Spirited Entrepreneur Matt Crowell Encourages Us to Slow Down, Buy Local, and Don’t Let Amazon Win

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's podcast, the number one podcast for entrepreneurs by
[00:06] SPEAKER_01: entrepreneurs. Hi, this is Angela Faye and today's podcast is about local and the
[00:14] SPEAKER_01: story starts from me a little bit because I invested in a by local app as
[00:19] SPEAKER_01: per my marketing plan when I started the cohort this past years ago. In fact, it
[00:23] SPEAKER_01: was like five years ago and at the time the idea of introducing a fun easy
[00:27] SPEAKER_01: application that actually connected people locally to shops and services they
[00:31] SPEAKER_01: loved was was my intent. And while the initiative had early interest it
[00:36] SPEAKER_01: definitely did not stick. So now I have inside scoop on how hard it is and
[00:42] SPEAKER_01: effort that it takes and I learned that focus is one key to experience longevity
[00:48] SPEAKER_01: in an initiative. I've also been intrigued at the number of by local projects
[00:54] SPEAKER_01: and campaigns that have launched in 2020. I felt somewhere crisis response
[01:00] SPEAKER_01: somewhere opportunistic, somewhere very heart centered but intentionally
[01:04] SPEAKER_01: temporary. What they all had in common however was something that we always
[01:09] SPEAKER_01: have known and perhaps need to be more focused on is the joy and community
[01:15] SPEAKER_01: benefit of supporting local. And so I want an request to find a focused joyful
[01:21] SPEAKER_01: high energy and entrepreneurly led by local initiative with longevity and I
[01:27] SPEAKER_01: discovered Matt Crowell. This is one entrepreneur in Canada who was living and
[01:33] SPEAKER_01: breathing local through his passion driven work. So first of all welcome Matt
[01:38] SPEAKER_00: to Canada's podcast. Yeah thanks so much for having me it's great to be here
[01:43] SPEAKER_01: today. Perfect so let's just start I mean this is this is about you so tell me
[01:47] SPEAKER_00: about your entrepreneurial journey. Yeah I mean it's been quite the it's been a
[01:52] SPEAKER_00: fun one I guess I've been really lucky to be where we are today but it really
[01:56] SPEAKER_00: started out like many do very small I mean I was looking to solve a problem in
[02:00] SPEAKER_00: in Kelowna and help golf courses market themselves locally and it was really just
[02:05] SPEAKER_00: based on that it started out very simple a simple text platform and and it's
[02:09] SPEAKER_00: grown to it's growing quite a bit over time but it was just sort of getting
[02:12] SPEAKER_00: started and trying to solve a problem very early on. And how long ago was that
[02:15] SPEAKER_00: Matt? It's about eight years ago now yeah so it feels like yesterday but it's
[02:20] SPEAKER_00: been quite a while. And are you a golfer? I used to be before I started a company.
[02:27] SPEAKER_00: Yeah I started it because I wanted to eat golf deals and now I don't have a
[02:30] SPEAKER_01: golf course. Awesome okay so you're not spending a lot of time on the golf course
[02:35] SPEAKER_01: what how did you get from solving this golf connection to get in the loop which
[02:41] SPEAKER_01: is now a national you know SAS platform that really has the essence of
[02:47] SPEAKER_01: by local how did tell me a little bit about that journey. Yeah I mean it's
[02:51] SPEAKER_00: interesting because we always look back and what we do today seems very
[02:54] SPEAKER_00: sophisticated but we were just really good at listening you know I really
[02:57] SPEAKER_00: started it out with golf courses and hey how do we connect to locals and how do
[03:01] SPEAKER_00: we give local deals really easily and so we created a text platform to do that
[03:04] SPEAKER_00: and and we're it was a cool local business we had the golf loop going and
[03:08] SPEAKER_00: hundreds of golfers were getting offers on their phones from local golf
[03:11] SPEAKER_00: courses but it was actually the golfers that the golf courses that came to me
[03:15] SPEAKER_00: and sort of changed how the business would grow and they set at the time they
[03:18] SPEAKER_00: were like you know we we have a challenge we need more young people in golf we
[03:22] SPEAKER_00: want more females in golf like you're gonna end up with a database full of all
[03:25] SPEAKER_00: the golfers but we need to actually attract new customers and a different
[03:29] SPEAKER_00: customer and so that pushing to be like well I mean if I want young people I
[03:34] SPEAKER_00: need to add pubs and activities or you add spas and so it was like I think we need
[03:38] SPEAKER_00: to expand what we offer and it was at the time that like grew upon and all the
[03:42] SPEAKER_00: deal companies were really failing they were doing things that made sense for
[03:45] SPEAKER_00: local business I mean taking a huge revenue share was a huge challenge and when
[03:50] SPEAKER_00: we talk to our users they all said they're like we just lovely of cool local
[03:53] SPEAKER_00: brands and the cool golf courses so we we set off on a path to sort of build a
[03:57] SPEAKER_00: communication tool and a platform that would allow businesses from any
[04:00] SPEAKER_00: industry to connect to consumers and today we've done that so getting a
[04:04] SPEAKER_00: loop for business is a tool that allows a business to communicate a local offer
[04:08] SPEAKER_00: a punch card loyalty reward they can highlight their happy hour sales and
[04:12] SPEAKER_00: promotions so it's really a tool that a business can shape themselves on how
[04:16] SPEAKER_00: they're trying to attract new customers and then they get in a loop app we
