A P.E.I. entrepreneur is being highlighted by a new economic impact report released by Google.
Dave’s Lobster, which was opened by Dave Hyndman in Charlottetown in 2014, has been pointed to in Google’s first Canadian Economic Report as a shining example of using an online presence to find customers, grow his business and make an impact in the community.
Hyndman, who also works full-time as an IT consultant, said having a tech background helped him understand how important it was to have a strong web presence when he opened the restaurant.
“I’m not a restaurant guy, I’m not a chef, but I am an IT and web guy,” Hyndman said of when he first opened the business. “So, once I decided to do this, I decided to do the online stuff very well.”
He noted that just a few years ago, many companies were still catching on to using the Google My Business listing, Google Maps and other software for marketing and growing business.
“I think the playing field is leveling. At some point, it was new. Now it’s become so important that everybody has it.”
Since 2014, Hyndman has grown his business to include two P.E.I. locations, one Halifax location and 30 employees during peak season.
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With the original location moving from Founder’s Hall to Peakes Quay this year, Hyndman said it was a record season for the Charlottetown store.
While many invariables are involved, from good weather to the strength of the Canadian dollar, Hyndman also credited the ease of changing his location on Google to ensure locals and tourists alike were able to find the new location.
“There’s a lot of risk in moving. But with the online thing, you can make sure everyone knows where you are,” he said. “It’s been very positive.”
Google in the Canadian Economy
- $10.4 billion or more in economic activity supported by Canadian businesses that use Google Search and Google Ads
- 35 per cent of clicks for Canadian businesses advertising on Google came from outside the country
- 112 thousand jobs or more supported by Canadian businesses that use Google Search and Google ads
- $266 million or more in productivity benefits generated by Canadian businesses using Google Cloud
Source: Google’s Canadian Economic Impact Report
Apart from marketing the restaurant, Hyndman noted web tools such as G Suite help the business run smoothly.
Because Hyndman has a full-time IT job, he has director of operations Jenna Shin run the day-to-day business.
It means he can check his business remotely on his own time rather than having to physically go to the locations.
“The whole company is run on software services … It helps because the business for me is very much a side project,” he said, noting that he uses different programs and apps for scheduling, payroll, social media and a host of other things.
“It’s everything you need for a business. It used to be more complex, now you just sign up for a service and you have that functionality.”
Google’s Canadian Economic Impact Report was released earlier this month and explores the economic activity for businesses, website publishers and nonprofits across the country.
According to Google, which contracted Deloitte to complete the report, the company’s search and advertising tools helped generate $10.4 billion in economic activity for Canadian businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits, developers and creators.
