On Building A Safety Technology And Growing 2x This Year
My name is Serese Selanders and I’m the Founder and CEO of SolusGuard. Our mission is to save lives. We build technology to keep people safe by helping them stay reliably connected.
Our patented solution includes a custom-designed wearable panic button to make it easy for people to call for help; automated software to simplify the tedious aspects of routine check-ins, and real-time monitoring to provide better safety awareness.
We’ve had a lot of success across a broad range of companies; we add value to any organization that has people working alone in risky jobs or environments. Where we’ve seen a lot of growth is in healthcare, parole/probation, and property management. These people face daily risks in often uncontrollable environments and it’s gratifying, yet sobering, to hear stories from our customers about how we’ve helped bring people home at the end of their day.
We must be doing something right because we doubled our growth this year!
There are a variety of companies in the workplace safety market but If I had to describe our superpower it’s that we are relentlessly customer-focused and build our products to a more rigorous set of standards. The vast majority of our competitors sell repackaged off-the-shelf devices (read: cheap). We build ALL of our hardware and software to provide the most reliable product possible. After all, protecting people is our ultimate responsibility. It’s our ‘why’.
What's your backstory and how did you get into entrepreneurship?
Up until now, my entire working career has been in the financial services industry. I actually had no intentions of getting into business or becoming an entrepreneur. I was doing well, having reached the level of Vice President. But then some major life events happened. My mom passed away unexpectedly, and shortly after that I nearly lost my dad. I went from just being their daughter to being a caregiver. Nothing had prepared me for that.
It was during these challenges with my dad, that I was looking for a way to keep him safe. He wanted to be in his home and independent. My brothers and I were hours away and concerned about his safety. I started looking for solutions, but all I could find were the traditional medical alert devices. The last thing my dad wanted was a “help I have fallen and can’t get up” device! As I looked more into them, I realized that although they were beneficial, the technology hadn’t changed much in over 40 years. I thought that there had to be a better way. That is when I came up with the initial ideas that eventually became my first company, ORA.
The first thing that I did was talk to seniors and loved ones who had alert devices. What was their experience, what did they like and dislike about them. I learned quickly that seniors hated wearing them. They were huge, ugly things that made them feel old and frail. Some described how wearing it made it feel like they were a target. It was a sobering experience. We also heard from families that their loved ones had experiences where they had fallen and were left for hours and sometimes days, with their devices out of reach on a nightstand because they simply refused to wear them. There were so many stories, I felt compelled to act. I came up with the idea for ORA and then went back out to seniors and their families to share my thoughts. We held focus groups and one on one meetings. The feedback was extremely encouraging.
Through this whole time, I was still working as a VP. But eventually got to the point where the startup was a full-time job too, and it was simply too much. I wasn’t doing well at either one. I had to decide as to what I was going to do. Follow this new dream of becoming a tech entrepreneur, or staying in my safe role with a good salary, pension, and benefits? I decided by thinking about which one I would regret if I didn’t do it. I could always go back into the corporate world, but I may never have the chance to follow a dream like this. I quit my job and never looked back.
Take us through your entrepreneurial journey. How did you go from day 1 to today?
When I made this decision, I had no idea how hard it would be to build wearable technology! In hindsight, I am glad about that! Had I known just how hard it would be, I wouldn’t have done it.
How hard could it be? Well, it turns out it’s REALLY hard. Building a business is hard. It doesn't matter what kind of business, being an entrepreneur is really tough. Technology has never been my focus and it turns out that starting a software company is a real challenge, but a hardware company adds an entirely different layer of complexity. As they say, ‘hardware is hard!’ and being a safety company makes it even more difficult as there is little room for error. We had to get it right; from the start. This led to some really great innovations and through researching others’ experiences, talking to experts, and bringing together a skilled team we were able to produce our first product, a wearable panic button, and safety alert app.
