RIch Thomson, owner of MyVendue, looks to connect buyers, sellers of professional services

Rich Thomson of Oneida is a problem-solver. That led to filing for and being awarded a patent for a unique device for snow-clearing. But he hasn’t stopped there. His newest business, MyVendue, (myvendue.com), aims to make it easier for buyers and sellers of professional services to find each other.

In his career, Thomas has specialized in the fields of human resources, labor relations and safety, working mostly for large-scale, multi-site manufacturers. As he became entrenched in those companies, he noted that there were inefficiencies when it came to securing service providers.

“I have had an interest in snow removal and listened to podcasts, joined a group, and read trade magazines," he said. "In conversations with smaller snow removal companies, I found that they might have 10 to 20 businesses that they were doing jobs for. But they wanted to get bigger and needed a connection to the companies where they could get to the big fish.”

That meant they wanted an opportunity to bid jobs so they could grow their businesses. On the other side of it, in working for the large manufacturers, Thomson noted that they didn’t want to spend much time focusing on finding service providers for jobs like snow removal, lawn care, and other professional services.

“I saw a need for a centralized site to bring both sides together; an opportunity to have a spot where companies don’t have to do the laborious process of finding out who provides those services, and where small companies can go to grow from being a small fish to a big fish,” he said.

After identifying the problem, Thomson believed he had a solution, and MyVendue was born. He headed to the library to do background research and to determine if what he envisioned was already available. In his competitive analysis, he discovered that some businesses did part of what he planned, but he couldn’t find any who specialized in a broader business-to-business approach.

With that knowledge, he created a budget and proceeded with a plan of attack.

The name came to him almost immediately. The word "vendue" means auction in other languages and sounded like a natural. By calling it MyVendue, he said it adds a feel of personalization.

Next, he formed an LLC and began to spend nights and weekends (he still works full time) planning the business. Along the way, he sought advice.

“Mary Dill at Gener8tor was truly amazing and I recommend her as a mentor,” he said. “She helps entrepreneurs navigate the startup minefield and provides really valuable advice and guidance to point you in the right direction.”

He also found help from WiSys VentureHome, where he enrolled in an entrepreneurial boot camp, and the Greater Green Bay Chamber's Build Up Accelerator program. He was part of the Accelerator class from February to May 2023.

“The Build Up Accelerator does a terrific job of teaching how to conduct customer interviews to gain a deep-level understanding of customer problems, needs and wants. The better one can understand their customer, the better their startup can serve the needs and interests of the customer,” he said.

That program also helped in ensuring that a startup has a product-market fit and solves a customer’s problem better than what is currently on the market.

As he took part in those programs, his business concept came together, and in November, he entered the Greater Green Bay Chamber Audible Pitch Competition where he made a good showing.

“The judges were interested in what I was doing, but they wanted to see traction; how I was gaining users and building awareness," Thomson said. "That’s what I’m focused on now — building awareness of the site.”

The site utilizes a platform designed for auctions. As Thomson explains, he contracted with a software company to use the platform and has two tech-oriented people working on the integration. In addition, there is email sequencing software that can be tailored for buyer and seller use.

The process, he says, is simple and concise. A user creates an account, searches the website for the applicable category, and makes a job post. The sellers (service providers) will then submit bids for the listed job. This is considered an “auction.”

He describes the process as “a business-to-business competitive marketplace bringing buyers and sellers of professional services together in one centralized platform. Buyers post jobs for professional services that their organization needs performed (like lawn care or snow removal), and sellers submit bids to perform that work.”

The buyer decides how long the auction will last. To help ensure that buyers and sellers are legitimate, Thomson said that all parties go through a qualification process before having the ability to post. While he needs both parties of a transaction in order to grow the number of users, his first focus is on buyers.

“We’re focusing on that right now because we think more sellers will get involved as we have more buyers,” he said.

He is quick to admit that there have been “speed bumps” along the way and that the launch took longer than expected.

“I want to get to the point where the snowball builds and starts to roll down the hill,” Thomson said.

In talking to potential users, Thomson is convinced that will happen. As he fills the many multiple roles of a solopreneur, he has set his goals high. The plan is to start with northeastern Wisconsin, and after building traction here, to extend area by area and circle by circle until MyVendue has a global following.

He said, “I am passionate about this business and building it. As a generalist, I have the ability to wear many hats. I’m blessed to be able to shift from a financial discussion to sales and marketing and then on to the website. There are points when there is an area I don’t know about, but I find that if I dive in and keep my eye on the prize, I’ll find myself looking back and saying, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’”

He has found that the challenges that take him out of his comfort zone are those that change him for the better. As he learns new skills, regardless of the outcome, he is building his tool chest of skills. Despite the risks and the time constraints, Thomson is in the place he wants to be.

“Steve Jobs has a quote that inspires me,” he said. “Jobs said, ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. … Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.’”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: MyVendue, looks to connect buyers, sellers of professional services