TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In time for Small Business on Saturday November 25, 2017, Hubba is launching their new platform. Already the go-to network for +60,000 Buyers and Independent Brands, Hubba is making it even easier for entrepreneurs to connect and find the right partners to grow their business.
One of the greatest challenges small businesses face is finding the right partners to help expand and grow their bottom line. With a combination of machine learning and human curation, the newly redesigned site offers quick and easy tools and features for Buyers to discover the most relevant products for their store or ecommerce site, and likewise helps Brands find new distribution opportunities for their innovative products to reach a greater audience. Like a dating site for small businesses, the new site facilitates community like never before and allows members to connect with like-minded companies.
“We are excited about the new version of Hubba and the robust tools and information it provides for our members to better understand the world of commerce and grow faster within it,” says Ben Zifkin CEO & Founder, Hubba. “About 20% of small businesses fail in their first year, and 50% of small businesses in the private sector fail by their fifth year. Our mission at Hubba is to empower entrepreneurs and help catapult more small businesses to success over the long run.”
Hubba has been testing a host of new features designed to give independent Brands and Buyers the upper hand over the past few months. Initial results have shown a 60% increase in Retailer, Distributor and Broker engagement with tools designed to facilitate the discovery and communications processes, and with personalized recommendations tools.
“I used to have to sit on a computer on Saturday mornings and just scour the web, now, if I’m looking for something specific, the first place I go to is Hubba” says Don Rodgers, Rocky Mountain Readiness based in Colorado. “We’ve been able to expand our business way, way beyond what I thought [it could be] a year and a half ago – and we’ve been in business a little less than two years!”
“It is important to introduce new food-makers frequently and new products, that’s what grabs the consumer’s attention the most,” says Nancy Brown, founder of Foodlyn, based in New York. “A lot of efficiencies are generated as a result of Hubba, and I have food-makers reaching out to me who are exactly what Foodlyn is looking for and have orders coming in from every state.”
In addition to direct tools to help niche brands and retailers continue to appeal to a growing customer base, research tells us that independent businesses are also looking for community, and access to new business trends and ideas to help them reach those customers. In preparation for Small Business Saturday, Hubba looks to continue to empower entrepreneurs to succeed with new content weekly to help answer some of the most common questions Brands and Buyers have through Live Q&A with expert Guests from Google and partner companies like FreshlyPicked, and featuring small businesses that have found success and continue to grow.
“I believe that a rising tide floats all boats,” says Erika Kerekes, CEO Not Ketchup, based in California. “As a food entrepreneur, I’ve gotten help from so many other people who have been there before me … I see an opportunity to stay connected with other people in the food world; these are the kind of partnerships that can arise from making relationships in a conversation space like this.”
Created with small business user experience firmly in mind and the challenges that stand in their way, the relaunched Hubba features a clean and uncluttered design, improved functionality and enhanced rich content focused on helping small businesses get smarter and grow faster.
- New tools and recommendation engine to help identify the most relevant products and partnership opportunities
- New and improved discovery tools and search capabilities with added category filters
- Featured product and industry trends that highlight what Buyers are looking for
- Hubba Groups discussion forums specific to small business needs or industry categories, including curated Private Groups
- Live Q&A with retail industry experts from Hubba, Google and others.
- Featured case studies highlighting how small businesses from across the country have differentiated themselves and are finding success
About Hubba
With +60,000 members, Hubba is the leading business network designed to empower independent companies to connect on opportunities to grow their business. The platform provides powerful tools for buyers to discover new products from some of the world’s most innovative and creative brands, and opens new avenues for product creators to expand their reach and build partnerships with retailers across the globe and over multiple categories.
