Groopit makes it easy to get together with the people you know

Groopit.com makes it easy to organise events with your friends. "Keeping in touch online is great, but real friendships thrive on people getting together in person," says co-founder Tom Griffiths.

Tom Griffiths and Rob Jones set up a web design business together in 2004, but after a couple of years they realised that they didn't just want to design websites for other people – they wanted to start a web venture of their own. Together they founded Groopit.com, a website that helps people plan events with their friends. They took part in the Starter for 6 programme in 2007.

Striking on an idea

Mobile phones, email and social networking websites make it easier than ever for friends to keep in touch, but Tom and Rob feel strongly that regular face-to-face contact is also needed for friendships to thrive. In May 2006 they came up with the idea for Groopit.com: a website which helps people to meet up in person.

The website aims to be the web's fastest way of getting people together. Instead of contacting people individually or through a mass email, users can plan and organise events through the website. "Groopit takes the stress out of organising any kind of social event, from meals out to parties or even holidays," says Tom. "We hope that making it easier to organise the details will mean people get together more often!"

Planning for commercialisation

A trial version of the website was up and running by early 2007, but plans around how to make a commercial success of the product were still hazy. It was this side of the business that the Starter for 6 programme really helped them with. Tom says: "As neither of us had previous commercial experience, we needed help to understand how we could differentiate our product, and how to decide where to focus our time and energy. The workshops enabled us to get to grips with these issues at an early stage."

The pair knew that there would be challenges on the journey from prototype to final product, and came to value the opportunity to take stock of progress during the regular workshops. Rob explains: "When you're working so hard to make your idea into a success, you can get caught up in the day-to-day detail. We found the workshops were a good chance to step back and look at the wider picture."

Building support networks

Another helpful aspect of the programme was the network of support that it provided. "We found the Coach in a Box support particularly valuable," says Rob. "Whereas the workshops focused on developing our business skills and knowledge, these sessions focused on our personal development. We were able to assess our strengths and weaknesses, and come up with a development plan."

Some of the best advice Tom and Rob received through their network was to stay focused on the customer – in particular, to find out what the customer wants by asking them rather than second-guessing. As Rob explains: "We spent our first six months developing a trial version of the website.

Looking back, we could have speeded up the process by getting a more basic version of the site out there sooner, and then getting feedback from users to help us improve it." Now, feedback from Groopit users is what will shape the future development of the website.

When it comes to giving advice to other people thinking about starting up a business, Tom says: "Starting up can seem very daunting, and it sometimes feels like you're spinning plates. But there are lots of people who are willing and able to give you help and support – so don't let yourself be put off! Get your venture off on the right foot by building good support networks and making sure you take regular time out for reflection and planning."