Three years ago, HotSpot Merchant Solutions was a small Fredericton startup. Today, it’s growing with a major U.S. partner. Erin Flood, the company’s chief operating officer, said growth is driven by prioritizing relationships and communication.

The HotSpot technology allows the remote payment of parking meters. The product produces data for downtown businesses, and allows the businesses to advertise to customers through their cellphones.

The company can also track customer response rates.

HotSpot operates in Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton and Charlottetown, and has about a 30 per cent penetration rate in each. Last year, the company began a partnership with North Carolina-based mobile payments company Passport. It’s expected the move will increase HotSpot’s accessible market by 100 times.

Flood has been with HotSpot since the beginning and her role has changed with the growth of the company.

“I was brought on to manage marketing and social media and develop a brand presence. I’d been working for a non-profit on their social media,” said the young woman, who has also worked in the IT sector.

Her role rapidly expanded to include customer services and human resources. Now, she is also responsible for hirings and strategic partnerships.

“In startup life, you wear a lot of hats,” said Flood who graduated from Nova Scotia’s St. Francis Xavier University in 2011 with a focus in psychology and sociology. She has also completed Seth Godin’s AltMBA and is a C100 Top Tech Women in Canada.

“The hats allow you to gain more experience, although it did seem overwhelming at first. We lived and breathed the company. We still do…Building a company has been an unmatched education.”

HotSpot is currently hiring account managers and developers and could take on up to five new hires in the next few months. The number could grow to 15 by the fall.

Growth is rapid, but the team has learned to be cautious about hiring, after taking on a lot of people in 2013 and then having to downsize.

“We jumped the gun,” Flood said. “We went up to 15 staff. We weren’t focusing on developing our people, we were pushing the product. Now, we’re learning from our mistakes, and investing in great people.”

There are currently three on the executive team — Flood, CEO Phillip Curley and CTO James Lockhart.

They are assisted by veteran entrepreneur David Wagner. With part-time and contract staff, there are 10 people involved in HotSpot operations.

Flood said HotSpot is not about hierarchy.

“At the start of every week, we hold a big meeting. That communication is crucial,” she said.

“We aim to ensure hires fit with our culture. It’s not just qualifications. We see their strengths from conversation. We’re looking for passionate, humble, empathetic, positive and self-directed people.”

Investing in trusted staff allows the executive team to lower their stress levels.

“In a startup, you’re always stressed, but if you weren’t there’d be a bigger issue,” Flood said. “You need to be aware of your company’s position in the marketplace and what is going on elsewhere.

“When you’re not worried, I don’t think you’re learning. You might be missing something,” she added.

Stress may be largely inevitable, in Flood’s opinion, but she does keep it in check by ensuring she has an hour a day, tech-free, to exercise outside.

At the moment, the executive team members are all training to take part in the Duncan Hadley Triathlon.

The team is also busy learning the culture of Passport. The U.S. company has raised US$7.5 million in investment, has satellite offices in Barcelona and Bangalore, and operates in more than 1,000 locations, including Chicago, Toronto and Boston.

“We have to ensure communications with Passport are streamlined and consistent,” Flood said. “We travel quite a bit. When our technology is introduced to a new city we’re there. It’s exciting. We’re learning how things are done in the U.S.”