[04:19] SPEAKER_00: launched became a marketplace where consumers can find the best way to shop and
[04:22] SPEAKER_00: support local well getting rewarded at the same time and there's been a lot of
[04:26] SPEAKER_00: bumps along the way we yeah I mean it took us a long time to get where we are today
[04:29] SPEAKER_00: but we're really happy with where it's all going so could you tell us about one
[04:35] SPEAKER_00: bump that was maybe memorable oh yeah I mean there's a lot so I mean we we were
[04:41] SPEAKER_00: really in that position that we were so far ahead of the market you know when I
[04:43] SPEAKER_00: think about entrepreneurship the one thing I've learned over time is it's called
[04:46] SPEAKER_00: you got to hang around you got to hang around enough for the market to actually
[04:49] SPEAKER_00: understand you and you talk to a your concept I mean there's a lot of great
[04:52] SPEAKER_00: concepts that come what we've seen so many times and like we got to hang around
[04:56] SPEAKER_00: keep getting better and actually wait for the business to evolve you know and for
[04:59] SPEAKER_00: us that's what we've seen we we very early on tried to grow with media companies
[05:03] SPEAKER_00: and so we ended up partnering with like Bell Media and Core Center team and in
[05:07] SPEAKER_00: Jim Paterson group all these great brands and they taught us a lot they're great
[05:11] SPEAKER_00: partners and we would go into markets because we became a partner of radio
[05:15] SPEAKER_00: and so the radio teams would actually go sell the rights to get in the loop
[05:18] SPEAKER_00: because they wanted to bring a mobile product to the and a digital product to
[05:21] SPEAKER_00: their businesses and then we would grow the get in the loop app audience on air
[05:24] SPEAKER_00: and it worked really cool we for two or three years we went into like 15 cities we were expanding
[05:29] SPEAKER_00: but there was challenges you know um we realized that you needed somebody that not only sold the
[05:33] SPEAKER_00: business but somebody that worked with them like a local business owner to make it a platform
[05:37] SPEAKER_00: like getting a loop very valuable they need to be creative and so we needed somebody that worked
[05:41] SPEAKER_00: with them and and talk them about their marketing strategy and then over time we found to grow our
[05:45] SPEAKER_00: brand having somebody in a community and that grassroots level finding partnerships with like
[05:49] SPEAKER_00: minor hockey and universities was so valuable so we were already a big company in two provinces
[05:53] SPEAKER_00: 25 cities and we ended all of our media relationships so we all of it had no media partnerships
[06:00] SPEAKER_00: and I can remember sitting there like January 15th of 2018 and being like that's our wholesale
[06:05] SPEAKER_00: team like we're down to zero like we just ended all the partnerships and that that challenge we were
[06:10] SPEAKER_00: in 20 cities we were figuring out how to stay afloat and we came up with the concept of getting
[06:14] SPEAKER_00: a loop local we were going to franchise our platform because we knew that business owners like to
[06:18] SPEAKER_00: meet with other business owners so if you had an entrepreneur in a market to meet with them that
[06:21] SPEAKER_00: was big and then they could be there to service the customers and create awareness and so
[06:25] SPEAKER_00: out of sort of no choice and realizing you had to do something different and better we created
[06:29] SPEAKER_00: getting a loop local and it's become the fastest growing franchise in North America and now we have
[06:33] SPEAKER_00: 180 plus individuals and markets across the country that work with small business today and
[06:38] SPEAKER_00: all of that came out of having a big bump in the road where you're partnered of all the biggest
[06:42] SPEAKER_00: media companies in Canada it seems like the right path and you decided to go another way
[06:46] SPEAKER_00: and today it's been it's been a right choice but there was a lot of sleepless nights where you
[06:50] SPEAKER_01: wondered if that was the vision can you describe to me a little bit about the feeling of you know
[06:56] SPEAKER_01: and what was the the tipping point at the critical point when you said we've got to let these media
[07:01] SPEAKER_01: partners go like how did you arrive there that that feels like a big decision yeah I mean it
[07:09] SPEAKER_00: it and it was really challenging because we've we've been lucky we've grown off of revenue and
[07:13] SPEAKER_00: raised investment over time so but our investors were investing in us because we were a natural
[07:17] SPEAKER_00: acquisition of media companies they're going to acquire you you're going to come in the house and
[07:21] SPEAKER_00: you'll be their mobile strategy and we thought that and we sort of ran into that innovators dilemma
[07:25] SPEAKER_00: there there was two things what one was they weren't ready to see the force through the trees the
[07:31] SPEAKER_00: problem wasn't hard enough yet they were holding water on their current products like I've been a
[07:35] SPEAKER_00: part of media since I mean it's been nine years now and which I mean there's a lot of people with
[07:39] SPEAKER_00: a lot more background but it's been the interesting time I was partnered with newspapers very early on
[07:44] SPEAKER_00: and they were all like look at yellow pages had to tell us about us and then and then like 18
[07:50] SPEAKER_00: months later newspaper was just going down and then radio was like whoo glad we're not the paper
[07:56] SPEAKER_00: and I was sitting there the whole time being like we're the future we're the future and now you look
