The Marketplace – A new innovation in lead generation firm launched in Lincolnshire

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The best business ideas often come from identifying processes and systems which no longer work; are out-dated or are too complicated. This is what led business partners, Jason Kay and Gareth Alexander from Barton, to launch The Marketplace – an online portal giving live and flexible access to thousands of UK construction related leads.

With over 35 years experience in the construction industry, Jason and Gareth knew that there must be a far simpler way to access tenders and live leads, all in one place.

They launched The Marketplace to provide a flexible, simple and pro-active service, and offer access to opportunities that traditionally would never even be advertised (95% of planning applications are for private works).

Gareth Alexander and Jason Kay

Jason and Gareth began looking at how the construction industry finds leads, especially how they could help the SME market. It was clear that the systems currently available, which ‘follow’ contracts down the chain so that smaller companies can bid for sub-contracts, was ‘seriously flawed’.

They found the companies winning these larger contracts have done this type of work many times before, that’s how they grew to the size they are. This means that they generally already have their supply chain in place, so when the smaller companies inquire about the sub-contract work, it’s usually too late, the work has already been dished out.

Jason said: “We have shown that The Marketplace process works and generates a steady stream of work opportunities direct to the clients’ inbox every week.

“By using our planning leads database, you will know about opportunities before they go to tender/quote, allowing you to get to know the clients before they are even looking for your services.

“This pro-active approach means they will already know you when they are ready to buy and will ask you to price the work. All without becoming that annoying and often desperate ‘salesperson’.

“One of the principal ways this system differs from existing services, other than by drawing everything together in one place, is that it includes archived records of planning applications so you can see where previously completed works such as a ten-year-old housing development, for example, may present new opportunities for the entrepreneurial contractor.”