Stay Focused on Your Strengths During this Pandemic

We talked to Ahammed Mirdas of PluginHive on how they specialize in providing the most secure, stable, feature-rich and intuitive extensions and this is what he had to say.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Ahammed Mirdas: We are doing well, thank you. Being a people person, I found it very challenging to be locked indoors initially. Moreover, it was tough to take care of my 7-year-old daughter and focus on other things simultaneously. But as time passed, my family and I managed to handle things well.

Concerning work, It wasn’t comfortable adapting to the norms of Covid-19. My team members are from different states in India, and working remotely was a challenge. But soon, we found a way to get things done, and it was not long before we were back in the game.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded PluginHive.

Ahammed Mirdas: Before PluginHive, I worked as a Chief Technical Architect in a leading MNC. Having worked for more than a decade in the software industry, I have always been passionate about providing tech solutions.

It was in 2015 that I got the perfect opportunity to establish my venture. I saw growth in the field of eCommerce, mostly platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, etc. Interestingly, however, online business owners still relied on manual effort to shipping products and the order fulfillment process. I knew the benefits of automating the shipping process and believed that we could help provide what was missing.

Since then, we have provided shipping solutions for business owners that save them significant time and money. Currently, we partner with logistic giants like UPS and FedEx to provide a completely automated shipping solution for e-commerce merchants.

How does PluginHive innovate? 

Ahammed Mirdas: For our company, the focus has been more towards solutions rather than innovation. We identify the problems faced by eCommerce business owners and try to provide a business solution. When it comes to small & medium eCommerce enterprises, we saw a lot of effort put on manual tasks related to shipping products and order fulfillment. 

We believed the shipping process had to be automated to let the business owners focus on other aspects like sales and marketing, finance, etc. And as a result, today, we are proud to share our

solutions with more than 70,000 business owners in 70+ countries across the globe.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Ahammed Mirdas: Just like any other business, we have been through our fair share of problems. When the pandemic hit, we took a proactive decision for our team members to relocate and work from their hometowns. We learned to be productive while working remotely.

In terms of business, the pandemic hit the logistics and shipping companies throughout the world, due to which the eCommerce merchants had a hard time getting their products to the end customers. It slowed down our business in the beginning. However, we tried our best to bridge the gap between the logistics companies and the merchants. Later, when the lockdown lifted, the shipping companies started operating at their best, and the eCommerce businesses saw a boost. It increased the inquiries for our products and worked positively for us. Also, there was a new

trend where more companies wanted to go online. The challenge was to handhold the first-timers, and we thrived on keeping up with this challenge. We look forward to this trend to continue seeing more businesses going the online route and automating their shipping process.  

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Ahammed Mirdas: While things were not in our favor, we stayed focused and continued at what we are best. We also used this time to foresee what was coming and prepared ourselves to onboard and handhold online merchants first by introducing new processes. I also feel we adapted very well, and one of the biggest lessons is, “you can never be too prepared.” It’s the ability to adjust to circumstances that helped us cope with the pandemic.

How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

Ahammed Mirdas: If you are passionate about your goal and enjoy your work, you can handle the stress. It’s also essential to spend enough time with your family and friends and keep yourself physically fit. 

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Ahammed Mirdas: I believe we have found a niche in the market, and there is no other provider with a similar solution. We provide tailored solutions to a concrete customer base. That said, we are continually reinventing ourselves and have a long way to go. 

Your final thoughts?

Ahammed Mirdas: Covid-19 is a challenge for all of us. We have to stay motivated and focused. Stay safe and healthy. If we sail through this period, we will have survived the worst times. 

Your website?

https://www.pluginhive.com/