MetaConnect Consulting is a four years old knowledge-based Service Company (started in May 2017) and works across sectors into business research, strategy consulting, and start-up advisory.
It caters to customers globally and also support the MSME segments in India. Some of the service offerings include Board Advisory, Business Consulting, Pitch Deck Preparation, Operational Strategy, Market Intelligence, Process Streamlining, Go-To-Market Strategy, Organisational Restructuring, Dashboards and MIS, HR Processes etc.
The consultants are all from top tier management schools and come with extensive experience across the globe.
The company vision is to support and enhance the efficiency of MSMEs and also help them come out of the operations and strategic challenges of growth.
Company owners and co-founders
The core team consists of people with management, finance and legal backgrounds. The present two directors are Onkar Sharan Prasad and Aparajita Prasad, and advisors include Gary Cokins from the US.
How did founders come up with the idea of business?
Well, it may be destined to happen this way, and thus, life prepared them accordingly. She always wanted to do something of own, but this is not easy for first-generation entrepreneurs. She started her career with established players of the industry, learnt from them, then tried the hands-on funded startups to test the skills and then simply plunged into own venture four years ago as this helps to reduce the chance of failure.
What products and services MetaConnect is offering? (Explain each in detail)
The company is aligned into three verticals – Business Research, Strategy Consulting and Start-up Advisory. It works on both a project basis as well as a retainer model. They have a high number of satisfied repeat customers, and that is the best testimony of the good quality of services they provide.
Where company is based (city, state, country) & What are your geographical target areas?
The company is based in Delhi NCR and have operating offices at both Gurgaon and Noida. The clients are based across the globe as catering to knowledge industry is possible while doing remote service delivery.
What is the business model?
Being a knowledge advisory firm, the company is into B2B model and also into B2G. These days government is also open to give strategy, policy, operational plan based assignments to the company.
What is the revenue model of your business?
Being a service-based firm, the company works on the basis of project as well as long term retainer mode. Through which company charge the projects based on estimated man hours efforts required on it.
What best Marketing practices/tools that company always rely on the business development, marketing, and branding?
Consulting is all about leasing out the brains, that’s how founders say it. The best marketing is the successful delivery of projects and the client feedbacks. Here the business grows more on word of mouth and trust. The company work on lot of confidential data to suggest business improvements so satisfied client is best testimony for them.
Yes, at some point of time, all we need to show is our presence on different platforms and networking events to increase connect. These days social media also play a crucial role in bringing potential connects with whom company used to work.
What are the customer acquisition strategies?
Company spread words over business associations, networks, and other trade bodies. Most of MSME’s key people are part of some or other such bodies. Also, they used to target the companies based on industry segment and reach out.
Do you believe in collaborative business model? Is your business collaborated with any organisations? Tell us in detail.
The founders revealed yes, collaboration is a key to success. Since they work with start-ups and MSMEs, and have close associations with other service providers in the ecosystem who can aid the enterprise work on the suggestions we give them.
What skills you want in your employees/team at the time of hiring?
The major characteristics we look for it adaptability, willingness to give more to the client, and always keen to learn. In this agile world, a successful consultant must always be updated with what’s happening in the industry and what can happen to reap benefits and how to do that.
How do company retain employees? Do you have any retention program?
The company works on both long time employees and also contractual employees – both have been with them since early days. Retention is never a challenge if we treat our employees well and look after their career growth as well. There has to be defined HR policies to look after all types of needs. The company also tries to give enough flexibility to adjust their personal commitments as well. This helps in creating a two-way relation with them – the company also always look after their needs and they are willing to go beyond the edge for the success of projects.
What about employee working hours and attendance policies? Do you allow working from home?
Being honest, the company do not have any defined working hours – its need based and we encourage employees to take ownership of work and finish it well before the deadline. The company do not fret about a strict 9 to 5 model. This gives the required flexibility while working from home, which is the new mantra these days.
Which was the boldest decision founders ever made to have this venture work?
When founders started they were stringent to focus on just global clients but then after a year they decided to support their own people and MSMEs. This has been very satisfying and rewarding. Yes the fascination to earn in dollars was high than Indian currency and this was a bold step that we look into but founders also bridged the gap here by working on different set of volumes. At the end, the work should also contribute to the growth of the country and economy.
What about employee working hours and attendance policies? Do you allow working from home?
Being honest, the company does not have any defined working hours – its need based and we encourage employees to take ownership of work and finish it well before the deadline. We do not fret about a strict 9 to 5 model. This gives the required flexibility while working from home, which is the new mantra in today’s world these days.
What are the target market/Audience/clients?
The company mainly aim at MSME segments that need consulting services and cannot afford the high-end firms. They used to deliver the same level of quality at a much less price. They serve all level of industry verticals.
Who are MetaConnect biggest competitors?
There are few players in the market, but they have been able to carve a niche for the company. Most KPO/ boutique consulting firms focus on large enterprises. On the other hand, MetaConnect focussed on the void that was there for the MSME segments. They play on volume over the price factor. This is what has made MetaConnect more approachable for smaller players as well.
