There are so many ways for businesses to communicate these days. But all the different platforms can create confusion and take up a lot of time. Luckily, Yobi offers one solution that combines many of these options into one dashboard. Read about the system and the founder behind it in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Offers a unified communications solution.

Founder and CEO Ahmed Reza told Small Business Trends, “Yobi is a unified communications app for small businesses that combines phone, SMS, social media chat, team communication and collaboration, light CRM and task management into a simple app. Teams can collaborate from their phones, desktop or web browser. Most importantly, Yobi is easy to use and scalable for small businesses, startups and gig workers to find success in the industry with an AI-powered, competitive customer service prowess designed to delight customers.”

Business Niche

Scalable customer service thanks to AI.

Reza says, “Yobi’s platform supports small businesses with providing optimal customer service and the small business touch of personalized connections.”

He adds, “Yobi helps its customers by providing hyper-personalized support with its proprietary technology. Its AI-enabled technology allows everyone to be part of the customer service process, with a service team capable of engineering custom features and algorithms to fit any small business needs.”

How the Business Got Started

To support his family and small businesses.

Reza adds, “For me, it was my way out of poverty. It was a way to pay my bills in college and take care of my family in a world where the minimum wage is insufficient to support an entire household. As my passion for customer service grew, so has my desire to democratize the technology powering large organizations. I’m now in a position of being able to offer those same high-quality technology resources to startups and beyond.”

Biggest Win

Getting noticed by small businesses in app stores.

Reza says, “That was a pivotal moment because getting to customers and sharing complex technology solutions is close to impossible in small business. That’s why many venture capitalist investors don’t traditionally back companies serving this market.”

Lesson Learned

Don’t be afraid of risks.

Reza explains, “If I could do it again, I would have started on the entrepreneurial path about ten years earlier. But, being an immigrant and not having that kind of reinforcement around risk led me to carefully quantify what real risk is and how to mitigate potential business problems and failures along the way.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Investing in human capital.

Reza adds, “It’s how hard you can work, this thing that can create enormous amounts of value out of thin air. So much, so that traditional business folks don’t even believe it, but it’s real. So, if I’m investing the hundred thousand dollars, I am supporting it in human capital, turning that into $10 million. It’s what we do!”

Most Valued Team Attribute

Weirdness.

Reza explains, “We are all weird underdogs! We’re all odd in that we were early to working remotely. We’re primarily autodidacts. Most of the folks who have successfully worked for me are willing to learn independently and maintain a keen curiosity in understanding the industry. That weirdness manifests itself in, you know, often amusing ways. An example is being outvoted on the company colors. So we’re very democratic in that way.”

Favorite Quote

“The train’s going this way. You’re either on it, off it, or under it.”

Reza adds, “I once met Kobe Bryant and saw him as a business advisor. As a leader, he shared his philosophy, which was tough, but it got things done. He said that as a leader, he brings the plan to the table and gets the best team together. It doesn’t have to be a team of rockstars, but the team together is the best you could have.”

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Image: Yobi, Ahmed Reza

This article, “Spotlight: Yobi Combines the Communication Tools Businesses Already Use” was first published on Small Business Trends