COMET is a competitive, merit based program that supports individuals, early-growth stage and spin off companies to improve their potential for successful commercialisation of their innovation.  It is administered by AusIndustry (part of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) with support provided through a network of private sector COMET business advisors.

Obviously we’re very pleased about this!

The COMET  grant will accelerate our efforts with SoftwareShortlist.com, enabling us to tap into expertise in key areas of the business. We will initially focus on market research and validation studies, in collaboration with selected partners and suppliers. And the timing is perfect, with our beta launch due at the start of February.

The COMET grant also means we are well placed to extend upon our IP strategy.  Working with Duncan Bucknell we have lodged provisional patent applications in Australia and the US – but we can now proceed confidently with the full (PCT) patent applications, wider trademark protection, and other IP issues.

Trigora is also assembling an advisory board to raise our governance standards,  give us access to expert input, and challenge our thinking with fresh perspectives. Plus co-founders Craig and Xavier will participate in the ANZATECH Gateway to the US program, culminating in a 3 day summit in Silicon Valley in October.

So, a big thanks from us to AusIndustry, the Australian Government, and of course our COMET business advisor Jim Paulyshyn. It’s going to be a big year!

In other news, it’s been a busy month since our last blog post. While we had hoped to be live before now, the decision has been made to set up additional content and products before turning on the platform, which means we will launch early in 2009.

Key outcomes in the past month include:

• Our web platform is ready to go, with testing finalised and hosting in the US.
• The setting up of software vendors on the system is well underway, with a healthy number on board for Time Tracking; and Farm Management software.
• Step-by-step guidelines for vendors have been written as part of this process, including Vendor Sign-up Activities and Setting up Google Analytics.
• A base of articles have been commissioned on specific software topics. This will be expanded over time – and you can submit your own for inclusion too.
• Initial work has also started on reviewing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Accounting software for small to medium businesses. An interim report has been sent out to participants in our CRM software survey, and this research is continuing so if you haven’t taken part yet, please do so.

We have also been reviewing and updating our business plan. It’s been a year since we first wrote it, and while the fundamentals still hold true, there have been a number of important changes and lessons learned since then. Among other things, an advisory board is being put in place to provide us with expert input on key areas, provide a fresh perspective, and to challenge our thinking on the business.

There is also some other exciting news in the pipeline. We can’t reveal details just yet but stay tuned…

So, from all of us at SoftwareShortlist, have a wonderful Christmas and festive season. We’ll see you in the new year!

Recent progress

Final testing is wrapping up this week, our provisional patents were filed yesterday, and hosting has been arranged. We’ve received great support from vendors and we will spend the next few weeks setting up all the necessary content in our first few niches. Beta launch should occur mid to late November.

A glimpse at SoftwareShortlist.com

(Note: the specific content shown below is fictional and for testing purposes only, hence the blurred out logos and text)

Homepage for SoftwareShortlist

Example Results Page

Here are two screenshots from our staging site showing (1) Home Page (2) Results comparison page.

The home page is the start of the software selection process, which essentially involves a quick yet robust online “interview” for the user about their software requirements. After providing this information, the user is shown a recommended shortlist of software tailored to their needs.

As you can see, we have focused on providing an easy side-by-side comparison of the software. Results can be saved for later retrieval, or emailed to others who may be involved in the decision process. Detailed product information is available by clicking on any of the solutions shown, from which the user can also visit the vendor website, ask to be contacted, or purchase the software.

We look forward to unveiling the full site very soon…

In this high pressure environment Craig did a great job pitching SoftwareShortlist and, although a position in the final three eluded us, there was a healthy level of interest afterwards from audience members.

For those who are interested, below is our 90 second pitch from PitchClub:

As a small business owner, where do you go to find software to run your business- search engines,software directory lists? What is the first thing that comes to mind when somebody mentions small business software? Probably accounting packages such as QuickBooks and MYOB.

