2vancouver.com Launches Local Matchmaking Service For Expats
Submitted by: 2Vancouver.com
2013-12-21 00:01:49
Travel and relocation website 2Vancouver.com has launched a new business matchmaking service to enhance the online support it provides to newcomers and travelers in Vancouver, Canada.
(OPENPRESS) 2Vancouver.com which was launched in 2011 by French-born entrepreneur Francois Roux and UK based Grant Willavise, has grown rapidly since its inception. The tri-lingual site featured information on immigration, work, travel, education and lifestyle and grew to become an essential source of information for the thousands of immigrants and students who flock to Vancouver every year.
The new matchmaking service will connect new arrivals directly to the services they need such as immigration lawyers and consultants, moving companies, financial advisors, insurance companies, ESL schools, realtors, and property managers. All visitors to the site have to do is fill out an online form detailing their request on 2Vancouver.com. Up to three pre-screened companies will then be put in touch with the person making the request and they can choose the organization which best suits their needs.
"When people arrive in a new country, they often don't have the contacts and local knowledge we take for granted," says Francois Roux.
"By acting as a go-between we make it easier for them to access the expertise they need. It is a free, completely consumer-driven service. They tell us what they need and we match them to the service providers within hours of receiving the request."
Since launching the matchmaking service the site has received more than 1,000 requests with inquiries coming from a wide variety of locations including Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Norway, USA, India, Algeria and even Syria. Satisfied customers include a company based in Mexico City seeking visa advice. Within an hour of making the request, they received a call from a BC immigration consultant who they subsequently hired.
With 50,000 permanent residents, more than 50,000 students settling in Metro Vancouver each year, and as many as 150,000 temporary workers in BC at any given time, Vancouver is the perfect testing ground for the new service says Roux. "We are testing it out in Vancouver and if we get a positive market response, we will roll the concept out to other cities. Our immigration matchmaking service really is a better way to relocate."
