Over the last six months, we’ve all experienced change of some kind due to the COVID-19 shutdowns. Whether it’s working from home, taking online classes, losing a job, or getting a new job, we've all had to make adjustments. Over the summer, as people started going back to work in offices, a problem sparked an idea for three young entrepreneurs here in Utah.

Pitctured above from L to R: Austin Hale, Reid Hiatt, and Chris Barcus

Austin Hale, a CTO at a software startup, Reid Hiatt, a financial analyst, and Chris, a UVU student from a local software startup all were left juggling daily changes like the rest of us. As they began working to figure out how to get employees back into their offices they realized it would be more complicated than they oringinally had expected. The 6 ft required distancing had created a capacity issue for many businesses. The companies they worked in, and several others they spoke to, were creating spreadsheets and forming teams to attack just this one problem. 

That’s where the idea behind Tactic came from. Chris believes the days of 100 percent of employees coming into the office every day are over. He predicts the future of the workplace will be either a hybrid or flex workplace. Employees will get to choose what days they come in and what days they work from home. In the long-term, Tactic will help companies manage their capacity and new flex work environment. In the short-term, they will help companies get their employees back into the office post-COVID. 

Tactic is currently preparing for its beta launch on September 30th, with a goal of 100 users by the end of the year (75 beta users and 10 paying customers).  Launching a business in the middle of COVID-19 as a student is a lot, but Chris actually recommended it saying, “There’s never a right way to do something. The best time to take a risk is when you’re younger and in college.” He explained that many times students are too focused on a lack of experience when entering their careers, but it shouldn't be a concern because they will gain that eventually. Building connections with people is far more valuable to Chris and the team at Tactic.

His main advice for other student entrepreneurs is if you have an idea, do it now! Don’t wait. Life will only get crazier and you’ll only have more responsibilities. If he could go back in time, Chris said he would have tried to start hundreds of companies during college because there’s little to no risk and you learn so much from the process. You will be entering the real world with real experience!

 

Do you have an idea? Follow Chris’ advice and get started right away! Pitch at our fall Seed for Startups on October 5th and you could win up to $2,000 to launch your startup.

Click HERE and get registered now!

For updates, follow Tactic on Facebook and LinkedIn and check out their clickable beta!