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Startup: Social network Sparkx
Suzan Fluitman is co-founder of social network site Sparkx. In our start-up series, she tells us about the how she start out with her quality guide.
How did you come up with the idea of your start-up?
Actually the idea to ‘ share quality’ was born out of personal needs. Andries Voskamp, my business partner, and I felt that there was a need for a network for people like us; people who are career focused but also enjoy the good things in life. We were especially looking for an environment which would be practical in our busy lives and in the busy lives of the people around us. So we decided to enable people to upload on their local & international heroes, companies (and sometimes people) and enable them to recommend these to friends, family and colleagues.
On our site, people can leave reviews and contact each other about their experiences with interior designers, real estate agents, hotels, au pair agencies, caterers, wedding planners etc. Our criterion for the guide is ‘everything you would normally have to call your friends for to get a good advice’. Our members realize that two people know more that one. A practical asset of our service is that people can build a personal ‘Quality Guide’ on their favourite companies and share the guide with their network. So whenever you need a gardener, check your friend’s favourites first.
What was your biggest challenge during the development process and how can other start-ups learn from that?
Our biggest challenge was to launch our website before the summer. To speed up the process we decided to do all our programming in house and that turned out to be very effective. That’s why we made it in time.
Can you describe your country/city’s start-up culture and in your opinion what are the benefits and disadvantages of having your office there as compared to for instance Silicon Valley?
The start-up culture in the Netherlands is quite good, although you need to know the right people for funding. A lot of successful initiatives come from Dutch people and the Dutch market is a great market to test in. Our primary focus is on the Netherlands right now, so there is no need for us to be in Silicon Valley. I used to travel a lot to Silicon Valley for @Home, but most of the people that work there are jealous of our work environment. I actually think the Chinese market is just as important now and it’s growing fast.
What will be the influence of your start-up in the blogging and online magazine sphere?
Time will tell, but I guess more and more companies will realize that it’s important to know where a review is coming from. Companies cannot close their eyes for this development. The customer is in charge and will expose bad quality or service. Companies will also be able to see who their ambassadors are and then pamper their happy clients with discounts and special events.
What kind of other services do you offer members?
We have a forum where members can post questions like ‘who knows a good hotel in Rio de Janeiro’ and ‘I’m looking for a good mortgage consultant in Rotterdam?’. Also, if a member knows a nice event, they can post this for free and invite their network.
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