What is the company larger goal or vision?
The company vision is simple – aiding the businesses to grow better. Most of the times, business start and grow at a random pace. Once they achieve a certain point, they need to set processes and plans to increase their efficiency, for which they need experts. This is where MetaConnect comes into the picture.
What best Marketing practices/tools that company always rely on the business development, marketing, and branding?
Consulting is all about leasing the brains, that’s how we say it. So the best marketing is the successful delivery of projects and the client feedbacks. Here the business grows more on word of mouth and trust. We usually work on lot of confidential data to suggest business improvements so satisfied client is best testimony for our growth.
Yes, we all need to show our meaningful presence on different platforms and networking events to increase connect. These days social media also play a crucial role in bringing potential connects with whom we can work.
What skills do you want in your employees/team at the time of hiring?
When it comes to the skills, we want adaptability, willingness to give more to the client, and always keen to learn. In this agile world, a successful consultant must always be updated with what’s happening in the industry and what can happen to reap benefits and how to do that.
How do founders measure productivity?
Anything can only be improved if we quantify it, define parameters to measure it. They have strict KPIs to monitor these. They measure the efficiency in terms of estimated hours and actually spent hours on each project. Productivity is different from efficiency and is determined by the projects delivered over a defined time. The quality is captured on the basis of client feedback and different sort of surveys.
When asked about the work life balance and how do they find a balance between work family and social life?
It’s very important to keep a healthy balance between work, family and social life. With the way things are moving into remote working model, this boundary is getting blurred. But we should always need to understand that this would eventually drain us up. We need to clearly have different set of people to fulfil our different kind of mental and emotional needs. We would not say that we have a very distinct defined work hour. “I, like most of us, work over extended hours. But, I do make sure I have my patches of “me time” – the time that would refill my energy levels.”
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now? How did you overcome those challenges?
“We are a first-generation entrepreneur and the initial journey has not at all been easy. I learnt a lot of the non-operations/work related things. I mean learning and balancing time and focus between legal, compliance, IPR, taxations etc. oh, there is so much to handle. We need to find trust worthy people to handle these and not make fun of us. Today, I have a team which has streamlined these aspects for me. This is all part of growing up.”
How do you spend your time outside work?
“I have quite an active social circle and love to connect with my family and friends often. I try to devote some time regularly to yoga and meditation. I also like to read and travel. You know, you can’t pour from an empty cup – we need to refill ourselves.”
Would you rather be good at a lot of things or an expert at one thing?
This is really interesting! Start-up world teaches you to master many things at same go. It’s like wearing multiple hats and trying to being better yourself as you grow. It’s important for the survival of the entrepreneur in you.
Do you consider yourself a hardworking person or a smart person? Tell something more on – it!
The magic of a successful person is he/she makes any seemingly difficult task, appear simple to others. There is a lot of hard work and sweat that goes behind anything that looks very simple. We need to be a “smart hard-worker”. The sweat should not reflect on the face, but it is always there. There is no short-cut to success and growth in today’s scenario.
Tell us something you are learning right now. What are the books you have read so far which has helped you a lot.
“I am an avid reader. I love to read anything and everything that comes my way. Currently I am reading IGIKAI by Garcia Hector. It talks about the Japanese concept referring to having a direction or purpose in life, providing a sense of fulfilment and towards which they the person may take actions, giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning. We must identify what we love to do, what we are good at, what the world needs and what we can be paid for – the overlap of these four segments would give us the path to success and peace.”
Whom do you consider your idol or biggest motivator?
My failures are one of my biggest motivators. Yes, this sounds weird but it gives me a reason to resurrect, a reason to bounce back. I would learn from my mistakes, mend them and come back stronger.
As a person, I am deeply influenced by my mom – she worked for more than 40 years before retiring recently. Those years were not so friendly for working women and yet she did it. I am a second- generation working woman and that made me stronger and it was like sacrosanct in my head that I do not have an option to quit, just because I am a woman.
Anything which is not covered in Interview and you want to share as part of your Story
Well, yeah…. Life and success of others (or even me) would look like a stroke of luck but trust me it is never so. Every success, every move requires hard work and sacrifices – a lot of anxiety as well at times. We must nurture a circle where we can be ourselves – at times even be the weak and vulnerable us. It helps to put together a stronger version of us in front of the world. This is our real earning – people; those people who won’t give up on you.
About Awards and Recognition you received
- Prima Donna Women of Substance Award by Promising Indian Society – March 2020
- Peter Drucker Memorial Award of Excellence by International Chamber of Professional Education and Industry (ICPEI) – November 2020
- Honorary Doctorate in Strategy Management by Global Peace University – November 2020
Contact & Follow The Baby First Box:
| Business Name | MetaConnect Consulting |
| Headquarter | Delhi |
| Co-founders | Aparajita Prasad O S Prasad |
| Sector/Industry | Strategy Consulting |
| Founded (month/year) | May 2017 |
| Parent Organization | MetaConnect Consulting Pvt Ltd |
| Contact Detail Phone & Email | +91 9958777300 a.prasad@metaconnect.in |
