Successful entrepreneurs have one thing in common:they have help. Whether that help comes in the form of a dynamite sales manager, a compassionate co-founder, or a humble mentor, there's hardly any entrepreneur who climbs to the top alone.
So how do you meet? Want these essential links to help you grow your business or further your career?
Meet Shapr, a free app that features relevant professionals nearby who want to grab a cup of coffee. The app is not just for entrepreneurs, it is useful for professionals at all stages of their career.
Whether you're looking for your next hire, looking for the right advisor to help you develop your ideas, or plotting a career change, Shapr uses your selected interests (such as #startups or #marketing), location, and industry to suggest fifteen people a day you might find interesting. Simply swipe right on the people you want to meet. When a match is established, you can message your new connection to decide on a place for coffee or a time for Skype. Shapr's priority is to present quality people who are open-minded, helpful and curious.
With over a million users, the app has produced meaningful exchanges that have helped pivot and grow various businesses and careers.
We met Sysamone Phaphon, CEO of the distribution platform of FilmHero movies, and an avid user of Shapr. San Francisco-based Phaphon quit a career in healthcare to design her dream app, which was originally focused on bringing in moviegoers who liked the same genres. This career change required Phaphon to build an entirely new network to support his business. After a few weeks of balancing evening networking events with being a single mom, Phaphon told a friend how intensive and unproductive most networking events were. Her friend suggested Shapr.
"I started chatting with a few matches while I was still in my pajamas," Phaphon says. “At that time, I knew this app was going to make networking so much more convenient for me. I was hooked. »
Shapr continued to play a vital role in his business while Phaphon traveled to Los Angeles. Over coffee, one of Phaphon's matches hints at a much greater need in the film industry - distribution assistance for independent filmmakers. Conversations with other Shapr users continued to validate this need, and Phaphon steered his brainchild towards a service that helps filmmakers book screenings of their work and market those events to potential audience members and buyers.
“Shapr helped me connect with the right people,” says Phaphon. “I was at the intersection of two new industries and I didn't know where to start or who to talk to. I now have strong networks in both sectors and have met tons of collaborators. Shapr is a game changer when it comes to networking. ”
Shapr helped Phaphon gain a useful perspective on his new industry and later find partnerships and investors for his business. She is just one of many professionals who have used Shapr to further their careers.
So what are you waiting for? Download Shapr to find that professional connection that could change your life.
