April, 30th, 2011
Mayor Francis of Windsor Acknowledges Benefits of MyWclub
On April 28, 2011, the CEO of MyWclub, Chris Gallant, and the
company's Director of Operations, Gerry Simpson, met with Mayor
Eddie Francis of Windsor to discuss how MyWclub can benefit the
city's local businesses.
MyWclub is an online platform that connects consumers looking
for products and services with local businesses that offer them.
Mr. Gallant explained how many business owners are not taking full
advantage of the marketing power of the Internet because they do
not have the time, technical ability, or money to establish an
effective online presence.
According to Gallant, Canadians spent an estimated $16 billion
last year buying products and services online, but, unfortunately,
our local Canadian businesses saw very little of that money.
Mayor Francis agreed that Windsor businesses are not getting the
necessary exposure and he appreciates how MyWclub can benefit both
consumers and local businesses. He understands the value in
offering consumers a safe, convenient, and free method of locating
products and services in specified locations at competitive
prices.
Mayor Francis also acknowledged the benefits to retailers, in
that it will level the playing field by affording both small and
large businesses equal access to qualified customers at a very low
cost compared to other forms of advertising.
Mr Gallant and Mr Simpson will be meeting with the Downtown
Windsor Business Improvement Association to continue the dialogue
they began with Mayor Francis about how MyWclub can benefit
Windsor.
April, 29th, 2011
IPOD Winner
Keeley Dunlop of Windsor was the lucky winner of the MyWclub
iPod draw. Chris met with her today to hand over the lime green
gadget, and he was happy to have his picture taken with one of our
loyal Facebook followers.
Thanks everyone for participating!
April, 28th, 2011
Press Release: By Dave Hall, The Windsor Star
New site connects buyers, sellers
A new Windsor-based website has been launched to connect buyers
and sellers of goods and services at the local level.
Consumers visiting MyWclub.com can type in the product or service
they are seeking and create a personalized request explaining
exactly what they want.
The request is then passed along to local registered businesses
which supply what the consumer is seeking and they then have the
opportunity to respond through the website's message centre.
"It's a simple concept," said MyWclub CEO Chris Gallant.
"Consumers provide information about what they want and we send
that information to people and businesses who can help.
"And because businesses know that information is being sent to a
number of rivals in the same field, consumers can expect to get a
competitive response right away," said Gallant.
"We've created an internal message centre so that businesses and
consumers can communicate without the risk of being spammed," said
Gallant.
Businesses and consumers can register for free but businesses,
which receive free access to leads, pay 50 cents for each response
to a consumer request.
Gallant, who was previously COO of HumanBios, a Swiss software
development company, said MyWclub has found a way to circumnavigate
the need for a catalogue and has the opportunity to become a
one-stop destination for everything from products and services to
jobs and vacations.
Other members of the MyWclub team include Gerry Simpson, former
senior vicepresident of operations for Hiram Walker; Stefan
Wuthrich, former chief information officer for HumanBios; Krista
Gallant, formerly of Ford; director of marketing Jon Johnson and Ed
Roach, a branding exper
Gallant will pitch his company to a panel of business and
technology experts at a Technology Growth Initiative boot camp in
London on Friday.
And later today, Gallant is scheduled to meet with Mayor Eddie
Francis to discuss how MyWclub can contribute to bringing business
growth back to the local economy.
Gallant said that while his company can't fix Windsor's economic
challenges, it can help make consumers more aware of what's
available in their own community before they shop elsewhere.
Read article at Windsor Star
April, 18th, 2011
Belle River Company Selected to Pitch at the Technology Growth
Initiative (TGI) in London, Ontario
MyWclub, a new internet company that connects buyers and sellers at
the local level, has been selected to pitch to a panel of business
and technology experts at the upcoming Technology Growth Initiative
(TGI) Business Boot Camp Spring 2011, in London, Ontario.
The invite came from Trade Commissioner, Francis Uy. According to
Uy, the Trade Commissioner Service received a tremendous amount of
pitch applications. MyWclub was one of the select few invited to
present their business idea and technology at the upcoming TGI
conference on April 29, 2011, at the London Hilton.
Chris J. Gallant, CEO of MyWclub, considers the invite an honored
privilege. Having the opportunity to present his company's
technology at the TGI conference will help introduce MyWclub to
important U.S. markets, investors and decision makers.