ORA was well received in the market and was purchased by people in similar situations to my dad. What really surprised me was how many inquiries we were receiving from businesses interested in improving their workplace safety. In fact, our first customer was a Real Estate agent. From there we started to get calls from property managers, healthcare workers, and many others who had employees who worked alone in dangerous jobs.
The demand for solutions to keep employees safe was so high, and the need for additional products significant, that we decided that operating under the ORA banner was simply not sufficient. That is why we created SolusGuard. SolusGuard has allowed us to be hyper-focused on the unique needs of employers and their employees.
When we launched a little over 3 years ago the business immediately took off. Since then, we’ve expanded on our original panic button and app to build out an entire suite of safety solutions. This includes check-in software, monitoring solutions, fit for work, and much more. All based on the direct feedback of our customers.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve faced many challenges, but then again, who hasn’t? Despite chip shortages and labor shortages, we’ve still seen increased interest and have invested in growing our team to meet that demand.
We have two main focuses this year. We want to further build out the software features of our platform to solve more problems for our customers. For example, we’ve recently launched a health assessment feature which makes it easy for employees to report on their health status so their employers know they are fit for work. We are also currently working closely with our customers to develop greater insight into the communication problems they are trying to solve. We are currently seeking new customers who want to work with us on developing tailored solutions.
Additionally, we seek to expand further into the United States with a specific focus on the residential property management industry. We’ve seen a lot of success with some of Canada’s largest property management operators and we know we can improve safety within this very risky industry. Although we are really focusing on North America today, the problems that we solve are global problems and, in the future, we want to expand broader than just North America.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I remember the early days when I first started doing this and somebody said to me, don't do hardware. I didn't listen, of course. And so here we are. I just didn’t know how hard it was going to be. Reflecting on it, if I had known the hurdles we would face and the challenges we would have to overcome, I probably wouldn’t have done it. But like I said before, I’m so glad that I did. I really trusted my gut and said ‘this is a problem that needs to be solved. It’s something that we need to do.’
You need to find your own way; your own path. It may take longer, and look different than everyone else. That’s fine. Just keep moving forward.
Truthfully, it’s still hard. Every day we face challenges. However, at the same time, it’s the single greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I know we’ve saved lives. I am so grateful that I’ve decided to go down this journey.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
Like most innovative businesses, we use LOTS of technology to keep our operations running smoothly. Our team relies heavily on Zoom and Microsoft teams to help us stay connected.
Trello plays a major role in our project management and we are regular users of Hubspot for our marketing and sales work, using integrations like Gravity Forms, Twilio and more. Our customer success team uses FreshDesk and ChargeBee.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
There are a few fundamental must-read books for every entrepreneur: The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki, The Lean Startup by Eric Ries and Start with Why by Simon Sinek.
However, I also firmly believe that we need to read books or listen to podcasts that have absolutely nothing to do with business. It’s a great way to broaden our perspectives and get exposed to new ideas. It’s also just good for the mind and soul to lose yourself in a good book. I love reading from all different genres. I invite you to connect with me on Goodreads!
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Not every journey is the same. Yet it seems like we’re constantly comparing ourselves to each other. And we often get conflicting advice – we’re supposed to fail fast or wait, aren’t we supposed to be resilient? I don’t think we’re “supposed” to be anything. There’s no specific rule book or playbook to follow and no repeatable process. You need to find your own way; your own path. It may take longer, and look different than everyone else. That’s fine. Just keep moving forward.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
At SolusGuard we are always looking for people with excellent attitudes, strong work ethics, and a deep concern for safety. We create exceptionally safe and reliable experiences by ensuring everything we do is built to a more rigorous set of standards and we want to work with people who are dedicated to always improving and finding the best solution. We value respect, collaboration, and transparency, and our team is filled with people who have incredible communication and customer service skills. We offer an inclusive culture, flexible hours, remote working, paid holidays, and competitive pay. Visit our website for more information.
Where can we go to learn more?
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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