After spending 35 years working in the banking industry, most recently serving as business portfolio manager at Citizens Bank of Mukwonago,
Scott LeBeau has connected with hundreds of entrepreneurs looking to garner the investment and resources necessary to start their small business.
One thing became abundantly clear to him: small business owners are at a disadvantage as they lack the data accessibility and business network an institution like a bank might have. That’s how the idea behind Milwaukee-based startup
One Source Direct was conceptualized.
One Source Direct’s platform gives small businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers simplified, streamlined access to the resources they need to compete against larger, more established companies.
"The bank technology that I have seen is engineered inside-out," said LeBeau. "The software is designed and marketed to banks, who then promote it to their customers. In building One Source Direct, we engineered it 'outside-in.' A small group of business owners met with developers to talk about what they needed and the platform was built around the needs of small business.”
The business-to-business platform aims to level the playing field for small business owners who are often outperformed and outspent by competitors on social media and SEO efforts. Key to the platform is how easy it is to make business connections – and how quick.
“I have 25,500 connections on LinkedIn. I don’t know of anyone who’s ever referred me a lead from there,” said LeBeau.
The four tabs on the platform include needs, leads, offers and articles. With an unpaid starter pack, users can send out a need request, collect offers and receive articles. To accept a lead or send an offer or article, users need to pay for a subscription. There is no advertising on the platform.
Within One Source Direct, the lead process is automated. When a user submits a needs request, the system will automatically send the lead to any user that matches the request’s specialty and service area. It is then up to that user what to do with that lead. Users remain anonymous up until the point of accepting a lead.
“People talk about LinkedIn using algorithms. Google uses 200 (ranking) factors. We use two: what you do and where you’re located,” said LeBeau. “If people are on the system, they connect based on those two factors. It’s not this big, complicated thing.”
One Source Direct officially launched last April. The community currently has about 50 users. By the end of the year, LeBeau hopes to increase that number to more than 1,000. To support One Source Direct’s growth and fund several enhancements aimed at increasing the platform’s functionality, the company is currently raising $75,000. That number will eventually grow to $500,000.
Another immediate goal for One Source Direct is to continue expanding its partnerships with local organizations including area chambers of commerce and existing business networks.
The startup is partnering with
Mission Wisconsin to highlight veteran-owned businesses on the One Source Direct platform. Moving forward, One Source Direct will work to highlight businesses owned by traditionally underrepresented groups, including the LGBTQ+ community and indigenous business owners.
