FindAPro Builds New Business in the Cloud With Force.com

Challenge

• FindAPro.com, which helps homeowners research, review, and hire home improvement professionals, needed an easy way to manage contractor data, bids, and contracts.
• The company was using Relational Networks’ LongJump, but wanted a more secure and robust platform on which to build its business.
• Executives required a solution that could be quickly customized and deployed, without sacrificing performance or reliability.
• As a start up with just four employees, FindAPro preferred a cloud-computing solution that would be easy and cost-effective to implement and maintain.

Solution

• FindAPro replaced LongJump with Force.com, citing the reliability, performance, and long-term viability of the salesforce.com platform. The cost was also competitive.
• Without any outside assistance, the company built a complete, custom business system in just days to manage contractor data, reviews, quotes, contracts, billing, and payments.
• Custom applications synchronize with FindAPro’s Web site and map to its business processes. The system interface makes it easy to find information on professionals, certifications, reviews, and Web site users.
• A streamlined sales process lets reps generate and send proposals, and log calls, with just a couple of clicks.
• Integration with Gmail makes it easy to send emails and keeps a record of communications.
• Dashboards track key metrics including number of professionals listed and certified, Web site users, sales calls, and more.
• Employees can easily access and update Salesforce CRM data, and check metrics in real time, from their iPhones.
• A Salesforce CRM ideas community will help the company capture ideas and continue to innovate as it grows.

Results

• The cloud-computing model with subscription pricing got the start-up company up and running without large up front costs, and continues to be cost-effective.
• With Force.com the company has a solution that maps to its business processes, and that can be easily adapted over time.
• Streamlined sales process doubles the number of calls that reps can make in a day. Proposals can be generated, merged, and fax or emailed with just one click.