I find when I have a solid base of knowledge and a good foundational plan to fall back on, the confidence to question and further develop my ideas comes quite naturally.
How much resource did you spend on developing your product?
I have spent countless hours on this project and, like most start-up founders, have held down a fulltime job throughout most of this journey.
On top of this, I have been extremely lucky to take part in Velocity’s 100k Challenge and Creative HQ’s Young Founder’s programme, which both span over three months. This means I will typically do quite long working weeks.
Starting a business is a lot of work and it has taken up a lot of my time and resources. However, I have found we are so lucky with our start-up ecosystem in New Zealand. I believe it is the best place to start a business in the world, because if you are prepared to get serious about it and give your time and resources, you will receive 10 times whatever you put in from the start-up community.
What’s surprised you most about the journey of starting and operating your own business?
The two things that surprised me the most (I couldn’t choose just one) were:
- Often the most challenging thing about starting a business is just starting. Almost every challenge I have faced throughout this project seemed quite intimidating to me until I found the momentum to just get started on it.
- How supportive people will be of you. There will always be naysayers, but often if you have put the time and effort in and you back yourself, then 99 per cent of people will have something positive to add, and there have been many people on this journey who really have gone above and beyond for me while not expecting anything in return. This kind of supportive and generous culture in the start-up space is something I am so grateful for, as I would not have got this far without those people.
What’s the major focus for your business right now?
As Sun Powder has just come out of the research and development phase and is softly launching into sales, the three challenges we are currently facing are:
- Finding a rhythm in the online space, experimenting with ads and various content online to see what may have a positive effect on creating brand awareness and online sales.
- Attracting retailers and working with other New Zealand and Australian businesses with similar audiences.
- Finding what works best for us operationally now and looking at how this will evolve as we grow.
What challenges are you experiencing in business at the moment?
Learning how to grow my customer base without completely blowing the marketing budget! It is a fine balance.
Where do you see your business in five years’ time?
In five years’ time I would love Sun & Set to be known as a movement for people who feel most inspired in the sun, with a diverse range of products to aid in this lifestyle available in accessible locations.
What advice would you give to others thinking of starting their own business?
Have a crack and ask some questions, be prepared to get to work and take care of yourself!
