Discover Anywhere Mobile is a Canada-based travel mobile services developer and consultancy, which first featured on Tnooz in May 2010 [TLabs Showcase – Discover Anywhere Mobile].
So what happened in the intervening 12 months?
Are you making money yet?
Yes: we are making money and profitable with 3 full-time employees plus contractors as necessary.
What has been the biggest problem - building the product/service or marketing it to consumers/travel industry?
Marketing mobile apps to destination was not an issue, as they were already receptive to the idea through conferences, consultants, etc...
Getting skilled staff at reasonable rates of course is always an issue.
Biggest assumption in the business plan that was wrong?
That tourism funding would be recession-proof!
Is your current customer base as predicted?
Yes.
Did you achieve your 12 month goals? If not, why not?
Yes: we have lots of happy customers and we’re getting steady referral business from existing customers.
Has the problem you were trying to solve changed?
Only in that we feel there’s a need for a “deeper” experience in traveller apps as the sophistication of the market and traveller evolves.
Which startup that has launched in the past 12 months did you think "Ah, wish we had done that!"?
Instagram?
If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?
Be more aggressive in customer acquisition.
NB: Tnooz launched TLab Showcase in March 2010, a dedicated channel to give startups in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector an opportunity to explain their vision, company background and strategy to a wider audience.
As well as publishing an elevator pitch-type questionnaire for each business, Tnooz committed to following up with each startup after 12 months or so to see how well (or not) each performed.
NB2: TLabs Showcase is part of the wider TLabs project from Tnooz.