[08:00] SPEAKER_00: at all traditional media and and all the eyeballs and ears that transition to way different spots and
[08:04] SPEAKER_00: it's all on mobile and online and we were in their house you know so I was like that innovators
[08:09] SPEAKER_00: dilemma where I knew the future was like that media companies needed products like ours but they
[08:14] SPEAKER_00: weren't getting it and I also don't think that their models were set upright like actually having
[08:18] SPEAKER_00: an entrepreneur and in the local neighborhood that works with the businesses has changed the whole
[08:22] SPEAKER_00: business it really gives us an advantage and an way to support local business that you just couldn't
[08:26] SPEAKER_00: through being a partner of a big media company or a part of a big media company so it's worked out
[08:31] SPEAKER_00: in the long run but yeah you know that was a that was a big left we had to turn there because it
[08:35] SPEAKER_00: was a very different direction and it's worked out well but there's there's a lot of momentum
[08:39] SPEAKER_01: going the other way to say the least well and I think you've introduced me to a new concept which
[08:44] SPEAKER_01: is or it's not maybe not new but certainly put words around the innovators dilemma is you know when
[08:49] SPEAKER_01: you're when you're feeling tightness maybe and that in some decisions and thinking they're just not
[08:56] SPEAKER_01: getting it you know when you and you know when you're got that they're just not getting it but to
[08:59] SPEAKER_01: to make that pivot and go in a different direction is is you know sometimes pretty scary so
[09:06] SPEAKER_00: yeah and you and you have to move on right we always felt like oh well like we're like
[09:09] SPEAKER_00: their little brother they pick on like we're like the tech company that partnered with but they
[09:13] SPEAKER_00: don't really care about you know so it was like we we needed to step out and and and it's today now
[09:18] SPEAKER_00: now that we became national and and could control our own destiny I mean we sort of sit at the same
[09:22] SPEAKER_00: playing field as them and we all chat and it's sort of funny I was like you guys get it owned us you
[09:26] SPEAKER_00: know now now we're sitting here and we are definitely competing and one of us has something that
[09:30] SPEAKER_00: people like and one of us it's changing for so you know it's it's changed over time well and I
[09:35] SPEAKER_01: was going to kind of end on this question but I want to bring it in now because he's already touched
[09:39] SPEAKER_01: on it is in your view what is the future of I guess advertising right the the media industry what
[09:47] SPEAKER_00: where do you see it headed yeah I mean it's going to get tougher and tougher for traditional media
[09:53] SPEAKER_00: I think and and how much of it isn't it's not it's not within their control anymore today I mean
[09:58] SPEAKER_00: eyeballs and ears moved so quickly and I think those organizations weren't maybe as innovative as
[10:03] SPEAKER_00: they needed to be to keep up so I think you're going to see a really a really big erosion of
[10:08] SPEAKER_00: local newspaper local radio I just I don't think that's going to be there you know one thing
[10:12] SPEAKER_00: early on we realized was like local businesses actually losing their voice like those were still
[10:16] SPEAKER_00: the channels they could get the word out and attract customer and those models don't actually
[10:21] SPEAKER_00: work financially anymore it's not even to say there's not value there for a business it doesn't
[10:25] SPEAKER_00: work for the newspaper to have as much overhead and to do because if you look at a business like
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: ours how lightweight it is I mean we have entrepreneurs and neighborhoods across the country and it
[10:33] SPEAKER_00: all runs in the cloud we don't we don't have big buildings and towers and programming teams and
[10:38] SPEAKER_00: journalists like all the things that come with running a local or a regional or national media
[10:42] SPEAKER_00: company that's expensive and that's all changed technology is really changing how that works so
[10:46] SPEAKER_00: at a local level I think you're going to see 10 more getting the loops like more different
[10:51] SPEAKER_00: products and solutions I think you're going to see companies become a lot more at a local level
[10:56] SPEAKER_00: like small business they're going to try and be more illiterate more more digitally illiterate
[10:59] SPEAKER_00: than they are they're going to want to learn more they're going to adopt more digital products so
[11:03] SPEAKER_00: we really hope more competitors come to the market in terms of more solutions for small business
[11:07] SPEAKER_00: that are digital and easy to use and and work well for consumers and then and then I think for big
[11:13] SPEAKER_00: brands and big retail it's just going to get so sophisticated there's so much money behind it
[11:18] SPEAKER_00: and there's there's so many great companies like Shopify and others that are putting so much time
[11:22] SPEAKER_00: into helping expand a retailer's ability to facilitate e-commerce so I think I think locally
[11:28] SPEAKER_00: you're going to see a move towards more technology platforms and things like that but at the
[11:33] SPEAKER_00: big level of big retailers and things I mean that's there's a lot a lot of change happening there
[11:38] SPEAKER_00: that I don't even think I'm at the right spot to be commenting on that's changing very very quickly
[11:42] SPEAKER_01: right so where do you again it's one of my later questions but so where are you investing in
