Home Smart 100 2014 goStandby (QLD) – 2014 SMART 100

goStandby (QLD) – 2014 SMART 100

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This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.

1. THE BEGINNING

This innovation, initially came to life when…

This innovation, initially came to life when the now CEO and co-founder, Nathan Challen, originally pitched the idea at Gold Coast Startup Weekend. The current co-founders formed a team around the idea and ended up winning the competition. Since then we have refined the offering, researched our market and built the iOS app. Our team possess a great range of core competencies, including software development, UI/UX design, marketing and finance skills, that have made bootstrapping possible to this point.

2. WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

The purpose of this innovation is to help provide tour and activity operators with a mobile platform to sell their unbooked capacity (empty seats) at the last minute direct to tourists and locals in the area looking for a discount.

It does this by…

It does this by allowing consumers to scroll through the app to find offers on awesome experiences departing within their area. The app uses geo-location technology to serve up the offers nearby, and also allows users to search their intended destination. The offers are exclusive to a specific departure time and date, so operators are encouraged to discount to fill the empty seats.

3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

goStandby allows tour operators to maintain their prices until the absolute last minute, and therefore avoid eroding their margins through flash sale and coupon sites. Being able to market and sell their products straight to the growing smartphone-using consumer while they are nearby can ultimately increase sales that might not have been possible.

Its various benefits to the customer / end-user include…

Its various benefits to the customer / end-user include being able to instantly book a spot on a tour at the last minute at a discount all from their smartphone. They receive the same experience any other customer would. Life’s too short to book ahead!

4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

In the past, this problem was solved by tour operators relying on “walk ups”, whereby tourists and locals had to be walking past a tour desk or sales person at the right time before the tour departed. With the proliferation of smartphones and apps this fragmented industry has an opportunity to attract more attention and ultimately fill empty seats and make more revenue.

It’s predecessors/competitors include…

LastMinute.com.au -They do not sell genuine distressed inventory. Their deals are generic offers that can be claimed at anytime, including peak times, thus filling a seat that could have attracted a full paying customer. GetYourGuide — not genuine last minute inventory

5. TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

It is made for the spontaneous day visitor market looking for ‘things to do’. Surveying the behaviour of this segment we have identified specifically that given the goStandby App, ‘day trippers’ are more likely to ‘jump on’ tours at the last minute.

Internationally, the tours and activities sector is approximately 23% of the $100 Billion travel market.

The USA market is 10 times the size of the Australian market. South East Asia alone is 8 times the size of the Australian market. Currently we are focused on the Australian market, but will ultimately be looking to scale to the USA and Asia.

It is available for sale through…

The Australian Apple App Store. An Android version is in development.

Our marketing strategy is to…

Our marketing strategy is to market to a quality supplier database of 7000+ tour products and attractions in Australia (ATDW have approved goStandby);
Leverage our launch partner’s existing relationships through email marketing to their existing database of travel consumers via direct email campaigns;
Provide financial incentives (tokens) for users to share the App;
Facebook mobile app install ads (paid downloads).

Your Turn — VOTE!

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We’ll use your vote to create the 2014 SMART 100 Readers’ Choice Index.

FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.