Old Joe can now go YO with this new startup. Partying is fun

1. Tell us a little bit about your startup “The Yo Shop”

The Yo Shop is Bhubaneswar’s first ever online store that operates all over the country & deals with products of it’s kind , we have the variety of products, however, the major attraction is on our varied range party products & crafts. We also set up unique PhotoBooths at events like Cocktail parties, Sangeet/Mehendi , Wedding Reception , Anniversary & Birthdays. A lot of photographers buy customized props for the pre/post wedding couple shoots from us too !

2. How did you come up with this idea and why this name?

Necessity is the mother of all inventions and that’s how The Yo Shop happened. Bhubaneswar has been growing at a fast pace and trends from the metros are setting in. Most of the times we’ve looked for something funky and out was tough to find. If found, the prices would almost drill a hole in our pockets. We felt our city needed a place which can meet the needs of party freaks , craft and handmade products, home decor requirements at an affordable price. Well, this name because it is something that one can relate to being funky and out of the box at the same time.

3. How time-consuming or difficult was it to get started?

We wanted to get an idea of what exactly people are looking for, how people of all generations can turn up to one place to meet their needs, what would fascinate the people of Bhubaneswar, an overview of what is available and what is needed. Surveys on both online and offline platforms helped a lot. We were freshers, just out of college, new to the field but confident and enthusiastic to make this happen. It took some time to save funds. The team members came from different career backgrounds, we had to brainstorm to collect all our ideas in one bag and come up with a user-friendly e-commerce site. It took a few good 4–5 months to do that.

4. What problem does it solve ?

We don’t solve any problem exactly , we add fun & happiness to people & their events

5. Tell us about your Team(Who are the founders and key team members).

We are a team of three — Azkia Aarif, Surya Narayan Mishra & Dishna Pani . Three of us manage everything starting from product gathering , orders, deliveries, making the handmade products ,packaging, website management , online marketing etc .

6. What are the different challenges you are facing for operation?

Currently, we are doing good. There have been a few problems. It’s a bit time taking to enlighten people about the concept. Not many prefer making an online payment. That makes the cash on a delivery system a bit challenging for us. Surprisingly, most of the product shipment happens out of the state.

7. Your vision and mission

We want to provide the best products at a nominal and affordable rates. Our prices are lesser than what you can find on other online shopping portals like Flipkart, Amazon etc.,. We aim to be the best ones in supplying such products. We have plans of expanding to a few more categories and also venture into CSR activities. Recently, We have started conducting craft workshops for kids. We teach them making unique products, mostly out of waste products. We are planning on to revive the traditional crafts blended with a quirky touch. Soon craft classes can be booked online too at our site www.theyoshop.com