[11:48] SPEAKER_01: as far as your time or your network or your sources of information to keep to keep abreast of
[11:54] SPEAKER_00: the change and the knowledge necessary yeah it's I mean it's lucky we're lucky enough that I mean
[12:00] SPEAKER_00: we use internally we have an advisor network that's very connected across the country and even
[12:04] SPEAKER_00: globally I mean talk to people in your account all the time and so that's helping these day a
[12:09] SPEAKER_00: little bit on the pulse of what's happening in the industry and then it's talking with other
[12:13] SPEAKER_00: collaborators you need the right mix of like I'm communicating with leaders of traditional media all
[12:18] SPEAKER_00: the time and hearing how they're doing the big media companies and I'm communicating with other
[12:21] SPEAKER_00: startups that are my friends or mentors and and learning about how they're trying to attack the market
[12:25] SPEAKER_00: and and trying to then come up with your sort of clear vision of where you can play in that and
[12:30] SPEAKER_00: and when we think about it we're trying to invest a lot as a company in in a couple of key things
[12:34] SPEAKER_00: and like one is it's all about making it easy for a consumer to find businesses and explore and
[12:39] SPEAKER_00: save money at businesses so it's the consumers have just become so used to just you can use your
[12:44] SPEAKER_00: phone and everything can happen and so the more we can make our happen platform make it easy for
[12:48] SPEAKER_00: a consumer to find and and and really engage with a local business and then you got to make it simple
[12:53] SPEAKER_00: I think that's one of the things that we're trying to do well and we can do a lot better is for a
[12:58] SPEAKER_00: business owner we invest a lot of time and how do we make it easy for a local business or a very
[13:02] SPEAKER_00: sophisticated business like Boston Peats are big brands like that to use the platform because over time
[13:08] SPEAKER_00: every technology is really taken over market but it doesn't mean everybody's a technologist like
[13:12] SPEAKER_00: if you look at the back ends of even Facebook and Google and others I mean there's there's very
[13:16] SPEAKER_00: few people in Canada that can operate those at the scale you'd need to like their heart right so we're
[13:21] SPEAKER_00: a lot to make it easy for business I think that's where we can win is find the tool that a business
[13:25] SPEAKER_00: can use get value from but it's easy and doesn't take their time because business owners are so busy
[13:30] SPEAKER_01: when you you know just spread out Facebook Google I mean those are those are massive enterprise
[13:35] SPEAKER_01: companies with tons of of crew let's talk a little bit about get in the loops internal crew you how
[13:42] SPEAKER_01: big is your staff and how lean you said lean or light I love that expression I can just imagine
[13:48] SPEAKER_01: is how many bodies do you actually have working behind the scenes not including your ambassadors
[13:54] SPEAKER_00: yeah so that internally on the team we've got about 45 full-time so employees so we've got about
[14:00] SPEAKER_00: 15 engineers on the development side and then 30 on the operation team and so our team sort of
[14:07] SPEAKER_00: although there's divisions broken down in it it's really there's sort of a few key things for us
[14:11] SPEAKER_00: and that is like franchisee success so we have a whole team and a big team that's dedicated
[14:15] SPEAKER_00: towards supporting our local entrepreneurs and their ability to really franchise in communities
[14:20] SPEAKER_00: and then outside of that we've got like our national and strategic accounts team so getting
[14:25] SPEAKER_00: a word a partner of I mean hundreds of national brands and shopping centers and things so we have
[14:29] SPEAKER_00: our own direct team that works with larger brands and more sophisticated campaigns and things
[14:33] SPEAKER_00: like that but a lot of the businesses geared around we're in the business of making our entrepreneurs
[14:38] SPEAKER_00: successful and if they're successful they're going out and making local businesses and they're
[14:41] SPEAKER_01: community successful absolutely and so 45 and are they all based in your basement in Kelona what's the
[14:51] SPEAKER_00: thing yeah that's a change so we were we've always been pretty focused on how do you grow the team
[14:57] SPEAKER_00: in a centralized area and we've been lucky so our head office has been in Kelona which is beautiful
[15:01] SPEAKER_00: city and over time we've become more of a known fish in a small pond or a bigger fish in a small pond
[15:06] SPEAKER_00: so we've been able to attract a lot of great people out of Kelona but when Ovid hit we've
[15:11] SPEAKER_00: sort of we've changed our strategy quite a bit so over over the last year we've we've really hired
[15:15] SPEAKER_00: mostly externally outside of Kelona so we've had people now from Edmonton Vancouver Toronto
[15:21] SPEAKER_00: and we opened up a small office in Argentina as well and so another way to just grow access to
[15:27] SPEAKER_00: development resources down there but it's it's an office of ours and a team of ours down there so
[15:32] SPEAKER_00: it's a little different than just like outsourcing development it's a collection down there yeah
[15:39] SPEAKER_01: so you're well and truly managing its stupidity team right now and that's been a bit of a pivot
[15:44] SPEAKER_01: how would any insider tips on what tools you use that are so we use I think the general stuff we
[15:51] SPEAKER_00: slack a lot as a company is very helpful I mean Google and Google Hangouts and Zoom which we're
[15:56] SPEAKER_00: on here today so that's been really helpful the team's able to communicate a lot and then we
