Uganda - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Accommify is Uganda's all in one accomodation platform for students, travelers & renters.Find, book and pay for rooms near campus, manage rentals and discover Event venues for you party,conference on one secure platform hence avoiding unreliable brokers

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Accovia is an all in one Platform that aims to streamline accomodation and event space booking in Ug. It aims to solve different user Group problems in the following ways: (1)Students: Simplifies Searches for verified rooms near campus based on price, distance and landlord policy. Books and pays securely hence avoiding unreliable brokers and long-distance travel for viewing and searching. (2) Travellers:Finds hotels, lodges, motels etc across Ug based on location and customer budget. Book and pay directly through the platform for a seedless travel experience (3)Renters & Landlords:Lists and manages rental properties all across Ug. Landlords track bookings, payments, vacancies and adjust rent while Tennants communicate directly with Landlord and manage their rental agreements. (4)Event Organisers & Venue Owners: list & manage event spaces like Hotel conference halls, wedding venues, birthday parties etc. Organisers can discover suitable venues for their events and book directly.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Accommify tackles several interconnected problems faced in Uganda's accomodation and Event Space booking landscape.: (1)Students:Finding safe verified housing near Campus is difficult especially if you are in a different part of the country. Students rely on unreliable brokers, long commutes for searching and viewing, lack of transparency on pricing etc. (2)Travelers:Locating Suitable hotels, lodges and Motels can be challenging especially in a new place with limited info and risks of unreliable booking methods. (3)For renters & Landlords: Existing traditional Rental process is inefficient. Landlords struggle to Track payments, manage vacant rooms and find reliable tennants. (4)For event Organisers &Venue Owners: Finding Suitable event spaces is time consuming. Venue owners lack efficient tools to manage Availability of venues and receive booking requests. Accommify platform: (a)Empowers students to find verified housing. (b) Streamlines rental Management. (c)Event organisation.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Accommify simplifies accomodation &event booking in Ug, offering advantages for all. (1) Effortless booking &Mg't where one can search, compare, book & pay for rooms, rentals or event venues directly on the platform. No more tiresome searches, unreliable brokers and wasting time on viewing visits. (2)Trust & transparency with verified & graded listings , secure payments and clear communication tools for a safe reliable experience for students, travelers, rentees and event Organisers. (3)Cost Saving and efficiency as we eliminate broker fees, streamline communication and find you the perfect hub quickly. Landlords and venue owners can also manage properties efficiently while rentees and Event Organisers save time and money.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

(1) Students: From Universities and other higher learning institutions all across Uganda eg Makerere, Kyambogo, KIU, UCU, Mbarara etc. Accommify empowers them to find verified rooms near campus based on their budget, distance, Landlord policies etc. They can bookand pay securely through our platform(app and Website). (2) Travelers on business trips, vacations, long distance journey etc. Accommify platform helps find suitable hotels, lodges, motels etc across Ug. They can compare prices, book directly and enjoy a seemless travel experience. (3)Renters:Accommify simplifies search for an apartment in Uganda. Users will be able to find apartment listings, connect with Landlords and manage rental agreements all on one platform. (4)Event Organisers ie party planners, wedding organisers, Conference coordinators etc. (5) Landlords & apartment owners are our indirect beneficiaries as listing their property on Accommify allows rhem to reach awider ausience, manage booking and payments.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-08-25

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

3

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Fayed Kiggundu: (Technical Development) A programmer with expertise in multiple programming languages (5+). Fayed has experience designing and running websites. He is Currently a Cyber Security student ,and former IT assistant at KSK associates, Fayed brings strong technical skills for developing and maintaining the Accommify platform. (2)Nsamba Twalha:(Accounting & Finance) Handles financial management (cash flow analysis etc.) , worked at Mazars (Big 4 accounting firm) as an Accounting and Auditing assistant (2023). An Electrical Engineering student at Makerere University, Nsamba brings a technical perspective alongside business acumen gained from co-founding Karibu fast foods(2021) and experience as a public speaker. (3)Katana Shantal:(Marketing & Communication) Co-founder of Shoevera and a marketing assistant.Shantal possesses excellent interpersonal and innovative skills. Her marketing expertise will be crucial for brand building and user acquisition for Accommify.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

k) Property (real estate)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

(a)Stable housing is crucial for poverty reduction and allows individuals to focus on education, employment, and their overall wellbeing.By connecting students and other renters with suitable accommodation options, Accommify will reduce the burden of finding safe and affordable housing, especially for low income earners. Also , as Accommify grows, it has the potential to create job opportunities in areas like customer support, marketing, and property management hence earning individuals a livelihood and eliminating poverty.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

3

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Safe and secure housing near campuses will contribute to a better student mental wellbeing hence better health. Access to Quality housing creates comfort hence improved mental and Physical health of our Clients.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Accommify will connect students with safe, secure housing options near campuses. This will reduce the time and hassle spent searching for accommodation, allowing students to focus on their studies, hence a more quality education.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Accommify Uganda will foster decent work by creating jobs in platform management, real estate, and the event industry. It will improve efficiency for our landlords and venue owners in managing their venture for better outcomes, and contributes to the sharing economy, stimulating economic growth among the different groups of people in Uganda.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

By connecting students, renters, and travelers with verified listings that meet their demands and needs, Accommify will reduce the demand for unplanned housing developments With Ugandan Settlements. This can help promote more sustainable urban planning and reduce pressure on resources due to Unplanned settlements. Also by encouraging students to find housing near campuses and streamlining event planning, Accommify will contribute to a slight decrease in traffic congestion, especially in urban areas, brought about by the large number of passenger Boda bodas. Lastly,Accommify will encourage better use of existing housing establishments by facilitating short-term rentals or connecting renters with suitable apartments. This will optimize the use of existing infrastructure and reduce the need for new construction projects which will crowd our communities. Accommify is here for the better of Our society.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

6

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

6

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

3

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

As Accommify, we stand out as a unique and innovative solution in uganda's accommodation and event booking landscape due to our comprehensive approach and focus on several important aspects. Existing solutions in Uganda only cater for specific market segments ie individual rental listings, event venue website etc Accommify will bridge this gap by offering a One-Stop shop for all accommodation and event venue needs. Owners with all benefit from a single platform with features tailored to their needs. This will create a more efficient user experience than them navigating multiple platforms. Also, while online booking platforms exist globally, Accommify will offer a unique solution tailored to the specific needs of the Ugandan market and culture. Majority of these platforms have a foreign taste which doesn't reflect our Ugandan Culture and way of doing things.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

While there isn't a dominant player yet, Accommify will face competition across our different market segments it serves. (1) Student housing:There is no large established competitor as matching is done physically or through ur reliable expensive brokers. Accommify stands out by offering a verified, secure platform with a wider range of options and filtering based on specific student needs ie distance, price, landlord policies etc. (2)Rental Housing: Rentify.Ug exists, but user reviews (as per our competitive analysis)suggest limited reach and reliability. (3)Event booking: Physical booking dominates , though afew hotels have micro websites for this purpose . Accommify will go beyond hotels, covering various event venues eg conference halls, etc, offering a wider selection, and more reliable and independent systems.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

No