An Exclusive Interview with the Bee Online CEO HIREN JOSHI
An Exclusive Chit-Chat with the BeeOnline ToP Boss Hiren Joshi
Every big idea began with a dream, and somewhere in the Maximum city of Mumbai, a young man Hiren Joshi has just accomplished more than what he aimed at. Amidst fiercest competitions all around, Hiren Joshi proved that entrepreneurship is all about making the right choice at the right step.
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Now, his company is counted among India’s top 10 digital marketing firm with many more accomplishment coming soon. We are presenting the entire tête-à-tête with Hiren. We discussed about many issues also how to become a successful entrepreneur in life. Presenting the first-of-its-kind exclusive and candid interview with this promising entrepreneur who is now eyeing to expand his business overseas.
Here are the excerpts:
Briefly, Introduce Yourself.
Essentially, I am a Digital Evangelist. To be truthful, my heart lies in the world of digital media. It is my sincere endeavor to explore the immense underlying potential of the digital world and help brands and businesses reap the benefits of the same.
I am also the Co-Founder and CEO of Bee Online. Till date, I have worked with over 13 Digital Agencies and over 500 brands and have helped them grow online, in a manner that is both efficient as well as cost-effective.
What Prompted You to Taste Entrepreneurship? Was it a Sudden Plan or a Concerted Effort?
It was my passion towards exploring the immense potential of the digital platform that brought me into entrepreneurship. I have always believed, – Learning knows no boundaries. Sharing what you have learned only makes you wiser. And what better than doing so through your own venture.
Entrepreneurship, for me, was the only way to be. Hence, it was concerted. My college friends, Abhishek Shah and Himanshu Verma were running the companies Ally Digital Media and Mohini Web Solutions. In the year 2014, we structured Ally Digital Media and Mohini Web Solutions as brands under Bee Online and gained the form that we currently stand in.
Within a Couple of Years after the Launch of Your Company, Bee Online Entered into the List of India’s Top 10 Most Valuable Digital Marketing Companies of 2016. Comment on It.
With Bee Online, we have taken significant efforts to combine traditional, digital & social techniques in a bid to help various brands and businesses to flourish online. Right from SEO, SMO, Affiliate Marketing to Website Development, Software Development, and Mobile Apps, we offer it all.
In fact, in the year 2015, we also aligned PR services in our beehive. We follow a strict development process, and keenly concentrate on delivering outputs that can help make the clients’ sales more profitable.
Then again, we follow a unique PHD model which helps us serve each client with the best of our capabilities. This model is known as PHD, wherein P stands for Passionate, H for Hardworking and D for Dynamic. This model, combined with the plethora of services we offer has helped us serve over 1200 clients since our inception. I believe, this is what helped us climb the ladder of success at a faster pace.
What is the USP of Bee Online and How Does it Vary from Other Digital Marketing Firms?
The USP of Bee Online lies in our resources, intelligence, and services. Our humble yet notable success story is nothing but the result of good servicing which helped us scale the company to remarkable levels. What is worth mentioning here is that we have not invested much in marketing & it is growing quite organically.
What makes us different from the other players in the market is the fact that we work on a revenue-sharing model. Hence, we generate income from a project only if certain results are achieved. This helps us demonstrate a growing confidence in our team to achieve the desired results, while also allowing our clients to believe in our capabilities.
What are Some of the Key Challenges that Halt the Prospect of Digital Marketing in India?
As is the case with almost all businesses, our challenge lies in getting ahead of the curve. Given that there are innumerable small and big players in the arena of digital marketing, it can be a daunting task to establish one’s identity, especially in new geographies. However, we believe that an organization’s reputation precedes it and hence we consistently work towards building an unmatched identity. Again, our new revenue-sharing model has helped us go a long way in meeting this end.
Do you Think India is Mature Enough to go Fully Digital, even after Prime Minister Modi’s Full Backing of Digital India?
Considering the “Digital India” campaign, the digital penetration in India is projected to increase from 43.8% in 2016 to 70.7% by 2020. Given that more than 65% of our population is in the age bracket of 15-45, it will not be surprising to see the people making the most of the digital world. Needless to say, even opportunities for a digital marketer are going to increase immensely, especially in Tier-3 &Tier-4 cities apart from the big Metros.
