Larry Miner of RingRang
Meet Larry Miner of
RingRang, a free subscriber service that instantly notifies a business that a potential customer is interested in their products and services.
What is RingRang?
RingRang is a free subscriber service that instantly notifies a business, from their website or blog, that a potential customer is interested in their products and services. The consumer doesn’t need to look up phone numbers or email addresses, dial one for sales, please leave a voice message, sorry we’re closed or please wait while we transfer you. It’s just a click of a button. RingRang delivers a consumer to a business and all the information required for the business to serve that customer within seconds globally. The value of a RingRang notification is knowing the consumer is interested, their phone number, the questions they have and the ability to reach out to them. No other media rolls all of these bits of information into one package - that fast - that can’t get lost.
How did you come upwith the idea?
I was tired of voice mails and emails that weren’t being answered. I wanted to stop spending all my time chasing down lumber or soccer shoes or restaurant reservations. I wanted a platform that allowed the consumer to have confidence in their efforts to contact a business and to know they’re going to get a response without having to invest a lot of time and effort. And I wanted a business to have the ability to instantly and permanently capture the message no matter where they or their employees were at that moment. I wanted a win-win for both sides.
What was the biggest surprise in starting your business?
This is my second effort. I’m a serial entrepreneur. My first business was a boutique software engineering firm. I sold it to a marketing and advertising agency after growing it. But having gone through this before, the biggest surprise again is how much focus and effort it takes to get a new idea off the ground. And that it's still a lot of fun.
Where did you find your first employee?
My employees right now are all subcontractors. I reached out to the local universities and have found some very smart and energetic software developers that have done a wonderful job for us.
What does a typical day in your business look like?
I break the day into segments, answering emails first, then social media whether reading, writing or responding. I try to spend time with one or more customers at lunch. Afternoons consist of new or continuing marketing efforts. We’re entrepreneurs, so the evening is working on enhancements to the web and blog site.
What are some of the advantages to doing business in Bath?
I like the proximity to all the universities, whether Case, Kent State or Akron University. I particularly like Bath because I can reach anywhere in Northern Ohio in a matter of 30 minutes.
What resources ororganizations in Bath and/or Ohio did you take advantage of and how did they help?
COSE and
NEOSA in Cleveland. I can’t say enough nice things about all their efforts.
Can you share a funny or amazing entrepreneurial experience with our readers?
I started my first business in the mid 80’s and I’ve watched the resourcefulness, hard work and just plain heads down effort to build an entrepreneurial community in Northeast Ohio. That’s what’s amazing.
What inspires you?
Technology and the arts inspire me. Technology, whether in big data, augmented reality, cloud services or medical sciences - I’m excited about what it will do and what it can deliver. In the Arts, I'm inspired by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Chicago Art Institute as well as all the new and exciting local galleries.
What founders do you admire and why?
I admire any founder that has and then follows his vision. It’s about the effort made. It’s about creating something from little or nothing out of thin air.
What’s next for you?
The next effort is building RingRang into a communication platform for global use.
Interview by Joe Baur