Download - SMSPortal's #mystartupstory
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#mystartupstory
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SMSPortal is a bulk SMS service provider
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Then students, Charles Stretch and James Pearce started the business in 2002.
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From the back of a garage, with R20,000.
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And no business experience
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But time showed them they were onto something, and they went from sending SMSes from nightclubs to their revelers, to local Port Elizabeth SMEs.
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The pair found their feet, invested all their revenue into developing their business, creating an innovative product and service.
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They didn’t draw a salary for two years.
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The tipping point came, a large South African retailer became a client.
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“We evolved the system to the point that is was robust enough to handle the needs of a large corporate client.”
James Pearce
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Their timing was perfect, corporates were looking for better and more measureable ROI for their marketing spend, SMS was and is a great medium for consumer communication.
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Today SMSPortal:• Sends 180 million SMSes a month• Has a R400 million turnover• Has 15% of its income from international markets• Has access to 750 mobile networks worldwide• Serves over 10,000 clients