Melbourne-based restaurant deals company<\/a> has just secured a big partnership with startup giant Uber that\u2019ll see the ridesharing service integrated directly into the app.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Wong says this will provide huge access to customers and brand awareness, and is an avenue more startups should be pursuing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou have to remember: if you never ask the answer will always be no,\u201d Wong tells StartupSmart.<\/i><\/p>\n
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\u201cThere\u2019s real value in reaching out. The worst thing that can happen is they might say \u2018not right now\u2019.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOnce you start going down that path it opens up a lot more doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Liven offers users exclusive discounts from a range of partnering restaurants and venues in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
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After launching last year the startup picked up more than 30,000 users in its first 12 months of existence, and has also partnered with a number of charities so users can donate extra savings.<\/p>\n
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Wong says the startup first began talks with Uber last year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cUber were saying we were perfect for them and consistent with what they\u2019re looking for,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOn-demand restaurant service and on-demand ridesharing go hand-in-hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s all about taking little steps to prove your company\u2019s worth to a bigger brand, according to Wong.<\/p>\n
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\u201cInitially we didn\u2019t expect much,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou have to follow the rule that if you want to achieve something big, start small. You have to prove to them that it\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Liven began the partnership by simply offering a free first Uber ride to its members before delving into a \u201cdeeper\u201d partnership.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThey said we were doing fantastic and that gave us the credibility and allowed us to go into further partnership opportunities,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cFor a company that big to be telling us that our app is a perfect fit is a huge endorsement for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Buoyed by the new partnership, Liven will now be looking to rapidly expand around Australia.<\/p>\n
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\u201cUber wants to push us and we want to take it to the next level nationally,\u201d Wong says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe aren\u2019t national yet but Uber is, so the natural progression is to expand to other cities and take the experience to people outside of Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Do you know more on this story or have a tip of your own? Raising capital or launching a startup? Let us know. Follow StartupSmart on<\/i> Facebook<\/i>,<\/i> Twitter<\/i>, and<\/i> LinkedIn<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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