Sangita Dey, a 25-year-old MCA student from Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, has become a founder of Dealz Expert and generates revenue of Rs 2 crore. Her journey as a young entrepreneur is truly inspiring for many who aspire to start something their own business.
Realizing the Gap
The idea of this startup comes from the challenges she faces in finding suitable accommodation for herself. Recognizing that numerous other students face the same problem.
The entrepreneurial journey of this young girl began when she recognized a gap in the market for a platform that could help individuals find the best deal for paying guests (PG). Sangita always wanted to start something of own. She wanted to become her boss.
So, after completing her degree, instead of working in any company, she started her e-commerce marketplace for electronics and gadgets. Later, she shifted her focus to the real estate sector with guidance from her mentor, Manish Saini, the entrepreneurship department head at LPU. She finds the PG service appealing.
Starting the Startup: Dealz Expert by Sangita Dey
In 2019, she established Dealz Expert, a startup that specifically focuses on providing students accommodations. Sangita started by providing housekeeping services to a couple of buildings nearby.
She noticed the high demand for well-managed and fully furnished student PGs in the area and she decided to fill the gap. She made a deal with PG owners at Rs 3,500/room. This amount covers maintenance charges too.
It was a win-win situation for the PG owners as they did not have to pay separately for the maintenance. Eventually, each room is rented for Rs 5,000 and the startup makes Rs 15,000 profit with it.
With an investment of around Rs 5 lakh per PG for refurbishing, maintenance, and miscellaneous costs, Sangita and her team worked tirelessly. The process takes around six months to research and understand marketing, and later secure customers looking to rent. The team mostly looks for NRIs who look for rent houses nearby.
Facilities the Startup Offers
Apart from providing PG, they also offer a range of other facilities like laundry, food services, ironing, and others. Along with this, they also offer transport and grocery services for students. The aim behind this startup is to provide a one-stop solution for students.
Challenges and Overcomes
Starting a business is never easy. Sangita faced numerous challenges. The major challenge was to convince the owner of the house to trust the business. Despite this, she remained focused and succeeded in growing her business.
Today, Sangita has 22 PGs with a total of 1,200 rooms. This has allowed her to earn around Rs 15 lakh monthly and yearly generate an impressive revenue of Rs 2 crores. The rent charges of her PGs range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 monthly.
The Family is a Strong Support
Sangita’s startup was successful with her family’s support. Her father, Subhash Chandra Dey, is a 53-year-old retired army officer, and her mother, Bithika Dey, plays a major role in her success. Her father helps her in the finance and technical aspects of the business and her mother runs the laundry and food services.
Together, they helped Sangita expand her business. With hard work and family support, the young entrepreneur has expanded its services to various universities in Punjab, including DAV University, City University, Chandigarh University, etc. In the coming year, Sangita is looking ahead to expand its services in other cities, including Kolkata, Chandigarh, Delhi, and her hometown, Tripura.
