Most entrepreneurial ideas stem from a problem that an individual has faced in their own life. For Sneak Peek CEO Edward Griffith and CFO Courtney Ivy, that story is no different. The two college friends spent many of their days at the University of Toledo brainstorming potential business ideas and thinking through countless “problem and solution” scenarios between classes.

But it wasn’t until graduation that the right idea finally presented itself.

The Aha! Moment
Edward, a long-time sneaker collector and shoe store manager, had plenty of personal experience dealing with the frustrations that come with the quest to locate and purchase the perfect pair of new shoes.

“Everyone at one time or another has had a problem finding shoes in their size,” said Edward. “At the store, I’d hear the same questions all day long; ‘do you have these in my size? what color? when are these coming out? can you hold a pair for me?’”

“It led to an aha! moment,” he added. “I thought that maybe I could come up with something that would allow customers to search and find shoes, and then purchase a pair directly from their phone or pick them up when they want to.”

From that moment, Sneak Peek was born.

From Idea To App
Edward and Courtney’s entrepreneurial journey began with the simple act of penning an idea to paper. Soon after, Sneak Peek would come to life as an app that allows users to browse the sneaker inventory of all the retail stores and resellers in their area. Customers like it because it makes it easier for them to find and buy shoes. Retailers like it because it helps them sell their existing inventory more efficiently.

“We’ve been going slowly but surely, and everything is falling into place,” said Edward of the development process. “We’re going to try to launch in early 2018. That’s what we’re working on now.”

As they ramped up development and looked to get serious about taking their idea to the next level, the pair knew they needed some external guidance and support to grow.

“Honestly, I looked at a bunch of different programs …but then someone told me to look at JumpStart,” said Edward. “I asked, ‘what’s JumpStart?’ But I was curious, so I sent an email, got in touch the Core City: Cleveland program and we’ve been connected ever since.”

How Core City: Cleveland Has Helped
Like most entrepreneurs, the duo behind Sneek Peek have encountered their fair share of hurdles along the way.

“With the Sneak Peek app, we have to figure out the difficulties in everything,” said Edward. “There’s so much inventory involved, so there’s a lot that can go wrong. JumpStart has been giving us a lot of advice and tips around navigating this area.”

Edward and Courtney both agree that their time spent with Core City: Cleveland business advisors has had an incredibly positive impact on their business.

“This has been a growing experience. We’ve done everything that we’ve been asked to do, and it has worked out tremendously,” said Edward. “We’ve received guidance, connections and help with the framework, now we just have to put in the hard work.”

To learn more about how free one-on-one business advising sessions from the Core City: Cleveland program can help you move forward in your own entrepreneurial journey, click here.