The company’s name – INFOTEL MULTIMEDIA – reflects changes in technology and marketplaces…and an ability to evolve to meet new customer needs and wants. Successful companies evolve. Their management teams sense change before it happens…changes in technology, the competitive landscape, the economy, and the regulatory environment. Good companies anticipate change, embrace it, and evolve to satisfy new customer needs.
Tell us about yourself.
Years ago, I got a job with Dominion Directories (Yellow Pages). It was a monopoly, but I loved being able to help small businesses buy affordable advertising they could pay for monthly. Pink Pages came along and offered competition and better rates. I then had the opportunity to buy a start-up in the Okanagan that was struggling. We succeeded because we made many innovations, including maps, seating guides, colour ads, free postal codes, menu pages, first aid pages, etc. All at better pricing.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
I have always been determined, a fighter. We have faced huge changes in how business is done. Partly because of Covid-19 but also because of how much we have evolved as a company, what products we offer, etc. So, my advice would be to keep on fighting.
What problem does your business solve?
Our understanding and appreciation of the challenges local businesses face led to innovations like financing websites so that businesses can be up and running online from day one and drive sales without breaking the budget.
We have a team of experts second to none, professionals who know SEM (Search Engine Marketing) so well we are a Google Certified Partner. Our expertise extends to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), as well, with many of our sites achieving a perfect 100 score on the SEO rating.
We offer businesses targeted marketing opportunities like iNwine, iN420, iNwheels, and iNhome, and we plan to add more.
Our expertise extends to social media, where we have nearly 100,000 followers, but more importantly, we help our customers find hundreds of thousands of followers…people who buy their products and services.
The Social Media Advertising we provide our customers reflect today’s new reality. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Snap Chat, among others, are the platforms of business. We create content and post information, photos, and videos for our customers, so they can better reach their customers.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
iNFOTEL evolved again when mobile devices changed the way people sought information, giving customers choices of online as well as traditional directories. Over time, again sensing change, iNFOTEL discerned trends that made its services more relevant to customers. As local news coverage evaporated, iNFOTEL knew people still wanted local news and information on a timely basis.
iNFOnews met that need, providing coverage of local news and events from Penticton and Kelowna to Vernon and Kamloops and scores of smaller towns and communities in between.
iNFOTEL realized its online directory and customers in these markets would benefit from advertising on a steady and reliable local news site. iNFOnews delivers up to 2.5 million page views a month.
Today, hundreds of Thompson-Okanagan businesses have websites designed, developed and operated by iNFOTEL MULTIMEDIA. As a full-service media company, our team of nearly 60 professionals consults with local businesses to help them succeed online and in-store.
What is your magic sauce?
Our prices are better than any of the competitors. We allow monthly payments for products that are normally billed up-front. We are locally owned and, therefore, responsive immediately to local issues and business needs.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Prior to Covid-19, we were growing at 30 per cent per month. We are setting our sites on achieving that growth in the next five years. We will achieve this through both geographic and product extension.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
I have faced many challenges over the years. The biggest challenge was evolving from an exclusively directory company, but it had to be done. The most recent issue has been Covid-19 and how it has impacted our customer base (small business).
How can people get involved?
The company’s name – iNFOTEL MULTIMEDIA – reflects changes in technology and marketplaces…and an ability to evolve and always meet new customer needs and wants. Because of our products, we are able to do business with any company in North America, and we have clients in many other parts of Canada. Visit our website www.infotelmultimedia.ca