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“ALL OF US on the team decided that we weren’t just going to close the business for a couple of months and wait it out.”
When Covid-19 arrived in Ireland last March, businesses around the country were faced with a situation they hadn’t encountered before. Some businesses had to close, others could stay open, while others had to adapt their model to survive.
For the team at Q-Kangaroo, which is based in Dundalk and was founded in late 2018, they made the decision to use their mobile ordering platform to support local businesses in need of help.
Jamie McGivern, Marketing Project Manager at the company, explained how it works: “Q-Kangaroo is a mobile ordering app for food and drink, local restaurants, cafes, takeaways, fresh food producers and niche products.
“Basically what it does is it allows customers to order food and pay ahead through the app for a time that suits them to pick it up or have it delivered to them. We also have an option that we developed before Covid hit where people can book a table, book the food, have it all paid for and just walk into a restaurant or cafe and the food is put in front of them.”
The whole idea is that you’re saving people time and you save yourself time by using the app. It’s just pure convenience.
With coronavirus changing the way in which we buy food – whether that’s a sandwich to-go from a cafe for lunch or meat from a butcher’s for dinner – the team at Q-Kangaroo realised they could expand their offering even further.
“We knew we had a product that would work for these local businesses,” says Jamie. “We basically decided that we were going to offer our services completely free for a number of weeks for them, so they could try it out, see if they like it and if it suits for their business. Because we just knew it was better to let the businesses try it out, see how it fits in and to keep them open as well at the same time.
Covid allowed us to realise that our product can walk into the likes of say a butcher’s or a fishmonger’s. So we reached out to a couple of businesses around Dundalk and they came on to try it out. It worked brilliantly for them.
“They found great use out of the app because the customers have already picked and paid for exactly what they want, the staff pack it up for them and the customer comes in, skips the queue, picks it up and they’re away.”
Now, Q-Kangaroo has expanded beyond Dundalk to locations including Drogheda, Navan, Malahide, Newry, Armagh, Banbridge, Sligo and Galway.
With the business growing rapidly, the team knew they had to upgrade their tech offering. This is an area where Vodafone was more than happy to help.
“We initially gave stores a tablet and a printer for orders to come in. But then we realised we needed a device that has both, and we now have a little small device that can also print out orders as they come in, so it saves space. However, we realised what we really needed for that was SIM cards so we could have data connection, and that the tablet itself would never drop out or have to connect to WiFi, so that’s where Vodafone came in with their SIM cards.
“All of our hardware, when it goes to a store, is given a SIM card for a 4G connection. So for us it was a massive thing to have that connection, to have the constant internet connection thanks to Vodafone.”
As for the company’s plans for 2021, the hope is to continue growing across Ireland – and beyond.
“We’re going to be nationwide by the end of this year and then will be able to go into mainland Europe and England,” says Jamie. “That’s our goal. Because we have a unique wallet system within our app, you can switch between currencies.
“Our costs, our commission fees are a fraction of the fees compared other larger, global apps who provide the same service. Our mission is to reduce fees continually.
“We’re trying to do our part as well to keep people shopping local when they can. Every month for the past three months we’ve been running and funding discount campaigns for our retailers.”
Are you part of a small or medium-sized business? For technology as resilient as you, talk to Vodafone Business about our range of solutions. Visit Vodafone.ie/business to find out more.
The delays result in solicitors creaming it financially…..they will resist any modernisation as the successfully did with proposed conveyancing changes in the past….
@Sean Mac Giolla:
On the nail.
@Sean Mac Giolla: don’t think it does. The solicitor gives their rate before they even apply for the probate so the fee is based on the process of applying and not the time it takes, as far as I’m aware anyway. With my own mothers probate the solicitor gave me her rate before she even applied for it and because the probate went so smoothly she actually took off a large chunk of her fees.
@Sean Mac Giolla: Precisely, they get their tonne of flesh out of exactly everything!
@Sean Mac Giolla: The Troika when in town told the then Government to take on the greedy legal profession but with so many of their family friends and supporters in the game they funked it, so we all pay for their scams and outrageous fees.
@Sean Mac Giolla: Going through process at moment. Three and a half years after death of testator who was my father, who had remarried. The solicitor would not provide copy of will to me for 16 months even though I was a named executor. He wouldn’t take or return calls. In that time monies was withdrawn from an account before probate, even though solicitor had assured me all accounts were frozen.
I would advice someone making a will to get assurances in writing from a solicitor that they will act in a fair and impartial manner. This solicitor has made it clear he represents one executor and only takes instructions from that person. It seems it is at the discretion of a solicitor whether he wants to deal with an executor and can come up with any number of excuses not to expedite the wishes of the testator. This solicitor is an absolute disgrace, and has blatantly lied to the Law Society. I have no faith anything will be decided in my favour by the Law Society it seems a solicitor is above reproach and completely unaccountable. I know I won’t leave a will in the trust of a solicitor, in this instance it has been a hindrance, not a help, to getting things expedited as per the wishes of my father.
