Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Londa.
Hi Benjamin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
8 years ago I started a job as a technical project manager for a web & app development company here in Austin. My first meeting on my first day on the job was with a client who brought his idea for us to develop a hotel in-room guest services application. I fell in love with the product that moment, and worked with our developers to design the application that became Volo. Within a few months I found myself splitting my time between my regular job and working with the client directly, and ultimately working full-time for Volo. My time with Volo began at the very inception, from designing and testing the product on the tech team to overseeing operations as the COO for Volo. In 2021 my partners and myself bought the company, and 8 years later I am a co-owner, President & CEO of the company. It’s been an incredible journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With similar questions, I always hear Chevy Chase’s voice in my head, from the movie Vacation – “Nothing worthwhile is easy, Ellen. We know that.” It’s kind of become a mantra I say to myself when things get difficult or on those days when I am asking myself, “what on earth am I doing?!” No, it has not been a smooth road to say the least – and I’m grateful for that, to be honest. The amount I have learned about how to run a business, customer service, human resources, financials and budgets – all aspects have come with learning curves or pitfalls along the way. Being able to find ways through those troublesome moments and still keep your wits about you I think is the key. Running a startup is extremely difficult. There are a lot of fun and exciting moments, but there are infinitely more stressful, nail-biting moments. I think the current startup failure rate is 90% with around 20% not making it through the first year.
The biggest struggles, as I’m sure befall anyone running a business, comes down to financials and running a very lean team, and using business revenue as strategically as possible. One of the more challenging times was through the early pandemic in 2020 – all of our clients had temporarily (some permanently) closed their doors. We had to come up with a solid plan to keep us alive, and to continue to show worth to our current clients, be it through staying in close contact with them and helping however we could, to pivoting our product into other industries who could benefit from a product like ours.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Volo is an in-room tablet solution for the hospitality and healthcare markets, providing a custom software application to increase engagement through service requests, communication, entertainment, and more. We consider ourselves a “white-glove service” for our clients – rather than bogging down their staff with keeping their application content updated, we take care of any changes or updates our clients may need at any time. Additionally, we manage the clients’ hardware from start to finish, from the initial acquisition via purchasing or leasing, to security and mobile device management. We are the luxury option – our product is run on Apple iPads and our customer support is unmatched. We modeled our business after a luxury hotel’s guest services – our customer support is attentive to our clients’ needs, we pay attention to all that goes on at the property and are constantly iterating on the application to enhance their guest experience, and our support is 24/7, Our customer support and the relationship we have with our clients is what I am most proud of, without question. I don’t think there is a single review of our product that doesn’t mention our support in glowing terms. We are willing to go many, many extra miles for our clients, and that will never change – that is, and always will be, job number one for Volo.
I should also mention how proud I am of our team and our ability to pivot our product not just to individual clients’ needs, but to jump into an entirely different industry back in 2018 with our first foray into healthcare. Our healthcare division has become equally as crucial to our business as our hospitality division, and this year it looks to be come even bigger. It’s extremely exciting, and truly it’s an honor to be a part of and trusted within the industry.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Our partners are a big part of our business, as well – similar-minded companies who are all trying to help each other out and further each others’ growth through integrating our products together. Business development is very exciting to me, and we’re always willing and eager to speak with anyone that aligns with our vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.getvolo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volosolutions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getvolo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/volo-solutions-llc/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/getvolo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@volosolutions
- Other: https://hoteltechreport.com/guest-experience/guest-room-tablets/volo
Image Credits
Benjamin Londa Kip Sikora Argon Agency