MyWclub offers a free online consumer request portal that connects
consumers and businesses at the local level. A consumer can come to
the website and create a personalized request for whatever product
or service they need. The request is then sent to registered
business providers within the community who can supply the desired
product or service. Providers who want a chance to earn the
business respond to the request using the MyWclub message
center.
Retailers and service providers can sign up with MyWclub for free.
It costs nothing to review requests and only $0.50 to deliver a
customized response directly to a consumer that wants exactly what
the provider is offering. According to Gallant, this is extremely
cost effective when one considers that pay-per-call, a somewhat
similar lead generation method, can range anywhere from $5 to $100
per lead. Also, companies like Redbeacon.com, which operate in the
service industry, charge providers 10% of the cost of the
job.
MyWclub's competitive advantage stems from the fact that its
categorization and association can handle any type of consumer
request. Whereas competitors are restricted either to the service
industry or to a narrow product lineup, MyWclub's unique technology
circumvents the need for a defined catalogue.
With plans to expand into the international market after MyWclub
is established in Canada, Gallant feels his pitch at the upcoming
TGI conference will open several doors of opportunity for his
company.
For more information, contact Chris J. Gallant at 519.566.6327 or
727.251.3610, or visit the MyWclub website at
www.mywclub.com.
April, 12th, 2011
MyWclub CEO to Visit with the Mayor of Windsor Ontario to
Discuss How the Company Can Bring Business Back to Local
Economy
Chris J Gallant, CEO, and Gerry Simpson, Director of Operations
of MyWclub, a new internet company that provides an online channel
of communication between consumers and local businesses, will be
visiting with Mayor Eddie Francis on the 28th of April. The purpose
of their meeting is to discuss what MyWclub does for local
economies and how the city of Windsor can benefit from its
program.
Windsor Ontario is a border town. With the Canadian and US
dollar at par, and US pricing much lower than Canada's, many
Canadian consumers cross-border shop to save money. Although
cross-border shopping has always existed between the two countries,
it was controlled in the past by the stronger US dollar. Today's
parity in dollars, however, occurred faster than the Canadian
economy could adjust. The effects of earning in one country and
spending in another is being felt throughout various townships,
with business closures, increased unemployment rates, and weakened
economies.
With Windsor hit hard by the recession, the city remains
challenged by today's parity with the US dollar. As consumers
tighten their belts, many small businesses have had to close their
doors. According to Stats Canada, Windsor-Sarnia has the second
highest unemployment rate among all eleven economic regions in
Ontario.
Although MyWclub cannot fix Windsor's economical challenges,
Gallant says his company can make a difference by making Canadian
consumers aware of what's available to them in their own city,
province and country before they buy elsewhere. Helping local
businesses take advantage of the Internet as a marketing vehicle is
MyWclub's main goal. Equally important is assuring local consumers
are aware of the services and products available to them through
their local businesses.
With MyWclub's online consumer request portal, consumers can
submit requests for products and services within their community.
The request is matched up and sent to registered businesses that
offer those goods and services. Businesses get to view the details
of the requests for free. It is only when a business chooses to
respond to a request that it pays a fee of 50 cents.
The benefit of the leads generated through MyWclub is that they
connect businesses with consumers who are in need of their products
and services. This has the potential to save businesses a lot of
money, as they don't have to spend advertising dollars to find
interested consumers; the interested consumers find them.
In meeting with the Mayor, Chris Gallant and his team hope to
structure a plan that will help save Canadian jobs and improve
local economies.
March 22nd, 2011
Version 2.1 is ready for release.
On March 29th, 2011, MyWclub will release its version 2.1. What's
new in this release? For one, both the business and cosumer
registration form, the categorization, and some helpful content.
Registered users will also see an improved backend for their
profile and message center. Since our launch on February 28th of
this year, we have been going through some of the comments and
requests that we received and this latest version deals with some
of the more frequent comments we've had. In keeping our focus on
making the transition between the consumer and the business, we
must adhere to strict rules when it comes to identifying the
business, ensuring that we are dealing with a person of legal age
and so on. However, even though what we are trying to do is
complex, we do not want this reflected on the businesses that we
are trying to register.
