When planning a party, the list of things to do is always overwhelming.
Sharad Daswani, a 1995 Commerce School graduate, said he knows how difficult it can be to mail out invitations and keep track of who has returned an RSVP. Instead of staying flustered, Daswani decided to turn his frustration into a problem-solving online company - PleaseRSVP.com.
PleaseRSVP.com was launched in January 1999 and still is growing in the online retailing industry.
Daswani said he came up with the idea of making and selling virtual invitations that guests could reply to via e-mail while he was planning a holiday party in 1997.
"I found myself more concerned with keeping track of who was coming and who wasn't, when I should have been focusing on planning the actual event," he said.
In early 1998, he suggested the idea to his friend and future business partner, Neeraj Bhagat, a 1996 Darden graduate.
Daswani and Bhagat quit their respective jobs at Anderson Consulting and Booz-Allen & Hamilton.
"We started off with about 10 clients and we have grown to literally thousands of clients today," Daswani said.
PleaseRSVP.com has clients all over the world, because of the growing use of the Internet.
"We've had everything from weddings in India to corporate events in Singapore," Bhagat said.
All virtual invitation and RSVP services are free on the site. The site makes money through advertising and ticketing.
"We provide targeted advertising and gift suggestions. For example, if we are doing a baby shower, ads will accompany the invite, suggesting the types of gifts people may want to purchase," Daswani said.
He said they are careful to include ads that are pertinent to the event, not miscellaneous ones.
If a product is purchased through these ads, the site receives a commission.
Guests attending ticketed events can save the hassle of purchasing tickets through another service. PleaseRSVP.com also takes a commission on each purchased ticket.
The nature of the business allows for a built-in publicity factor.
"Every time someone uses our services, all of their guests find out about us, we can reach hundreds of people with just one event," Daswani said. Partnerships with other sites are a method to spread the word about their services.
"So far we have set up partnerships with other major sites like WomenConnect.com, and other affiliate programs with eToys.com, BabyCenter.com and BarnesandNoble.com," said JC Lee, PleaseRSVP.com vice president of marketing and development. Lee graduated from the Commerce School in 1994.
Lee came to PleaseRSVP.com about two months ago, after quitting his job with the Business Information Network, where he designed Web sites.
Bhagat said in the Internet age, time is of the essence.
"We were the first online RSVP service, and we are still the only one to offer such a range or services," he said.
"We are getting ready to close out the first round of discussion with investors," Lee said.
Lee emphasized that the uniqueness of the site has centered around the fact that "we cater to all kinds of events." Their client list has included an intimate cocktail party to a 2,400 convention for the Morino Group.
Bhagat urges students to explore ideas and find out what business ideas motivate them.
"Many students get caught up in the glamour of new businesses; surviving in this field takes a lot of dedication and commitment," he said.
Daswani said the ability to view an idea from the beginning to its actual inception is what makes these ventures worthwhile.
PleaseRSVP.com's first university client was Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity at James Madison University.
"We hope to have future university clients because of the widespread use of the Internet and e-mail on college campuses," Daswani said.
"It's a great service for college events because everyone has their own e-mail, our services can be used for everything from semi-formals to night club events," he said.
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