TECH startup Stampede was set up in 2015 by Patrick Clover to supply software that helps bricks and mortar retailers and hospitality businesses market themselves more effectively. It offers a secure, branded Wi-Fi login portal and a platform for venues to communicate with customers through automated email or SMS campaigns after their first visit.
Name: Patrick Clover
Age: 27
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Stampede
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Edinburgh
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I USED to go around the country to give Wi-Fi access points to retail outlets. I provided free access Wi-Fi, and people said they were not able to join and the retailer saw no value in it as there were only complaints. I thought it would be good to create a system to tag onto the current network and create ease of access. It’s in bars, coffee shops and hotels.
It has matured a bit now and we have got involved in other stuff too. We pull data from sources and give it back to the business so they know how likely it is the customer will come back and we take data from reviews platforms and internal feedback to get the information all in one place.
I am totally self-taught and a techie. I have always worked in tech. I have no formal qualifications for this apart from my experience. It became frustrating working for people and not being able to execute ideas. I really enjoy being able to make fast decisions – it’s exciting. I built the product in my bedroom and did emails and phone calls and signed up 50 customers on that basis. A loan from the Prince’s Trust allowed me to hire my first staff. We have 22 staff at the moment.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
I INITIALLY thought we could go after everyone – schools, stadiums and restaurants – but now we are targeting hospitality operators who own between three and 30 venues. It evolved over time to restaurant chains and hotels. If smaller businesses have only one venue, they have no time to think of this stuff. The bigger ones have a marketing department which makes it easier to sell to.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE have one main competitor in the UK which focuses on Wi-Fi services but they have no extra stuff like marketing and reviews. We’re good at the Wi-Fi stuff but we use it as an enabler to help businesses to understand markets.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
IT’S amazing. Lots of big companies have got successful sales in Edinburgh – there are lots of smart people who have scaled tech businesses here. Ten or 20 years ago there wouldn’t have been that support. There is support from the Scottish Government that doesn’t exist in the rest of the UK.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
BEING able to have autonomy over decisions – if someone has a good idea there is no reason why we can’t execute it the same day. We can be really creative in how we solve problems. It’s exciting. Big businesses have a set way of doing things and change is difficult.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
THE people element of business which is something I hadn’t considered. Everything is always changing –it can be a daunting environment for people.
It’s very challenging finding the right people and getting them to stay. The admin and finance side was hard initially.
I try to relate it to my personal life – if I was spending more than we were making it would make me uncomfortable.
I only recently learned about that sort of stuff. Initially I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
THAT’S a long time away but I would like to see it in every business and become technology that everyone uses like Google Analytics. I would like to walk into a coffee shop and be known to that business.
There are half a million businesses in the UK that could be using this product – we’ve got 1000 signed up at the moment. Twelve months ago there were only 10 of us and 12 months before that there were only four of us. In the next 12 months there will be 40 of us – we must keep increasing.
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