Zoom2u – is a user friendly delivery platform that connects businesses and individuals to a fast and reliable community of couriers and allows people to track where the parcel is in real time via GPS technology, and provides the driver’s contact details.
Steve Orenstein, Founder and CEO, started his journey at the age of 19 when he dropped out of his IT course as he felt that the education was outdated. Fast forward and he is now onto his third soft-ware based startup.
Dynamic Business had a chat with Steve Orenstein about starting a business at the age of 19 and getting to where he is now.
DB: Tell us about Zoom2u and how and why you got started?
SO: After I left my previous business I spent time ordering a range of items online from e-commerce businesses, and experienced the inefficiencies in traditional courier companies. My major frustrations were never knowing when my items were going to arrive, and having terrible customer experiences, so using my software knowledge and skills, I decided to build a solution – and Zoom2u was born.
Tell us about your journey in the business world at the age of 19.
I knew very little when I first started in the business world, but I’ve learnt an enormous amount since! When I first began my journey I had just dropped out of university while studying IT because I found the way I was learning was too outdated. My first start-up was a company that fixed computers for small businesses, before I then established a job management and scheduling application Connect2Field which was acquired by Fleetmatics Group in 2013.
I’ve had many key learnings since I first started out, but my main pieces of advice are to always put the customer first, and have the right systems and processes in place that allow for your company to scale up.
This is your third soft-ware based start-up. What has made you sell and create new businesses rather than growing one?
There are numerous elements that come into play when it comes to selling a company, but to put it simply my first company ended as it was during a time that there were many issues with the industry in general, and as passionate as I was in my second business the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I definitely am a strong believer in growing a business though, and there are numerous plans in place to evolve Zoom2u and grow it into a brand that’s even bigger and better.
Tell us about consumers’ obsession with control, and how the companies catering to it are thriving
Consumers these days are expecting a much better experience, and they also want to connect with people, whether that be with a sales representative or a courier. Also as the internet evolves, and a company has the risk of a bad review, the pressure is on for every company to provide quality service every time – which is great news for consumers
How is technology changing the way both companies and consumers deliver?
Technology is definitely making deliveries – for both companies and consumers – significantly faster. Also, the fact that people can now track where their parcel is in real time via GPS technology and contact their courier directly, are elements that wouldn’t have been possible without these technical evolutions. These advances will continue to occur, and the delivery sector will continue to grow and offer even better experiences than ever before.
Best advice for new startups?
Be prepared for setbacks. Where I see so many business owners go wrong is giving up too easily. Anyone who is currently creating or working on a start-up needs to realise that every business goes through different stages and be mentally prepared to work through any problem that comes their way.
What was your biggest hurdle in your business journey so far?
I don’t so much have one major hurdle, but I constantly need to remind myself to keep focused and think of the bigger picture. It’s easy to get caught up on individual tasks, but making sure that you’re constantly moving your targets and expectations, is vital to continuing momentum and growing the company’s success levels.
Newest exciting plans for Zoom2u?
We’re in the process of testing and implementing a range of new offerings which will continue to offer the ultimate customer experience provided by Zoom2u, so stay tuned!
