“By the second year of engineering at RAIT, Mumbai, I was completely bored with academics,” reveals Munje. “Then after a two-month internship at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, I lost all inclination to return to college because I couldn’t see myself working as an engineer,” he adds. So he pulled out of college and started interning with a Web entrepreneur. “It was then that I realised that I’m an awful employee, and my fascination with the way my boss worked settled things. I knew I had to try the start-up route,” he adds.

The two things the 19-year-old knew best were writing and editing since he had handled his college magazine. “So I discussed the possibility of opening an online content platform with four of my friends and cofounded Simple! magazine. However, the setup folded up within four months because we lacked focus,” says Munje. The next step was Hammer & Mop.

To begin with, the new venture was incepted as On-Time Repairs & Maintenance Services in October 2010. Started with Ashish Pingle, a dentist friend, the company aimed at providing electricians, plumbers and carpenters on call. The duo was mentored by Mohit Bansal, who used to run an accelerator by the name of L-pad. “Over a six-month incubation period, he introduced us to the basics of business, including branding, target segments and pricing,” says Munje, adding, “He also played an integral role in shifting our business focus from handymen to home cleaning.” The switch to Hammer & Mop happened because the founders realised that home cleaning was an ever-pressing need and, hence, a less risky business. Munje drummed up a seed capital of Rs 50,000 from his own savings as well as money borrowed from family. “We initially worked from my home at Kalyan,” he says.

Most of the money went into hiring eight people. It took them six months to kick-off beta operations, and one year to get off the ground. In the meantime, the business model evolved, moving from the narrow focus on homes to include commercial spaces and offering AMCs. In November 2011, Hammer & Mop was registered as a private limited company.

By September 2012, the business had scaled up enough to warrant shifting into a rented office at Bandra west and investing in a rented warehouse at Andheri. The company clocked nearly Rs 8 lakh in the first year of operations and broke even in 18-20 months. “Now, we are reporting a 200% growth and currently operate from a larger warehouse at Ghatkopar,” says Munje.

Hammer & Mop’s team strength is touching 30, the average age being 30 years. Pingle, however, recently left the company to focus on his day job. On an average, the team services two or three homes and offices per day, and charges Rs 5,000-30,000 (plus tax) for a one-time clean-up, depending on the dimensions. In the short term, the firm plans to expand in Mumbai, but aims at a pan-India presence a few years from now.”