How did the company fare during the first wave of a pandemic?

When the pandemic broke out, we weren’t prepared at all and we were very new. Frankly, the first wave did not affect us much as we were very new and started operations a month ago. First-wave even helped us streamline our process and improve our business model.

However, we were prepared when the second wave arrived. There is a very marginal decline in our business. Our customer-centric initiatives enabled us to maintain and earn the trust of our customers. However, our deliveries are affected by the blockage.

What kind of customer-centric initiative have you taken during the pandemic? What impact has it had on the company?

In the wake of the pandemic, we have ensured proper training for our packaging teams and delivery partners to follow all Covid protocols and social distancing standards. They are also supplied free of charge with the appropriate dresses, shoes, PPE kits, as well as a mask, shield, gloves, boot covers and disinfectants. We also offer free disinfection for vehicles and merchandise.

These initiatives give our clients a lot of confidence to move in times of pandemic. So in the first place, our sales have remained intact even during the pandemic.

What changes have you noticed in consumer behavior since the start of the pandemic, and what kinds of customer inquiries have you received the most during the pandemic?

During the Pandemic and lockdown, customers have been concerned whether the people coming to pack and move would take proper social distancing or not, whether they would use protection kits or not, whether the vehicle would be decontaminated or not, etc.

There has been a phenomenal change in consumer behavior. They are more concerned and specific than ever about hygiene, social distancing, masks, etc.

Which are your future plans?

Shift Freight currently delivers around 2000 orders per month across India. We expect our numbers to be around 200 orders per day or 6000 orders per month by the end of June 2022. Also, our long-term goal is to reach 2000 orders per day in the next 5 years, which is just and only the 5% of the total market capitalization of Packers & Movers services in India.

Beyond these numbers, we plan to start a Training and Development wing to train more than 300 unemployed workers monthly and provide them with permanent employment through our network of Shift Partners. We have already assisted our delivery partners with concessional loans, cash back, packaging supplies, and supplies of PPE equipment. We will continue to expand these benefits.

Flying r/c planes has been a very popular hobby for aviation enthusiast. However many people have stayed away from this hobby because it has been considered a bit expensive to get into and maintain. This may have been the case in years past but the manufactures have started to come out with some planes that are easily affordable. So if you are just starting to consider purchasing a remote control plane then here are a few basics that you should keep in mind.

For the beginner you may want to consider what is referred to as and RTF. This stands for “ready to fly.” This means that there is no engine building or parts to put together that someone with a lot of experience usually does. By purchasing your plane ready to fly you can walk out of the hobby shop, go find a field and be ready to get the plane in the air. Purchasing a plane that requires more knowledge to assemble may be a bit deflating for the newbie as it will take time, effort and skill to get it properly assembled before you can even enjoy it.

Ask the person in the hobby shop which planes they would recommend for a beginner. The hobby shop owners can steer you towards the planes that they have personally heard good things about. For example some planes maybe too advanced and require more experience then you currently have. When you are looking for a plane you want one that you can easily get in the air and keep it there. These types of planes are referred to as trainers, and they assist you with learning how to fly the plane without crashing. This is because most of the trainers fly at a slower speed which allows you the time needed to correct any errors that you have made.

Cost is usually a factor when choosing an r/c plane. The good news is that you can find remote controlled planes for a decent price. You can find the battery operated RTF plane for as little as $35 and they can get up to around $120. Don’t forget that you will need batteries to go with them. The trainer planes usually start around $120 and can go up from there. Some of these planes are electric but the majority of these planes are gas operated.

When you are starting out you should also look for a plane that has a wide wing span. The wider the wing span is on the planes the easier it will be to fly. This is because they have more stability. The wider wing span makes it easier to get in the air and keep in the air; it will however limit your maneuverability a bit. This means that once you have learned how to fly with this plane and you are ready to do things such as tricks and higher skilled flying maneuvers you will need to upgrade to a more advanced r/c planes.