Online Lead Generation for 2 Companies in Belgium and Singapore

ShoeShine And More, a company based in Brussels, and a Singaporean company, recently connected on CONNECTS and have had very promising discussions regarding a potential partnership, further to an opportunity that was posted on the platform. It is a great example of successful online lead generation.

ShoeShine And More

ShoeShine And More was established by Marcello Faraggi in 2015, after having travelled to many different countries to visit shoe shiners and to learn how to do it best.

Now, he offers a whole range of shoe maintenance services as well as a training programme. Marcello, in part thanks to his  language skills (he speaks five different languages), has been able to conduct business on an international level, including France, Germany and Luxembourg.

Marcello, who used to be a filmmaker and journalist for 30 years, has now started a new career. He was even elected President of the European Association of Shoe Shiners.

Marcello’s online lead generation

A few days after having posted an opportunity on CONNECTS, Marcello received a message from a company in Singapore asking if Marcello could refurbish boots for miners. Of course, Marcello can give boots a second life. By doing this, clients can reduce their expenditure on personal protective equipment for their workers.

This also means ShoeShine And More can offer better comfort for the workers, by cleaning, disinfecting and caring for their shoes. This allows them to increase productivity, whilst reducing costs. And the savings are not negligible, being at least 20%, and in many cases 30% and even more.

This was immediately obvious to the businessman from Singapore, who asked for examples of Marcello’s work. Marcello sent over some before-and-after photos and a test report from one of his current customers.

The two businessmen were soon exchanging messages and necessary documents, regardless of time difference, from one continent to the other. Whether Macello can offer his care services outside of the European Union has to be verified on a case to case basis because local laws have to be respected. Marcello’s company has been doing successful business across the EU for years. In the European Union, the law says it is down to the employers to take care of work shoes.

ShoeShine And More therefore does the work on behalf of the companies and helps them save money at the same time. In doing so, they comply with the applicable EU directives and their national implementation. Soon, they might have a successful client outside of Europes, thanks to CONNECTS.

If you are interested in learning more about Marcello’s work, check out this video of his refurbishing work.

Lead generation isn’t something new. However, it is being done very differently to how it used to. People are now constantly bombarded with information, meaning it is important to find new ways of grabbing people’s attention.

One way entrepreneurs can create new leads and grow their company is by going online. Online platforms are one of the options. They are a great way to find new customers and partners from other regions which might not have been accessible previously. They might also be able to filter out customers more effectively and focus on the most reliable or relevant ones. 

Online platforms are particularly relevant in COVID-19 times, when face-to-face meetings and travel have been very much restricted. 

If you are interested in learning more, you can read our article about How You Can Use an Online Platform for Quick Lead Generation.

Two Chambers on opposite sides of the world

Marcello is a member of Beci, Brussels Enterprises Commerce & Industry. Beci is a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) and the Union of Companies (UEB) in Brussels. Its roots go back to 1703, when the Chamber of Commerce and Industry was founded. It is based on an interprofessional, neutral, and bilingual model, representing two thirds of employment in Brussels and more than 35.000 businesses.

The businessman from Singapore is part of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce.

The Singapore International Chamber of Commerce is the longest-serving, independent voice of the private sector in Singapore and in the region. They are an inclusive ecosystem of member companies who represent the diversity of the Singapore business community: local and foreign owned large and small companies. They stand for free and fair trade, multiculturalism, multilateralism, an open economy and responsible business.

How CONNECTS can help your business grow

Interested in making your company grow and prosper? 

CONNECTS is an online business platform that enables entrepreneurs to find new opportunities, leads potential partners, suppliers, clients and more. Working with Chambers of Commerce, the platform provides a safe and trustworthy environment to do business. Indeed, every single member on the platform is verified and approved by a local Chamber of Commerce.

Recently, two companies in Colombia, KORE Group and Telemarcar, who are members of the Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce, started discussions regarding rental space, thanks to an opportunity KORE Group posted on the platform.

Two Belgian companies, Russo, which is a member of CCI Wallonie, and Renson, a member of Voka, also made a successful connection through CONNECTS. As a consequence of this initial contact, Renson completed its first ever business transaction with Russo.

If you are interested in reading about more successful business connections through our platform, you can check out our blog.

Are you an entrepreneur wanting to discover and develop new opportunities, both locally and internationally? Join our Business Matchmaking Platform and start your free trial.

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Want to learn more about CONNECTS? Find us on Google maps! For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us or request a demo.