If you want to grow a retail business, you need to simultaneously manage daily operations and consider new strategies. Automating certain functions can free up time to work on your business instead of in it.
That’s where Qvalon comes in. Learn how the tech company is helping retail businesses in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Offers tech tools for retail businesses.
Andrey Podgornov, CEO of Qvalon told Small Business Trends, “QVALON is a cloud-based solution to help retail businesses monitor, manage and magnify daily operations.”
More specifically, the mobile application includes tools for several important functions, including:
- compliances
- checklists
- protocols
- standards
- tasks
This allows managers to automate certain functions instead of doing everything manually. The tool also offers analytics and flags problems to help businesses find more efficient ways to complete tasks.
Business Niche
Providing real-time data on business operations.
Retailers often wait for quarterly data to make changes. But getting this information right away lets you adjust in the moment. For example, if you notice lots of customer service issues at one location, you can focus on training to improve.
Podgornov says, “QVALON has been proven to help operators improve profitability and spend more time focusing on what matters most – providing excellent customer service experiences.”
How the Business Got Started
To help the retail industry keep up with consumer demands.
Podgornov explains, “As technology advances, customers expect retail businesses to advance with it. At the same time, retail chains have complex management structures due to the various products, people, and processes involved in their operations.
“We saw the challenge and the gap in the market for the right tech to help solve the problem. So we developed a system that enables each person directly responsible for a task to receive it at the right time and in the right place according to previously described and standardized regulations. Managers can now focus on creating and regulating these rules, not dealing with hundreds of recurring urgent situations.”
Biggest Win
Scaling successfully.
Podgornov says, “Our first milestone was becoming THE leader in our local market (Russia), followed by securing business with the who’s who of major retail — and ultimately surpassing 14,000 total locations using the platform.
“Today, we are continuing to grow and expand our footprint. QVALON now operates in seven countries and is trusted by 75+ retailers including Burger King, Quiksilver and Birch Coffee. In 2021, we opened our first U.S. office in New York City.”
Biggest Risk
Catering to retail businesses with different niches.
Podgornov adds, “Catering to different audiences required consistency, constant improvement and always hard, measurable results.”
Lesson Learned
Try new things.
Podgornov says, “We test and we experiment. There is no ‘fail.’ There is always a result and a learning and the next experiment ahead. So far, this method has driven our success and we continue to use this model to grow.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Product development.
Podgornov adds, “All of our dollars go toward building the next best thing to meet our customers’ needs.”
Company Motto
Keep working to improve.
Podgornov says, “We constantly challenge not only our product and the way it works, looks and feels — but ourselves. Motivation and determination are core values of the company and its employees inside and outside the office. Our CTO, Boris, took this to heart and became a competitive Ironman — following a career playing soccer professionally.”
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Image: QVALON, Andrew Podgornov and Boris Shkolnikov
This article, "Spotlight: How Qvalon Helps Retailers Focus on Their Most Important Functions" was first published on Small Business Trends
via https://www.aiupnow.com
Annie Pilon, Khareem Sudlow