So, as of March 29th, the new registration process should
be much easier to understand and complete. Another area that we are
working to improve is the back-end - the location you land when you
log in. In the future, we will employ a new technology that will
allow you to customize the entire experience; however, at this
time, our priority is to create a space that you can call your own
and view the activities that take place.
The new content that was added should ease some of the concerns
and difficulties that some of you encountered while placing
requests. As usual we appreciate your comments, thanks.
March 9th, 2011
And the winner is..
Congratulations to Barbara Crook of Calgary, Alberta who won our
draw for the $1,000 dollar gift card.
Barbara registered with MyWclub Canada during the Calgary Home
and Garden Show.
March 7th, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
MyWclub™ Canada Online Consumer Request
Portal Helps Even the Playing Field for Small
Businesses
Small businesses can now gain access to free business leads
to local consumers looking for their products and services. The new
MyWclub™ Canada request portal allows consumers to submit free
requests for products and services and wait for local businesses to
respond with their offers.
CALGARY, ALBERTA-With MyWclub™ Canada's recent launch of their
free consumer request portal, small business owners can now gain
access to real-time business leads to local consumers in the
Calgary, Alberta area, and have an equal chance to win the
sale.
Studies show that when consumers use the Internet to locate a
particular business within their community, the majority of them
will select a business among those listed in the top search engine
results.
This can be a problem for small businesses servicing large
cities where competition is fierce and advertising is king. Take
the example of plumbers in the Calgary, Alberta area. When typing
in the words "plumber Calgary" into the online Google search engine
box, thousands of results are returned. Upon clicking on Google
Maps, the results are narrowed to 1,229. The first page of results,
however, lists only 10 out of the potential 1,229 businesses. This
leaves the businesses listed on the subsequent pages at a
disadvantage.
MyWclub™ Canada is looking to change the way people shop for
products and services within their community. With a free online
consumer request portal, consumers can now go to the MyWclub™
Canada website and submit a request for the product or service they
need then wait for local businesses to respond with their
offers.
The concept of MyWclub™ Canada was created by fellow Canadian,
Chris J. Gallant. As the founder and CEO of MyWclub™ Canada, Chris
took his years of experience and knowledge in the field of debit
cards, software development, and the Internet and poured it into
the design of an online website that provides for a direct channel
of communication between local businesses and consumers.
The online request portal is designed to allow consumers to log
in and submit a request for whatever product or service they need.
MyWclub™ Canada then notifies registered business providers via
email and/or text message of any requests that match the products
and/or services they offer. Business providers get to review the
details of the request for free before choosing whether or not they
want to respond to it. The only time a business is required to pay
a fee is if they choose to respond to a consumer request. The fee
to respond is 50 cents. If a business provider chooses not to
respond to the request, the provider pays nothing.
"The response fee costs less than a postage stamp. Considering
our business leads are for consumers looking for a business's
product or service at that very moment, the 50-cent response fee is
nominal compared to the amount of money they can earn if they are
able to convert that lead into a sale," says Chris.
Chris hopes that MyWclub™ Canada will help even the playing
field for small businesses. With fancy ads and creative marketing
ploys easily swaying consumers, smaller businesses are often
overshadowed by larger companies with large advertising budgets.
"This isn't the case with MyWclub," says Chris. "Every business
that registers with us has an equal chance of winning the
customer's business when a lead is sent their way."
MyWclub™ Canada attempts to provide a level playing field by
prohibiting their registered business providers from advertising on
the consumer request portal. Each business provider also has access
to the same profile template. Although the profile can be tailored
with information about the business, it cannot be used to display
ads. "Our aim is to make it so that each provider has an equal
chance to earn the sale based on the merits of their business, not
the size of their advertising budget," says Chris.
The leads that MyWclub™ Canada offers to their registered
business providers consist of local consumers who are looking for
the exact product or service the business offers. Notification of
the consumer request is sent to the matching provider within
seconds of it being submitted through the online consumer request
portal.
As more and more consumers begin using the free request portal,
businesses registered with MyWclub™ Canada can expect the number of
real-time business leads to increase.
March 2nd, 2011
Calgary Home + Garden Show: A Challenging Journey that Ended in
Success
With the Calgary Home + Garden Show now behind us, I feel
comfortable saying, "It looks like we're a hit!" But our journey
wasn't without its challenges.
Our trip started on Sunday, February 20th, at 1:00 p.m., in
Belle River, Ontario. A huge snow storm was predicted for the area.
