In a short space of time, Beely has created a successful modern automotive service with a team of technology, data, and brand experts as its partners. Beely, in collaboration with Crasman, built a functional digital ecosystem with which it aims to expand into Europe next.

Over its three-year history, Beely has made a noteworthy entrance into the Finnish car trade sector, successfully carving out its own space in the market with reliable partners. 

Financially, the start has been strong. In its second full fiscal year in 2021, revenue almost tripled. How was this achieved?

Beely wanted to offer driving as a service

Beely’s business model is based on the concept of an Uber-style platform business and selling driving as a service via partner dealerships.

The founding fathers are Timo Yli-Salomäki and Teemu Mäkitalo. In December 2018, Beely hired its first employee when Pertti Pigg assumed the role of CEO. 

– We wanted to offer customers a new way to manage everyday driving and provide partner dealerships with a new way to sell services. In other words, a new way to sell, a new way to buy. A monthly service that is carefree and risk-free, says Pertti Pigg.

Models and examples sought from abroad inspired confidence that Beely's business idea and operational model had a future in the Finnish market. 

– We wanted to be part of ambitious, innovative projects that advance the industry, states Pigg.

Beely is a successful combination of technology, data, and brand work

At the core are strong partnerships where everyone is aligned. Funding was arranged through partners who believed in the idea. Brand dealership partners eagerly joined in.

A functional concept and technical execution alone are not enough; a strong brand and recognition are also needed. For this reason, Sanoma’s involvement was a significant step. Within half a year, Beely became the third most recognized private leasing service in Finland, with its ascent continuing to the top position.

– As a young growing company, we embarked on a significant investment journey. We wanted partners with at least the same level of ambition. We aspire to be a world-class player at the European level, and partners need to share that mindset, says Pigg.

E-commerce matters: Four out of five purchases are made online only

Traditional brick-and-mortar car showrooms have gradually quieted as car e-commerce has become more prevalent, with 80% of Beely orders also made via their online store.

For customers, the online store is the concrete environment where the experience is delivered, and the purchasing decision is made. Thus, the digital customer experience matters.

As it began to outgrow its first online store, plans were drawn for constructing a new and even more ambitious digital ecosystem.

The new Beely online store came into being in early 2022.

Beely wants to grow into a world-class entity in the future

The business model of providing driving as a service is arriving in ownership-oriented Finland. Environmental considerations also advocate for this change.

Beely’s focus is also directed abroad, where the service model for car trading is more common.  Therefore, Beely’s digital ecosystem had to be constructed so that it could grow and evolve in line with goals beyond Finnish borders. 

The path to Europe has already been paved, and the ambitions for online operations are high.

Pigg states that digital channels are modern and future ways of delivering and creating value. 

– Beely is on the journey to becoming a world-class entity. We needed a partner for building the digital ecosystem who truly keeps pace with the times, looks forward, and moves with a modern approach. The online store is Beely’s beating heart. Therefore, we seek partners with a similar attitude.

“In collaboration, attitude stems from ideas and through attitude comes action”

Beely’s new online store is implemented in a way that enables future growth beyond national borders. The open-source-based content management system operates on Google’s cloud. From an intellectual property perspective, this has great importance. 

Pertti Pigg says that the success lay in a shared lens through which goals and actions were viewed.

– The business value is delivered through the online store. It is important to have a shared understanding of what is being done and to challenge old viewpoints as we do at Beely daily. This was a very significant investment for us; our goals are high, and we had the impression that Crasman could handle it.

According to Pigg, attitude arises from thoughts and through attitude comes action. When the outlook and mindset align, and there is a common thought that significant work is genuinely being done, it empowers the actions and outcomes. 

– Practically, work always culminates in people. There was excellent and extensive expertise from Crasman’s side. From my perspective, the project went very well in both financial and schedule terms.

Continuous site development is a permanent state

The house has been erected in Beely’s project, but development does not stop. Moving forward, the work includes, for instance, the development of analytics. The joint journey with Crasman and other partners continues. 

In collaboration, actions are personalized, and it is essential to also monitor its success. It benefits everyone.

– While extracting the efficiency of the work already done, further development is in progress. The world is such that you have to keep running just to stand still, and we want to run so fast that we move forward, says Pertti Pigg.

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