Young entrepreneurs launch SPAR Loyalty App
Two Manchester entrepreneurs are launching a loyalty app for SPAR stores in the UK.
Jordan Ryan Madeley and Michael Lawes, both 23, are making waves in the technology industry with their no-nonsense approach to business and, despite some early setbacks, their technical expertise has landed them a contract to supply selected SPAR stores with their SPAR GO loyalty app.
SPAR GO allows the SPAR convenience stores to create instant, member-only offers that push directly to tills, as well as tailored offers pushed directly to consumers phones based on their location and shopping habits.
Lawes and Madeley are co-founders of BizzleIt, an online platform helping businesses connect their offers, products and services with the right consumer groups, as well as offering an alternative for small businesses struggling with the costs of SEO and online marketing.
The pair say they owe a slice of their success to the Manchester technology community.
Lawes, who launched his first business at 17, said: “Last year we got knocked back on a deal we had been working on for many months. It was worth millions over a three-year contract and would have set the business up for life.
“It was a harsh blow. We had invested a huge amount of time and money into that tender and they decided to go for a more established company, even though their product was average. At the time we believed the decision was down to how they perceived us and because of our age, because our product was head and shoulders above the competition.”
But Madeley, the technical brain of the business with experience in web development and graphic design, says that the pair’s young age is not a factor, as the quality of their product and their preparation speaks for itself.
He said: “We are young and we have a good time but we get stuff done. Being young means we have a great knowledge of this technology and how people are using it.”
BizzleIt’s founders put some of their early success down to the availability of mentorship within the Manchester technology community and they cite Wakelet founder Jamil Khalil, UKFast chief executive Lawrence Jones and Webantic founder Luke Grimes as positive influences on their early career.
Madeley said: “Manchester’s a great place to build contacts, whether that’s in legal or HR or marketing. People help each other out. We’re all at different stages in our journey and there’s always going to be someone who’s been there and done it and were where you are right now.
“We initially went to him (Lawrence Jones) just for hosting but he was always interested in us as entrepreneurs and when we were working on our first big deal it was so useful to bounce ideas off him.”
Cloud firm UKFast last year acquired the 40,000 sq ft building adjacent to its campus in Manchester and Jones plans to open the space up for early-stage technology businesses to support the Northern technology industry.
Jones said: “Manchester has the infrastructure, resources and travel connections, but most importantly it has people with an incredible desire to succeed. The city is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the wealth of opportunities arising from the digital economy and we’re working hard to keep the momentum going.”
The technology industry in Manchester is worth more than £2.9bn to the local economy, providing more than 62,000 jobs.