[16:00] SPEAKER_00: work we were really a digital company before I mean so we're we're you products like Confluence
[16:05] SPEAKER_00: and other and pipe drive to manage the CRM and so our team's pretty digitally savvy but it
[16:10] SPEAKER_00: it hasn't been without its challenges I mean one of the things we had going as an advantage that
[16:15] SPEAKER_00: I've seen really change and it's and I think we can get there is like we were a really cool
[16:19] SPEAKER_00: company to be a part of now that's drinking my own trullade and saying we're great but we had great
[16:23] SPEAKER_00: culture and team and people and everybody had fun together and that was a big part of why you
[16:26] SPEAKER_00: wanted to be a part of getting a loop is we have a great mission people want to join our mission I
[16:30] SPEAKER_00: mean you're helping thousands of small businesses it's a community app for shop local like we don't
[16:34] SPEAKER_00: have you don't lack people wanting to work here but I mean our advantage was we were fun we did
[16:40] SPEAKER_00: fun things and and work and being displaced has been very different you know I've been lucky to
[16:44] SPEAKER_00: meet a few of our teammates have been other cities and gone for lunch or something but it's not
[16:49] SPEAKER_00: the same as everybody building relationships around their work and and we're trying to figure out
[16:53] SPEAKER_00: the best way to do that I don't think we solved it yet you know what Matt I think everybody's in
[16:57] SPEAKER_01: in kind of the same boat because we you know we spend sometimes more hours in our workplace
[17:03] SPEAKER_01: than we do at home right so those relationships and what you do is essential so I think that's a
[17:09] SPEAKER_01: big question for everybody is how to bring fun and joy and back into relationships in this digital
[17:16] SPEAKER_00: aid it's tough right it's really it's tough to do and I mean we're trying to figure out the best
[17:22] SPEAKER_00: way to do that but we always had a saying in our company was like to us work life balances love what
[17:26] SPEAKER_00: you do and then the rest sort of takes care of itself and totally agree yeah but you know in this
[17:31] SPEAKER_00: scenario it's like you know we're encouraging you like you're on your computer a little too much
[17:34] SPEAKER_00: like unplug and go about something else you know right right exactly well and I so you have
[17:40] SPEAKER_01: seven current openings and I was going to ask you what it's like to work to work for get in the
[17:44] SPEAKER_01: loop and that there's the a little bit of the pre-COVID and now the now but you know in any given
[17:50] SPEAKER_01: days you guys communicate regularly or is it kind of self-driven what do you think yeah yeah
[17:56] SPEAKER_00: that's continually changing how we operate right so it's it's a really interesting I think
[18:01] SPEAKER_00: organization to be a part of because it's very cross-functional I think a lot a lot of companies
[18:05] SPEAKER_00: end up in your divisions but for us technology marketing sales and service all have to work together
[18:10] SPEAKER_00: to then support a local business in a community and an entrepreneur that's there so that's that's
[18:15] SPEAKER_00: one thing that I think people find really interesting about our business is like you don't just
[18:18] SPEAKER_00: join marketing and market for the business like you're still you're responsible for being a part of
[18:22] SPEAKER_00: a very cross-functional group that really sees gets I say to the whole company we're very still
[18:28] SPEAKER_00: very a flat organization as we get bigger we're getting you know I'm learning to be the founder and
[18:32] SPEAKER_00: try and stay out of every meeting and I'm not very good at but we are we're still very flat as
[18:38] SPEAKER_00: an organization very transparent in everybody knows what everybody's working on everybody measures
[18:44] SPEAKER_00: each others numbers together it's really team-team-based but we're a pretty intense company too you know
[18:50] SPEAKER_00: I came from a sports background and I think that's one of the things that I'm good at as a CEO or
[18:55] SPEAKER_00: founder is setting the tempo and the pace and and the commitment it takes to win and I mean I
[19:01] SPEAKER_00: think our commitment has been one of the reasons we've made it as a company like it has not been
[19:05] SPEAKER_00: easy like for eight years we sort of butted up against the future and nobody got that this was
[19:10] SPEAKER_00: where you should go and and we've had a group that's been so committed and allowed us to get
[19:14] SPEAKER_00: through that so we like we really we command commitment out of the team and that's the kind of
[19:18] SPEAKER_00: people that are attracted to us is people that really want to make a difference and it's a really
[19:22] SPEAKER_00: hardworking group like I'm so proud of the team and maybe too hardworking sometimes but I think
[19:26] SPEAKER_00: that's what you need to do if yeah that's so that's that's our culture we connect so into like
[19:31] SPEAKER_00: groups connect daily we do a 909 as a company where everybody sees what everybody's doing each week
[19:36] SPEAKER_00: we write blogs going into the weekend across division so see people can see the results and what's
[19:40] SPEAKER_00: being worked on so we try and open up the transparency of what everybody's working on but there's no
[19:45] SPEAKER_00: doubt COVID's created challenges on that I mean I'm sure we could be doing better
[19:49] SPEAKER_01: so let's talk a little bit about your crew because you know your business model is based on
