Labor Sync Update: How We Grew Our Customer Base After Lockdown
This is a follow up story for Labor Sync. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 6 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
My name is Dean Logan, the co-founder, and CEO of Labor Sync. Labor Sync was founded in 2009 along with my father and CFO Al Logan and CTO Joe Burger.
Labor Sync is a mobile application that provides business owners the ability to track the time and GPS location of their mobile workforce. After extensive testing, our product officially launched in 2011.
The most notable thing about Labor Sync is our expansive global presence for such a small company, with only 12 employees! Our product is available in over 17 languages and is used in over 100 countries.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
The last year has been a whirlwind. Like many companies, COVID-19 has provided its fair share of obstacles. Over the course of 2020, we took a massive hit, losing about 40% of our customers due to shutdowns and restrictions. However, it’s given us time to evaluate our business plans and narrow in on what’s important.
Go out and find yourself a mentor! Someone who has already been through the process. This person can be one of your greatest assets to bounce ideas off, break down pain points and help straighten out the path to success.
Despite the challenges we’ve faced with COVID-19, I’m proud to say our business is continuing to grow. Once the world started to reopen, we’ve been fortunate enough to not only regain our customer base but actually increase it. With many companies transitioning to remote work, the need for a mobile time tracking application has increased. We’ve found that industries previously tethered to the office have embraced new technologies to allow their workforce to take on remote work and that has been a huge win for us.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned, this year and beyond, has been that growing a startup is NOT easy. Many think that the biggest challenge to starting a company is coming up with a winning idea. I’ve found that the idea is the easy part, it’s the day-to-day operations and growth that present the real challenge.
I wish I had gotten myself a true mentor from the start. Someone who has been there, done that, and could help provide a roadmap to success. Doing this from the start would have saved me a lot of time, effort, and money in the long run.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 has gifted us the time to really evaluate our business plans and focus on what’s important and where to dedicate our resources. This year, we will be focusing solely on our marketing strategies. As we release version 4, which is a complete rebuild of the system, we will focus on how we can use AI to enhance our user experience. Additionally, we are devoting a lot of time to our marketing and sales funnels. With cutting-edge tech that’s ready to go, focusing on building a solid sales tool will allow us to grow our customer base and bring this service to the masses.
The five-year plan is fairly simple. We plan to continue to innovate and develop new feature sets while scaling our marketing efforts. We’ve got the tech, we’ve got the customer base, so now it’s time to grow, grow, grow!
Have you read any good books in the last year?
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.
I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about starting a business or those who are already in the process.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
I mentioned earlier that my biggest lesson learned was wishing I brought on a mentor earlier. My greatest advice to other entrepreneurs would be not to wait as long as I did. Go out and find yourself a mentor! Someone who has already been through the process. This person can be one of your greatest assets to bounce ideas off, break down pain points and help straighten out the path to success.
This resource will save you time, money, and frustration. Doing this off the bat might make for a more painless journey and help you get where you’re going quicker.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
YES! We are hiring developers and customer support roles, sometimes these may be the same. We are currently looking to hire 2-3 people to fill these roles. Please forward resumes to [email protected].
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