Where do farmers go to find software that manages their cattle records, crops, fertilizer application and budgeting? Where do child care centre owners go to find software that handles rostering, attendance, scheduling, fees, rebates and child care benefits management? Where do management consultants go to find timesheet and expense software for automating capture and tracking of consultants’ activities?

If you have ever had to find software to manage areas of your business, you will know it is a terribly time-consuming process. You spend a lot of time searching the web, browsing websites and talking to salesmen. It is common for companies to give up and decide to develop their own software, as they cannot find a suitable solution.

SoftwareShortlist is the world’s first online platform that helps small businesses compare, select, and buy business software that is highly relevant to their specific needs. SoftwareShortlist’s patent pending algorithm provides customers with a shortlist of software products meeting their specific needs immediately. You can think of us as an iSelect or Service Central, but for small business software. Customers specify their key requirements quickly and SoftwareShortlist provides results in real time and at no cost to the customer.

Our progress to date has been significant, with intellectual property in place, the website testing well underway and vendors already on board. We have a planned launch date of November this year. We have a strong team in place to drive the business, and are looking to grow the board in the coming months.

We will be seeking investment late this year or early in the New Year to fund growth, with initial discussions already in progress.

The final stages of testing are currently underway, and we look forward to launching an initial, highly functional version in early November. A few of the key features of SoftwareShortlist.com include:

Free software recommendation and comparison service

Detailed information on each software product, including user ratings, screenshots and much more

Other useful resources such as expert articles and software reviews

Free service to find relevant service providers

Profiles of software vendors and service providers, including capabilities, reference customers, testimonials, etc

Underpinning all of this is a robust content management system that has been built from the ground up to deliver superior search engine optimisation (SEO), as well as making it easy to keep the site up to date.

We are also in the process of submitting a patent that covers key elements of our recommendation and comparison technology. While we can’t reveal the specifics yet, we are confident you will appreciate how much easier these innovative techniques will make finding the right software.

Of course, in our initial “beta” launch there will be limited coverage of industries and potentially a few wrinkles to iron out, so please be understanding and let us know any improvement suggestions. We’re big believers in continuous improvement, and already have a good list of enhancements to be added in the near future!

So, hold tight and we will soon bring you a better way to find small business software that suits your needs.

Ability to purchase software securely via WorldPay and Paypal, including both once-off payments and recurring subscriptions

Dedicated portals for vendors and service providers to update their profiles, manage their account, and more

Progress

Website development has progressed well over the past few months and we are about to start full integration testing of the dynamic site. We envisage that we will be doing a few bouts of testing and refinement over the next month and will start working with vendors to set up products and profiles through October. All things considered, we should be looking at a launch of date of early November (fingers crossed).

Our focus has turned to enlisting vendors over the past month. We have had a strong response from vendors, who are equally as excited as we are about the service. This clearly shows the value of the SoftwareShortlist offering! We are well on target to signing up our desired quota of top quality vendors within the chosen industries as we go into Beta.

Industry Focus

We have decided to focus our initial efforts on delivering great results in 2 industries: agriculture, specifically farm management software, and professional services, notably software for management consultants and IT consultants.

We will therefore provide top quality shortlisted software options to SME customers from these industries who are seeking timesheet & expense software, accounting /farm accounting software, CRM software, crop and livestock recordkeeping software, and agri-business management software. This will expand to cover other industries and niches over the coming year.

Benefits to all

Finally, the SoftwareShortlist offering will provide benefits to all involved:

• Small business owners will gain an invaluable free software selection and recommendation facility, to aid them in finding specialist business software that meets their specific needs.
• Vendors will benefit from a marketing channel that is unmatched; a facility to manage digital download to a global customer base; the ability to invite their regional service providers to enlist; and a matching service for new service providers.
• Service providers will obviously benefit from the additional exposure, the opportunities that arise and a source of new products to represent.

We look forward to enjoying the journey with you all!

Don’t do what everyone else is doing; that simply leads to competing in a commoditised market and you end up competing on price. Find a niche where you can do something different and special and that attracts customers to you because you have the best solution. — Tom McKaskill

We came across the above quote recently and found it highly relevant to what we’re doing at SoftwareShortlist.

