Co-Founder, Ken George shares his journey into how he got into the mobile app business.
WHEN APP-ORTUNITY KNOCKED…
Things weren’t going exactly how I’d planned in my work life and my construction job was starting to take a toll on my body. I needed a change. I started looking for the next big thing. There was a mobile revolution going on and I wanted in. I saw an opportunity to get involved by starting a company selling mobile apps to small businesses.
After doing some research, I decided that there would probably be a day when everyone would have a smartphone, even though I didn’t. I figured that if everyone had a smartphone, it would probably make sense for small businesses to engage their customers through mobile.
CRAZY OR DETERMINED?
I already had a business working 60 to 70 hours each week and was so busy I saw no opportunity to transition into a new business, had no smartphone myself and didn’t even know what a mobile app was. But I didn’t want to let those things stand in my way of making a change and no one ever said a change was going to be easy so I jumped in and tested the waters.
BABY STEPS : SMALL AND LOCAL
The first thing I did was to hire a motivated sales rep and set him up with a 50% commission split on all of the business that he generated. Right away we targeted a group of restaurants, retail and service businesses close to where he lived.
The very first business that he spoke to that had interest in expanding their reach was a restaurant but since they had just opened, the appointment was three weeks away. So he went across the street and spoke to the owner of a Bail Bonds Business.
He set an appointment to meet with them two days later. We made a free demo app so they could get a visual on what we had to offer.
After meeting with the owner, he not only made a sale of $1,500 and $100 per month but also determined that they were interested in getting an updated website as well… which we happily provided for an additional $3,000.
The only objection that they had was being concerned if we were local, in the event that they needed service. He assured them that he lived only 10 to 15 minutes away and after providing his personal cell phone number, they jumped at the opportunity to update their marketing efforts.
NO MORE APP-REHENSION
$4,500 was a pretty good start and cemented my intentions to make a business change, even though I had no time. So I hired 10 more commission sales people and provided them with opportunity, motivation, and support and before long, we had combined to sell a couple hundred small businesses from many different industries.
In the first two years, we sold 200 apps with an average price of $1,500 and $100 per month. But that was just the beginning. During that time we spun our successful reps off into their own businesses and made an override on that business in addition to our own efforts. We started selling apps and before long, we were selling apps, advertising, websites, training, app/demo builds, websites, earning design and publishing fees and more.
We created a passive residual income stream that allowed me to pull back on what I had been doing previously and transition into a brand new ballgame which allowed me greater control over my time, energy and ability to be more present in my family life.
NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED
The best thing about this mobile app industry is that an ordinary guy could get involved and make extraordinary things happen without having any tech knowledge or skills.
Five years later, that assessment hasn’t changed very much and here I am, a White Label Reseller providing mobile apps to small businesses and organizations alike.
HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE
The most surprising part of this journey has been discovering that even though business owners may be experts on running their business, they still need outside consultants to educate and direct them on areas outside of their daily pursuits like mobile marketing. I have been happy and rewarded handsomely to help to fill that void.