[19:54] SPEAKER_01: franchising now versus partnerships in the past um can you talk a little bit about the benefits
[20:01] SPEAKER_01: the risks and someone apply their own creativity or relationships to the role and
[20:08] SPEAKER_01: well let's start with those questions but the actual franchising business model yeah so it's
[20:13] SPEAKER_00: been really interesting to learn about it because we're like we are like we have a system that works
[20:17] SPEAKER_00: really well for an entrepreneur to go into a neighborhood and turn a really good business now
[20:21] SPEAKER_00: COVID's made that very different it's made what we do so important because every business needs
[20:26] SPEAKER_00: get loop and they need a software like ours but it's also meant local businesses have been really
[20:30] SPEAKER_00: really crushed sort of economically right so we're dealing with that but there's some tremendous
[20:35] SPEAKER_00: benefits that come through it and I think it was a really good fit for me is like I'm very I feel
[20:39] SPEAKER_00: like at my core like my strength is my entrepreneurial spirit and and so we have just under 100
[20:45] SPEAKER_00: franchises it's like 97 franchises so far which is about 180 entrepreneurs and like for a business
[20:51] SPEAKER_00: I think your ability to listen and adapt and be on the pulse of what's changing in the market especially
[20:55] SPEAKER_00: in our industry is like so crucial and we have 180 entrepreneurs so far that are looking for that
[21:01] SPEAKER_00: like we're out there like you have entrepreneurs in your business so they're thinking differently
[21:04] SPEAKER_00: which is amazing right so they're always looking for a better way and and they're connected to that
[21:09] SPEAKER_00: local community so there's such an advantage have this army of entrepreneurs out there that are
[21:13] SPEAKER_00: connected they care about their communities they can connect with fellow businesses and then that
[21:18] SPEAKER_00: becomes its own challenge to you get 180 individual ideas on how to make this better right so it's
[21:24] SPEAKER_00: how do you manage that communication flow back I mean we wouldn't trade it for any other way because
[21:29] SPEAKER_00: I'd rather passionate people that care and want to make it better but that that's the good in the
[21:33] SPEAKER_00: bad of having a franchise network is you just get this unbelievable connected group into communities
[21:38] SPEAKER_00: that care so much but it also it it also means you get a lot of loud voices that that want to be
[21:43] SPEAKER_00: heard and but that again if we if we figure out how to take that and harness that energy into
[21:47] SPEAKER_00: building future solutions for small business it's like it's the biggest mountain strategic
[21:52] SPEAKER_00: advantage in history we have hundreds of entrepreneurs that care and are telling us the better way to
[21:56] SPEAKER_00: improve what Get and the Loop does for a business and a consumer so I can't imagine what it would be
[22:02] SPEAKER_01: like to be in a room with 180 get in the loop on entrepreneurs I just I'm having this vision of
[22:13] SPEAKER_01: of an event right we if you acknowledge the intellectual property that they would have as far as
[22:20] SPEAKER_01: what's happening at a grassroots local level across Canada and you're in every province is that
[22:24] SPEAKER_01: right yeah wherever yeah so I just I'm totally going off an attention here but I just you know I
[22:31] SPEAKER_01: would love to suggest that you know that chambers of commerce is or you know the other organizations
[22:38] SPEAKER_01: that are keen on you know on making a difference in connecting local small business should have a
[22:45] SPEAKER_01: conversation with Matt I hope you don't get like a plethora of of phone calls from every economic
[22:51] SPEAKER_01: development corporation in Canada unless you want it yeah and then we can go on wave imagine want
[22:57] SPEAKER_00: to make that happen on it's funny right because we talk about so much that's changed in the
[23:00] SPEAKER_00: pandemic and I mean that so before March we were partnering with about four chambers and BIAs in
[23:06] SPEAKER_00: the country today we're partnering with about 75 of them in the last six months so they're all
[23:12] SPEAKER_00: partnering with the software and two chambers have bought our franchise like in Forteskancho and
[23:16] SPEAKER_00: Granite they actually own the franchise in their community so it proves that even chambers and
[23:20] SPEAKER_00: BIAs seem to need for this for businesses and then when you talk with the energy that's a really
[23:25] SPEAKER_00: interesting thing because you're right there's amazing energy in this group because it is like
[23:30] SPEAKER_00: community-minded hustlers that were like I want to get out there in my business and they're all
[23:33] SPEAKER_00: said they all have a sales focus and they want to work with local businesses but then it's like this
[23:38] SPEAKER_00: really diverse group not only in it's somebody from Vancouver Island and the East Coast of Canada
[23:42] SPEAKER_00: they could live in different countries I mean that's very obvious we've seen in terms of the
[23:47] SPEAKER_00: diversity in our country but we have 21 year olds that were you know they were personal trainers
[23:51] SPEAKER_00: before or and they'd only worked at a gym and then we have like 57 year old mechanics that have
[23:56] SPEAKER_00: owned multiple businesses and just their half retired and they wanted to go out there and help
[24:00] SPEAKER_00: their community so you've got a wide range of entrepreneurs that are connecting and then we get
