As an entrepreneur, do you have big dreams, but aren’t quite sure how to accomplish them? Well, here’s a fellow entrepreneur who is helping people just like you make their dreams a reality. Meet Stephen Dodd, Quantum Voyage, Inc. Lead Programmer and Project Manager for the new, personal goal-setting software at www.goalsettingforyou.com.
Tell us about your new business and why you started it.
Quantum Voyage, Inc. was started to develop and distribute a suite of Web-based, goal setting software applications. There is a lot of misinformation out there about what a goal is and how to set one. We remedied that by taking a proven, nine-step goal setting process and built that into Web applications that can be used by enterprises, coaches and individuals to improve performance.
Why is it different than other, goal services out there?
The way we differentiate ourselves from the competition depends on the application. Our enterprise version competes with several, other Software as a Service (SaaS) applications in the performance management area where the focus is on the performance-review-process, and a goal is simply a target that someone has determined.
We have a very good, objective performance-appraisal-process as well, but our users can collaborate to create their own goals that are aligned with corporate strategy and automatically feed into the performance appraisal system.
For the coaching and personal versions, there is no other application out there that actually instructs the user on how to create a goal to get the results that they want and not just settle for results that they expect. Goal setting is so much more than picking a number and trying to reach it. Overcoming that paradigm is our greatest strength.
What marketing and promotion activities have worked best for you and why?
We are still trying to figure out what marketing activities will work best. We currently have two Web sites which are search engine optimized and utilize Google AdWords to draw traffic. In addition, we have done press releases and e-mail blasts to targeted audiences. Our channel partners do a certain amount of advertising, and we rely on their network for new business.
What has been the biggest challenge in starting the business and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for us in developing the GoalTrak applications was maintaining usability while not compromising our proven, nine-step goal setting process. We would re-write sections over and over until we thought it was just right. Then, our testers would get a hold of it and we would realize that it would have to be redone again! Even today, with very stable products, we are continuously making improvements based on customer feedback.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs starting a new business?
Make sure you include marketing in your business plan. We made a strategic decision to sell our Enterprise version through consultants. It appears that was the right decision; however, finding the right consultants is much tougher than we anticipated. We initially felt that if we build it, they will come. That may work for some products, but it hasn’t really worked for us. GoalTrak still needs constant exposure.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, if you are a CEO and would like to raise the level of performance in your organization, or you are a business or life coach who would like to give their clients a top-notch goal setting tool, or you are just an individual who is tired of settling for what you get, please visit www.goaltrak.com to learn how goal setting can get the results you have been looking for.
Thanks for the information Stephen, and all the best with your business. Do you have PR and marketing goals you’re trying to reach? Please contact me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com for help and additional information.
