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Jim Alvarez’s professional background is, in a word, varied. He’s the creator of the HammY golf putter. He developed a tanning business, eventually partnering with Los Angeles salon chain L.A. Tan. He converted Chicago’s Amhurst Asylum, a former psychiatric hospital, into a haunted house. And now, he boasts the title of CEO and founder of AuctionsByCellular.
Continuing his tradition of niche entrepreneurship, Alvarez founded AuctionsByCellular to facilitate charity auctions. The startup provides digital services including online ticketing and mobile bidding technology, as well as in-person event management for nonprofits throughout the U.S.
Though his background isn’t in the nonprofit sector, Alvarez said he became aware of the inefficiencies of silent auctions. “I knew there had to be a better way to run a silent auction. Having to keep checking a bid sheet is very painful,” he said.
His response: introduce technology to streamline the bidding process. AuctionsByCellular’s proprietary online ticketing platform allows nonprofits to sell tickets and process payments, while its mobile bidding service enables users to bid on an item using their smartphones. Attendees receive a text linking them to the web-based platform, Alvarez said, which updates bid stats in real time.
Of course, AuctionsByCellular isn’t the only company to offer silent auction software. According to Alvarez, however, what distinguishes the company is its staff. Upon request, AuctionsByCellular equips events with personnel to handle guest check-in and check-out, process transactions, and provide technical support for guests.
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Alvarez contends the staff complements the mobile services, aiding nonprofits who lack the capacity to learn to operate new technology in a short amount of time.
"While I knew the technology would make a major difference, I also knew that it would be almost impossible for nonprofits to be able to implement this amazing technology themselves. So, it has always been important for ABC [AuctionsByCellular] to offer both the technology and the service in conjunction with one another,” he said.
Though the startup hasn’t yet raised a Series A (and doesn’t have plans to), Alvarez said AuctionsByCellular has worked with thousands of charities, churches, and schools – including the Big Brother and Big Sister programs, the YMCA, and Goodwill – since its 2011 inception. He attributes the startup’s success to its combination of technology and in-person support.
“No other mobile bidding company can say this, ‘We have never ever gone down before,’” he said. “But it’s our team that makes the difference. We have learned a lot over the past 45 months. Running thousands of events helps you identify all the things that can wrong, and our team is there to make sure that everything runs seamlessly.”
As Alvarez and his staff refine the company’s operations, he plans to open its services to additional markets, develop new features, and “take care of all our charity partners’ technology needs.”
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