The Idea

Remember the days just a few years ago, or possibly just a few months ago, when you were frantically shopping for your new dorm accessories? You weren’t completely sure what you would need, so you probably read a lot of those lists that tell you exactly what to buy when you go to college. Except when you finally got to school, you realized that half the stuff you bought was unnecessary, and you have to make another Walmart run for all the things that none of your lists covered. All of this is being bought on your college-student-sized budget.

This is the problem that Shanil Wazirali and his cousin, Sagar Hemani, are solving through their online company, Dormitup.com. The premise behind their company is that college students should be able to easily purchase the essentials for a dorm without all the time and money that can be involved in buying every item individually from big-name superstores.

The Specs

Wazirali and Hemani began by taking surveys of many college freshmen to find out what they actually needed when they got to school. They two then got busy finding where they could find this merchandise, and it appears from an article written about them on youngentrepreneur.com that they have partnered with family members who are in the retail business and can provide them with lower cost merchandise. These products are then sold in packages ranging from $129 to $299, depending on how many items you want. These packages are customizable and come with free shipping!

Great Design

I especially appreciated Dormitup.com’s design. Wazirali and Hermani are currently the only two employees of the company, and they did all the design themselves, but it looks very clean and professional. Even the typeface on the shipping containers matches the overall branding of the company, and is attractive to the younger audience. The website is also clean and user-friendly.

Wazirali and Hemani have struck on a good business idea and have already sold thousands of products. In the future, they hope to grow the company to hire more staff.