Business Column Questions

• Who are you?

I am Mubbasher Khanzada, founder of Welltime Ltd and an ambitious, innovative entrepreneur with a vision to improve the way people engage in the professional services industry, by streamlining and making the appointments booking processes more efficient and effective.

I am curious and always thinking about how things can be improved or done better.

I launched my company Welltime because I was frustrated with the inefficiencies in the health sector, where a lot of money and customer aggravation could be saved by utilizing better management and technology solutions.

• What does your business do?

We facilitate the professional services engagements through online appointments. AppointMentor, our flagship solution, enables online appointments, whereas PatientConnnections provides Digital CRM and communications with customers/patients. We also analyse huge chunks of data and provide Business Intelligence solutions.

• Where are you based?

We are based in Entrepreneurial Spark’s Glasgow Hatchery. I chose it because of the network and the support Entrepreneurial Spark provides. It has made a lot of difference to me as an entrepreneurial leader and as a person.

• How did you get started?

Welltime started as a single man’s vision to improve the quality of service patients receive, by enabling them to have more choices, more access and better engagement options. For the first couple of years the business was run mainly from my home, before moving into the Entrepreneurial Spark facilities.

• What is your background

I have a diverse educational background (Computer Science, Engineering, MBA, Saltire Fellowship) and multi-dimensional experiences (with UN, Accenture, Genzyme).

• What is your top tip?

One can over-analyse things, but a stage comes when we have to take the plunge. Don’t be afraid to do it. What counts is that you get up, even if there are a few falls along the way.

• How long has your business been running?

Although incorporated about 11 years ago, the main focus and customer engagement for appointments facilitation has been around for four years.

• Has anyone helped you get started and how?

Scottish Enterprise, Business Gateway and Entrepreneurial Spark (along with its key partners RBS, KPMG, Harper Macleod) helped along the way.

• What was your first deal?

At an industry exhibition, a dentist said to me he would write a cheque if our solution could facilitate family bookings. We didn’t at the time, but three weeks later we went to him and got the cheque (he is still with us today after many years

• What was your biggest mistake/or what would you do differently?

Naiveté, to think the world won’t work without my solution. There was a business deal where the other party asked for more than what we had initially in mind. I was self-conceited to think they don’t have options and therefore we should stick to our guns and not ‘cave in’. A couple of years later, the other party brought out their own solution. We missed a great chance to be in a dominant market position. Lesson learnt: while initially a deal may look exploitative, engaging with the customers is better than not engaging (and sulking later on!)

• Who was/is your mentor/or inspiration?

I have at times been inspired by Jobs, Gates, Branson, Dyson and many others; essentially, each time someone makes it through all the hardships, when the human soul is triumphant in the face of adversity, it is inspiring for me and a re-affirmation of human values of survival and ambition.

• Where do you plan your business to be in five years time?

To be the premier provider of the online booking service for the UK Dental and Medical industry, with 5,000 practices / business customers covering over 20 million registered users who can book appointments with ease and convenience, supported by a team of 100 people.

• Useful contacts

Entrepreneurial Spark, Business Gateway and Scottish Enterprise are great. Recently I have found RBS to be extremely supportive, with a genuine desire to help, something which I think has improved a lot over the past few years as their investment in entrepreneurs has grown.

• Contact Details

Mubbasher Khanzada,

mubbasher@welltime.co.uk