUBEES: What are the challenges you see in the market at this point?
Chetna & Gaurav: The main challenge out there today is the uncertainty that is looming overhead like a thick cloud and it does affect client spends. But, frankly, we see this as a time to repair the nets. Anyone with a touch of wisdom will agree that this is a time to build strengths and sharpen the tools. For us, at Morning Star BrandCom, one of the challenges we face is visibility. Right since inception, we have maintained a consciously low profile. That needs to change now.
INCUBEES: Tell us about your team and what inspires them?
Chetna & Gaurav: We are a very lean team that draws its joy from co-creation. We are united by the common goal of making a difference to our clients’ businesses. We love to see our clients beam with pride – that is what makes us jump out of bed every morning. It has transitioned into a partnership with most client relationships being over four years old now.
INCUBEES: Where do you see your product/service reaching in the next five years?
Chetna & Gaurav: Although as founders, we have more than 30 years of industry experience in total, as Morning Star BrandCom we are only 7 yrs old. In the next 5 years, we are looking to super specialize within the services and sectors we are operating in. Instead of growth that is measured only in numbers, we would like for us to go deeper and achieve super specialization.
INCUBEES: Do you have plans to raise funding to grow your business or allow your business to organically grow?
Chetna & Gaurav: We have come this far purely on the back of solid work ethic, stellar client servicing, and glowing recommendations. Strategy and client relations are something we as founders are not willing to let go of control of. At this point, we are likely to choose organic growth over funding. We would like the focus to stay on service delivery, so an investor will only make sense if they brought some kind of value or expertise on board and not just a bag of money.
INCUBEES: What are the challenges you face as a startup?
Chetna & Gaurav: To be frank, we might be past that stage. But yes, there were challenges. Being new and low on visibility, we had trouble getting the right price for our services, attracting the right talent, and ensuring we stay profitable.