Firstly, we love finding the undiscovered “gems” in business software – specialist solutions that truly understand and deliver great value to a particular niche, but don’t always have the marketing budget or expertise to achieve their full potential. We want to help them get the attention (and sales!) they deserve.

The quote above also reflects our approach to our own business. There have been plenty of times when we have consciously said “no, let’s do it differently” or “there’s got to be a better way” rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach or adopting the traditional software directory business model.

We believe (and our market research confirms) that small businesses don’t have the time nor the inclination to examine a huge range of software. Nor do they like divulging personal contact details in order to get initial product information. They also tend to be reluctant to pay for software selection advice.

Based on these and other insights, we’ve designed SoftwareShortlist.com as a free recommendation and comparison service that helps small businesses choose the right software for their needs.

Throughout the process, we have strived for the elegant solution – doing more with less – such as generating superior software recommendations yet asking fewer questions, developing novel ways to compare different product offerings, and evaluating software without using confusing jargon.

Different?
Yes.

Special?
We think so.

Attracting customers with the best solution?
Time will tell, but the response so far is very encouraging.

We’re pleased today to unveil the brand for this service – SoftwareShortlist.com

SoftwareShortlist.com logo

This new brand aims to communicate in a simple and memorable way the essence of our service – you get your own customised software shortlist.

SoftwareShortlist’s big difference from traditional directories is that it creates a customised shortlist for each visitor, based on their specific situation, needs and preferences. This helps you quickly choose the right software for your business.

We look forward to bringing you a sneak peek at the website very soon…

We’re pleased to announce that Trigora is a finalist in Vic Pitch ’08, a major competition connecting innovative business ventures with development capital.

As one of 10 shortlisted finalists, Trigora will have the opportunity to pitch to a panel of industry experts and sophisticated investors. The ultimate winners of Vic Pitch ’08 receive assistance in securing investment capital.

Vic Pitch ’08 judges and organisers commented that “through the assessment process we were looking for businesses that reflected innovation, a mature business outlook and significant practical market potential”.

From Trigora’s perspective, we are very pleased to receive this high profile endorsement of our business. The shortlisting also adds further momentum ahead of our beta launch later this year and, depending on the outcome, may help us expand our online software selection service faster than planned.

For more details, please see the official Vic Pitch 08 media release

Software directories (the dominant model for online software selection) typically offer free basic listings in small font below the fold, or a range of ‘premium’ paid listings in prominent locations. In other words, software vendors pay for preferential treatment by being shown at the top of the list.

Irrelevance Hurts

For a potential software customer, the directory approach is problematic. After all, a vendor’s marketing budget may have little to do with how good their product, or how relevant it is to a given customer. But in the face of an overwhelming list of options, people tend to just click on the top few items… which are inevitably the premium listings.

However, software vendors do not necessarily benefit from the status quo either. They either choose the free or cheap listing options in return for a few leads, or they pay top dollar for a large number of clicks that may or may not be relevant for them. And since poor relevance translates into poor conversion, the vendors suffer from a lower than expected return on investment.

The Google Analogy

Anyone remember how search engine advertising worked before Google came to dominate? It looked suspiciously like software directories today – paid listings at the top, not clearly differentiated from relevance-driven results. One of Google’s most powerful insights was that relevance is good for both customers and advertisers.

Trigora Changes the Game

Now Trigora is bringing the same insight to online software selection, with a new service that focuses intensely on customer relevance. Put simply, we believe that everyone wins when the end customer gets relevant results.

Trigora’s unique algorithm matches customers with participating software based purely on how well the software matches their specific needs and preferences. And unlike software directories, Trigora includes only the very best solutions, and does not accept payment for preferential placement.

This means the end customer is assured of getting a shortlist of relevant, high quality software packages that truly meet their needs. And vendors benefit from a stream of relevant prospects that have a much higher chance of converting into sales.

Isn’t relevance great?