A SMU alumnus and Big iDeas winner created a website that connects student entrepreneurs with other local students to build businesses and teams.
Alan Marull graduated from SMU in 2016, but he started his first business when he was a sophomore. Marull won the 2013 SMU Big iDeas Business Plan Competition with his idea for a fast food delivery service, which he ran for two years. Now he works in digital marketing and about a month ago launched a website, Findxyz.xyz.
“This website is a resource to find business partners but hopefully it can grow to be a place where student entrepreneurs can go in and find people for all of their business needs, like influencers or services,” Marull said.
Findxyz.xyz allows students to post their profile with their skills and contact information. Whether the student is an entrepreneur, influencer or skilled worker, this platform is intended to allow everyone to connect. Students can post and search under a specific Dallas area, university or citywide.
Marull said he came up with the idea after being in the business plan competition. Since other students were focusing on their own projects during the competition, Marull said he found it difficult to network. He wishes he had found business partners because it was difficult to juggle school and his business.
“At the time I wished there was a resource or an online tool to help me run the business,” Marull said. “There were websites where I could find people overseas to build a website or do digital marketing, but It was hard to find students to help build a team.”
Marull said he hopes to help students make connections with each other with the free and easy to use platform.
“If you have a good idea, go ahead and just start it. Find somebody that can help you build it,” Marull said. “It might seem like a big problem to tackle, but if you can find the right pieces and the right people, it’s very doable.”
Marull said that the SMU Big iDeas business plan competition helped him become an entrepreneur and it helped him pave a path to where he is today.
