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Way is a Silicon Valley-based company that provides consumer lifestyle services on demand in a marketplace platform. Below is our recent interview with Binu Girija, Founder of Way.com:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to Way?
A: Way has already become the online parking reservations leader, with more than 20,000 partners in the US and Canada. We’ve built a fast, convenient, and seamless way to book parking, dining, movie tickets, events, and activities. Unlike other apps serving only one service niche like dining or parking, we are the first to aggregate all popular services into one marketplace. This provides infinitely more convenience for users and multiple cross-selling opportunities for partners.
Q: What is Smart Parking and how does it work?
A: We have introduced several different innovations throughout our services. Smart Parking is a time-saving feature we built into the Way app for iOS and Android. At certain parking venues, you can use the app to open the venue’s Bluetooth-enabled parking gate! The user simply has to have the Way app running, and when you get near the parking date you receive a notification. Tap to see a ‘Slide to Open’ button in the Way app and then slide right. The same easy process lets you out. Customers are demanding this level of convenience and we will continue to innovate in parking-related services.
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Q: What’s the benefit of listing on Way for businesses?
A: Way.com helps connect local businesses with more great customers. Our expansive marketplace helps to advertise online promotions that deliver tangible results. With multiple channels reaching a wide range of audiences, including our popular social sharing platform, we ensure that partners will generate new business and maintain long-lasting relationships with customers.
Way.com helps partners align brand strategy to grow sales numbers, and also forge a more personal connection with customers through a strong emphasis on online social interaction. With increased exposure on our social media platforms, partners get a level of visibility that is hard to match with other providers. Partners list for free, complete a Way.com profile and upload photos, price, and availability. They communicate directly with buyers using Way’s messaging system.
Q: What advice do you have for early entrepreneurs who hope to scale up as quickly and successfully as you have?
A: Start-ups are not for the faint of heart. Even if you have a great idea, you have to run hard and run fast to bring it to market. Since we are a service business built through partners, a lot of our success has come from what we call “constructive audacity.” This really means having the courage to make bold claims and then find creative ways to fulfill our promises. My advice to other entrepreneurs would be to make your partners happy, but don’t be afraid to push them a little, in a constructive way of course. Growth comes from taking chances, not just accepting what fits with others’ established practices.
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Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Way will continue to grow its marketplace for services through large and small partnerships. For example, we recently partnered with Choice Hotels to offer online concierge services to guests. We will also offer multiple business models to succeed in each industry. The acronym WAY stands for helping customers with “What’s Around You?” And for partners, it often means “We Accommodate You.”
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