Strongsuite, a Columbus-based tech-enabled family concierge service, is making strategic shifts in its business model to adapt to the changing economic landscape and to capitalize on new opportunities for growth. The company, which initially focused on a business-to-business (B2B) approach, found success by signing up individual employees who then engaged their companies to sponsor Strongsuite for more employees. This grassroots strategy has laid the groundwork for a more direct engagement with corporate clients.

In response to economic changes, Strongsuite is now shifting its focus towards engaging heads of HR or business units directly. The goal is to retain top talent by providing home support for employees, a service that is increasingly in demand as companies seek to reduce employee burnout and turnover by decreasing mental load and stress. Despite widespread layoffs in various sectors, the message of retaining top talent is resonating with companies who are looking to maintain a competitive edge.

For 2024, Strongsuite has set an ambitious target to grow its business to $1 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) while maintaining Software as a Service (SaaS) comparable margins of over 60%. To achieve this, the company is focusing on efficiency, including the use of automation and generative AI, to maintain high margins while ensuring an excellent member experience.

The platform, which learns about members' families and needs to predict and assist with those needs, communicates with members through a chat environment and provides reminders for upcoming events. In 2023, Strongsuite focused on preparing their tech platform for growth without expanding their customer base, a move that seems to be setting the stage for the current transition.

As part of this transition, Strongsuite is hiring sales personnel with B2B sales experience to accelerate customer growth. The B2B sales cycles are longer but are considered more stable and sustainable compared to B2C, which often involves higher marketing spend and customer churn. The company's approach has been to get a foothold in companies through individual employees and then expand their services within those companies, a strategy that has so far proven effective.

To support the B2B framework, technological adaptations have been minimal, with the technical stack remaining largely the same and only minor tweaks made to support faster growth. Engineers at Strongsuite are working closely with the sales team to accurately represent the future vision and new functionalities of the platform. This collaboration is crucial as the company moves forward with its B2B model targeting professional organizations, such as law offices.

While specific targets for the sales team in 2024 and key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating B2B sales efforts were not disclosed, the leadership team, including CEO Lindsey Michaelides and CTO Andrew Roth, is expected to provide these details as the company progresses in its transition. Initial feedback or results from early B2B engagements have not been shared, but the company's strategic pivot suggests a positive outlook for the future.

As Strongsuite continues to adapt and evolve, it remains to be seen how the company will navigate the challenges of the shift to a B2B model and whether its strategies will lead to the anticipated growth and stability in the coming years.