Topline Pro
eCommerce & Marketing
Early Stage
Topline Pro
Topline Pro
Topline Pro

Tagline

Shopify for Service Businesses

Team

Nick Ornitz, CEO

Shannon Kay, CPO

Location

Brooklyn, New York

Partnered

2022

Status

Active

Exited

Bonfire Lead

Company description

Topline Pro is a platform for home services professionals to get discovered, build trust, and generate repeat customers. The platform utilizes Generative-AI to automate the creation of an online presence including a custom website, online listings and social media content along with tools that enable the business to get paid online, seamlessly collecting online reviews, scheduling bookings and developing meaningful customer relationships. 

Why solve this problem?

Shannon and I have seen numerous family and friends own and operate small businesses—observing firsthand a foundational industry being largely underserved and consistently absent the tech it needed to optimize. 

Home service small business owners have long been overlooked - marketplaces that have evolved do not help the business owner succeed and create a friction filled experience for the homeowner. Unfortunately, in the service space both the homeowner and the pro often are unhappy with their respective customer/owner journeys in many cases. 

From our time working on Dwelling, a virtual marketplace that connected homeowners with plumbers over video chat we heard the repeated challenge from the pros and experienced it first hand. We want to create a world in which the small business owner can succeed and shift the mentality of homeowners immediate negative reaction to finding, trusting and working with contractors.

Hardest thing about being a founder?

The hardest thing about being a founder can be the emotional rollercoaster of the high-highs and low-lows. In my view, Persistence creates luck so it is critical to keep trying and trying even when facing challenges. 

Biggest piece of advice for aspiring founders?

As to your business, be honest about what your customers are telling you. Hear them. Make every effort not to let your own biases about what the company should be get in the way. 

Most exciting moment so far?

The most exciting moment thus far was when we sold the first AI generated website and the pro booked several jobs through the website in the first week. This moment brought to life the potential for Topline Pro and the impact we are creating. 

Why did you choose Bonfire?

We were impressed for multiple reasons: (1) sense that we could trust the entire team (2) feeling that Jim, Tyler and the team would focus on what is best for the long term business and for the founders vs. short term game (3) shared vision in the opportunity (4) strong reputation / track record and (5) incredibly supportive references that validated our feelings about trust with the team.

What's it like to work with Bonfire?

It has been fantastic to work with Bonfire. We have been impressed that the team has offered support in many ways beyond just advice such as the countless recruiting recommendations / interviews that Tyler has helped with. Beyond this, we have felt that Jim has the right sense for priorities and ability to see the aspects of the business that are most important to focus on going forward.

Favorite book, useful tool or app?

Tango is a great tool for making how-to guides and documenting processes across the team