Searching for growth edge pays off

Back in 1993, two Australian brothers spotted a need in the market for accurate and relevant local phone directories, and Queensland-based business Localsearch was born. During the 24 years it has been in operation, online and mobile technologies have revolutionised the way businesses engage with their customers.

Localsearch is a business that has made the shift into the digital landscape. The Queensland-based business started out as a phone directory in Rockhampton and has since grown into a leading search company, driving more than 2.4 million online searches of regional businesses across Australia each month.

How did an operation that started life printing both business and residential phone numbers for a few customers grow into an Australian household name? And what is Localsearch doing to prepare for its operations for the next stage of growth?

“We’re passionate about connecting local people with their local customers,” says Localsearch co-founder and co-chief executive officer Adam Hargraves.

“Our success is driven by our dedication to accurate, localised content – both in print and online.”

Over the past 24 years, Localsearch has expanded into a team of more than 230 people. The company now offers a range of easy-to-use online tools, such as their mobile app and online search, as well as custom websites, SEO strategies and Google AdWords campaigns.

“We’ve offered our advertising services online for years, allowing Australians real-time access to our phone directories from their laptop, iPad or mobile device, anywhere and at any time, in thirty-eight regional areas,” says Mr Hargraves.

That success allowed the owners to look at their internal processes and reimagine how they might go about coordinating the many moving parts.

“We’d been on Xero for three years and MYOB Access Edge for more than seven years, which was fine for simple management tasks. But as we grew it became apparent we needed a richer set of tools to help us administer our growth,” says chief of operations Daani Limann.

Localsearch turned to leading tech business MYOB for advice on how their software could help the business to take the next step.

“We decided the best approach was to consolidate Localsearch’s many different processes, utilising our PayGlobal product as the centre of their payroll,” says MYOB general manager of enterprise solutions Carolyn Luey.

“The Localsearch market coverage is growing rapidly. It requires technology that can scale up with it and cover off the increasing complexity that comes with an expanding team. MYOB PayGlobal solution allows the owners to pay staff accurately and on time, quickly and efficiently online.

“We’re also able to easily manage the team’s leave balances and superannuation funds, which significantly reduces the burden of business compliance by automatically sending data down the line.

“The technology gives Localsearch the ability to calculate pay runs using real-time information for time-worked and deductions,” says Ms Luey.

Next up for Localsearch?

“We recently launched in Toowoomba, and we’re focused on continued expansion across Australia. The challenge will be maintaining quality and control of our leave-loading, overtime and penalty rates of our staff, which is why MYOB PayGlobal is the perfect solution for us,” says Mr Limann.

“It allows us to establish standard business practices across our payroll system. That’s important for ensuring the whole business is well-managed and means a faster time-to-market as each new sales location is established.

“PayGlobal provides the technology to accommodate our current and future expansion. I can easily add a new staff to a single payroll system as our territory grows, removing the need for paperwork and manual inputs. This significantly reduces our risk of inaccurate payments” says Mr Limann.

Ms Luey agrees and says MYOB PayGlobal is great solution for helping businesses improve operational capabilities and gain efficiencies as they grow.

“This is not just about a change of systems, it’s about a company that is “growing up” and laying the foundations for serious expansion.

“By investing in the deployment of PayGlobal across their business, Localsearch can have confidence that the solution will scale as their business grows and evolves. It’s an exciting time for the business.”

“Localsearch is another great example of a growth business that will benefit from MYOB’s PayGlobal solution with accurate and automated payroll. It’ll be a powerful combination which will help set the team up for another successful twenty-five years,” says Ms Luey.

Mr Limann says he and his team are looking forward to seeing the solution pay off, and taking Localsearch to the next level of success.

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For further comment or other information please contact:

Luke Chivers, MYOB NZ PR Consultant

P: +64 9 925 3505 / M: +64 27 569 8907 / E: luke.chivers@myob.com
 

About MYOB

MYOB has been helping Australian and New Zealand businesses succeed for more than 25 years. It is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: MYO) as a leading provider of online business management solutions. MYOB delivers accounting, enterprise resource planning, payroll, tax, compliance and other services to approximately 1.2 million businesses of all sizes. It has a range of speciality services for larger businesses and can scale with an enterprise as it grows and has more challenging requirements. MYOB also provides ongoing support via many client service channels and partners, and is committed to continuing investment in innovations that help business owners and managers deliver growth, productivity and success