32
START UP OF THE MONTH Leveraging the power of suppliers
Australia’s NAB and Telstra have launched a new digital marketplace called Proquo. While it is a 50/50 JV, it will operate as an independent entity. IBS Journal caught up with Carl Spurling, Co-CEO Proquo, to hear about how its ‘inner circle’ can help SMEs prosper
Interview by Scott Thompson
goals, utilising the power of suppliers that sit within the Proquo network.
IBS Journal: What’s your business model?
yourself. I BS Journal: Tell us about
Carl Spurling: I’ve worked in a variety of strategy and business development roles for many years, and I’ve come to value a combination of creativity and value creation above all else. My primary focus now is as a business builder. We see Proquo as having a business model that enables many hundreds of business to achieve their
www.ibsintelligence.com © IBS Intelligence 2016
CS: The business model is entirely customer focused and our design work is customer driven. Essentially we provide a platform that enables micro and small businesses to swap or trade for services with other small businesses on the platform and to do that using sophisticated workflow tools and secure payment (with escrow facility). In addition, we are building out our network functionality enabling the creation and curation of what we call an “inner circle”.
To support the business model, we have quickly created a high performing team culture. Among the things we value, and actively recruit for, are passion, intensity, relentlessness, customer-focus, curiosity, precision and community awareness. We believe
that with those characteristics we can best serve our customers, which is what we’re here for.
IBS Journal: What sets you apart?
CS: We are seeking to set ourselves apart through a relentless focus on enabling the success of our customers. We are not purely transactionally focused like some of our competitors. While we obviously do enable transactions between members on the Proquo site, our true focus is to help small and micro businesses build a supplier network and use that ‘inner circle’ as we call it, to help them to prosper. If we can do that, then we will consider ourselves to be successful.
IBS Journal: Who or what inspired you to set the company up?
CS: We were inspired by looking closely at the interaction between micro business that come together in co-working spaces such as the NAB’s
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