Are you Happy with the Current Government’s Effort towards Making People more Digitalized and Online-Friendly?
For all we know, the efforts taken by the government in this area are commendable. Today, right from farming to higher education, almost everything can be accessed online, even in the nation’s remote areas. This is an incredible step that will help our people and our economy become digitized to a very large extent.
In fact, when the Prime Minister NarendraModi’s ‘Digital India Mission’ was initiated, we, the Directors of Bee Online, I (Hiren Joshi) along with Abhishek Shah and Himanshu Verma took it as our onus to support the mission.
What is the Secret to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur in India? Does Indian Government help Young Entrepreneurs Chase Their Dreams? Or What Else you Want the Government to do in this regard.
There’s no secret to success. Hustle, and hustle every day. Do it in the right direction and eventually, you will get where you want to be. That is my mantra for becoming a successful entrepreneur.
As far as the government is concerned, I think it is doing its part to help young entrepreneurs in a large way, and the Startup Policy 2016 stands as a testimony to that. However, it would be in the best interest of the entrepreneurs if the government could bring in a few other policies that can motivate young businessmen. Moreover, if inflation and corruption could be controlled, the nation would enjoy an ideal startup-friendly environment which will eventually help generate more employment.
Is the ROI in this Business Sufficient to Survive and Meet the Rising Costs of Business Investment and Household Expenses.
Certainly yes. And to this end, a revenue sharing model can help in a large manner. At Bee Online, where we see a potential with our clients, we operate on this very model. Not only does it ensure that our clients enjoy the best of services, (as they only need to pay us if we meet certain key performance objectives), but even we have an opportunity to reap the benefits of increased revenues.
I believe, for those businesses that make innovation a priority, revenue sharing model is seemingly the only way forward.
Where do You see your Business in the Next Couple of Years? Are You on Expansion Mode from Mumbai?
Our aim is to be the most trusted digital agency by 2022. We plan to expand overseas to Thailand after a successful launch in Dubai. The ROI in these geographies is appreciable.In India, we now want to place our focus on FMCG, as food start-ups form a major part of the pie. We are also looking forward to supporting organizations such as PETA and Naam Foundation.
What Kinds of Manpower and Human Resources You are Looking right at the Moment. Can We Expect Some Good Amount of Job Creation by your Company?
Creation of jobs is one of our primary objectives at Bee Online. We’re planning to roll out the first-ever franchisee-based model for digital marketing agencies. And after our inception in Dubai, we will be soon starting in Thailand. This will eventually create a substantial number of jobs.
What is your Philosophy of Life and Who are Your Real-Life Role Models.
I have always been a person who enjoys the journey without worrying about the destination. For me it is the process where your heart and mind should be, the results will automatically follow.
I find solace in following the teachings of Swami Vivekanand and consider him as my role model.
How does a Firm Benefit from Digital Marketing? Is it More Result-Oriented than TVC or Print Ads? Can a Client Really Derive Full Satisfaction through Digital Marketing and Online Campaigning?
Since digital marketing helps the clients communicate with their actual target audience, it is much more result-oriented and cost-efficient when compared to traditional mediums like TVC and Print Ads. Thanks to the numerous analytical tools that are available to the digital marketers, it is becoming increasingly easy for the firms to evaluate their digital marketing efforts and bring in the requisite changes. This helps in achieving the desired results at a faster rate. Hence, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that a brand or business can derive appreciable results through their digital marketing campaign.
As an Employer, What are the Key Qualities that You Wish to Have in Your Employees?
At Bee Online, we place immense emphasis on the power of sharing knowledge as a means of furthering the growth of our employees, as well as that of the company. Moreover,we place the objectives of the company before personal gains and expect the same from our employees.
Finally, What you Do in your Free Time? Do you Watch Films? Which one Did you Watch Recently and What is Your View on it?
I love to read books and watch movies in my free time. The latest movie I watched was Dunkirk. Coming from my favorite director Christopher Nolan, I was sure that it will amaze me, and it did! By far, it is the best war-based movie I have watched. The sheer experience of survival that the movie embodied was simply awe-inspiring.
