Looking for jobs is already a challenge, and locating a service that can properly match skills with the job seeker isn't always easy to find. This was a process that entrepreneur Chris Motley realized needed some work, and it led him to create an inbound recruiting platform called Better Weekdays.
The growing success of his company almost didn't happen due to founder Motley running into a few snags. Initially, he wanted to market Better Weekdays to for-profit colleges. When some of those colleges closed their doors (and universities became more budget conscious), Motley turned to marketing to employers.
Now Better Weekdays just won the St. Louis Innovation Award, and their future looks bright in improving job matching.
Background on founder Chris Motley
Before Chris's company became a graduate of our Chicago Founder Institute, he worked as a Derivatives Trader at Goldman Sachs. Soon after, he left to manufacture a platform for a global middle market textile manufacturer.
This gave him the necessary experience to start his own platform and find an unmet need in the employment marketplace. Later, he appeared on the ninth season of "Shark Tank" where he pitched his Better Weekdays idea.
Thanks to this national exposure, it helped provide recognition for his software after years of financial sacrifice. He's also linked up with various business people who help moved the company forward.
So how does the platform work to demonstrate why it's become such a popular recruiting tool?
Who Can Use Better Weekdays?
When you visit the company's website, you'll see four different categories that can use this service. Employers use it to connect with the right employees, educators can use it to help their students find the right career fit, students and alumni can use it for direct job search, and it's usable by region.
This gives a more comprehensive way for people to find the right jobs while offering two distinct services.
The first service has another name: The Weather. They designate this their flagship application, and it makes up the bulk of the site's mission: Match up talent with more personalized career paths.
Employers can easier attract and engage job seekers through this program. As a result, companies provide more clarity for their brand so job hunters know whether it's really right for them.
Through the other half of the platform (JobScript), employees can use the service to improve their professional development and leadership effectiveness.
Funding
To help with growth, Chris's company managed to bring in substantial funding this year alone. Back in June, they received a $200,000 investment from the Helix Fund.
What made this significant is it's the largest investment ever provided by the Helix Fund, proving Better Weekdays' uniqueness. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO Sheila Sweeney said it best about how the platform already helps those living in the St. Louis area:
St. Louis businesses are seeing the positive difference it can make for their organizations. We're thrilled to not only invest in the technology, but also adopt it.
As a thanks for receiving the fund, Chris recently let St. Louis businesses use his platform for free during a limited time. It was a smart marketing move to start local interest local and snowball the word to other regions and states.
What is the Future of Better Weekdays?
Chris's success is already starting to grow, and it began even before he received the Helix Fund investment. Back in March, he won the Launch startup competition held by SXSWedu in Austin, Texas.
This brought a prestigious $2,500 award, giving the company added capital to grow further.
The future looks very positive for Better Weekdays in a time when searching for jobs is more important than ever. Providing a more targeted and personalized service can finally bring job satisfaction to those perpetually looking for career longevity.
Keep reading us at Founder Institute as we profile our top entrepreneurial graduates from around the world.
