Jason Willows of Hospitality Inc. felt his business was “on the verge of collapse” as, in a matter of weeks, 50 events were cancelled with 40 staff hanging in the balance. He knew he needed the best guidance he could get, but because his business had been running smoothly for more than 10 years, he had never had to pull in consultants or advisors.
“We operate on tight margins, but we’d been profitable. I just never thought in a million years that literally everything would grind to a halt overnight,” shared Willows. “I really felt the need to continue paying my staff and with payroll and overhead costs climbing, the last thing I wanted to do was put up a post on Facebook saying ‘Jason needs recommendations for an accountant or financial advisor’. Not only would that be totally unnerving to my staff and my network, but it could lead me down rabbit holes and end up a total waste of time and money. And I didn’t want to count on a connection I met on vacation in 2001 for a lawyer referral. I also couldn’t meet with anyone in person as the (COVID) numbers were continuing to rise,” said Willows.
For many small to medium-sized businesses, this year has been an uphill battle. From hospitality, retail, and travel, to sports and entertainment, companies have had to shutter operations in droves while overhead costs continue to climb. In the midst of this chaos, a Canadian tech company has been a saving grace.
“My best friend was raving about this company, Vexxit , that connects you with lawyers, financial advisors, accountants, consultants. And they’re all vetted so there’s a level of trust right out of the gate. I went to their site and within a matter of minutes, there was an immediate weight off my shoulders,” said Willows.
In a matter of clicks, Willows filled out a series of simple questions and was paired with an accountant with more than 30-years of expertise managing the numbers for thriving hospitality businesses across the country. The Vexxit platform also used its advanced algorithm to ensure that the two were a perfect fit on other preferences like location, communication styles, and soft skills.
On the flip side, this hospitality-numbers-guru, Terry Anderson, got Willows’ call at a perfect time.
“I’ve always relied on my ability to connect in person to build my business. Probably too much. Once COVID hit and in-person connection halted, I realized that I was just relying on word of mouth and my ability to sell myself when I saw opportunities,” shared Anderson. “I didn’t have the slightest clue how to market myself remotely. As COVID continued, the remainder of the year was looking precarious.”
Vexxit not only matched Anderson as an accountant and Willows as a client, but it also helped them with their overall businesses growth. When professionals are vetted and join Vexxit as members, the company helps them to co-create content like podcasts, webinars, video content, and thought-leadership articles. They then use their team of tech experts to get it to the right audience online.
“I have zero experience in digital marketing, so it was a no-brainer for me to join Vexxit. I can get potential clients and have someone else take care of marketing my services digitally? I was like, absolutely I want to be a part of this,” Anderson said.
The content that experts like Anderson create are available for free to those that need them.
“I didn’t even know a specialized accountant was what I needed until that same friend filled me in about Vexxit Business ,” said Willows. “I searched and found articles and webinars that helped me get my bearings. It was there that I decided that a specialized accountant was the best next step. I requested a match and Terry’s expertise literally saved my business from going under.”
“We love stories like this,” said Julie Rempel, Vice President, Marketing and Partnerships. “We never could have predicted how critical the need to connect remotely would be when the business was conceived. We are now hearing countless stories about how Vexxit is helping people on both sides of professional relationships. It’s really touching to know that in these difficult times, we can make life easier for people.”
This story was provided by Vexxit for commercial purposes.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
