The owner of a Bedford-born and based international software company has encouraged business owners not to suffer alone if they’re finding things tough.
Bridget Harris, the CEO of YouCanBookMe has been speaking to the Bedford Independent about what she’s learnt in the 12 years they’ve been in business.
YouCanBookMe is an online scheduling tool that integrates with the calendars you already use, like Google or Microsoft, and then highlights bookable availability so people can book slots into your day, allowing you time to focus on clients and your business.
They’re trusted by over one million users across 100 countries.
“They can book in for anything at all,” says Bridget. “Anything from plumbers to, you know, school appointments, and clients.
“We have everyone from solopreneurs to large teams using it across the world where they use it for recruitment, customer services, sales and more.”
In such a people-focused business, Bridget says she’s faced many challenges along the way, but looking back at those early days, what advice would Bridget give herself if she could go back in time?
Talk to people
“For me,” she says, “you have to talk to others in your sector. In the first five years, I was probably overconfident and I thought I just knew what I was doing or I could just make it up as I went along.
“I also thought nobody would be interested in my problems. So one of the lessons I’ve had over 12 years is that there are very few problems that I have experienced that I couldn’t find at least one other person who’s experienced the same problem.
“So you’re not alone. Don’t think that you’re unique or special. You’re just running a business, and, the more you talk about how you run that business to other people, the more you will learn.”
Sitting in The Arc as we chat, Bridget looks around and says that while someone running a software company might not resonate with people running different organisations, a lot of what it takes to run a business is transferable.
“I know we’re in a coffee shop here, but the more people who run coffee shops talk to other coffee shop owners, the more they’re gonna understand what works and what doesn’t work,
“This whole idea that you need to be super confidential about the secret of your business, it’s just a fallacy. All that does is make your world smaller and you then know less [about your sector].
“So, I think that would be my biggest lesson to myself, which is to educate yourself more earlier on about running a business, it took me a long time to really accept that’s what I should be doing.”
Customers are key
No matter what business you’re in, you will have customers, but Bridget says if you’re starting a new business talking to customers needs to happen a long time before you open your doors.
“Ultimately you only have a business if customers want to buy something from you and want to give you money. So the more research you can do about what people want, and why they might want something, the better,” she says.
But don’t just stop at what they want, makes sure you’re where they need you to be too.
Using the coffee shop as an example again, Bridget says it doesn’t matter what you’re doing if people can’t find you.
“So, if it’s a coffee shop, you can say, right, well, I love this building, I would love to run a coffee shop in this building. This is where I’m going to set up my coffee shop.
“But, if nobody’s walking past that building, or nobody else likes that place, or it’s in the wrong part of town with limited footfall, it’s not gonna be a successful coffee shop and it doesn’t matter how good your coffee is.
“It doesn’t matter how good your product is, it’s about how you’re positioning it to sell to customers and what matters in any business is your relationship with those customers.”
And the theme of talking that Bridget says is so important must continue because the days of ‘build it and they will come’ don’t exist anymore.
“Competition, especially in the software industry, is very fierce and your brand is very important,” says Bridget.
“The way you present yourself to somebody who’s making a purchasing decision must be consistent with the quality of your products.
“If you look cheap, act cheap and you are cheap, people will think the products are cheap. People will pay more if they know they’re going to get their money’s worth.
“But make sure you are doing all you can to promote yourself properly.”
Marketing matters
One of the biggest issues with promoting a business is unpicking all the marketing options available and Bridget says many businesses can do a lot more to do a lot less.
“90% of [marketing] is a complete waste of money.”
Bridget admits that’s a throwaway remark, but as a business owner you’ll know how important reducing your overheads can be and that’s the point she’s trying to make.
Businesses need to know what marketing they use is working. They need to speak to their customers and find out if it was those social ads, local media advertising or word of mouth that brought their business to you.
“Ask them,” she says, “How did you find out about us? Why did you choose to buy from us? What problem are you trying to solve that we can help with? What expectations do you have?
“By asking questions like this, you will learn about where you want to spend on marketing.”
Some of this won’t be a revelation to some, but Bridget says it’s disappointing when businesses in Bedford don’t seem to be making the most of the insights a customer can give them.
“I go into a new coffee shop and nobody ever says ‘what do you think of the coffee? I’m a new business, I want to learn’.
“If I go into a new boutique shop, nobody says, ‘Where have you come from today? How did you find out about us?’
“So it might be that they were walking down the street and saw your sign. So, you know [part of] your marketing is the sign and signs don’t cost very much.
“When it comes to marketing, you can’t answer that question about whether it is or isn’t a good idea until you actually know what channel is bringing customers to your door.”
Keep on talking
With a business set up and customers coming in, Bridget warns that you mustn’t rest on your laurels, no matter how successful you may appear to be.
Bridget says you must continue to make sure your customers are getting a good service and a product they are happy to part with their cash for.
“At the end of the day, people don’t owe you their custom,” she says. “Bedford [businesses] really do need to understand what people want here in Bedford.
“In terms of the High Street, for example, we need to say to people, what do you want and why? Why would you come into the High Street? What would you want to do when you’re there?”
It’s Bridget’s business acumen that has established YouCanBookMe as a leader in their field, with 90 million bookings made through their platform since 2011, but might a future Bridget have even more advice for the Bridget sitting across from me now?
“The more I network, the more I talk to other people the more I talk about problems that I’m facing with other people, the better I get,” she tells me.
If the Bridget of 11 years ago could start a Bedford business that now has customers in 100 countries, just think what the Bridget in 11 years will be doing with a positive attitude like that.
You can find out more about Bridget, her team, and YouCanBookMe at their website.
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