Franklin Street is the center of UNC’s social scene, from clubs and bars to restaurants and clothing stores; Franklin has something for everyone. But, up until recently there was no one resource that provided information about all of the businesses on Franklin. That’s where recent UNC grad Taylor Meyer and his business partner Zach Hunter came in to save the day with their new business startup, UConnection. Taylor described UConnection as a, “one stop shop for students’ dining and nightlife needs.” Not only did Taylor start this business during his last two years at UNC, but he also played four years of tennis and maintained stellar grades. After talking with Taylor and Zach it is clear that UConnection is about to change nightlife at UNC for the better.
HC: Tell me about your time at UNC. What were some of the activities you were involved in?
TM: My main thing during my time at school was tennis. I played for four years and it was great but pretty time consuming. I was also in a program for athletes called Leadership Academy. The program helped me to develop leadership skills by attending workshops and completing certain Leadership Academy assignments. But for the most part I was focused on tennis and my classes.
HC: Where did you get the idea for UConnection?
JM: To be honest the whole idea got started from me and Zach not really knowing about all of the things that were available to us on Franklin. We found ourselves eating at the same five restaurants and going to the same clubs every weekend. There just wasn’t a resource that allowed us to see which places would best suit us. So we basically just wanted to start something that compiled all of the places on Franklin that would allow us to see all of the available options.
HC: So when did UConnection go from being a great idea to becoming a reality?
JM: Well we got some of the preliminary things out of the way junior year like patents, copyrights, and finding other team members to work with us. We officially launched UConnection in September of last year so we’re actually celebrating our one-year anniversary this month. It took a lot of hard work but its something that we’re both very passionate about and so we made it happen.
Taylor Meyer (Left) Zach Hunter (Right)
HC: Tell me about UConnection and what sets it apart from other apps and websites like Groupon and Campus Specials.
JM: The main thing that really sets us apart from others are our personalized pages and our exclusive deals. We provide a specialized home page for UConnection members that caters to their interests and preferences. We also offer special discounts that are only offered to UConnection members. Plus we’re very focused on college students and we are completely free. Unlike other sources you won’t find deals on ballet lessons in Raleigh. All of the information we give is relevant to college students. In addition to that we have information about every single restaurant and bar on Franklin Street. We also have information about businesses on Rosemary. That information includes opening and closing times, age requirements, and any deals/discounts offered.
HC: Is there anything new coming to UConnection?
JM: Yeah, actually we’re working on adapting our app for Androids. We’re also working on bringing UConnection to NC State and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. And we’re always updating the website and app and working to fix any bugs. We really pride ourselves on being customer oriented and listening to the suggestions UConnection members give us.
HC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start his or her own business?
JM: I’d say just go for it. If you really have passion for something then there’s no reason not to try. Just be prepared for some hard work along the way.
Stay connected with you UConnection!
Facebook: UConnection
Twitter/ Instagram: @uconnection_inc
Website: www.uconnection.com
Also, check the App Store to download the UConnection App!
Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Taylor Meyer