Love Bite

Dabbawallahs for dogs: a concept that allows dog owners to spoil their pooches even when busy at work — through meal delivery service, finds ADELINE BERTIN

No, it isn’t an adorable cartoon about one of the world’s favourite doggy characters. But it might just be as lovable: providing man’s best friend with his or her own home delivery service.

Scooby Corporations was created two and a half years ago by two young pet lovers in New Delhi, Abhishek Kapoor (29) and Himanshu Bhasin (27) to provide healthy meals for pet dogs at the owners’ doorsteps. “We started in our small home kitchen but have expanded a lot since then. We are based in South Delhi and are now covering it, as well as Gurgaon,” says Kapoor.

The two friends, who were looking for a business idea, found their inspiration from the dabbawallas who deliver home-cooked meals to a person’s place of work. Their entrepreneurial twist: the canine element. “Currently, we are taking care of 300 dogs,” says Kapoor, adding that meals are delivered twice a day. “The menu is for the entire week and changes every day,” he explains.

Convenient although the service may be, for those who want to pamper their pooches, but it’s certainly not cheap. Scooby Corp charges between Rs 1,600 to 3,500 a month for the service and customers can choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals for their pets. “They offer a very large variety of food. There are a lot of vegetables, chicken and my dogs really enjoy it,” says Dipali Khanna, who is living in Sector 39, Noida, with five dogs. “We came to know about Scooby Corporations in a local magazine – we saw their advertisement. It has been three years know and we are more than satisfied,” she adds with conviction.

Appropriately, to customise its menus, Scooby Corp asks owners to fill up a membership form, with questions about their dog: age, weight, dietary preferences and even allergies. It’s the information that helps the duo plan and prepare meals according to the physical condition of each pet. “For instance, if the dog is fat, we will prepare a special menu for its diet. We prepare high protein meals for young dogs and low protein meals for the older ones. Besides, we offer a premium wage, which includes high quality ingredients,” explains Kapoor. For this special service, prices range between Rs 2,750 and Rs 8,000 a month, and the menu includes brown rice, zucchini and broccoli, inter alia. Presumably, other dog staples like liver and meat are also included in most menus.

Since its inception, Scooby Corporations has grown dramatically. Kapoor says that in a year or so, they hope to expand to old Delhi and would like to come up with dog biscuits as well. In the meantime, they already have a name for new range of munchies: ‘Scooby Snacks’. One hopes the young owners of Scooby Corp haven’t bitten off more than they can chew!

You're Hired!

Interview of writer Nasha Fitter, for her new book You’re Hired! How to Get That Job and Keep It Too, by ADELINE BERTIN

How personal communication benefits a young professional trying to take control of his / her future?
I think the soft skills are the number one for young people to go ahead in India today. In fact there is a study, which was conducted a few years ago by McKenzie, that states that 75 percent to 90 percent of graduates are unsuitable to work in a multinational company because of their communication skills. It is very serious and very important. It is something young person should start developing early on, especially in India.

The lack of really suitable talents is holding our country back and it all comes down to soft skills. By soft skills I mean English grammar and language fluency. It is really pathetic that most of our graduates cannot put one sentence together in English properly, it is unprofessional. Secondly, by soft skills I mean interpersonal communication, how to present, to dress properly and to talk to a global audience as well as clients and customer. It is essential and my book is here today to offer an opportunity for any young person to join the global economy and learn the skills that he/she needs.

In today’s challenging job market, the dividing line between those who get the job and those who do not is very often communication skills. What is the best way forward? It is for companies, for people, for young people themselves, for universities to really take this seriously. There are a lot of things that they need to be worked upon. One problem we have with the educational system is that teachers do not speak English properly. Thus students repeat bad mistakes from their teachers and once home, they generally speak exclusively in local languages.

So for me, there has to be a focus on self help books like mine as well as on just learning and trying to improve oneself as much as possible.

Don’t you think a year abroad is not necessary for that?
Absolutely but that is a luxury that I do not think most people can afford. Within the constraints someone has, you have to find the way to improve yourself. In India, it is for instance possible to work with multinational companies to improve.

Besides, my book is very useful and is like buying four books in one. It is divided in four parts: English fluency and grammar, pronunciation and intonation, interpersonal skills and professional advices, such as how to write a CV and cover letter or how to go trough an interview. It is made for any young person who wants to join the global economy. Plus, the way I have written it is very comprehensive and customized. There is not a single example in the book that is not real because all come from my own experience as director of an Indian training company. I spent four years writing it. The aim is that someone can read it and immediately improve the way that he/she present himself/herself.

In a tough job market, how does one get a competitive advantage?
Right now the job market is very tough. The competitive advantage really comes from being unique and interesting and for that, one should be a great listener who asks really good questions. A big part of my book focuses on that, the interpersonal communication section completely focuses on how you can differentiate yourself by the questions you ask.

Moreover, young people should definitely do more activities, such as sport, theatre or music to have good “dinner conversations.” It helps you in an interview, with clients and it makes you an interesting person.

What is a “global citizen”, a term often used by many?
It is a great term. The world is getting smaller and people now constantly interact with people of other cultures, accents and personalities. The use of the term “global citizen” means we are all citizens of the world, we should all be comfortable anywhere and able to talk to anyone. For me, to have good listening and communication skills allow you to transcend the cultural barriers.

You know that India has the youngest population worldwide and that it is crucial for the growth of the country. What are your favorite tips for Master of Business Administration (MBA) aspirants and students?
I think a lot of MBA programs do not focus enough on communication skills. I work for Microsoft, I manage products, and 80 percent of what I do is talking, because I have to communicate with my team and clients. It is not technical skills but rather the ability to communicate and have good interpersonal relationships. MBA student should have these skills.

On top of that, I think Indian Universities should develop the communication classes because it radically differentiates the graduates when they come out of college. For example, take two graduates; both have great technical skills but one is a better communicator. Accordingly, he is going to get the job that pays four times as much and this is not a small difference; it is a real life changing difference. It is like taking the decision to better people’s lives by giving them communication skills or ruining their lives by not offering them this opportunity. That is why I definitively think that, in Universities, there has to be a strong emphasis on English and how to present oneself.

What do you think about the Indian MBA job market?
The Indian job market is just fine. I think India is doing pretty good compared to the rest of the world: 7 percent growth, it cannot be bad. You know half of the services sector has been hit but it is still a very strong sector, which contributes to 57 percent of GDP. For me the opportunities are not the problem, and the economy is not the issue; however, there is a lack of talent, which hampers our economic growth.

Tell us about your current job in Microsoft Corporation, Washington…
Currently I work in our emerging technology’s group focusing on emerging markets. I work with education technologies on multiple mice to accept one computer, which is really interesting and powerful in countries like India. Microsoft is a great place to work, with great learning opportunities. I am happy to have this job.