EP 619: Smartbeat Raises $250K Onboards First Customers To Help Brick and Mortar Track Customers with CEO Paul Trappitt - a podcast by Nathan Latka

from 2017-04-04T09:00

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Paul Trappitt. He’s currently the CEO and co-founder of Smartbeat. Before Smartbeat, he was the senior business analyst at National Australia Bank and a senior project lead at SignIQ.

Famous Five:

  • Favorite Book? – Start with Why and The Startup Owner’s Manual
  • What CEO do you follow? –  Gary Vaynerchuk
  • Favorite online tool? — HubSpot
  • Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No
  • If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – “I wish I knew smartphones were coming”

 

Time Stamped Show Notes:

  • 01:22 – Nathan introduces Paul to the show
  • 01:45 – Smartbeat helps small businesses to navigate the complex omni channel
  • 02:30 – Paul shares how one of their paying customers uses Smartbeat
  • 03:02 – Smartbeat is about the people that are already using your business
    • 03:10 – Smartbeat turns customers into raging fans
  • 03:20 – Smartbeat is currently focusing on brick-and-mortar businesses
  • 03:51 – Paul explains how they can help Jim, the café owner
  • 05:14 – Smartbeat provides Wi-Fi to business owners and other technologies
    • 05:50 – Smartbeat targets your audience in social media
  • 06:32 – Smartbeat is a SaaS business
    • 06:39 – Pricing starts at $250 a month
  • 07:06 – Smartbeat currently has 5 customers
  • 07:12 – Paul had a Wi-Fi company for 3 years
  • 07:38 – Paul’s Wi-Fi business did $20K in 2016
  • 07:44 – Paul pivoted because there was too much competition in the Wi-Fi space
  • 08:23 – Smartbeat raised $150K in Australia
    • 08:39 – It was an equity round
  • 08:55 – Paul shares how he came up with the valuation
  • 10:10 – Smartbeat started in 2015
  • 10:18 – Team size is 6 and they are all based in Australia
  • 10:30 – Paul shares how they find their customers
  • 10:55 – Smartbeat built their list organically through networking
  • 12:35 – The Famous Five

 

3 Key Points:

  • Don’t be afraid to pivot—you’ll know when it’s time.
  • One way to build your network is by spreading news about your product in social gatherings.
  • Technology is unpredictable so you have no choice but to adapt.

 

Resources Mentioned:

  • The Top Inbox  – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences
  • Organifi – The juice was Nathan’s life saver during his trip in Southeast Asia
  • Klipfolio – Track your business performance across all departments for FREE
  • Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments
  • Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible
  • Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books
  • Freshbooks – Nathan doesn’t waste time so he uses Freshbooks to send out invoices and collect his money. Get your free month NOW
  • Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Further episodes of SaaS Interviews with CEOs, Startups, Founders

Further podcasts by Nathan Latka

Website of Nathan Latka