[24:05] SPEAKER_00: really need insight like I do I do I do a love the grand call Tuesday mornings which is connecting
[24:09] SPEAKER_00: with all the entrepreneurs early and we call in and talk about entrepreneurship and and just what's
[24:13] SPEAKER_00: going on in our business but also outside of our business to learn together but like I get off
[24:18] SPEAKER_00: there and it's like what better really sort of snapshot at the country we're talking about how's it
[24:22] SPEAKER_00: going to Manitoba what are small businesses saying how's it going in Newfoundland what are you hearing
[24:25] SPEAKER_00: like within an hour and a half I'm talking entrepreneurs that are talking hundreds of businesses
[24:29] SPEAKER_00: a week so the insights we're getting is great and I mean it's amazing to see how it's changing we
[24:34] SPEAKER_00: have some markets that you can get on there like it's going great again everybody's feeling very good
[24:38] SPEAKER_00: businesses are opening up and am I business going great and you have others that are like we just
[24:41] SPEAKER_00: got put in code red and we're closing down and you know they're just a province away and their
[24:45] SPEAKER_00: businesses are totally different right so they get to share together and chat about it
[24:49] SPEAKER_01: so Matt what do you think would be the general consensus either from yourself as the
[24:55] SPEAKER_01: as the entrepreneurial spirit behind the at the helm here or your 180 entrepreneurs what is the
[25:02] SPEAKER_01: typical marketing mix for a small business and where does get in the loop fit in for them yeah
[25:07] SPEAKER_00: it's a really good question so I mean I think a typical marketing mix for a small business you know
[25:12] SPEAKER_00: I think you want to be doing a lot of different things I think today you I really do believe
[25:16] SPEAKER_00: most of it needs to go to digital if not all of it at this point I think that's where you're best
[25:20] SPEAKER_00: spending your time money and able to measure what's working and I think over time I think local
[25:25] SPEAKER_00: business will demand they can measure it it's not okay just to say it was in the paper anymore or
[25:30] SPEAKER_00: you can measure it in the chill it's like you need to actually be able to see the results and learn
[25:34] SPEAKER_00: from those results I do think marketing will get more sophisticated at a local level and so I think
[25:39] SPEAKER_00: it's too full do you want to be working with a platform like getting a loop because we really are a
[25:43] SPEAKER_00: turnkey sort of marketing solution they they create these offers and incentives and they can
[25:48] SPEAKER_00: build loyalty and all of that but also getting a loop is is is an omnichannel digital strategy when
[25:53] SPEAKER_00: that happens they that goes out to a local email that puts you on the map it goes to websites and a
[25:58] SPEAKER_00: mobile app so there's a lot that comes with that and I think they need to be looking for sort of that
[26:02] SPEAKER_00: omnichannel digital opportunities like they need to be building up their own local loyalty and their
[26:06] SPEAKER_00: own loyal database of email followers they need to make sure that they're actually active on social
[26:12] SPEAKER_00: I think it's about a business finding ways like that they can connect to a consumer and know that
[26:16] SPEAKER_00: consumers are changing they're all going to be looking for you on their phone and so make sure
[26:20] SPEAKER_00: your listing's up to date on Google make sure you have an active social page so consumers trust you
[26:25] SPEAKER_00: and tell them the best ways to communicate with you so I'm not here saying that getting a loops
[26:28] SPEAKER_00: to be all you need to be doing a variety of things I do think it should be digitally focused
[26:32] SPEAKER_00: but the number one thing they need to be doing is be active they need to act airboat markings
[26:37] SPEAKER_00: too many businesses sit there and they're worried so much about how they're operating in the realities
[26:42] SPEAKER_00: the eye thing you need to work from the front make sure customers are coming in and fix the operation
[26:46] SPEAKER_00: over time and I think the biggest problem in local business marketing is they're not active enough
[26:51] SPEAKER_00: and they're not doing enough and then they're trying to fix that with one-off purchases of like
[26:55] SPEAKER_00: buying a big radio ad or buying a big newspaper and marketing is never ending and learning right
[27:00] SPEAKER_00: that's that's where I think businesses need to go well maybe you're even just touching on that
[27:05] SPEAKER_01: comment which is maybe marketing is should be you know shifted to learning right try this
[27:13] SPEAKER_01: learn what if it works and if not try a different sort of learning technique as opposed to a
[27:18] SPEAKER_00: marketing spend consider it a learning investment you hit it they need to they need to actually
[27:24] SPEAKER_00: make it a part of their business it's not like something you do oh yeah we spend on marketing
[27:27] SPEAKER_00: it's like no that's a part of our strategy same as like the strategy was have good food the other
[27:31] SPEAKER_00: one was like be good at marketing to people who want good food you know right right right right well
[27:37] SPEAKER_01: in one question I want to shift to the consumer side of things if you could wave a magic one and
[27:43] SPEAKER_01: create impact what consumer trend would you like to see happen smarter or faster yeah I mean I
[27:52] SPEAKER_00: think I think the biggest trend would be is like I don't think that you're going to get to the
[27:55] SPEAKER_00: point that local business can truly all transition online as quick as we'd like and actually be
