Start, manage and grow your business, get rewarded for doing so

June marks the official release of getlion, a free, all-in-one mobile application designed for SME’s, startups and prospective entrepreneurs. Through the getlion business app, users are able to start and grow their businesses through a curated ecosystem of more than 20 industry-leading partners – allowing anyone to access the business finance or SMME funding, discounted services, tools and know-how required to start and run a business effectively.

“With up to 50% of new companies failing within their first two to three years, we founded getlion to make it easier for anyone to start a business, adopt best practices, access the support and networks they require at reduced costs, and in doing so, increase their probability of success,” says Mathew Marsden, getlion’s Co-Founder and CEO. “With much of the economy’s employment hopes hinging on the success of small businesses, it was imperative to be a part of the solution in an innovative, more practical way”.

With mobile applications on the rise, a renewed focus on small businesses given the Covid-19 pandemic, and the overwhelming supply of information available in the market, we were curious as to how getlion plans to differentiate itself.

“The success of any mobile app is ultimately driven by user engagement – so we knew we had to add real value to entrepreneurs’ bottom line and build a clean, user-friendly experience. We’re also aware that this isn’t the first attempt to aggregate similar support via one platform – and that’s where the innovation comes in”.

In addition to the large volume of discounted offerings from its network of industry-leading partners, getlion’s real value lies in its ‘first-of-a-kind’ rewards program for business owners.

“In the same way that insurance companies reward clients for keeping healthy, we believe that we can incentivise our users for running their companies effectively. Our launch version simply requires users to complete their in-app profile in order to activate their rewards. We believe that these basic criteria – such as company & tax registration, B-BBEE certification, a reasonable credit profile and a legitimate digital presence – are a solid foundation for increasing a user’s credibility with potential funders, customers and suppliers alike. We’ve made it simple to meet these requirements via the app, too.”  By completing their profiles, users can access rewards ranging from ride-sharing and mobile data discounts, to offerings from partners like Netflorist and SweepSouth.

Ultimately, getlion aims to democratise entrepreneurship in Africa.

“Building a successful business is notoriously difficult and there are many great organizations and service providers in the South African ecosystem that are pushing to effect change in this area. We intend to aggregate and promote the very best of these offerings to our users via the app, and it is our hope that we can remove the complexity and provide the support that today’s entrepreneurs need to succeed”.

The getlion team also informs us that there are innovative features in the works that will give users access to new customer markets and big corporates alike. These are likely to be announced in coming weeks and months.

The getlion mobile application is available for free on IOS and Android devices. Visit www.getlion.co.za for more information.