Cleary University grad James Bell launches Book!t app
For James Bell, getting stuck in his Cleary University dormitory when the college suspended in-person classes in 2020 was a curse and a blessing.
Bell, an MBA student from England, came to the Genoa Township university to study business on a soccer scholarship. When COVID-19 arrived, a travel ban prevented him from flying home to his parents’ house in Bracknell, west of London.
The university allowed him to stay on campus, where he was a resident advisor at South Hall. He watched as everyone else on his floor left.
Bell said that while it was lonely, he used the time constructively to develop a new smartphone app for booking local activities called Book!t.
The app, currently in beta testing, will allow users to search for local activities and entertainment, book time slots, split a bill, leave reviews and share their activity on social media. Bell hopes to release the app on Apple iOS and Android as soon as later this spring.
“I want it to be all-encompassing,” said Bell, who graduated with his MBA in 2021 and now resides in Oceola Township near Howell. “Bowling, golf, laser tag, miniature golf. We’re talking to ice rinks and also indoor skydiving to see if they want to get on board. Truly the opportunities are endless with this booking system. (A coffeeshop) could do a private event and people could book in advance.”
He also thinks the app could be used for concerts, canoe rentals, and other types of recreation like disc golf.
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“Like with golf, typically every hour is tee time,” he said. “With bowling, maybe there is a regular rate for how long people stay, and then they could issue 16 tickets for that lane. It’s fully customizable for the business. Like paying for bowling shoes, there can be different add-ons.”
People and businesses can register interest in being a user now on his website www.spitfiredigitalllc.com
App to launch with Livingston County businesses
Bell said when the app first launches it will include Livingston County activities and expand from there.
“Initially, we’re aiming at Livingston County first and then after there we’re going to take a big step to Michigan,” he said.
He hopes the app will expand “organically” to the rest of the U.S. and Europe.
“The plan is to develop the business. My end goal is to be able to establish a business that has an American headquarters in Howell, because it’s close to Cleary and a lot of good talent is coming out of here.”
Bell said he’s fallen in love with American culture in his time here, but also wants to keep ties with the United Kingdom.
“Near where I live in England is like Silicon Valley, so I want to set up a U.K., European headquarters there, and my end goal would be to be between the two countries.”
He said it cost about $8,000 to create the app. He hopes to secure additional funding from investors.
Bell also aspires to take on larger cash apps like Venmo, which sometimes charges processing fees when people pay each other online, by keeping his app free.
“The only revenue stream I want to add is a featured page,” he said.
“I was frustrated with all the fees. Everyone wants to take your money, bank fees, payment processors. The end goal, if I can grow this big enough, which I fully intend on doing, grow big with enough capital, I want to change the culture where we don’t do that.”
Stuck on campus
Being stuck on a nearly empty campus was a strange experience for Bell.
“I had my birthday during that time,” he said. “There were a few stragglers (at first), but sure enough, one by one everyone started leaving. Then it’s me on the campus by myself. So, what do I do? It was eerie. It was strange. I would never be able to properly put into words that experience.”
He said staff and maintenance workers came in every now and then.
“But when 5 o’clock hit, there was no one at all. Then they told us to stay at home. All I could do is go to Walmart.”
Bell said his longing to go out and have fun with friends inspired the app.
“I was sitting there alone, sad I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “For some reason, I wanted to go bowling. I’m not a bowler, but I wanted to meet up with friends and do things. I Googled bowling. There were a few (lanes) in the area, but (internet searches) didn’t tell you much. That’s when I came up with the idea for the app.”
Bell has always had a zest for entrepreneurship. As a teenager in England, he ran an Alibaba.com merchandise account that focused on finding products people were looking for at low prices. A local police department even asked him to help them find affordable dash cams.
Regina Banks-Hall is a business professor and a dean of graduate and professional studies at Cleary University.
Banks-Hall said Bell, who worked as her teaching assistant when he was still a student, “has a bright future.”
“He understands economics really well,” she said. “I think he’s going to do well as an entrepreneur because, from a business perspective, he understands how the economy impacts business and that is important for every business owner.”
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at [email protected].
