This was my second trip to Fayetteville, N.C. this summer. We're working on something we've never done before.
We’ve never served chains. Eighteen years in, we’ve always been about independents. That’s where our heart is. That’s why we exist.
But this particular chain is different. Their whole philosophy is high-touch, low-tech. They don’t need a bunch of complicated tools. They have good people, and good people don’t need a bunch of tech to do their jobs well.
They approached us. Asked if we’d build a couple of custom things for them. For the last 18 years, the answer would’ve been “No, we don’t do custom work.”
But this time, we decided to give it a try. So far, they’re happy. And honestly, I like them a lot. I hope we earn their business.
But it’s weird to hope that. We talk about this a lot internally: Schedulefly was built for independents. That’s our community, that’s where our heart lies.
But the deeper truth is this: we’re here for hospitality people who value simplicity and service.
That’s it. That’s the common thread.
That’s why we serve more than just independent operators. We serve a Jersey Mike’s franchisee who owns 29 locations. He’s a very long-time customer and he is super happy with Schedulefly. The second-largest Jimmy John’s franchisee chose us. They’ve seen all of the other options (7shifts, Homebase, R365, etc.) They stick with us because simplicity + service is king.
Running a small business is constant change. The challenge is to stay true to your core while still being open to what comes your way. Our core will never change. Simplicity. Hospitality. Authenticity. That’s who we are.
But when the right kind of opportunity knocks, even if it looks different than what you thought it would, you’ve got to at least open the door. Having said that, we’re not going to chase chains. That’s not us. This one came to us. We’ll see what happens.
The story of Schedulefly rolls on. One road trip. One conversation. One traveling laptop video at a time.
Thanks for tuning in.
- Wil