@Mari Maxwell: just read this, so what did your Mother’s will stipulate! And wh was given enduring power of Attirney bynyour Mother/Father, as they would have needed to give this or otherwise be madevWards of Court, which is a long and consuming process. You dont jention either who was her primary carer whilst at home..
There should be absolutely no tax on inheritances. Enough tax was paid by the deceased through their lives . I think it’s disgusting that the state benefit from a loved ones death.
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: what about millionaires? Billionaires? The loved ones didn’t do anything to earn the money, so of course there should be inheritance taxes
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: Tax on tax on tax. The State actually takes all of the value of an estate over many decades. You pay on what you inherit. Your kids pay on what you leave them, which will include some of what was left to you. So you think that you actually own your house?
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha:
Zero tax on inheritance would be nice but unrealistic, 33% is high nonetheless. Given price rises in the property market at the moment politicians, especially FG with their older age profile supporters are going to come under pressure to increase thresholds.
Taxing too much on inheritance it is a disgrace. People paid for their house when they bought it with taxes on it. Then taxes again when sold why should the government get money of the house it should be the families full stop.
@Grainne Keegan: AND they introduced a property tax, so you never really have a debt property, it is only a millstone around ones neck and a revenue source for the state apparatus.
@Grainne Keegan: If I live in South Co. Dublin and leave a modest three bed worth €750K to my son/daughter he will pay €173K in inheritance tax. This often forces the sale of the property. Whether you consider this in itself to be fair or unfair consider a farmer who leaves a working farm worth €750K to his son/daughter. The inheritance tax is zero. This is unfair and inconsistent.
http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/what-are-the-tax-implications-of-leaving-a-farm-worth-e750000/
@Sean:
The farmer needs that farm to provide himself/herself a living, someone living in South Co Dublin does not generally use his house as his living.
@P.J. Nolan: well you see it is not means tested so the farmer could have a very decent income from farming (even from half a farm), significant additional assets including property and even a number of other businesses and there would still be no inheritance tax payable on the transfer of the farm.
On the “depending on it for a livelihood” point a landlord is taxed as a business but when he / she tries to pass on properties to his offspring the asset transfer is taxed to the hilt. In many cases the tax is so high the property needs to be sold.
The point I am trying to make is that to be fair inheritance tax needs to be applied consistently to all sectors.
I’ve a mate who’s over 2 years in probate over 2 seperate solicitors milking it. That’s all they’re doing and it’s wrong!
@flabar oflabar:
The record in my experience was 7 years. (Major mistake made by solicitors in original will)
@P.J. Nolan: This year marks 8 years since probate issued in the estate of Dolores Maxwell. This beneficiary still has never received the section 68 letter outlining the costs in my mom’s estate: http://dolores-maxwell.com/john_white/open_letter_beauchamps_16_dec_2013.php
The UK democratised the probate system years ago. Its easy to follow guide demystifies the process. It makes it easy for the ordinary citizen. The Dublin probate office are exceptionally helpful to lay applicants but the website needs to be easier to follow .
Did it myself save a fortune, couple of days after form & papers submitted. Staff helpful… Also they have no idea of house prices.. always a bonus.. so i‘m told..
Sorry for the probably stupid question but the 17 wks in Dublin for solicitors applications, is that just for the appointment or for the whole grant of probate process ???
@Gwen Denny: I would think that its the Time that the probate office receives the application from the solicitors there should be a simpler system and avoiding solicitors if there is a choice
@Johnny Mason: you can apply to the Probate office in person and don’t need a solicitor. Agree the system could be made simpler
@Johnny Mason: thanks a mill . It’s 23 weeks since we signed everything for the solicitor, god knows how long it will take . And you’re absolutely right , especially if it’s straightforward. They need to overhaul the whole process
@Gwen Denny: That’s for the whole process. There is no appointment required for solicitor applications just for personal applications.
@Margaret Heffernan: thanks a million . I may get onto the solicitor to see if there is any news . Thank you
It’s only slow because solicitors are fcuking lazy
@Me_a_monkey: I rung mine 3 wks ago and never received a call back , then emailed him last wk and still no answer . He is an ignorant dog but I used him for a specific reason but I’m afraid to ring again
@Me_a_monkey: Not lazy, sneaky, “leave that with me and I will look at it later.”
€50+ for signature, looks bad if signed in front of customer.
@Gwen Denny: Hound him Gwen. Never stop hounding him. Make him dread you.
@Michael Fox: that’s what I would normally do to anyone that is doing or getting stuff for me ,but this lad is so ignorant and rude he intimidates me
@Michael Fox: well after still having no joy at getting an answer from my solicitor other than a 2 minute call 3 wks ago to say he would chase it up and get back to me , I rung the probate office today and even though I had signed all paperwork mid September 2017 the probate office have no record of any application in my fathers name or address at all .
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