Although we hoped to miss the brunt of it, Mother Nature wasn't
thinking along the same lines.
We caught the first of the snow an hour into our drive and it
lasted all the way to Chicago. At that point, the snow turned into
a tropical-like rain, with wind and lightning all around us.
Our first stop was Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. We didn't know
what to expect, but soon found ourselves in the middle of freezing
rain. In the morning, all of the roads were frozen and lightly
covered with snow. But as they say, "The show must go on," so off
we went towards Bismarck, North Dakota.
The weather continued to wreak havoc on the roads throughout our
journey. At one point, it got so bad, one of our windshield wipers
broke. That made it impossible to see, so we found a Walmart and
bought a new one, along with some heavy-duty windshield washer
fluid with antifreeze.
We continued on across snow-covered roads throughout much of our
trips, with just a few dry spots and sun along the way. Finally, in
the background we saw the Canadian border, and just like the song,
we were Alberta bound!
We arrived at our preferred and most-visited Hilton Garden Inn,
on Pegasus Road, in Calgary, at around 3:00 p.m. It was now
Wednesday, February 23rd. After checking in and making a few phone
calls, we headed to the show to set up our MyWclub™ Canada
booth.
Just like our trip, we had a few challenges. The guy a few
booths down infringed on his neighbor's space. This created a
domino effect, and because we were located in the middle, we along
with our neighbor barely had room to breathe. With an exhibit made
out of palm trees on one side and another made out of solid wood on
the other, we knew they weren't going to budge from their spots. So
we made the best we could out of a tight situation and voila…we
were ready to give the world the first look and try at MyWclub™
Canada.
Despite our space being infringed upon and missing out on the
exposure we were promised, the show was great! Both consumers and
retailers loved the idea of MyWclub™ Canada. We had people at our
booth at all times throughout each day. The guest speaker, Bryan
Baeumler, also thought we had a great idea.
Our location beside a helicopter model exhibit also went in our
favor, as it really drew in the crowds. This gave us even more of
an opportunity to speak to people and introduce them to MyWclub™
Canada.
We obtained our quota of names each day, which we forwarded to
our marketing department for follow-up. To date, we have converted
84 consumers and 50 retailers into members of MyWclub™ Canada.
We've even received a few requests already, which was unexpected
and very exciting. In fact, one member made a request less than 30
minutes after registering.
There were only four of us working the show, which required each
of us to put in 10 to 12 hours every day. But our spirits remained
strong and our positive attitudes never wavered.
It was a very exciting event, indeed. But even though the show
has come to an end, it's only the beginning for MyWclub™
Canada.
February 10th, 2011
Ready, Set, Launch…
After years of research and development, I am thrilled to
announce that the MyWclub™ Canada portal has been launched. With
our Canadian portal up and running, we'll have the ability to get
registered the first of what we hope will be many MyWclub™ Canada
members. Our full beta launch is set to take place at the end of
this month in Calgary. This will give us all a better idea of what
we can expect throughout our journey ahead.
The launch of our Canadian portal is due in great part to the
efforts of our team in the Ukraine, which is lead by Andrey Lychuk,
the owner/operator of M.I.F. Projects. Andrey and his team
literally worked countless hours to get the MyWclub™ Canada system
up and running, and they will remain busy with the variety of
additional features that we have plans of adding throughout this
year and beyond.
Although I've worked with Andrey and his team for some time now,
it wasn't until my recent trip to the town of Kirovograd, where
they live and work, that we finally met in person. Kirovograd has
approximately 200,000 habitants. The people are very friendly and
have a great love for dried fish and beer. The country itself is
well-known for being a large producer of sunflower oil. They also
produce fabulous wine and they have some of the freshest vegetables
you can find in all of Europe-quite an accomplishment, indeed.
Andrey and his team are one of the hardest working groups of
people I've ever met. To them, work isn't over until the work is
done. Even when our bellies were rumbling with hunger on the
evening of the launch, it wasn't until everything on our to-do list
was completed that we left to eat, well past 8:30 p.m.
I am grateful for Andrey and his team's efforts and their
above-and-beyond attitude. Their professionalism and team spirit
make doing business with them a pleasure. I look forward to many
years of us working together and a lot more visits in person.
Chris J. Gallant, CEO