Innovator of the Week
Kyle Bennett
Founder & CEO of SystemsGo
Please provide your 30-second pitch about your company.
SystemsGo is the Jiffy Lube of the trades industry. You don’t need a car mechanic to change the oil and businesses don’t need trades technicians to perform basic mechanical maintenance. We help restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and grocery stores stay on top of regular, truly proactive maintenance instead of just waiting for something to break before dealing with it. We keep HVAC units, refrigeration systems, grease hoods, etc. all running efficiently and thus help businesses lower their monthly energy bills and prevent the premature failure of expensive equipment. Our innovative business model allows us to hire affordable employees and offer maintenance services for up to 50% the cost of a conventional trades company. Since we cut across the four trades industries of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and refrigeration, businesses need call only 1 company (not up to 4!) in order to get all their maintenance needs met. We even offer a convenient subscription service which helps businesses regulate their cash flow. SystemsGo works for businesses by removing the barriers to mechanical maintenance by making it simple, effective, and affordable.
Who or what was your best resource for starting your company?
One of our best resources is my wife, Laura, who has previous start-up experience and brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our duo. She’s an excellent networker and salesperson. I contribute my 10+ years experience in the HVAC field and lots of first-hand knowledge of the difficulties businesses face when it comes to securing convenient, reliable, affordable mechanical maintenance. Lastly, participating in Alpha Loft’s Accelerate NH program has provided us a lot of insight into the market and brought us into contact with many local business owners to discuss their particular mechanical maintenance pain points.
What was your biggest obstacle in starting your company and how did you overcome it?
The biggest obstacle has been getting in touch with the decision maker at a given business. When we do, almost every single one is eager for our services; but making that direct connection via cold calling in various forms is very difficult. That said, we are learning the immense value of having ‘connector’-type people in our networks. These friends, acquaintances, and colleagues have proven instrumental in making introductions for us. While we don’t usually truly “pitch” to these restaurant, hotel, gas station, etc. owners and managers, having a conversation with them about their mechanical maintenance needs and the current challenge of getting them properly addressed still affords us an opportunity to make that initial connection from which future business relationships can form.
What’s the best advice you have received?
Do what you love and love what you do.
What about the NH lifestyle appeals to you?
I’m originally from North Dakota, so the concept of living an hour away from both mountains and an ocean is pretty wild to me — New Hampshire is a constant feast for the eyes. Manchester is very similar to my hometown (Fargo), particularly in its climate of economic growth. Connected to that, I love not having State sales or income tax. First and foremost, though, my family and I love the people we’ve met here in NH. It’s a great place to put down roots.
What does the future look like for your company?
Step One is to continue building up our clientele here in the Manchester area. Then, we’ll branch out region by region from there. With time, there’s no reason why SystemsGo can’t become a well-known, nation-wide company like Jiffy Lube. The future is bright!