[27:59] SPEAKER_00: able to facilitate the same sort of transaction and volume so the trend I'd like to see is like
[28:05] SPEAKER_00: consumers really letting businesses catch up don't let Amazon win and when I say that is Amazon's
[28:12] SPEAKER_00: going to be ahead they're going to make it easier more affordable all those things but a consumer
[28:15] SPEAKER_00: trend I'd like to see is like slow down spend 10% more and find a way to support that local business
[28:21] SPEAKER_00: don't just click the button on your prime account and so and that's that's not something any of us
[28:26] SPEAKER_00: can solve that's a consumers you actually have to work a little harder to go to a local business
[28:30] SPEAKER_00: you actually have to probably spend a little more like it's the reality they need to care more
[28:34] SPEAKER_00: about that than pressing a button and having it show up because otherwise local business can't keep
[28:38] SPEAKER_00: up Amazon's going to get into everything consumers have to almost tow the line of when they think
[28:43] SPEAKER_00: that convenience and savings is important and actually be willing to do it the other way so
[28:49] SPEAKER_00: I don't know if that was an answer that it's not like the new bill trend it's yeah I love it
[28:52] SPEAKER_01: I love it and so on a more sort of policy and advocacy side of things given that you are national
[29:00] SPEAKER_01: you have a great perspective so what would you like to see happen that would create space for more
[29:06] SPEAKER_01: Canadian business decision makers on the North to create impact yeah I mean are you talking like in
[29:13] SPEAKER_00: terms of that's a big one are you are you talking in terms of like covid or just general just general
[29:19] SPEAKER_01: I think I think general let's because covid you know we'll have a lasting impact I'm not sure if we can
[29:25] SPEAKER_01: differentiate between them but what policies are advocacy and we talked about consumers but what
[29:31] SPEAKER_01: would create a better environment for business decision makers and entrepreneurs to thrive yeah
[29:37] SPEAKER_00: and I think it's two things like one is like consistency you know the biggest thing that I see
[29:41] SPEAKER_00: and the biggest thing I see our businesses being challenged with across the country is like business
[29:45] SPEAKER_00: owners all any kind of business owner they're pretty innovative and they'll make a plan but the hard
[29:50] SPEAKER_00: thing you can't do is like is not is not know what you're playing against you don't know the
[29:54] SPEAKER_00: competitor and so you know I use an example right now which is as markets are deciding when to close
[30:00] SPEAKER_00: and open if they would have just went go the most conservative we can tighten it up and just
[30:04] SPEAKER_00: everybody's going to operate this way for a year businesses can plan around that they'll find
[30:07] SPEAKER_00: ways to make money they'll find ways to get to consumers but when the rules change it's really
[30:12] SPEAKER_00: hard right so I actually think we were better up we would have been better off economically you
[30:17] SPEAKER_00: could argue if you stayed in a semi lockdown forever because a business would have figured it out
[30:21] SPEAKER_00: but that you're making them go higher more order and from Jory and then they got to change and pivot
[30:25] SPEAKER_00: that's so hard to not be able to plan so I think that's a great analogy man thank you and one
[30:31] SPEAKER_00: other thing I think that could be really neat the consumers could do more and this was an idea that
[30:34] SPEAKER_00: I read I think Elon Musk came out of it and I thought it was such a neat thing it was like we have
[30:38] SPEAKER_00: baby showers and reveal showers and like 15 things we celebrate as like individuals and consumers
[30:43] SPEAKER_00: like and he it was an idea I read somewhere on social was like like have an open your business
[30:47] SPEAKER_00: celebration like how often do you go and say my friend just invested and they're going to be
[30:51] SPEAKER_00: an entrepreneur and we all go celebrate and we buy gift cards and we like you know a business
[30:55] SPEAKER_00: launching opportunity I think consumers need and they're seeing that they need to get behind
[30:59] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneurs more because it's hard entrepreneurship's hard and I think consumers can do more to
[31:04] SPEAKER_00: support entrepreneurs and new business owners and things like that awesome Matt thank you for
[31:09] SPEAKER_01: your time I want to get a sense of how we can get a hold of you post podcast what's the what's the
[31:14] SPEAKER_00: best way to connect yeah so well I mean I'll put my email it's mat.crowlgettnolute.ca if
[31:20] SPEAKER_00: anybody wants to get in touch with me and think there's a reason we should chat I'm always an open
[31:24] SPEAKER_00: book and and want to have conversations for people at sea opportunities and then they can they
[31:28] SPEAKER_00: can check out our business at get aloop.ca or get aloop local.com if you're looking for a franchise
[31:34] SPEAKER_00: opportunity with us so that would be the best way and then the actual app itself is on all the
[31:40] SPEAKER_00: app stores yeah iOS and Android app stores and it's just getting a loop all one word and they can
[31:45] SPEAKER_00: download the app there to learn more about the best way to find stuff in their communities awesome
[31:49] SPEAKER_01: Matt thank you so much for joining us I look forward to doing more work with Get the Loop in the
[31:54] SPEAKER_00: yeah thanks so much for having me have a great day