The businesses that ramp up their operations the fastest will have a distinct advantage. You don’t want to be scrambling to find employees in that environment so now is the time to do what you can to keep them.”
has launched a free tool ‘QuickStart,’ a self-serve lite version of the product suite for startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to address these very problems. With Locus’ state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) platform, companies can automate decision making while taking into account the on-ground reality. This free trial is for a period of two months from the start of the subscription.
“
BUSINESS BAROMETER®: END OF APRIL BRINGS SOME IMPROVEMENT IN SMALL BUSINESS SENTIMENT Small business confidence took some steps in the right direction at the end of April, gaining almost 9 index points since the beginning of the month to 46.4 on the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)’s Business Barometer®.
“Supply chain management has only become more dynamic and complex with time. While changing on-ground scenarios and pandemics like COVID-19, may impact your operations, Locus QuickStart can provide you with tools to improve and analyze the situation. This offering will continue even after the situation on the ground eases up,” Nishith Rastogi, CEO and Cofounder of Locus.
“Small business sentiment is far from being in a state of recovery, but there are some signs of improvement this month, with business metrics like hiring and wage plans still low but seeing an uptick over last month,” said Ted Mallett, CFIB’s vice-president and chief economist. “This could be a reflection of more refined policy responses from government as well as businesses learning to operate more effectively under trying conditions.” Fulltime staffing intentions improved slightly since the beginning of the month but remained low, with 9 per cent of business owners planning on hiring in the next three months, and 48 per cent planning to cut back. Capacity utilization rates also improved slightly to 39.9 per cent. In total, 11 per cent of owners say their business is in good shape, while 54 per cent say it is doing poorly. An index level nearer to 65 indicates that the economy is growing at its potential.
KICKSTART AUTOMATED SUPPLY CHAIN WITH LOCUS QUICKSTART FOR SMES AND STARTUPS Startups and SMEs are in a precarious situation now more than ever. Companies are struggling to manage volatile demand, fleet and resource efficiency, and rising costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Locus, a global B2B SaaS company that automates human decisions in supply chain, CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MAY 2020 I
10
Zoodbox founder delivered the first package in Montreal, QC, Canada (CNW Group/Lite Technology Inc.)
TECH ENTREPRENEURS LAUNCH ZOODBOX - AN ON-DEMAND PACKAGE DELIVERY SERVICE FOR MONTREAL Quarantining in Montreal has been a bit easier thanks to the debut of a mobile app called Zoodbox that allows for simple, fast and affordable exchange of light goods via its on-demand delivery service. The service was founded by a team of tech savvy entrepreneurs, who say the mobile app is the first of its kind in Canada. Zoodbox was welcomed right out of the gate
by Kijiji and craigslist buyers and sellers. It is expected to be a popular delivery option for businesses, as well, who need immediate, reliable cross-town package delivery. Yet now, with COVID-19 restrictions, its use has been growing among city residents who cannot be in direct contact but need to exchange goods. “We launched Zoodbox as the answer to expensive, slow courier services for businesses, people who buy and sell via online community directory listings, and for anyone tight on time,” said Kamal Rezvaninejad, founder of Zoodbox. “What’s been really rewarding for our team though is how the service has helped improve quality of life for those forced to shelter in place during this pandemic.”