Christchurch technology company Doubledot Media started from a laptop three years ago when entrepreneurs Simon Slade and Mark Ling teamed up to develop a wholesale directory that would help eBay sellers source merchandise. Today, the young firm (all nine staff are under 30) owns a swathe of innovative web products and has over 250,000 customers around the globe, of which more than 70 per cent are based in the United States.
“Our products are designed to simplify the internet for regular people,” says Slade. “Customers all over the world, including many Americans, find our down-to- earth ‘clean green’ style a refreshing change from the over- blown and sometimes impenetrable technology that is often present on the web.”
The first product Doubledot Media launched in the US market was online wholesale directory SaleHoo.The eBay gold rush was in full swing and thousands of people were quick to take advantage of the Kiwi team offering easy access to wholesale suppliers. A lot of new members were – and still are – Bay sellers and ecommerce webmasters, although there is a sprinkling of brick-and-mortar store owners and flea market traders.
“The idea that any regular Joe can make money from online auction sites or by building their own ecommerce site has become part of the American dream,” Slade explains. “Thousands of people consider selling on eBay or setting up their own website every week. But before they can do that, they need to get something to sell, and that’s where we come in.”
The SaleHoo directory contains more than 5000 suppliers offering up to 90% discount on the retail price. It currently has more than 50,000 paid members and Slade expects that number to double within the year.
Doubledot Media’s second product to launch was Affilorama, a multimedia guide teaching people how to make money through affiliate marketing. In just eight months, subscriber numbers grew to over 20,000 and, once again, the US market was generously represented.
Slade believes the company’s innovative business practices have played a vital role in infusing its products with the blend of simplicity and integrity that is so appealing to the US market. Doubledot Media has a remarkably flexible approach to staff, which they say has helped them recruit and retain the best in the field, even amidst the existing labor shortage.
The company accommodates varied working hours and travel plans and, in the past 12 months, several employees have taken extended overseas trips while continuing to work for the company on the road. In the office, the use of popular sites such as Trade Me and Facebook are encouraged to enable staff to keep up to date with the latest ideas on the web.
“We run our business in a unique way and the upshot is that we get unique results,” says Slade.
Although the US is currently battling an economic crisis, Doubledot Media is positive about its future, believing the company’s commitment to environmental and financial sustainability will ensure it continues to thrive.
“The fact that our products are 100% digital means that they require little ongoing expense,” says Slade. “It also means negligible use of non-renewable resources.”
Next month, Doubledot Media is about to face its greatest challenge yet as it takes on the likes of iGoogle and My Yahoo with a customisable personal homepage.
——————–
(c) 2008 Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
Comments